Ok So I have everything almost hooked up how I want while I get ready for some good hunting.

Is there a way to have it set up where I can flip a switch and have all the lights off except retain the inside cab lights and a single small light in the front? Sort of how our hmmwv's have a black out switch. I would like the inside lights to still turn on when the doors are opened but have the light stay on constantly. I'd only be using it on private roads at slow speeds for those who will say this is a bad idea or that it's illegal. Ideally it would be a separate switch since I plan on using another to light up my aux lights. I plan on running the "blackout light" using the DRL resistor if I can get away with it instead of running a new wire.

I know this sounds pretty involved but wanted to get your guys input and see if anyone else has done this yet before I tried to reinvent the wheel.

 

Well I know you didn't want to hear it, but that is most definitely illegal. Call it what you will, if a cop finds out what it is, you will be in deep do-do. I knew a couple of racers that drove with that plus a flip kit and they've managed to get out of a couple of police pursuits at night, so they are sorta "insta-banned" down here if you get my drift.

So how is this different than just shutting off your headlight switch and replacing the interior dome lights with red LEDs? What kind of hunting is done inside a vehicle for that matter?

 

Duct tape a flashlight to the hood? I THINK you can just turn the headlights off.

There's a switch on the dome light that turns it on and it stays on (at least until the battery saver relay turns it off). You could always carry an LED lantern in the cab if you want light on for a long time in there.

But, as Raptor said, what you're considering sounds like it could attract unwanted attention from LEOs and Game Wardens. Why not do things the legal way?

- Jack

 

Actually nothing nefarious is intended. I do a lot of coyote hunting (the animal) and I drive in early in the morning to get set up so everything I can do to not alert the coyotes makes my life a lot easier. So that's why I would like to have a switch that would disable the brake lights and bed light when I open the cab doors but still have the cab lights work. I already have red lights in the cab, I've disabled my DRLs for now until I find a more elegant method. I understand where you guys are coming from and how it sounds and I know that I can accomplish this other ways like unplugging things but I wanted to see if there was a more elegant solution.

 

No help, just a comment (and questions). It sounds like a lot of work for no benefit.

Wouldn't the coyotes twig to the sound of truck or the smell of the exhaust long before they noticed the winking brake lights or bed light ? For that matter wouldn't the cab lights be just as big a problem if the other lights were ? And how is not alerting coyotes behind you (brake lights and bed light) going to help ? Ones you already drove past, presumably without noticing, and that ignored the noise and smells your truck made.

Or am I missing something ?

EDIT: Ah, I think I did miss a point, you drive in and set up to wait for them. OK. That makes more sense now.

 

OK, maybe one helpful suggestion, for those concerned about issues with police. Whatever switch or method you end up rigging, make it remote from the cab. If it is something you have to stop and get out of the truck to engage (under the hood say) the police might not have the same level of suspicion as if you had it mounted where you could do it from the seat (as in a chase scenario for example). They might also be less likely to find it on a routine stop. And if it came to a court case you might be better able to convince a judge it was not for criminal use.

EDIT: That said, I'm going to go on record as saying it sounds like a bad idea and do not support it. What if you forget to re-engage your brake lights before pulling back onto the road and cause an accident ? What if messing with the wiring causes your brake lights to fail on the road ?

 

Ok.

I'll play the devil's advocate here. All other legal, ethical/moral considerations aside - this is eminently do-able.

To take a page from Scully's playbook - I don't recall the OP asking if it would be legit ( or not ) - he just wanted to know if it was possible, minus the nannyisms.

In that light, The answer is yes.

In it's simplest "Hilljack 'Lectric Inc" form: a panel of automotive ISO relays (or strategically-placed relays - yer call), with all coils controlled by one switch in the cab, and the normally-closed contacts interposed inline with each load that you wish to inhibit (all correctly wired with safety in mind - fuse, wire sizes, n'sich assumed), would do the trick. Hit the switch to energize the relays, and voila, yer incognito. - although them Wiley Coyote's'll still smell yall, lol. Default, non-energized state is all loads connected - except fer the lone light in front (if it's added extra - that would be a normally-open contact to control that).

To address the "Oops - ah plum fergit'd ta turn dem boogers bayck on, Orificer... " awwchit moment, install a highly visible indicator light beside the switch (or a switch with this capability built-in), which is Illuminated when yer runnin' all covert-like.

Example switch: http://www.otrattw.net/CONTURA-V-APO...PZCSC-1AL.html

Note - OTRATTW will create a custom label of yer choice if you ask 'em.

So - go grab some schematics and git 'er did....

 

Seems the only 2 things you are missing is the single light and the brake lamps.

1. Single light, that is an easy on with an aux lamp to add in. You can pick the one you like and mount it next to the license plate in the front. L bracket and you can get just about anything mounted in that opening.

2. Turning off the brake lamps.

I see ways with this.

1 Easiest : Put a switch ( go 20A rocker switch like a carling Tech ) on the brake lamp circuit on the Brake Position switch on the brake pedal lever.

The circuit you want is the Light Green w/ Red stripe wire. This is + VDC from fuse #2.
* Note : do not mess with the Tan w/ Red stripe wire to Pink w/ Light green stripe wire. That is the shift interlock circuit, the truck won't come out of park while running if you take that circuit.

2. Slightly harder and no real gain over option #1.

Remove the fuse #2 and create a fuse pigtail to switch ( 1/8" terminal spade to fuse holder to switch to 1/8" terminal spade ).

This would loop the stop lamps out of the fuse panel to a switch.

No real gain over option #1, and arguably more points of failure than #1.

If you want to get fancy with it, instead of just a switch, you can use a latching relay that is only active when the truck has assy / run power to it with a momentary switch. This way when you turn off the truck, it auto returns to normal operation.
- And you can put the momentary push button over by the fuse panel, so it is a special trip out of the truck to activate it.

As noted above : No opinion on if it is legal to do or not. That is not my concern.