Category: lights

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Auxiliary Lights for the Range Rover Classic Overland Rig Part 2 (Post #724) 2/15/2026

I finished up the soldering on the lights. I didn’t finish one last weekend. I should have filmed it because it was the best connection of the three. Its sad how you lose skills when you don’t use them. Add soldering to the list of perishable skills…

  • Dancing
  • Running
  • Bending over at the waist
  • Patience
  • Firearms accuracy
  • Drinking all day and waking up the next day like nothing happened
  • (New) Soldering

That’s most of my list… I’m sure “cognitive skills” and “remembering why I walked into a room” will be added soon but for now let’s go with these.

I got the wires routed along the roof rack. I bought some ridiculously over designed zip ties. I used those along the rack. I’m not worried about the wires moving.

I was able to run the wires around the rain gutter and into one of the holes in the D pillar that would have been used to hold the beauty panel on. I’m not worried about it going anywhere because the wires are right up against it.

I got the D pillar beauty panel secured and installed the interior trim piece as well. I now have to get connectors and wire and make jumpers for the relays and plan my wiring panel. At this point I’m thinking a piece of wood mounted to the interior back. It would be covered by the box that will be the location of the light switches and the sub woofer.

There will be additional power needs back there. I have a ridiculous list of needs for the rear.

Interior lights, charging batteries for a drone and cameras and flash lights…. Its a ridiculous list and I should probably print it and stick up somewhere so I am always thinking about it when I’m planning.

That’s all for this week. Like and subscribe if you watch the video. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

https://youtu.be/3JimmzlH69Y
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Auxiliary Lights for the Range Rover Classic Overland Rig (Post #723) 2/8/2026

In this post I put the lights on the roof rack. The weather played along and it was the only day this week I could get out there. Last weekend was spent getting Erica and Brian’s house moved. Erica remembered I drove M54 5 ton trucks in the Marine Corps Reserve.

So I got to drive the Uhaul home. The first two hours was driving with the wind on the front right corner with a wicked wind blowing me all over the road with the incredibly vague steering. I also enjoyed a cross with that vibrated the left mirror and creating the a loud noise. It was brutal.

We got them all load and unloaded in two days. That took a toll on this old man but I was happy we got it all done.

So on to the lights…

I started with a template so I could get the holes drilled correctly that needed a slight adjustment for the power wire. Once I got them on the roof rack I realized the power wires were going to need to be secured and out of the way.

I found some metal clips that were designed to hold a table cloth on to a picnic table. After I broke 4 drill bits trying to drill hole in them, I gave up and went to the hardware store to buy some. On the way I realized the steel was probably spring steel. So drilling a hole was probably a folly in itself.

The bracket got installed and then I went on to wiring. Nothing special here. I watched a Simon Fordman YouTube video where he soldered his wiring. I decided that would be how I did it. What I learned is I need a wider variety of heat shrink. I had several of the right diameters but not in the length I needed.

What’s next? I’m glad you asked. I need to wire in the switches and relays. This means I need to determine what the box is going to look like. I also need to decide what I’m going to make the inside out of, MDF? plywood? paper mache? the choices are endless!!!

Like and subscribe. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

https://youtu.be/0Lqgz8RKHMA
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Unboxing and Random Stuff with Mr. Fisher (Post #721) 1/11/2026

My buddy Mr. Fisher came over to bring some used tools over for my grand kids to play with. He replaced his old tools with new ones with more modern batteries and technology.

We talk about my lights and reminisce about trips and gear in this longer than normal video.

Here’s all the stuff we talked about:

Superbrightleds Part Number: VAL-CW5 9 Watts, 630 Lumens, 5700K, Rated IP67 waterproof

Bill Burke Bio

Google search Camel Trophy – Tanzania-Burundi 1991 if you want to watch more.

Glue Tread Made in the USA

Thanks for reading, like and subscribe, and Happy Rovering.

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Let There Be Light (Post #719) 12/14/2025

In this post I rough-in the wiring for the lights on the outside of the Big White Bus. My plan is to have external lighting that I can control from the comfort of the sleeping area in the back of the Range Rover Classic.

I have selected the lights I’m confident will provide the light I might need… setting up camp, entertaining guest and generally lighting up the exterior so I can see any threats that might be lurking while I relax in the the comfort of the sleeping area.

Three of these strategically placed on the roof rack should be sufficient lighting. There is a a minor concern about how the wiring will go from the lights back into the sleeping area. The wire I bought has a significant shield. I sorted out how they should run past the D pillar beauty panel.

I think it will work the way I have it, but if not, I will cut the beauty panel to accommodate the wires. I had a thought to run the wires through the tubing on the roof rack. The thickness of the shielding will likely prevent that. I also didn’t have black zip ties. So I’ll have to source those to complete the wiring.

That’s the gist of it for this week. I do explain my recent absence from posting videos. I have had a few weeks of medical issues that all culminated into a possible muscle tear or pull in my abdomen. I then had family over for Thanksgiving, then I reinjured myself helping Mrs. Okierover’s cousin with a tree that would have fell on his rent house. I then got bronchitis and it has been a battle to beat that. Better living through chemistry.

Congrats to the Midshipmen as they defeated the Cadets of Westpoint in a thrilling football game. My first Army/Navy game was on TV when I was probably 11 years old (1975, Navy won). I had just begun to enjoy college football. I was watching the game on my black and white TV in my room. My dad walked by and I asked, “Who do we route for in the Army Navy game?” Dad said, “Always Navy.” That should have been obvious but I was only eleven and didn’t have a full grasp of the universe at that age. I know, shocking.
My dad served in the Navy when, “Ships were wood, and men were iron.” That was 1947-1950. Sailors learned knots and morse code and nautical things subjects no squids today learn. My uncle also served with my dad on the USS Wiltsie. Uncle Bob lied about his age and joined when he was 16 years old. Epic. Dad was 19 years old. They fought the Chinese communists during the Chinese Civil War.

Thanks for all the emails and messages checking on me. I’m getting better every day.

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Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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Planning the Exterior Lights for my Range Rover Classic Overland Rig (Post #707) 6/22/2025

I have a plan to light the exterior of the Range Rover Classic. I want to be able to turn on the exterior lights while I lay on my mattress inside. This is mostly to have a tactical advantage if something or someone is on the outside of my vehicle.

I want to be able to turn on a single light or with one switch turn on ALL THE LIGHTS. In order to do this I needed to come up with a circuit drawing for this task. I tried my hand but had little to no confidence that I had done it correctly.

So I consulted my best friend Mike to get a circuit drawn and to get a source for the parts. I drove up last weekend and had lunch with he and Paul and then went back to Mike’s shop. We sat and had a beer in his RV while we talked about lots of stuff and got caught up since we saw each other at my birthday part in October last year.

He scribbled a circuit for me. We talked about where to get the parts and he gave me the details. He buys parts that are for automotive use. He buys from them to build the trailer wiring conversions from military to civilian / civilian to military. He sells them on XM381.com if that is something you are looking for.

xm381.com image of a cable conversion.

I took the graphic and re-drew it. Then from the parts I ordered after we met I cobbled together a loose circuit and tested it. Using the battery from the Range Rover Classic and some wires and two lights from my stock of lights I’ve salvaged from breaker’s yards.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Next thing I need to do is order some switches and 16 gauge wire and decide on the lights I want to install. I have some picked out, I’ll need to make a decision one way or another.

I took my time and puzzled this out and I’m so happy I got it to work. My drawing was “close” but would not have worked. Mike was so gracious to help me with this.

Thanks for reading, like and subscribe, and Happy Rovering.

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