HEY DUKE.....Just so you know..the round switch from oznium.com does not stay lit all the time. The LED is oly on when the switch is turned on. I found one the other night tat will work if you want the LED on all the time. I'll see if I can find it, or maybe RP can provide the link..I gave it to him the other night.

I was also worried about leaving the lights on in the bed and waking up to a dead battery. I may put an LED somewhere in the dash that lights up when the bed lights are on. This way after I close up the bed nd drive down the road, I'll have a light in my face saying " hey idiot, you left the bed lights on". This will be real easy to do and Ill just run the wire when I run the wire to power the bed lights.

As for making the hole bigger..I'm just gonna use a file. Like I said, its close, so I don't think it's going to take much to get it to fit.

Now, I just need to get off my lazy duff and get going on this project

I've got a few other lights I need to hook up as well...as long as they work out and look good, I'll post some pictures. If they look like crap, I'll forget I ever installed them



BREW

 

Wow - How will you do the light on the dash? I'm interested in that myself...

 

Hey Brew,

I see you're still pimping that awesome sig of yours!

Yeah I know that about the LED switch from OZ. However, I emailed them and they sent another way to wire the switch up so it'll stay on.

Do you guys actually think that 1 LED staying lighted on the switch, could drain our battery or hurt it?

I'd still like to see this other switch if you guys can find the link.



SSpiro,

The brown wire goes right into the back of the taillight bulb socket. You can't miss it. It's one of three wires (black, brown, and then green/yellow).


Duke

 

DUKE....the other switch I was talking about looks exactly like the round one form oznium. It just has an extra tab on it to wire the light "always on". I don't think the LED on all the time will hurt the battery at all. It draws almost nothing. Can you post or email me what oznium said on how to wire their switch so the light it always on?



SSpiro....Im just gonna use a single LED and mount it in the dash somewhere and just run a power wire from the switch for my bed lights up to it. Not sure where I'll put it yet, I gotta look this weekend. I want it where I can see it, but still out of the way.


BREW

 

Sure thing. It's on my home computer, but I won't be home until Saturday afternoon. I'll post it then.


Duke

 

So, Brew... you're just going to put the switch in the INTERIOR for your bed lights?

Mine isn't going to happen tonight -- maybe Sunday. Company Christmas party tomorrow into Sunday (overnight required). Worked and played 18 holes of golf today (and I'm freaking zapped).

 

I have been following the bed light threads and posted some time ago about ours

We have added lights to 3 of our tonneau covers so far and they have been work in progress, we keep changing modifying

we tapped a couple empty fuse sockets that are always hot in the fuse box for power and fused the line and ran power under carpet to rear of cab and out

ran wire down the frame rail and up inside the right rear stake pocket to switch

ran wires up lift arms of tonneau to a petersen light siliconed to where arms attach to tonneau both sides in rear
the wires are siliconed to the underside of the bed rails

we replaced the 1141 bulbs with LED bulbs we found at pepboys more light less amperage to rear

2 of the tonneaus now have been rewired with a mercury tilt switches from a couple of Tarus from a junk yard
we mounted the tilt switches at front of tonneau, we no longer need the switch in rear open the lid and get light
the switch is still there in case the tilt switch fails
on the trucks with a tilt switch and LED bulbs we added a marker light in cab to indicate when the lights are on with the lid closed, we siliconed the light under the dash near the fuse panel

since the tonneaus do not lift as steeply as a trunk lid we had to tilt the tilt switches so that they would activate at a lower angle therefore the light in cab. if truck left on too much of an angle, bed light will come on and this is a way to indicate the lghts are on, we also added a switch in case we needed to kill the lights

If I can ever remember when these trucks are in the shop or if my brothers remember. we will shoot some photo and post

 

HA..must be tuff...Golf all day...

Anyway...I'm still putting the swich in the back, in the hoes that we talked about. I think I'm gonna put an LED in the cab that comes on with the bed lights, this way if I forget to turn the bed lights off, I'll have the light on it the cab to remind me...pretty good idea, right???


BREW

 

I definitely think so...

Haven't figured out where to put my switch yet. BREW - remind me; where are you putting yours?

 

OK guys you gotta remind me how to wire the switch. I haven't done this in a long time..

Non led switch: Middle wire to constant, outside wire to accessory. Then the red power wire from all the transformers (I got cathode) wire in series to the accessory wire on the switch, correct?

 

YUP...sounds about right to me.

I'm putting my switch in the holes that are in the side of the bed. When you open the tailgate, there's a channel just inside the bed on each side. You will see 3 holes in each one. I just have to file one out a little to get the switch to fit.


BREW

 

OK, I'm done. Wasn't too bad!

I'll post pics tonight when its dark. I hope its bright at night.. not too impressed with the brightness now, during the day.

 

WOW...seems like it didn't take long at all. I'm sure they will be much brighter when it's dark out.

Where did you end up putting the switch?

(P.S. you've got mail and PM)



BREW

 

Right near those holes you speak of; kinda. I'll post a pic

 

Cool...yeh, I'd like to see some pictures. I can't wait to get mine done. I just can't seem to find the time right now though



BREW