Tailgate Light Bar

Im talking about one of those LED strips that hook up to your brake lights and such. I’m looking for some extra brake light output. Does anybody have any suggestions? I was looking at the opt-7 triple row bar

 

I have the Opt-7 Flexible light bar. was $20 so I said why not. Works well and and the white leds help give me a little better picture on the rearview camera. Might upgrade to the triple row but I'm happy with the one I've got.

 

I'm also curious in adding a light bar. Is the slot for your spare tire still accessible?

 

How did the wiring go?

 

I am running the Opt 7 Sequential and love it. I used some plastic velcro type stuff, much like the Command brand to attach it so I can remove it if/when needed as it does cover the spare hole. I did not want to use the screws and clips that came with it.
Pics are from my blinker & Reverse relocation mod.
Brake
Reverse:

Hazards

 

I used

$34 Tekonsha 118384 T-One T-Connector Harness,4-Way Fla

this to do the wiring. Simple plug in and zip tie slack. There is a 5 pin version available that I did not think to purchase at the time. IF I were to do it again, I would buy the 5 pint and plug the reverse there as well.

$68 OPT7 48" Redline Triple Row LED Tailgate Light Bar w/Sequential Amber Turn Signal - Weatherproof Rigid Aluminum Light Strip for Colorado Frontier Ranger - Full Function Reverse Brake Running

This is the bar I have on my truck, installed March 2017 1 dead LED at this point.

 

It's a little tight, but still accessible.

 

Wiring was pretty simple. I think it took me about 30 minutes to complete. Reverse requires removing the driver's side tail light and tapping the wire to the reverse bulb, but again, was cake. I took a pic with my camera phone, of the covers for the trailer lights, so I knew what I was working with. Tapped into them from underneath, so I can still plug trailer lights in, and still have a functioning light bar.

 

So you were able to wire in the reverse lights as well with this harness? Or did you just tap into your light pods?

 

I had the bar prior to adding the pods, so the reverse for the bar is tapped to the driver's side tail light harness. I tapped in a wire and ran it down with a bullet socket on the end and added a bullet connector to the light bar harness. I mostly did this because I had a different brand bar, initially, on my 1st gen that failed so I replaced it with an earlier model of the Opt7 bar. That bar was still fully functional when i traded the truck in, but it was attached via 3M tape so I just bought a new bar for the new truck.

If you got the 5 pin rather than the 4 pin T-harness the reverse would be part of the plug. So you would only need to add a bullet connector to the wiring for the bar. I remember another member posted they did exactly that.

 

These light bars are cool but not 100% waterproof. Which in turn eventually leads to moisture and probably most likely malfunction. Just gives the cops another reason to pull you over at night when only half the bar is only working. Nope .

 

That’s supposedly one of the selling points of this bar, it is waterproof. But I’ve never heard of a cop pulling someone over for a half working light bar as long as their normal tail lights work right

 

I have had a bit over 4 years between 2 Opt7 light bars. So far all the worst failure I have had is with the current bar with 1 LED that had failed.

The bars I have had fail on me before were non-branded generics for far less money and equally low quality. When they failed I simply disconnected them. I have never once had a cop pull me over or hassle me over any tailgate light bar.

Of course is it the option of the buyer to take on any risk involved. I see them as an added safety becasue other drivers get more indication of my turn or stop.

 

Where would the 5 pin plug into exactly?

 

Yes this bar is water proof. the ONLY possible complaint I could have is that is is an aluminum channel that the LED sits in. The channel is filled with clear silicone which is by nature soft. The good, it will not crack and break. The bad, if one backs into a branch or brush there is a small chance of damage to the silicone, this is assuming the offending branch made it past the bumper, stayed under the tailgate, and was sharp/hard enough to gouge or cut the silicone whie you were backing up and did not see it or care it was there. I see that as a low likelyhood.

 

The T harness plugs into your combo hitch plug behind your bumper. The bar comes with a 4 pin trailer connector. Plug that into the 5 pin as if it were a 4 pin. The remaining open hole is reverse. Add a bullet connector, of correct size (blue I think), and plug that into the last hole of the 5 pin.

No tails to be pulled, and if you ever need to remove it just unplug it and move on.

The standard 5 pin trailer has ground, turn/brake, turn/brake, running, reverse. As I recall.

 

Cops in Virginia will yank you for any silly reason.

 

UPDATE:

Now it is April of 2021 and the Opt7 bar I put on my 2017 in late March 2017 still have no failed LEDs and continues to operate at 100%.

The Opt7 is an aluminum track which runs the length of the LED strip, it is shaped like [, the track is filled with silicone covering all of the LEDs. Pretty solid and sealed construction. It is still listed on Amazon today for the same price that I paid.

Seems to be 100% waterproof in my use, though I will admit I have not kept it submerged for 4 years, of course my truck is normally driving on roads that are on land. In the 4 years there have been boat ramps, tropical storm flooding, multiple trailers pulled, Florida rains, washed out roads, and a lot of washes.