DIY LED tailgate lightbar
 

OK, so I know you can buy alot of LED kits that do this:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...r-lightbar.jpg
but for about the same cost I made one that does this:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...right-turn.jpg
https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...-left-turn.jpg

Left and right! You can do this mod, even if you are chicken of doing electrical. Here is how (sorry I didn't grab pics while I was installing, it went too quick!).

I picked up two red 28" flex LED strips for oznium.com (you can get them where ever, ~$65 total w/shipping). Now the easy part, stop by your local parts store and go find where they have trailer wiring. Pick up a trailer side plug that fits your truck (my F150 has 4 connectors in the plug ~$2.79). Strip the wires on the LED bar, and strip white, green, and yellow on the plug. Ignore Brown. Run one wire from each led bar to white (ground), and one bar to yellow, one to green. Plug it in and test. If for some reason they don't light up, switch the white and colored wires to the led strip.

That's IT! Now just mount the bars using double sided tape (I used the bumper shelf under the tailgate), and tuck away the wire. Lights come on for brakes, and left or right. No lights for reverse or headlights.

The upside is that this is fast. The only downside is you need to unplug the lights to plug in a trailer. Tracing the wiring back, you could wire into the feeds next to the spare, but why bust knuckles? It's amazing how much of a difference they make.

Total cost: >$70 If you go with smaller LED strips you can knock $20 off, or find something on the cheap on eBay, to reduce cost.

Total time: 15 minutes, or about 2/3rds of a beer. :beers:

nice job! looks good! :)

looks good and its a cool diy but i got my recon line of fire that has turn signals and hazard lights functions new for 55 shipped and a white lighting (same with reverse also) for 75 shipped.

not being a jerk but to many its just easier.

Looks good. I like the split between the two bars when both are lit up. I'm still deciding if I want to add a light bar or not.

Does it light up as running lights as well?

He did not wire them to do that He'd probably need an additional wire to the running light circuit and a voltage dropping resistor to get the reduced light output.

- Jack

Oye - that is so last year... PWM is the ticket :thumbsup:

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/show...al-Information

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/show...e-Light-Module)

:beers:
MGD

I did something similar on my '03. Only cost me $12 though. ;-)

I also used a 4-way trailer plug and just plugged it into my 4way.

Oh hell, MGD, I'm an "old dog" a REALLY old dog, and you expect me to learn new tricks?

I have to admit though, I suspected there was a more elegant approach. Thanks for making me aware of it. :bows: (Now, if I can just remember it into the next day.) :think:

- Jack

:lol:

Now, thar ye go - agin!

Ye's aboot the sharpest "ol' Dawg" this tahr'd ol' carcass's e'er seen. :thumbsup:

Ah swuyr ...Be'twixt you, Steve and Steve, yalls self-deprecatin' is a-drivin' ol' Bubber t' drankin' :beers:

MGD

What? Can you translate, I don't speak canuckish.

For the OP, Nice idea, but I see you are from western NY and you have similar winter weather that we have here in Cleveland. I had an off the shelf light bar on my 07, and after a year and a half the road salt ate thru the wiring and it was junk. I'm curious how long your custom setup will last.