2003 Ford F-350 Tow Truck

[Muxlow]

Well! My first "real" install.


Tow truck company wanted me to upgrade their current... "lights" to something better. All they had was a Able 2 mini mag mount on the back rack that was on a solid flash, and about 8 little crap china soft lights in the front window.


Front window has about 2 inches of tint and in the day time couldnt see them china lights at all... Couldnt really see them at night either.


So! They wanted better. We went with a set of Amber/White Cannons, 2 Amber/Amber T6's, A/W/A/T/A/A/T/A/W/A Pegasus, White Cannons and a SWS Directional Bar.


Removed the push bar and head lights. Poped in the the Amber/White cannons in the headlights, sync'd em up and had them alternating white/amber at first but changed it to a amber/amber white/white. Might change it back later on.


T6's i had beside the Ford emblem on a split pattern. Was some cool looking faster patterns but went with a slower one. Had to make my own mounting bracket for it


Pegasus is on random. I left the pattern wire extended so the guy can select what one he likes the most. Take Downs come on when a different switch is pushed. Also had a issue mounting it in. The sun visor was really long so couldnt attach both brackets to each side. So still have to figure out what to do there. Tow truck owner said its ok it dont bother him at all. Told em once i figure out a way to mount the end parts ill let him know and fix that up. Ideas?


White Cannons in the reverse lights. 2nd function goes solid white when the rear lower flood lights are activated


SWS Directional bar on the back rack


Able2 roof light had a solid flash pattern. Changed it to a mix of solid and flashing.


He had a 4 switch federal signal box so i just reused that.


Switch 1 Activates all front lights and rear cannons.


Switch 2 Activates the rear roof flood lights and enables the Pegasus take downs to alternate


Switch 3 Activates the bottom rear flood lights and puts the rear cannons in steady burn


Switch 4 Activates steady burn on the Pegasus take downs


The SWS controller fit perfect in the little cubby hole thing so i stuck it there since it was a good fit.


All the wires have butt connectors if need be, all zip tied and wire loomed. Only part that didnt have loom was from the control box to the dash since i didnt have one the was large to fit over all the wires.


Gave the truck back and the guy loves it. I asked if he wanted a little more warning lights in the rear, maybe another set of Amber T6's for the left and right of the directional bar but he said the roof light, cannons and directional bar should be good at night for him and in the day.


Next he wants me to upgrade their 2 flat beds. One has a Code 3 MX3000 lightbar thats it. Another has D&R Electronics Prowler. So he is looking for another set of Amber/White cannons, plus white for the rear, 2 Amber T6's for the grille and a 42 inch Feniex lightbar with a red directional bar build into the rear for the 2006 International Flatbed. Looking forward to doing that one


Took a few random videos. Added em all in with good ole movie maker.


Cant see the china lights at all in the video..or really in person either.


Tip? Comments? Bashes? Ideas? Anyone know a way to mount the end parts of the Pegasus?


Video is uploading so add it once its done

 

[Kent@MoveOverOutfitters]

Looks good! I have some suggestions for you on the Pegasus if you want to email me or PM me. Cant wait for videos

 

[Muxlow]

I forgot to disable the damn audio. Sorry bout that

 

[Tom]

That seems like a lot of flashback on the Pegasus, and the rear Law pattern is a little strange. Is the Pegasus the universal or VS version?


I'm surprised he didn't want to go with a larger exterior lightbar. Nice upgrade though, nonetheless

 

[Eric1249]

I am not a fan of night videos (and close up) you can't really see how effective the lights might be.


Not sure I would want the white flashing to the rear at night. Why not just go with a full size light bar and call it a day?

 

[pdk9]

This is more directed at the owner than you, but I'm not a fan of lots of clear lights or interior bars on tow truck or utility trucks...to be honest, I would've combined all my money together to buy a solid exterior amber lightbar and call it a day. I never encountered this problem in 24 yrs of living in NYS, but wayyyy to often in Florida I see slicktop tow trucks with 10+ C/A grill lights, 3-4 C/A mini phantoms or a full interior mini phantom lightbar, and then only 1 pair of lightheads by the rear bumper; the rear bumper lights are useless when a vehicle is being hooked or towed, and the motorists that tow truck drivers are most concerned with (most of the time) are coming from the rear. I'm not sayin that your install falls in this category, but it's just an example of poor allocation of resources where a solid lightbar could be much more effective.


There are a bunch of decent economy lightbars and towman ligtbars under $1K (whelen, SOS, sirennet rebranded bars, etc) that I would recommend to the customer for future upgrades/installs and 1-2 lightheads on each side of the flatbed

 

[Muxlow]

The Pegasus is the universal. I think it might work if i only use the last 2 bolts on each side and sort of mount it in the middle ish of the sun visor it might just fit to extend to the other side. Flashback is due to its not snug up to the window. When i pushed it forward it didnt have very much at all, then let go and it fell back to its current position then i had all the flash back


He is going to get a Avatar for his flatbed, asked him if he wanted a full bar for this and he said he was fine with the little light on the roof and just wanted the directional bar and some lights for the reverse lights. Asked em if he wanted some T6's in the rear or even another all amber set of cannons to mount on the sides at the back and said nope to them too. Guess he had his mind made up already. My guess is since he had them little china lights with the 3 flash patterns that im sure didnt cost more then 120 bucks he wasnt looking to spend "alot"


For his next truck i do its going to be a 46 or 57 inch Avatar amber/white and a red directional bar built into the rear. Then just some Amber/white cannons for the front and white for the rear again.


