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Tiller
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For spotlight ideas, at least 40% of the trucks in my area (Texas ranch country) have remote-control lights on the roof, just run power to it. I don't have any pics of them, but it would end up looking something like this (from Google image search). Nice thing with these is that it's a keychain remote (depending on specific model), so you can control it like 30' away from the vehicle.

roof_antennas[1].png

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I've seen those around on Fish & Game trucks.  I guess it would take a little getting used to the keychain remote control, and having another bulky key fob attached to your ring of keys......but that doesn't have to be the case if you don't try to carry every key in the world on one keyring.  My main concern would be that it does not offer any tactical or mechanical advantage over the manual spotlight, and that with additional electronics for the remote control, that's just one more thing to go wrong.  I know that I would love be standing outside of the vehicle, and be able to turn the light on and control it.  But then again, if I'm in the driver's seat, I would have to either reach for the ignition where the remote is hanging off the key, or have to fumble through my pockets for the remote; which is not ideal when in pursuit. 

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Tiller was talking about S.A.R., not police pursuit... I've seen our vans used for "meter maids" parking enforcement, but not regular police service. Four-banger FWD van isn't the most ideal for chasing criminals, haha.

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Yes. not police. I'm not sure I could catch a bicyclist let alone a fleeing criminal! 

If I was in a more rural area this wouldn't even work well for me.  But most of the parks and areas we'd be called into usually setup up operations on or very near paved road and parking lots.  Like in the state parks.  Once there, if needed, we'd be transported in by 4x4's, ranger vehicles, ATV's, etc.  The TC would stay in the staging areas.  Only very rarely do I need to go down dirt roads.  I'm looking primarily for the lights to be used when we are training and don't have the advantage of all the generators and lighting equipment available to county departments and fire departments supporting a major incident.  At actual searches we usually have more than enough lighting provided in the command and staging areas.  It's only on small searches, or in the first few hours we'd have to rely on our own equipment.

My TC is really meant to be an equipment hauler and a kennel on wheels more than anything else.  If I was in a more rural area where we had a lot of bad dirt roads, flooded roads, etc, I would have to have gone with a big truck, or something like a blazer, explorer, range rover, etc.. that would be decked out for off road with higher ground clearance.

A FOB for controlling the light might be cool. But mainly so I could hang it by the rear hatch door so I could control it when I'm working out the back of the car.  Most of the ones I've seen with the remote control FOB also have a mounted dash control as well. 

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Since you have the luxury of staging, go with a light that is not affixed to your vehicle.  

Bring a little generator, and one of these:

 

https://www.cepnow.com/product/5270/

 

Home / Portable Lighting / LED Portable Lighting / 5270
5270
intertek

5270

 

7’ LED Portable Work Light

Product Description

  • 51 Watt LED Panel Light
  • 3 Panel Design with rotating wings for 360o directional lighting.
  • 3000 Lumen Output white LED Illumination. Reduces eye stress and allows for better color rendering.
  • Very Low Energy Consumption – draws 0.47 amps on a 120V circuit.
  • ETL and CETL Listed for outdoor use. No additional guard required for Wet Location work.
  • Impact Resistant for durability in harsh environments.
  • 180o Tilt to provide illumination on various levels.
  • Very Low Heat Output allows for use in tight work areas.

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
34 minutes ago, Butch said:

Perhaps I am real slow, but exactly what does the P switch do, as shown on Westy's post? I have a 2014 TC Titanium with the P switch and a blank swicth to it's left

 

 The "P switch" is the parking sensors on/off for the rear bumper. If you had a cargo rack on the hitch and put the van in reverse, the sensors/bell would be going off thinking you're about to hit something, so you could click the P switch to shut them off.

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