Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I've had the idea for some time now to increase the visibility of the brake lights on my truck. I wanted to see a brighter, bigger stoplight back there and came up with this lightbar that mounts in my receiver.
I took a piece of rectangular steel tubing with a wall thickness of 3/16" that is 4" by 2" in size that I cut to 36" in length. I cut an angle on the ends and welded flat stock on them to close the ends. I welded a piece of 2" square tubing to fit into my receiver that was about one inch shorter than the depth of the receiver tube and plug-welded a threaded rod coupler into the back end of it so I could bolt it from the back of the hitch with a rectangular washer I made.
I then welded a short piece of 2" round tube close to the ends of my bar and where they contact the tube of the receiver I plug-welded a 3/8' thick washer with the OD that matched the ID of the tube to the area where the tubes touch, making the lightbar very solid when I tighten the bolt down on the backside of the hitch, and making it so it won't move up and down.
I bought the standard grommet-mounted stop/tail lights from a trucking supply store and cut the holes in the bar and mounted them. I tapped into my trailer harness with a flat four connector, and the mating connector comes through the 2" tube so I can just plug it in under the truck for easy removal.
The bar has the added benefit of keeping those small imports from sliding under my truck a little better than the stock bumper will.
After getting it mounted I have to say that I thought the lights were a little big at first but I'm getting used to them now, and I've noticed that cars stop back from me a lot farther than they did without the extra lights, especially at night.
I took a piece of rectangular steel tubing with a wall thickness of 3/16" that is 4" by 2" in size that I cut to 36" in length. I cut an angle on the ends and welded flat stock on them to close the ends. I welded a piece of 2" square tubing to fit into my receiver that was about one inch shorter than the depth of the receiver tube and plug-welded a threaded rod coupler into the back end of it so I could bolt it from the back of the hitch with a rectangular washer I made.
I then welded a short piece of 2" round tube close to the ends of my bar and where they contact the tube of the receiver I plug-welded a 3/8' thick washer with the OD that matched the ID of the tube to the area where the tubes touch, making the lightbar very solid when I tighten the bolt down on the backside of the hitch, and making it so it won't move up and down.
I bought the standard grommet-mounted stop/tail lights from a trucking supply store and cut the holes in the bar and mounted them. I tapped into my trailer harness with a flat four connector, and the mating connector comes through the 2" tube so I can just plug it in under the truck for easy removal.
The bar has the added benefit of keeping those small imports from sliding under my truck a little better than the stock bumper will.
After getting it mounted I have to say that I thought the lights were a little big at first but I'm getting used to them now, and I've noticed that cars stop back from me a lot farther than they did without the extra lights, especially at night.
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