Hello all,
I have done a lot of searching and reading but have not found a suitable answer for my situation. I have a tailgate handle camera purchased from tailgatecamera.com. It requires a power source at the rear of the truck, but I want it to be on all the time.

I have already stripped and put the voltmeter to the wires in the 7pin harness but none get power unless a trailer is plugged in. I have tried the orange acessory wire in the back of the harness and multiple ground points but to no avail.

I dont want to wire it into the reverse lights as I want to be able to view it all the time. So where do I pick up power? At this point I think I am going to have to run it back into the cab and find an ignition activated power source.

 

Hi.

This help any?

https://www.f150online.com/forums/el...era-power.html

Cheers

 

Thanks, that was one of the threads I have read up on.

The problem is not that I can't find the wire, it is that the wire is not hot when the truck is on.

 

Ok, I have narrowed it down. I have not installed the harness for the brake controller and included in that process is the addition of a relay in the fuse box. There is an empty slot for the relay.

Any ideas where I can get that relay? Or have a part number?

 

Hi.

See: https://www.f150online.com/forums/to...locations.html

Posts #20 and #43. Looks like Autozone has them ( it is just a full ISO relay ). Dealer will also have them but at higher cost most likely.

 

Check that 7 pin again. They should be getting power regardless of a trailer connection? I wired my aux reverse lights into the back of the 7 pin.

 

Yep, I am just missing one full iso sized relay.

Here is the answer I have found: skip to 2:45ish in the video
http://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-t...50-118247.aspx

 

Does your truck have factory wiring to the hitch? I don't understand why you would be missing that relay if so. Just curious?

 

Hi.

That relay ships in a baggie (along with a brake controller harness) in the glove box in a new truck - its not installed by default. If the previous owner never installed /tossed / lost it...

 

Good to know. I bought my truck used with 10,000 on the odo. but I guess the previous owner had already put the relay in.

 

I have the harness and relay back home. Not currently near home so Ill just go to advanced and pick up a generic one

 

Yeah, the 7-pin doesn't work unless you insert the relay that came with the trailer brake harness. I really wonder why Ford did that, simply because it seems like it would have been just as easy to put the relay in from the factory. Using a 7-pin connector doesn't necessarily mean that the trailer you are towing has electric trailer brakes.

 

Back up cam now working! Went and got a full iso relay at autozone and the 7pin is now powered. I guess they keep prices down by not putting in that relay...