Under Awning or Similar Lights for Camping

I'm curious what everyone is using for rack mounted lights primarily for lighting a camping spot. I'm getting a Sherpa Crows Nest rack and I'd like to get a couple small lights on the back, maybe amber or switchable.

Sherpa has this setup, but I'm not sure how much light those give off.

I'm also not sure how to wire them. I will use them when camping and cooking around the rear of the truck so a switch in the camper shell would be best rather than in the cab.

Or better yet, rechargeable so I don't have to mess with wires at all (except when charging). I know I could just hang a worklight, but I want something I can mount and forget about.

Anyone have a good solution?

 

Curious to see what others say too since I’m looking for the same thing. I was planning on a set of Baja design s2’s facing outwards and to the rear for camp setup lighting.

 

I just found this thing. Not a permanent mount light but I guess that has its benefits too.

https://bigtentoutdoors.com/collections/area-light/products/ultra-2?variant=32041427042422

 

I'm in the process of designing an 8' cab over rack for my 16' ACLB and have been contemplating side and rear lighting for all the things you mention. My youngest son is in the tuner crowd and I have found through him that LED's throw out stupid amounts of light for very little power draw and are "dim-able" so you don't have to have the sun under your camp shelter full time. As a bonus most 120V AC LED's are actually converted down to 12V DC so that opens up a whole bunch of places to shop (if you are handy and can read about electricity) other than things that are branded "off road" which of course costs 20X more. I'm already all in for a dual battery setup with an isolator so that cost is a given but tapping into that will give me about three week's worth of light if I decide to make something visible from space. Get unconventional, do a little research, LED strip lights are an easy button and cheap.

For another option from a different perspective. I have a bud that does furniture restoration as a side gig. The lights needed to see in all the nooks and crannies of what he works on are stupid expensive. He went to Dollar Tree and bought 2 cases (24) of cheap Chinese "tactical lights" and made a grid out of coat hangers and scrap wire and hung them off it and suspended it over his work bench. He reaches up and turns on the ones he needs for what he is doing and turns them off. He says to that the original batteries last 3X as long as store bought batteries at 10X the price so now he just goes and buys new lights for $1.25 ea when he needs them.

Cheers,

Doc

 

Thanks for the tips. I've been looking at various clamp-on type work lights but they are either too big or not easy to aim or can't dim. Strip lights are a bit too much like ambiance lighting and require stringing. I'm looking for an area light that is a bit more simple, maybe dimable, and either permanent mount or at least easy to mount and move. That Claymore light I linked above looks about right. Not exactly cheap though, and I can't find much info on it.

 

I've got three BD s2s on the rack on my cap. Switch is in the bed. Works great for camp illumination. Best pictures I could find.

 

Thanks. I'd be curious to see how you did the switch if you have a chance.

 

I don't have any pictures, but I just used the switch that comes with the S2 harness and drilled a 1/2" hole in the bedside. Ran power up to the battery along the frame and mounted the relay behind the taillight.

 

If you're anything like me, you can spend a dumb amount of money on "scene/pod lights" on your roof rack, buy a custom harness to operate them from a switch of your choice, and then still resort to slapping some velcro on these bad boys and sticking them everywhere lol:

 

Also, as far as "under awning" lights, LED light strips are perfect, and cheap. I DIY'd my own for a CVT awning I had. Basically, snag a roll of light strip of your choice, grab a 9V power supply adapter, a 9V battery, and you've got yourself an extremely low profile power source that you can store zipped into your awning.

$4 9V Battery Clip l Type

Amazon.com: 9V Battery Clip l Type (1) (1) : Electronics

Bonus points if your led light strip has a barrel connector. These 9V adapters are available with barrel connectors fitted as well. That's what I did. Had tons of them I'd never use from guitar pedal power supplies. This was the best option, because it was quick disconnect, and I could still store it zipped into the awning, or I could take the battery inside out of the cold if wanted. I kept it stored in the awning 24/7 for about 2 years, same battery, multiple camping trips, and it was still working when I sold the awning, so talk about cheap and functional lol. Never had to depend on vehicle battery or worry about draining it. Best part, it weighed just a few ounces, and only extended about 6" or less off the LED light strip, so no wire management.

Edit: I'm aware theres probably a risk running 12v lights off of 9V; it worked for me, arguably at 3/4 brightness I suppose; it was bright as hell is all I know, and I never needed any brighter.