Richmond Client Adds Ford F-250 Safety Lighting Solution

A long-time client from Richmond recently contacted Extreme Audio to inquire about adding safety lighting and a 120 volt power inverter to his new 2019 Ford F-250 work truck. We’ve worked on many vehicles for this client over the years and were happy to design an LED strobe light system to keep him safe while on the job site. We inspected the vehicle and took several measurements to choose LED lighting that would suit the application. Once we had a plan in place, we let the client know what we had in mind. He liked the system design and gave us the go-ahead to schedule an appointment to perform the installation.

Ford F-250 Safety Lighting System Design

The front grille was removed to facilitate the light installation.

LED lights were added to the side panels.

The lights were securely bolted to the side pieces.

The factory switches were utilized for the lighting upgrades.

The side grilles made the perfect location for additional lights.

Lights were added to the back of the truck.

The lighting alternates between white and amber for maximum visibility.

Our plan for the truck was to add six high-output surface-mount LED warning lights to the vehicle. Our installation team would locate the lights in the front grille, in the side vents in the front fenders and on the rear of the truck. We removed the front and side grilles from the vehicle so our team could mount the LED strobe lights securely, using stainless steel fasteners.

Once the lighting was secure, they routed the wiring through the vehicle and terminated it under the hood of the truck at the factory-installed upfitter circuit relay panel. Ford includes six auxiliary control circuits specifically for upgrades like lighting, winches and plow equipment. We used two of the circuits to control the lighting. All the client has to do is flick the auxiliary control switches in the overhead panel to on turn the lights. Ford has recently changed the design of their upfitter relay pack and switches so two channels can be used without having to turn on the ignition. This upgrade saves us some time and headache during the installation and lets the owner turn on the safety lighting without having to leave the key in the ignition.

We soldered all of the electrical connections for optimum reliability and conductivity, then protected them from moisture intrusion before being loomed. We loomed all of the wiring and secured it in place with zip ties to ensure it won’t buzz or rattle as the client drives the truck down the road. This process takes a little extra time, but ensures the upgrades we installed will perform reliably for years.

The six LED safety lights are synchronized to each other and alternate with a white and amber pattern that attracts the attention of anyone approaching the vehicle from any angle.

Work Truck 120V Power Inverter Installation

The inverter was mounted in one of the side compartments.

1/0 gauge wiring was used for the power inverter.

The client asked if we could install a 120 volt power inverter in one of the storage lockers so he could run power tools when at a job site. We mounted a 2,000 watt PowerDrive PD2000 on the passenger side of the vehicle in the storage cabinet just behind the cab. Because this inverter can deliver as much as 4,000 watts of instantaneous power, we had to run 1/0-AWG wiring from the battery to handle the peak of 300 amps of current the unit can draw. We used Stinger PRO Series wiring and mounted a 300 amp ANL fuse at the battery to protect the vehicle. Just as with the lighting upgrade, we protected all the wiring for the inverter with split-loom tubing to prevent damage from vibration or movement when the truck is in motion.

This PowerDrive inverter includes Bluetooth and an app for the client’s smartphone that will allow him to monitor battery voltage and inverter temperature while the system is in use.

Richmond’s Vehicle Accessory Experts

When we had completed the installation and tested all the systems, the client returned to Extreme Audio to pick up the vehicle. We showed him where we mounted everything and how to operate the LED strobe lighting and inverter. He was very happy with the installation. He mentioned that he’d be back in a few weeks to talk about upgrading the audio system in the truck with new speakers, a subwoofer and an amplifier.

If you are looking for safety lighting, work lights or accessories for your work truck or commercial vehicle, contact Extreme Audio in Midlothian or Mechanicsville and speak with one of our product specialists. You can also reach us by phone or by e-mail using our online contact page for more information about any of the products or services we offer.