It’s dark at night here, very dark. I’ve just tried to reverse up a narrow Cornish lane, bounded with Cornish banks and ditches, with two (LED) glow worms in glass jars for reversing lamps They are hopeless and dangerous; something has to be done!

I know that opening up the rear lamps and fitting some proper, hairy chested, LED’s isn’t an option Has anyone found a workaround for this? I can’t see a practical way of mouting auxilary LED’s unless under the back bumper, which is far to low to be effective.

Any ideas?

Last edited by Red Merle on 15th Dec 2017 9:16pm. Edited 2 times in total

Something mounted in the tow bar receiver and plugged into the towing electrics ?

Thanks. There are certainly options around the tow bar, but the lower a lamp is, the less effective it is . I’m really keen to mount something higher up, I’m imagining something near the number plate - like the L322.

If you install auxiliary lights at low level below the bumper you can achieve the desired light spread by simply pointing them up a few degrees from horizontal. Works for me on my L322.

I've thought about this a bit. I considered taking off the plastic cover in the centre of the rear bumper and putting a row of LEDs in there.

Also thought about putting a light bar inside the rear window (perhaps on the "shelf" at the bottom).

My daughter had a similar problem with her Fiat 500... A reversing light that would make a 405’s look positively day light!

I purchased a DRL kit and only needed one fitted to the bottom of her bumper, which gave out way enough light to let her manoeuvre even in the darkest of places...

Works an absolute treat and even the MOT tester was happy as its an “e” marked DRL so cannot blind oncoming traffic

All interesting stuff, thanks for your replies and ideas

Like Craig I fitted a set of Ring LED DLRs just under the bumper and wired it in to the tow hitch, worked a treat, find the lights adequate on the 405. letters not necessarily in the right order

Pictures?

If it is just for occasional problem situations I wonder whether you could get a suction fitting lamp that works off the towbar electrics or else a power socket inside the car with the wire through a window or jammed in the door (the seals should stand up to that occasionally) and attach it to the roof or the back of the car? That sort of thing is sold by gamekeeper supply businesses (in connection with lamping rabbits and foxes) and there are probably work lights too. If you have roof bars then maybe something could be clamped to the rear bar, there are also suction bars to which a lamp could be clamped. I have not tried this myself, but do have to reverse in dark farmyards with random machinery standing about occasionally, so sympathise. It is a significant reason for my not having privacy glass, as I suspect it does not help in that sort of situation. Only Range Rovers since 1988

LED strip under the high level brake light?

What did you do in the end because I am resorting to using the hazards when reversing now! 2014 SDV8 L405 Autobiography. Luxor with ivory. 22's...

It strikes me that the many designers of the FFRR (L322, L405 et al) have a blind spot (pun intended!) when it comes to the reversing lights.

It seems that they only ever designed them to be used as a notification to anyone behind that you're reversing, rather than the obvious use which is to provide sufficient light for you to see where you're going in the dark, otherwise whats the point in a bloody reversing camera if you can only use it in daylight!!

Having looked at my Westie, the obvious place to fit additional lights is in place of the red reflectors but then the reflectors will need to be fitted somewhere else as they are a legal requirement.

Considering this is an issue which has been around for over a decade I'm surprised there isn't a sizeable market for a replacement reversing light, at least for the L322 which are separate units. 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Gone, but not forgotten

LR vehicles arnt the only car manufactre's that have small reverse lights ..another bugbear are the small indicators as well.. ... - .- -.




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