Lights and mounting questions.

[kylelikewhoa]

So I've had this idea for a while, to put a couple decent size lights on the roof rails of my wagon. But I cant for the life of me figure out how I would do it.
If I get a cargo basket for the roof, then it will be alot easier, but I'm not positive if I wanna do that yet or not. So I would like to figure out another way to do it for now.
In the picture below, it shows where I would like to mount the lights. So my questions are, what would my options be to mount them there? Mind you, I'm not the best fabricator in the world, but I'm willing to try.
And my second question is, how would these be wired up? Drill a hole somewhere (which cant happen) for the wires to go? I've been trying to figure that out, but cant wrap my head around it. Whatever I do for wiring, it needs to be reversable incase I need to take them off.

And what would you guys recommend for lights. If I'm gonna do this, I want to go as bright as I can but keep them semi-small. I mean, nothing huge, but nothing small. A good medium I guess. But I just want them to light up whatever it is I'm trying to light up, and light it up damn well.


Here's where I would like to mount them. Right at the front of the roof rails.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i142/kylelikewhhoa/maine-hampton065-1.jpg

So, any ideas?

[Blix666]

to be honest...picking up a tower/crossbar setup would make things much easier cuz you can just mountem' right on the crossbar. you will definitely have to custom fab up some mounting brackets to put lights on those roof rails, i personally don't have the equipment/skill to do that either.

as for the wiring/drilling holes part of the question...when i had my roof lights on, i ran the wiring down the back of the roof rail and into the hatch, then back to the front of the cabin and through the firewall...eliminating the need to drill holes.

[kylelikewhoa]

Thanks Blix. I agree with you about mounting them on a crossbar, not just because it's easier, but after further invisioning of the idea I had, I think it will look like my car has Mickey Mouse ears if I did it the way I was thinking about...and I'm not down with that.
And the way you are talking about running the wires, that will work out very well. So, I think that's what I'm gonna go for.

Either that, or I'll get a basket and mount them on that. Haha, I get indecisive really fast.

[UP2MTNS]

no need to drill....you can run the wiring down inside the rubber weather stripping like this:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/2306000-2306999/2306310_8_full.jpg

That's above the rear window....from there you go down the B-pillar (under the plastic), along the floor, and then your choice of how you get through the firewall and into the engine bay.

also, how it looks with a cargo basket and 'bunny ear' lights:
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/2306000-2306999/2306310_3_full.jpg

:D

just FYI, that's a THULE rack (square cross bars)....but a YAKIMA basket....the lights are from Thule as well. They came with the mounting hardware for the lights and standard mounting hardware for the rack/basket, nothing custom/fabricating done. The add-ons (bike rack and vertical ski racks) are from Thule as well.

back when it was clean.....so clean....
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/2306000-2306999/2306310_1_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/2306000-2306999/2306310_2_full.jpg

[Blix666]

no need to drill....you can run the wiring down inside the rubber weather stripping like this:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/2/web/2306000-2306999/2306310_8_full.jpg



no leakage problems with this huh?

[UP2MTNS]

no leakage problems with this huh?

no...notice how the two connectors are staggered? there's enough space in there that both wires fold up nicely underneath and the whole piece goes back up in w/o any issues. I have the wires coming out wrapped with electrical tape (I would use shrink wrap if I did it again), and the very first time I just held it in there, rolled up the window and left it there for a few hours.

After that, the wires were permanently shaped and it all sealed up nicely.