Tapping into Cargo Light Circuit

[FOXY005]

I would like to put some lights under my hard tonneau cap to illuminate the bed for after dark loading and unloading, and would like to tap a relay into the cargo light wiring to fire the lights and also give me the visual on the instrument panel that alerts me that they are on.



Can someone point me to the correct place to find a place to tap this wire and the color of the wire if possible?

 

[mgonske]

I did this on my truck (tapped the circuit) but haven't actually hooked the new wire to anything yet. The cargo light uses a switched ground (not positive), so you'll need to provide a fused positive lead to your new bed lights. I opened up the light and tapped it right there, and then siliconed my new black wire along the rear window gasket down to the lower corner, and then under the bed and fed it in through a stake pocket.



I don't have a picture directly of it, but you can just barely make it out in this one (not the coax to the antenna):

#ad




It's virtually invisible along the window gasket, and just noticeable where it goes down across the paint below the corner of the window.



On edit: Sorry, I missed the part about the relay--you'd definitely want to tap it under the dash then, so my method is no help.

 

[BILLUA]

Mark, is that line x on the bed of your truck? If so, how long has it been on? it looks great!



I had rhino on my last truck, but it looked terrible after a couple of years...





Cheers, Bill

 

[mgonske]

Mark, is that line x on the bed of your truck? If so, how long has it been on? it looks great!

It's Rhino Lining. That picture was about six months after application, but it still looks great now, two years later. The Forest Green Rhino Lining on my '98 looked great for the entire 4-1/2 years I had it. Did you get the UV-protectant top-coat applied to yours?