Charles D Earl asks:
      
          I'm ready to begin the project of installing my new Hella 500 fog 
          lights on the van
     
     (snip)
     
          1)Type of installation:  independent or with parking lights.
          
     First, the legals: using California as an example (I now live in NM 
     where such things are probably on the books, but aren't enforced), 
     your laws may vary - fog lights are typically required to operate only 
     in conjunction with low beams, driving lights only with high beams, 
     and "passing" lights with either.  Unlike Europeans, US authorities 
     tend to take a dim view (pun intended) of anyone operating fog lights 
     as the primary source of illumination (which, of course, defeats their 
     stated purpose).
     
          If wired through parking lights, is there a heavy load being put 
          upon the parking light switch/circuit even though power from the 
          battery is being supplied to a relay (55 watt)?
          
     No, the only additional load is that of the relay (maybe 1/4 amp - a 
     single relay is really of no consequence)
     
          To do this the instructions show a wire running from the relay to 
          the switch.  Then you run a wire from the switch to the parking 
          light.  The parking light has 3 wires, which one do I connect to, 
          
     I don't have my Bentley book in front of me, but standard European VW 
     practice (I hate my Westmoreland Golf's americanized wiring harness 
     with its nonsensical color scheme!) is that the black wires with white 
     or green stripes are the turnsignals, and the grey wires with black, 
     white, or red stripes are "running" (parking) lights - use the grey 
     one.
     
          Is the wire from the relay the load
          
     Yes.
     
          does supply go to the parking light (its an illuminated switch) 
          
     Yes (or wherever you want to get your power from).
          
          and do I additionally ground the earth connection?
     
     Yes, or the illumination in the switch may not work.
     
     (snip)
     
          So if I do it independently, do I ground the switch instead of 
          running it to the parking light?
     
     No, the relay has to get its actuating power from somewhere; it comes 
     through the switch from whatever "supply" you choose.
     
          2)1 of the examples in the instructions seems to show how to hook 
          the fog lights up in conjunctins with the highbeams,
          
     Or is the instruction sheet "generic" and meant to show you how to 
     hook Hella driving lights up as well?
          
          Do I just leave it empty
     
     That would be my guess.  On the other hand, there may be a secondary 
     circuit in the relay that cuts power to the fog lights when the high 
     beams come on.  That way, the fogs would operate when the headlights 
     are off (parking lights on) and also when the low beams are on.
     
          or do I need to ground it or something else?
     
     Probably not (unless you like to see smoke).
     
     -Blaine