2018 Ford Explorer Lighting recommendation

jayzce

Member
Jun 1, 2010
175
Philippines/Manila
Hi I will take delivery of my 2018 Ford Explorer Sport in a couple of days and already trying to figure out what would be my lighting setup.

Any suggestions and recommendation as to what would be the best equipment i can use to maximise a few units that i will install would be great. I just hope that my selection offers great light output specially my main front and rear lights.

Front - Whelen Inner Edge in Red/Blue/White for scene lighting
Headlights - Whelen Ion Red and Blue
Side mirrors - Sound Off Signal Intersectors Red / Blue
Rear - Feniex Red/Blue 600 or 800 will 800 fit? Is there a trio where i can also use white?
Tail lamps - Feniex Cannon in white
Siren - Whelen HHS 3200
Federal Signal Rumbler 3 - Can i use 2 speakers or just 1 on a civilian Explorer?
Speaker - 2 SA315P - Will the interceptor utility bracket work on civilian Explorers? For left and right position of the speakers?

I'm just going to use as little equipment as this is only my back up for my Expedtion which also has it's own setup.

Thanks!
 

emt111

Member
Jun 10, 2011
55
New York
So I'm in the process of starting my install on my 2017 XLT explorer. Just FYI, you can't do the headlight Ions unless you get the police interceptor utility headlights with ford factory option 86p, the cutouts and brackets for the ions are not in the civilian headlights. I have't looked into the specifics, but from the best I understand, changing the headlights to the PIU version will cause issues, at the least loosing the side marker lights in the headlights. As for the rear, Feniex only makes solo or duo units right now, you could do a combination of red and blue for the primary color and then make all the heads white as the secondary color. There are several other tricolor options out there though the whelen RST inner edge, sound off nforce interior traffic controller, and I believe federal signal also makes a tricolor led stick. As for siren speaker brackets, the guy I'm working with has done civilian explorers before and said the piu brackets should work, I don't know about if there's room for two speakers though.
 

jayzce

Member
Jun 1, 2010
175
Philippines/Manila
That's sad. I though those headlights from the PIU is the same for the regular Explorers. I have plans on getting the inner edge front and the Inner edge RST rear.

Hoping that 2 speakers will fit on the regular Explorers.

I forgot to ask. Will 2 speaker howler fit or just one?
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Hi I will take delivery of my 2018 Ford Explorer Sport in a couple of days and already trying to figure out what would be my lighting setup.

Any suggestions and recommendation as to what would be the best equipment i can use to maximise a few units that i will install would be great. I just hope that my selection offers great light output specially my main front and rear lights.

Front - Whelen Inner Edge in Red/Blue/White for scene lighting
Headlights - Whelen Ion Red and Blue
Side mirrors - Sound Off Signal Intersectors Red / Blue
Rear - Feniex Red/Blue 600 or 800 will 800 fit? Is there a trio where i can also use white?
Tail lamps - Feniex Cannon in white
Siren - Whelen HHS 3200
Federal Signal Rumbler 3 - Can i use 2 speakers or just 1 on a civilian Explorer?
Speaker - 2 SA315P - Will the interceptor utility bracket work on civilian Explorers? For left and right position of the speakers?

I'm just going to use as little equipment as this is only my back up for my Expedtion which also has it's own setup.

Thanks!

An 800-type stick will fit, but you’d have to go with one of the other manufacturers to get trio. However, I think trio inner edge or nice design is a waste to the rear and that a duo color )half R/A and half B/A) is more than sufficient for the rear lightstick.

Yes, you can fit 2 Whelen SA314 speakers behind the grill of the civi explorer.

Also, the SOS HLF & TLF work well with those explorers. I like the TLF for flashing the LED brake lights. If the budget is limited, I think you can skip the cannons to the rear, since a 600 or 800 lightstick will provide plenty of rear warning

You’re correct, the civi headlights don’t have the cutout for ions, so your next best bet (short of exterior mounting) is cannons in the fogs. On civi units without the fogs, I recommend the mpowers surface mounted to the black fog house cover plate for 45 degree warning.

For the lower grill, you can mount some duo RB ions & spray tint on them or get the blacked out ions (if you really wanna minimize vis when they’re not turned on)

Your setup sounds good for a simple, effective package, but I think the only thing you’re missing is something in the rear side windows (running code 3 through intersections, id want something to cover the rear half of my vehicle at night)
 

jayzce

Member
Jun 1, 2010
175
Philippines/Manila
Thanks for the input pdk9

My plan is to go for the Ions on the lower grille with smoked lens. Might not do the fogs as there's no space with the LED fog lamps on the sport. I can just do the Intersectors for intersection warning. For the rear, thanks for reminding me, I think Ions would be enough or maybe the Feniex Fusion for the rear quarter glass for the rear side lighting.
 

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