LED bed lights - Another thread with a few quick questions.

Working on a LED bed light retrofit using a few threads on here...

Im using the normal LED rope lights but going a little different route with the switch.

Im using one of these -



Its a trunk light switch from a VW Jetta. It works like a normal pin switch, but it has the notch cut into it as you can see. The notch has the ability to catch on the mount, which allows you to lock the switch in the off position even when the trunk/tailgate is opened. This will allow me to open or leave the the tailgate open for a long period of time without turning the lights on if I want.

Seems like a simple fool proof plan. Not to mention a lot neater than using a pin switch and separate over ride switch.

When I installed the lights today, I used a 9v battery to test them to make sure everything worked right. Low and behold, the 9v battery powers the lights very well, which got me to thinking....

Instead of running a wire off the battery to the back of the truck for the lights, I could just power the bed lights off a separate 9v battery tucked nicely up inside one of the stupid bed cubbies using a box similar to this -



The LEDs dont really draw too much power so the batteries should last pretty long. Not to mention I could recharge them no problem with the battery charger I have.

It seems like a fool proof plan not have this tied into the electrical system in the truck. You never have to worry about draining the battery if you happen to forget to set the switch and leave the tailgate down over a long period of time.

Has anyone set their bed lights up like this off of a separate power source?
Or am I over engineering this way too much?

:beer:

 

if you kill your battery by running the LED's you have bigger problems like a shit battery.

It would be pretty hard to not notice the LED's running in the bed of the truck.

Check out the link in my sig for my bed lights.... the positive of running a hot from the battery to the bed is you can do what i do and add a 12v socket which is much more useful than the 120v socket IMO.

 

Yeah, I agree with nd4spdbh.

I used just a simple on off rocker switch next to the outlet in the bed.
Do you really want your bed lights to only come on when the tailgate is down?
For me it would be a little inconvenience at times, but it's 100% up to you.

my 2 cents.

 

I actually used your thread as a referecne for the parts :beer:

I did plan on running a 12v socket inside one of the cubbies eventually. I might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone and run 1 wire to a small terminal and split it from there for the socket and the bed lights.

And as for the switch, I like the idea of the VW part with the lock, that way I can turn off the switch so the lights dont come on when I open the tailgate, or I can turn the switch on so they automatically come on when the tailgate is opened.

 

Just added my 12v outlet to one of the cubbies, completely forgot about bed lights. Time to start shopping.

 

Using a seperate battery is what i call half assing it. take the extra hour to route the wires from under the hood and do it right..

I like the VW switch, you def had the right idea of being able to shut it off when you want. I used a magnet switch that i discovered on a different thread on here... and it couldnt be better IMO. I also put a toggle switch in the bed, out of the way and out of sight, for when i wanna shut it off manually. And ive already used that too. I plan to tap into it again for a 12v source in the bed, and also run it to the trailer pin for constant power in my trailers...

 

I wouldnt call it "half assing" it. It was a simple alternative way of doing the install.

When I first made this post, completely forgot about running the 12v constant bed socket.

I have to run wiring back from the battery for that anyways... So Im going to use a slightly heavier gauge power wire off the battery and branch it off to the bed lights and the 12v socket.

Easy peasey.

Thanks for the insight guys :beer: