Thanks for the info This will come in handy!

When I put a 7-pin connector in the bed of the Truck, I purchased a pigtail from eTrailer that connected to the back of the rear 7-pin connector and then the truck wiring harness connector connected to it. Clean and neat install.

 

Sailor Roy, i miss spoke about the function of the two pin connector. It must be the ground and brakes. I was poking around in the six pin today for reverse lights and found that one of the six pins is the 12 volt hot with key "on", also the truck side of the six pin only has five pins used, but the pigtail has all six, so one is just a dummy wire.

 

I know this is an old thread, but it was the first one to come up in a search when I looked for "1997 F150 hot at all times wire rear bumper" so I thought my idea may help someone else with a different option.

It's not much different than using the battery wire in the trailer connector, but here's what I did.

When you put your key in the run position, obviously, anything that was left on in the truck will run when you do so. Fan, radio, etc.. Not a big deal, but its kind of a pain to turn everything off. And you have to have the key to do so.

The brake light circuit is always hot, but how to get it switched on without a foot on the brake pedal. I put a small switch in the dash under the gauges that will bypass the brake light switch and turn on the power to the brake lights. I also found a little 1/8" diameter or so blinking LED at Oreilly's to warn me when it's in the on position. So I reach in the cab, flip the switch and I have power to the brake lights. Mine are LED so they are low draw and won't pull down the battery if left on for awhile. Then I just tapped into that circuit at the rear of the truck and put a switch in the bed to turn on the bed LED lights.

I know it's not much easier than running a hot wire, but running wires under a nearly 20 year old Michigan truck is a bit of a pain.

Cheers