Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-26-2011, 03:25 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 18
Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

Hi all,

I'm installing an Unity spotlight on my E350 EB V10 rig on the driver side A-pillar and don't know where to make the power connection.

The rear A/C was removed from my rig, so we've got the rear A/C control knob on the dash I suspect there are still wires connected to the 12V supply and wired into the fusebox. That might be the easiest option.

I've also found some spare wires in the engine compartment that seem to be factory installed and ready for use. See pictures below.

Thanks for helping out a Ford electrical newbie.





handjam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2011, 08:37 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
SheepShagger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 453
Re: Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

Down in the driver foot well you'll find the trailer controller harness. That's got a 60amp supply once you add the relay in the fusebox, that would be your best option considering the power a light like that takes.
SheepShagger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2011, 09:40 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
carringb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corvallis, OR
Posts: 5,300
Re: Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

There is also a dedicated aftermarket power supply around the steering column, and has a round 4-pin plug. This is a 40-amp circuit, and is powered by the aux battery circuit if you have it. There is another 40-amp connected in the B-pillar.

The blunt-cut wires you found are for a PTO.
__________________
2000 E450 dually V10 wagon
carringb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-2012, 12:57 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
geoffff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,061
Re: Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

handjam, which wire did you end up using to power your spotlight?
__________________
2004 Ford, SMB 4x4, RB-50
https://octopup.org/sportsmobile
geoffff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-2012, 01:17 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
geoffff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,061
Re: Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

I also installed one of these Unity post-mount spotlights. It hit me the other day that this would be perfect for shining down side-roads when looking for a late-night forest road camping spot!

I ordered this black Unity spotlight from magnalight.com.

The included instructions contained a useful drill-hole template, but otherwise they were very confusing. The same instructions are used for all Unity's spotlight variants, so they end up being unneededly complicated. I ended up basically winging it -- it wasn't too difficult to figure out how to adjust the spotlight.



Overall, installation wasn't too bad. The worst part was psyching myself up to drill a big hole into my van! Get the longest 1/2" drill bit you can find.



I painted the outside chrome bits flat black. The end result:



The quality of my Unity spotlight wasn't great. The light enclosure is plastic rather than metal -- we'll see over time how this stands up to my abuse. Defects I encountered include:
  • The plastic was cracked where a rivet on the bottom of the light enclosure seems to have been installed too tightly.[/*:m:9k7vu00p]
  • The chrome was had a half-inch chip missing. This wasn't a big deal to me, since I painted it black anyway.[/*:m:9k7vu00p]
  • The on/off switch wouldn't stay switched off until I took it apart and fiddled with the contacts.[/*:m:9k7vu00p]
  • [edit: 8/2012] After 4 months of use, the outside gasket looks heavily cracked and weathered.[/*:m:9k7vu00p]



I still haven't figured out yet where to wire this up for 12V power, but I tested it by putting the wire into my cigarette lighter.

Many years ago I had a 1980 Plymouth Gran Fury with this type of spotlight -- fun to have one again!

-- Geoff
__________________
2004 Ford, SMB 4x4, RB-50
https://octopup.org/sportsmobile
geoffff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-17-2012, 10:33 AM   #6
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Where to connect spotlight to 12V starter battery?

I think those light are better looking than the go lights and add a kinda official look to your van. I’d like to add a couple of the smaller versions to my van as well. I've used those on vehicles over the past 40 years and the main problem was how close to the steering wheel some of the handles were. Sometimes you can whack your hand in a frantic turn.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.