Installing LEDs in Bed
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2012
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Installing LEDs in Bed
Hi all,
I'm going to wire up a few sets of LED lights under the side rails in the bed of my F350 and connect them to the Aux 4. 2 Questions: 1. What's the best way to feed the wire from the upfitter switch out of the cab? Is there a way too feed it out the back, behind the rear seats? Or do you think it would be easier to route it under the cab, out through one of the sill plates?
2. Can I ground it to any clean piece of metal on the frame? Will this create possible issues with the stereo and feedback (ground loop).
All recommendations / suggestions are much appreciated.
The LEDs I'm using are a series of 24 LEDs that are bright white. I wired them into my duck boat under the gunnel rails and they're perfect and work great and their just super glued in place and have been through 3 duck seasons and work like new and are still attached like new.
Thanks,
JD
I'm going to wire up a few sets of LED lights under the side rails in the bed of my F350 and connect them to the Aux 4. 2 Questions: 1. What's the best way to feed the wire from the upfitter switch out of the cab? Is there a way too feed it out the back, behind the rear seats? Or do you think it would be easier to route it under the cab, out through one of the sill plates?
2. Can I ground it to any clean piece of metal on the frame? Will this create possible issues with the stereo and feedback (ground loop).
All recommendations / suggestions are much appreciated.
The LEDs I'm using are a series of 24 LEDs that are bright white. I wired them into my duck boat under the gunnel rails and they're perfect and work great and their just super glued in place and have been through 3 duck seasons and work like new and are still attached like new.
Thanks,
JD
New User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
I know I could have done it cheaper but whilea at 4wp I picked up the bed LED kit. I ran the wires out the stake bed hole and up into the cab from underneath and into Aux 4.....that is where I run all my wires in. There is a place behind the passenger side seat behind the cab I believe.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 324
Likes: 1
From: Rural Central Illinois
Yes, there is a knockout specifically for this behind the rear passenger seat as I ran some wires out there myself (photo below shows the inside location right behind the rear passenger seat; on the back side of the cab there is a rubber knockout). For a ground, I used a bolt under the rear cab and no, it should not cause any interference unless there are some issues with your LEDs. P8040947.jpg
Sick 'n Tired
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,969
Likes: 47
From: League City, TX
Make sure you put a quick release in-line between the cab and bed. In the event you ever have any major work done at the dealership they lift the cab off the frame to better access the engine. If you've got a wire going out the passenger rear sill to the bed they will tear it off.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 317
Likes: 1
From: Bismarck,ND
Yes, there is a knockout specifically for this behind the rear passenger seat as I ran some wires out there myself (photo below shows the inside location right behind the rear passenger seat; on the back side of the cab there is a rubber knockout). For a ground, I used a bolt under the rear cab and no, it should not cause any interference unless there are some issues with your LEDs. P8040947.jpg
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 501
Likes: 1
From: Anaheim, CA
I have mine wired to an upfitter and I am going to change it.
I would not wire it to an upfitter for the main reason that a person has to have the ignition key turned on to power them. It has proven to be a pain.
It was posted on here where someone wired them to the parking/tail lights with a switch in the bed. No wires into the cab and super simple.
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
I would not wire it to an upfitter for the main reason that a person has to have the ignition key turned on to power them. It has proven to be a pain.
It was posted on here where someone wired them to the parking/tail lights with a switch in the bed. No wires into the cab and super simple.
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
I have mine wired to an upfitter and I am going to change it.
I would not wire it to an upfitter for the main reason that a person has to have the ignition key turned on to power them. It has proven to be a pain.
It was posted on here where someone wired them to the parking/tail lights with a switch in the bed. No wires into the cab and super simple.
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
I would not wire it to an upfitter for the main reason that a person has to have the ignition key turned on to power them. It has proven to be a pain.
It was posted on here where someone wired them to the parking/tail lights with a switch in the bed. No wires into the cab and super simple.
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
If you hit the unlock button you get like 45 seconds of light, maybe 1 minute. If I need the lights on beyond this, I turn on the parking lights. Of course if you didn't want to be identified from a distance having the parking lights on to power the bed lights could be an issue, but it works for me and the wiring is lot more simple.
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Sick 'n Tired
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,969
Likes: 47
From: League City, TX
On my F150 I had a tonneau cover. I installed a jamb switch on the bed rail and wired it to a constant power lead. Everytime I lifted the cover the lights came on. If you do something like this I suggest also putting on a two position switch somewhere so that you can turn the jamb switch off if you take the cover off the truck.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 205
Likes: 4
From: Beaumont
On my F150 I had a tonneau cover. I installed a jamb switch on the bed rail and wired it to a constant power lead. Everytime I lifted the cover the lights came on. If you do something like this I suggest also putting on a two position switch somewhere so that you can turn the jamb switch off if you take the cover off the truck.
Sick 'n Tired
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,969
Likes: 47
From: League City, TX
No, didn't get around to doing a writeup but its real easy. I got something similar to this: Buy ACDelco Door Jamb Switch D6063 at Advance Auto Parts
I drilled a hole on the passenger side superior center surface of the rail (thru the plastic cover and bed itself) about a foot down from the cab. I believe it was self grounding so all I had to do was hook up the + power lead to a source. Like I said earlier make sure you have another switch or an in-line fuse that's easy to get to in the event you need to remove the tonneau.
BTW...if anyone is considering doing this with the Recon bed lights...mine only lasted a little over a year before they started failing. By the time I traded in the truck a few weeks ago only one cluster was working...if I tapped on it a few times.
I drilled a hole on the passenger side superior center surface of the rail (thru the plastic cover and bed itself) about a foot down from the cab. I believe it was self grounding so all I had to do was hook up the + power lead to a source. Like I said earlier make sure you have another switch or an in-line fuse that's easy to get to in the event you need to remove the tonneau.
BTW...if anyone is considering doing this with the Recon bed lights...mine only lasted a little over a year before they started failing. By the time I traded in the truck a few weeks ago only one cluster was working...if I tapped on it a few times.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2012
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I like the idea of the jamb switch, but would prefer just having a manual waterproof switch located somewhere in the interior of the bed near the tailgate (most likely under the drivers side bed rail) that I could flip on when needed.
Do any of you know if there is a constant power source that I could tap into already running to the rear of the truck? Or would it be easier to run a lead from the battery?
Thanks for all of the help.
JD
Do any of you know if there is a constant power source that I could tap into already running to the rear of the truck? Or would it be easier to run a lead from the battery?
Thanks for all of the help.
JD
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
It was posted on here where someone wired them to the parking/tail lights with a switch in the bed. No wires into the cab and super simple.
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
I plan on switching mine to this setup. Then I can hit the remote button to lock or unlock and it powers the parking/tail lights. I could also turn on the parking lights without having to have the key in the ignition.
The switch in the bed will allow a person to kill the lights when you don't need them.
_
Although just today I knocked off the switch putting race tires in the truck bed. Easy to reinstall, though I hope I don't have to fish the wires back out.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
I like the idea of the jamb switch, but would prefer just having a manual waterproof switch located somewhere in the interior of the bed near the tailgate (most likely under the drivers side bed rail) that I could flip on when needed.
Do any of you know if there is a constant power source that I could tap into already running to the rear of the truck? Or would it be easier to run a lead from the battery?
Thanks for all of the help.
JD
Do any of you know if there is a constant power source that I could tap into already running to the rear of the truck? Or would it be easier to run a lead from the battery?
Thanks for all of the help.
JD
