Have noticed LED reverse bulbs/lights for sale so are they any good. Can anyone recommend them as we're in the woods, pitch black at night and its difficult enough on reversing into our pebble drive.

 

Unfortunately you can't fit most LED bulbs to the GV's rear light cluster. Chrysler for whatever reason wire the lights with a common, constant positive feed! This means that the positive side connects to the bulb housing and negative to the contact, therefore, as most LED's I've come across require a positive current to the contact, they don't work. However, I did finally find a set last time I was in the US that would work and they are basically useless. They are blindingly bright to look at but just don't illuminate the rear anywhere near as good as the stock incandescent bulbs.

 

I always considered that LED's work well when you want to be seen, but are lousy at seeing with. An pair of old school 50W incandescents will always outperform LED's and the more modern halogens work even better. For example a cheepo single H3 BULB 12V worklight is by far better to see with than a 12 VOLT pulling 13.8v @ 0.75a with x6 3W LED's at twice the price.

Reversing is essentially an illuminated flood focus lens, LED will only give a very narrow focus whether at 6 foot or 60 foot. A couple [or single] old school HGV weatherproofs will do a much better lob for less money.

 

Yes thanks guys forget about the LED'S then. Might be better with a pair of old add on reverse lights, bumper insertion sounds good like front fog lights.
Yes Vonhofinvule I did notice the rear lights were continually positive supplied and switched in the earth when doing tow hitch wiring. But the relay I fitted in seems to have sorted that out.

 

You already have a 50W supply just by the boot that is an 'always on' and wont interfere with the puters. You live 3rd planet from the dark Alphas so if your stuck for rear vision on a bad night a direct wired £15 underslung Britax H3 will do the job and look neat. Best of luck.

 

Corrected #3 for you Goggsy

 

What I'm thinking about doing is just grabbing a cheap set of those small front fog lights you see from time to time and wiring them to the reversing lights via a switch and relay.

 

- that was my thinking, a bog standard underslung HGV flood [work] light
- brighter, better beam spread, better build etc
- use the 50W rear cigar or relay switch from existing [test] and get both
- all the ruboolite models are 'slingable' proper specs here

 

Here wait before we fit underneath floodlights at all corners, running lights some call them, Encounters of the Third Kind, Alien flying Saucer comes to mind. They would look better recessed in the bumper. Its a case of what car has them then buy secondhand.
PS.. Having these Ruboolite models on your roof, is a night time activity in our woodland here called Hunting...

 

haha, yeah one of my neighbours has just gotten himself a fine for having incorrectly wired flood, I mean running lights. Apparently the cops have been told they have to clamp down on these things. They have to be correctly wires so as to go out when dipped beam is turned on. Having them simply connected to a switch is no longer acceptable!

As for the hunting lights, hahaha, we have'em here also! LOL!