We've all wanted better backup lights on new trucks, whether it be for trail, road, trailering, or even parking-lot use. The silly white doodads that come on the back of most rigs seem to make better decorations than true reverse lights. Heck, we've been able to lightly touch the brakes on most trucks for better light output from the brake lights than the reverse lights themselves! Luckily we found a manufacturer that specifically targets this market, with the emphasis on towing trailers, a pastime we've been enjoying far too much of with our Dodge 1500 TRX4 pickup.
White Night rear-lighting systems are specifically tailored to be used with the rear hitch, since that is about the only area you can install aftermarket lights without drilling, cutting, or gluing stuff on to your 4x4. The plastic housing holds two 55-watt halogen lamps aimed slightly outward for great light distribution. Depending on your bumper, hitch, hitch pin, locking pin, and/or hitch insert, the unit is installed so the hitch insert goes through the center, or the unit can be installed under the hitch. We tried it out on our Dodge both ways, and like the looks of the through-the-unit mounting.
Through-the-unit mounting...
Through-the-unit mounting with the receiver hitch insert is a clean installation. For less than a hundred bucks, this is a great deal.
Some vehicles will need the...
Some vehicles will need the White Night mounted under the receiver hitch, as some locking-pin holes are too far forward. This would interfere with the insert mounting, so unlike the clean through-the-unit look, we also mounted it below. The simple brackets make it a breeze, taking about three minutes to install.
The wiring plug is installed...
The wiring plug is installed directly to the seven-pin towing receptacle, but the unique design allows the trailer plug to be installed into the wiring plug, piggyback! This makes towing and wiring a snap, with lots of light left over.
Before the White Night, we...
Before the White Night, we could barely see our red trailer when backing up at night.
After installation, we could...
After installation, we could have played poker in the parking lot with our sunglasses on. There's also a toggle switch that allows the use of the light when the truck isn't in Reverse, which is kind of handy when you're trying to hook up a trailer at night by yourself.