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My dad got some LED strip lights he wants me to help him install under the bed rails on his 19 250. It does not have the factory LED lights in the bed. I'm thinking a switch in the bed to turn this on, constant power. Couple questions:
1. Where is the best place to get constant 12v. Prefer not to cut into existing wires.
2. Have others just used a toggle switch for something like this, or would some sort of a time delay circuit be a better idea to prevent forgetting the lights were on and running down the battery.
I used the F150Leds kit. wired to an upfitter switch. very easy.
search the forum for guys adding the oem switch (and lights) to the bed, just inside the tailgate. you could then use any light kit you want with the oem switch. but it aint cheap.
you could also tap into the chmsl, which is how the f150leds kit is intended to be wired up.
Just out of curiosity, is there a harness tucked up under the driver side rear of the bed that a factory switch and light would be plugged in to? Too cold in the garage right now for me to go look underneath the bed of my non bed light equipped truck!
Just out of curiosity, is there a harness tucked up under the driver side rear of the bed that a factory switch and light would be plugged in to? Too cold in the garage right now for me to go look underneath the bed of my non bed light equipped truck!
If it's the same as the F150, no. The box looms are different, for the ones with lights, or without lights.
Yeah, there are upfitter switches installed. I figured that wouldn't be as nice as having a switch in the bed of the truck.
You can still have a button in the truck bed. Amazon and Ebay are your friends in this venture. Just search for a waterproof/marine grade push button SPST switch, then run constant power fused from the battery to the switch and ground to the chassis. You lose the ability to control the lights from the cab, but likely you'll be turning them on and off at the bed every time anyway.
If yours is 2019 I would just use the plugs underneath the truck for side step lights - search here or youtube for the plugs. They come on and off when the dome light is on. So just open the door, light comes on, close door - will turn off few seconds later. No switch needed - and you don't have to remember to turn them off. Very easy to wire with the plugs right there.
