Wiring driving offorad lights to Hi beam and seperater on/off switch?

[Climbhigh]

I am thinking about wiring my bumper led bar and cowl ditch lines to my hi beams (via a diodes and bus bar) and also to a independent on/off switch. Has anyone done this??

I am pretty sure I have it figured out how to do it. Basically I am looking for a way to use my offroad lights in 2 ways.

1st way: each offroad light sysem will have it own independent on/off switch...probably on a vosswitch (grab handle). This way I can turn it off when ever I want them via the switch, and not tied to the hi beams.

2nd way (and more complicated): I want the run a wire, tapped into the high beams, through a diode and into a bus bar. The aux switches would also be used in the system. So this way i could turn on the high beams, without the offroad lights coming on. Then in an offroad situation, I can turn on the aux button which would tie the power to the offroad lights when hi beams are on...hi beams turn on and offroad lights turn on. The main goal here is to be able to instantly kill all offroad lights when the hi beams are flicked off. Each offroad light system would have its own relay, diode, and aux switch. The bus bar just makes it easier the tie the different light systems into the hi beams.

I understand this will tie up a lot of switches, but I don't expect to be using them for much elese anyways. I may not do the Vosswitch side...only do 2nd way - offroad lights can only be on when hi beam and Aux switch on.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Drawing of how I think it will get wired up (please correct me if I am wrong)

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[IamPro2A]

It's ok to want flexibility. But realistically, are you really ever going to want to use your offroad lights without your high beams on as well? I initially thought along the same lines as you, and then I thought back to all my prior years of off-roading. I could not really think of a situation where those lights were needed but I really did not want the headlights on. So I made it simple. I powered them off an aux switch thru a relay triggered by the highbeams. Result is that for them to come on, but the switch must be on and the highbeams on. Switching either off kills them. The factory switch is programmed to remember last state, so I don't have to remember to turn it on every night trip.

 

[Climbhigh]

It's ok to want flexibility. But realistically, are you really ever going to want to use your offroad lights without your high beams on as well? I initially thought along the same lines as you, and then I thought back to all my prior years of off-roading. I could not really think of a situation where those lights were needed but I really did not want the headlights on. So I made it simple. I powered them off an aux switch thru a relay triggered by the highbeams. Result is that for them to come on, but the switch must be on and the highbeams on. Switching either off kills them. The factory switch is programmed to remember last state, so I don't have to remember to turn it on every night trip.

Yeah I agree with you, plus it saves switches and wiring. The only time I could think of, when I'd want hi beams off, is in camping or car show scenario...which isn't really worth it or often/never.

I figured I might be over thinking it. Lol.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Frankly, I'd just wire any off-road lights by themselves. I'd not tie them to high beams in any way.
So you want high beams AND off-road, flip the headlights to high beam and turn on your off-road lights. Get onto the highway where your other lights are illegal, flip those off and leave the high beams on. You may want off-road lights on with low beams on.

I had a crazy amount of lights on my Comanche and wired set of lights on their own. I farmed then and when combining at night, if something broke down (and it usually did wait until dark to break), I'd simply drive that little Jeep into the field, point it at the problem area and turn on which-ever lights worked best for the circumstances.

It's your truck, your purposes and so on, but do think about "what if" or the future - do you really want certain things tied together, or do you want flexibility down the road?
(and I HATE cutting into factory wiring, so I always use pig tails in between the harnesses - easier to change you mind in the future that way, too)

 

[IamPro2A]

Frankly, I'd just wire any off-road lights by themselves. I'd not tie them to high beams in any way.
So you want high beams AND off-road, flip the headlights to high beam and turn on your off-road lights. Get onto the highway where your other lights are illegal, flip those off and leave the high beams on. You may want off-road lights on with low beams on.

I had a crazy amount of lights on my Comanche and wired set of lights on their own. I farmed then and when combining at night, if something broke down (and it usually did wait until dark to break), I'd simply drive that little Jeep into the field, point it at the problem area and turn on which-ever lights worked best for the circumstances.

It's your truck, your purposes and so on, but do think about "what if" or the future - do you really want certain things tied together, or do you want flexibility down the road?
(and I HATE cutting into factory wiring, so I always use pig tails in between the harnesses - easier to change you mind in the future that way, too)

I'm guessing the OP's local is a lot like mine, and probably a lot different than yours. I only say that because the tallest mountain in Iowa is something like 1500ft? I deal with almost that much elevation gain just getting to my house from town, and they call my neighborhood "the hills". You really need those ditch lights just to safely drive the normal roads around here. If they are just on a separate switch, it's too hard to kill them in time for oncoming traffic. It's not straight and flat here where you see a car coming a mile away at night. You're on a 45mph road and the next curve or hill is always a few hundred feet in front of you. And boy do you need to pay attention to those woods. a porcupine isn't all that big, but they have zero effs to give, they will not move unless they feel like it. Everyone pretty much deals with deer, but we also have bear and moose running out in front of you. Moose are the worst! 1200lbs and all that weight is 5-6ft up on top of spindle legs. You hit one of those and it's like a 1/2 ton brick coming right thru the windshield.

