Wiring lights for flatbed without hacking truck harness

[Randyc613]

Just flatbed swapped my pickup, put a CM brand bed on my 03 3500, after 2 weeks of being told "just cut the plug off the truck and hard wire it" I found a better alternative. Part number is 112-854 taillight wire harness/pigtail. brand is APSG, I found it on Amazon, I think it's for guys putting aftermarket lights in their trucks, anyway it worked for me by cutting the pigtail I needed off the purchased part and wiring it to bed lights. Part is just a pigtail, basically an extension cord for the taillight harness with the right ends on it. CM was no help, local upfitters just told me to cut the truck harness, I'm stubborn and figured it out, it plugs in, I'm happy. Had to use resistors because lights are led. got everything together, tail lamp warning system is happy, no annoying chime or lamp out indicator. Hope I helped someone else.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

Cutting a wiring harness and Dodge don't go together in the same sentence. Thanks for the write up. How do you like your CM Bed?

 

[Randyc613]

Cutting a wiring harness and Dodge don't go together in the same sentence. Thanks for the write up. How do you like your CM Bed?

The CM bed is pretty nice, build quality seems high, the finish looks good but I'm not sold on the powder coat finish, it has let loose on some of the sharp edges.

 

[nibroc]

patiently awaiting pics

 

[CVR222NV]

I have a flat bed with LED's that hyper flash. It looks like they were hard wired as I don't see a plug. Can you provide any detail on the resistors you used?

 

[Ozymandias]

I have a flat bed with LED's that hyper flash. It looks like they were hard wired as I don't see a plug. Can you provide any detail on the resistors you used?

I don't know if it is possible with your lights, but I'd install bulbs with the resistor integrated.

 

[CVR222NV]

I don't know if it is possible with your lights, but I'd install bulbs with the resistor integrated.

Thanks Ozy I'll check it out.

 

[Randyc613]

I have a flat bed with LED's that hyper flash. It looks like they were hard wired as I don't see a plug. Can you provide any detail on the resistors you used?

The resisters I used were part # LT05-650, I got them from one of the upfitters, not sure the brand. They just plug in at the light. Had to fab a bracket to hold them, they do get warm and will melt things that can melt if in close proximity. It took 4, had to have one for stop and turn circuit on each side.

 

[bighammer]

Isn't there a connector for the rear lighting?? I could probably just unplug the rear harness of my old truck and you could "hack" that, then plug it in.

 

[Randyc613]

Isn't there a connector for the rear lighting?? I could probably just unplug the rear harness of my old truck and you could "hack" that, then plug it in.

No, the truck wiring plugs into the factory tail light assembly. No plug to cut off.

 

[Randyc613]

patiently awaiting pics

 

[Tyler21]

Just flatbed swapped my pickup, put a CM brand bed on my 03 3500, after 2 weeks of being told "just cut the plug off the truck and hard wire it" I found a better alternative. Part number is 112-854 taillight wire harness/pigtail. brand is APSG, I found it on Amazon, I think it's for guys putting aftermarket lights in their trucks, anyway it worked for me by cutting the pigtail I needed off the purchased part and wiring it to bed lights. Part is just a pigtail, basically an extension cord for the taillight harness with the right ends on it. CM was no help, local upfitters just told me to cut the truck harness, I'm stubborn and figured it out, it plugs in, I'm happy. Had to use resistors because lights are led. got everything together, tail lamp warning system is happy, no annoying chime or lamp out indicator. Hope I helped someone else.

View attachment 133109

I’m in the process of doing this exact same wiring. The problem I’m running into is I don’t have a wire dedicated to the stop/brake lights. Any help?

 

[Randyc613]

I’m in the process of doing this exact same wiring. The problem I’m running into is I don’t have a wire dedicated to the stop/brake lights. Any help?

If i could find the wiring diagram for the truck i might be able to help but its been almost 2 yrs since I did this. I don't remember the details but turn and stop light functions are seperately wired. You'll need 2 lights on each side of truck, wire 1 to tail and turn signal, the other to tail and brake signal.

 

[Ozymandias]

I’m in the process of doing this exact same wiring. The problem I’m running into is I don’t have a wire dedicated to the stop/brake lights. Any help?

What vehicle comes without a brake light?

 

[crispyboy]

What about using a gooseneck wiring kit. This intersects the trailer wiring with factory connections. Extend the wires to where they need to go.
https://hopkinstowingsolutions.com/products/vehicle-wiring-kits/endurance/1200421037.html

 

[BigPapa]

I’m in the process of doing this exact same wiring. The problem I’m running into is I don’t have a wire dedicated to the stop/brake lights. Any help?

We may could help if we knew what truck you have…..

 

[User113]

What vehicle comes without a brake light?

That takes me way back, Ozzy.

Older U.S. vehicles used to not have any dedicated brake light like most vehicles today! Very different from what you are used to in Europe. The lights on the back of my 1964 Oldsmobile F-85 consisted of a single red light on either side of the back of the car with an 1157 bulb inside. That bulb has two filaments. One filament was for the "tail light" function, the other, brighter filament, did the brake/turn signal function. There were some diodes and a flasher relay that multiplexed the signals from the brake pedal switch and the turn signal switch to control the brighter filaments to act as either a brake light or a turn signal. I remember installing an aftermarket center stop lamp in the early '80s and having to wire both left and right turn signal lights to it so it could decode them and figure out if it needed to light up or not.

Man, just thinking about this reminds me that the car also came from the factory without seat belts. A previous owner had installed two aftermarket belts for the front seat only, none in the back seat. I had to use a ratchet strap to secure my daughter's child seat. (Let's just say that at the time I didn't have much in the way of discretionary income.) Also, there was no turn signal indicator light on the dash, you had to listen for the flasher, a dash mounted turn signal indicator lamp (one lamp for both sides) was optional equipment on the F-85. But the thing that took me the longest time to get used to was that it did not even come with a side view mirror...on either side.

 

[Blakers]

I would just tie in to the trailer plug wiring. Much more forgiving as they have to design them to work with a variety of trailers. I don't think it matters whether you use LED lights or whatever.

 

[Ozymandias]

I would just tie in to the trailer plug wiring. Much more forgiving as they have to design them to work with a variety of trailers. I don't think it matters whether you use LED lights or whatever.

And it is combined brake/turn signal for the trailer.