[updated:LAST EDITED ON 08-May-02 AT 03:01 AM (EST)]My Leer bed cap just came in, but it will be another week or two before I can get down to have it installed. The guy at the shop said he normally wires the cap's interior dome light to the vehicle running lights. This requires you to have your parking lights on for it to work. His reason was to keep me from leaving it on accidentally (i.e. I would notice if my vehicle lights were on). It seems to me this is to save him some wire and install time...

Anyone have their dome light installed this way? How about hot to the battery? Comments?

Edmo

 

I have seen a few wired like that it's not a bad idea personaly i'd wire it with a switch just inside the back window.

I like those C130s

 

I've had two shells with lights and both switched on/off independent of other systems. It's the way to go.

What if you're sleeping in the back or just want to get something out of the bed? Do you really want to have to turn your parking lights on, then go around back, do what you need to and then go up front again to turn the lights off?

Tim

 

The guy at the Lear shop grumped a little, but wired it hot.

Thanks
Edmo

 

I'm looking to add some extra lighting under the bed rails of my cap to light the bed better when I am camping. Is there a hot lead in the rear of the truck that I could run some low power lights off of, or did they have to run a lead to the battery. My current light is wired up to the running light, so I have to have the key or lights on for it to work. I'd like to eliminate that with these other lights. I'm looking at getting some of those flexible tube lights...about 12-15 ft and just wire-tieing them under the siderails with a switch near the tailgate--if anyone else could use something like that too.

 

my buddy has his 97 f150 with topper light wired like that. he has to have his headlights on for the light to work

 

I would run a hotwire off the battery down the frame and to the back. Then put it on a distribution block on the wall of the bed, so that you could run your lights from one part of the block, and have another lead there for something later on down the road...


Seems it would be a pain to have to turn your other lights on just to see something in the bed. I rewired the outside light on my dad's 98 Ranger. Got tired of needing the bed light on, and having to turn on the inside light as well. Put it on its own toggle switch so that if I am running down the road and want to check something in the bed, the interior lights stay off and I can see better by the light on the back of the cab...


Just ideas....

 

I have a single pole double throw switch in mine. up is on center is off and down (where it is almost always at) runs to a rear window defroster switch from the wrecking yard. These are great because they are only on for about 15 min and then shut off automatically or can be shut of by punching the switch again either way no worries about leaving the light on.

dj