Was out in Toronto today and saw alot of tow trucks. Out of the maybe.. 17 or so i saw maybe 3 had interior lightbars. All them trucks had WAY more lights then this truck. Front and back and super fast flash patterns. Looks ok in the day but im sure its horrible at night


This guy has another normal type tow truck and it has a full lightbar on it. A whelen something.. all strobes and nice n ugly fogged out covers

 

[pdk9]

For his next truck i do its going to be a 46 or 57 inch Avatar amber/white and a red directional bar built into the rear. Then just some Amber/white cannons for the front and white for the rear again.

Why red for the TA, and why all the split amber/clear (as opposed to solid amber)? I understand that some places use more clear than others, but amber is one of the most effective warning colors out there, so I'm personally not a believer that so much emphasis on clear is needed to get people's attention

 

[Muxlow]

The TA (a SWS bar) he already had. Just didnt have a controller for it. So i found him one and installed it. Has strobe tubes on the ends too but didnt want to add in the red strobes aswell


As for the Amber/White. Just personal preference i guess?

 

[Kd8bao]

Personally I would make the T6 solid and alternate opposite the cannons. Did you use the mode 2 on the cannons as reverse steady burn? I had one of the mini bars and modified it as follows

Just an idea

 

[RecElect]

So I usually just read these threads and laugh a little, but this one I gotta comment on... I mean tow trucks are always facing the accident right!?


All though the install is "Cool" it is not what a tow truck needs. In my opinion, If the customer insisted that I do an install like that I would not do it. I would not want the liability.


I hate doing slick tops on law enforcement and fire vehicles, BUT they have their reasons far more than a tow truck ever will.


Seriously, as installers we have the duty to ensure that lighting packages we sell and install are safe and effective. I have never had a customer come in and be so set on something they wanted I couldn't prove to, or show them the "correct" way of doing things. So far, every one of my customers look to me for advice and take my recommendations. If that tow truck guy walked into my shop, I would have told him that if he wanted to do an interior light bar, it would only be after I put a real one on the roof. He is driving and using a tow truck. He needs the right tools for the job, and he needs to understand that his safety and the safety of the public is more important than being "slicktop". There is far to much crap that gets in the way on a tow truck to have a good slicktop package. It needs a lightbar on the upmost part of the vehicle visible 360 degrees. I know the able 2 light is there, but it sucks and would not be effective in the sun at any distance further than 10'.


Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the install doesn't look good, I am just saying we all need to sell the right equipment and we all need to install it correctly. On the other side of that, people in businesses that block the road way also need to understand that they have a duty to do the right thing and equip their vehicles and their personnel with all the correct safety equipment. They wouldn't send a driver out at night without work lighting, right? why would they send the tow truck out without good effective visible warning lights that will help oncoming drivers understand there is a hazard and the vehicle is stationary?


I guess it also hits a little deeper right now as we just had a tow operator killed in our county with a tow truck that had a full light package and a slicktop state patrol behind it. A Truck traveling 65mph hit the state patrol car hard and then hit the tow operator. My point being, people miss full light packages all the time, why the heck would I want to equip a professional vehicle with less? The best we can do is make sure lights are bright, detectable, understandable, and working well all the time. This tow truck does not do that well, period and I would be embarrassed to let that leave my shop. We always read when people say "the customer gets what the customer wants". If that was the case, I would have tow trucks running around with green lights, wackers running around with red/blues, and fire engines running around with Laser beams...


I take this stuff very seriously, as it is more than just installing lights. There is a science to it and ALL installers should think of it that way. As a professional installer, you need to be more educated on the effects of lights, light colors, flash patterns, etc... as customers will and should be looking to us to advise them on a warning light system, and it is a great way to help upsell products that are better anyway. Think of it this way, if that tow truck operator wanted to add a fire sprinkler system to his shop, do you think he would go to the fire sprinkler company and tell them "eh, instead of using sprinkler heads, just use plastic pipe, that will melt and, wahla, fire suppression!"? or do you think he would ask what he needed to do to make it safe? To take that further, do you think a professional sprinkler company would say, "yup, we can do that for you, plastic pipe it is!" Or do you think they would deny the job?


If your going to be a professional installer, BE a professional installer. Sell correct equipment, use high grade wire and connectors, and understand that doing things "cheap" is not always cheaper... A lawsuit can cost you far more.


This is a picture of the crown vic after it was hit:

 

[Jamey@NNE]

Some of the parking garage enforcement trucks here are slicktop due to light bar not fitting in the garage.