This is typical local driving for me. Now picture it in the pitch black. Not a street light around for miles. No time to fiddle with a dash switch to kill the off-road lights before you blind someone and run them off the road. As it is, you drive at night with a few fingers on that hi beam stalk at all times.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm guessing the OP's local is a lot like mine, and probably a lot different than yours. I only say that because the tallest mountain in Iowa is something like 1500ft? I deal with almost that much elevation gain just getting to my house from town, and they call my neighborhood "the hills". You really need those ditch lights just to safely drive the normal roads around here. If they are just on a separate switch, it's too hard to kill them in time for oncoming traffic. It's not straight and flat here where you see a car coming a mile away at night. You're on a 45mph road and the next curve or hill is always a few hundred feet in front of you. And boy do you need to pay attention to those woods. a porcupine isn't all that big, but they have zero effs to give, they will not move unless they feel like it. Everyone pretty much deals with deer, but we also have bear and moose running out in front of you. Moose are the worst! 1200lbs and all that weight is 5-6ft up on top of spindle legs. You hit one of those and it's like a 1/2 ton brick coming right thru the windshield.

This is typical local driving for me. Now picture it in the pitch black. Not a street light around for miles. No time to fiddle with a dash switch to kill the off-road lights before you blind someone and run them off the road. As it is, you drive at night with a few fingers on that hi beam stalk at all times.

In those cases, yes makes sense. He can turn them totally off with a aux switch if not needed or desired, or with the high beams switching to low.

Depending on the draw, he may want a relay to keep the aux lights from throwing the truck into a hissy fit. Depends on draw of the lights. Could always test it and see how it works.

What might make it simple is a setup like I used to power my backup lights - a diode array, two diodes, two inputs, 1 output.
Out from high beam through the diode to the aux lights
Out from aux switch through the other input of diode to the aux lights so he could use them alone. But if he wanted high beams without the other lights, he'd need a kill switch for the other lights (even if on the ground side)
Lots of ways to do it, depending on needs and use.

As far as where I live - hills, blind curves, ditches that will kill if you go off, etc. - I should make a video of some of our roads. Sure, no "mountains" per se - but we've got some places where the trees come up to the edge of a road as you go up a hill and around a curve and anything popping out onto the road - zero warning. You want lights to shine off the sides of the road.
Frankly, your photo looks just like my drive home from town - not kidding. It's how I took out a right fender - and killed Bambi's aunt a few years back. Deer came out from between the trees and the first bounce was the middle of the road right in front of me. There was no seeing it before it hit the road. It's like it magically appeared from out of the trees. There's no ditch, no grass.

 

[Climbhigh]

It is kinda a combination of both. Flat or hilly. I don't see myself using the offroad lights on an actual roadway, unless im just fooling around. Heck, I barely even use the hi beams due to how bright the led headlights are.

The main offroading/overlanding I do is in a state forest that has miles of gravel/dirt no winter maintenence roads through the woods and hills. This is an area that I would use the offroad lights some to light up the trail/road some...and the surrounding area. But....there is a chance of a oncoming vehicle on these roads/trails. To be able to flick one switch to instantly kill all offroad lights and hi beam definitely would be nice...instead of fumbling for 2 or more

What I am thinking now is maybe just use the vosswitch for the offroad lights, and stay in the low beam setting on headlights. That way I can kill the all offroad lights by turning off vosswitch's main power button.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I forgot that with that switch setup, you have a "master switch". Cant do that with the MOPAR switches. I love 'em, but like so many things, pros and cons and "gee, I wish it could do this".

It comes down to - do what you need to do for your own purposes and intent. You know your driving, location and so on.
The options are almost unlimited and which-ever way you go, it's doable.

 

[Climbhigh]

@ShadowsPapa I agree , I hate tapping into a harness unless it is on pigtail or something I can easy/cheaply replace.

so let's not talk about the cooltech flat tow harness I put on my jeep that installs a kill switch (air gap between the jeep and rv) on the main harness below the passenger side seat . Not realy proud of doing it that way, but in other ways I felt it was the cleanest setup...if it doesnt come back to bite me.

 

[IamPro2A]

Makes me wish that maybe Mopar, or even Zautomotive's Tazer could add a high beam trigger to the software programming for the mopar switches. They already have other programmable features, seems it should be fairly trivial to add some code that says "IF hi beams = ON THAN aux switch X = ON"

 

[Dim]

Makes me wish that maybe Mopar, or even Zautomotive's Tazer could add a high beam trigger to the software programming for the mopar switches. They already have other programmable features, seems it should be fairly trivial to add some code that says "IF hi beams = ON THAN aux switch X = ON"

that would be so perfect.

 

[Fcmalie]

I run the VOSWITCH JL400 and have DD SS5 and SS3 offroad lights. The nice thing about the SS5s on the bumper is I no longer need my high beams when they are on, and it has a master on/off switch on the grab handle. So if I'm running both combo and spot lights I can turn all off with one button.

 

[Climbhigh]

Makes me wish that maybe Mopar, or even Zautomotive's Tazer could add a high beam trigger to the software programming for the mopar switches. They already have other programmable features, seems it should be fairly trivial to add some code that says "IF hi beams = ON THAN aux switch X = ON"

I went to zautomotive website and put in a request for it, if they can do it. (shrug)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Makes me wish that maybe Mopar, or even Zautomotive's Tazer could add a high beam trigger to the software programming for the mopar switches. They already have other programmable features, seems it should be fairly trivial to add some code that says "IF hi beams = ON THAN aux switch X = ON"

Yeah, they monitor certain bus signals, wouldn't be impossible. .Maybe some work, maybe not the top of their list, but hey, they watch for reverse and kill the license plate lights.

 

[Climbhigh]

Yeah, they monitor certain bus signals, wouldn't be impossible. .Maybe some work, maybe not the top of their list, but hey, they watch for reverse and kill the license plate lights.

After last 2 updates my plate lights don't turn off...though it is still supposed to. I just did another update (to current version) and will see what happens after I get the jeep inspected.

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