Need electrical advice to setup bed mounted ditch lights.

I do alot of work for family, friends and even myself at night. Saw a deal online for $20 for cheapo ditch lights that I figured I could mount to the bed rails using t-nuts.

I guess the question is, how would one go about wiring it to switch in the cab? I have Meso's fuse cover as well if a tap needs to be added.

I'm an electrical novice here.

 

You most likely want these on a separate switch, right? If so, you will need to run the wires to the engine compartment, and use a relay which will then connect to a switch inside the cab, if that is where you want the switch.

 

You could just get a cheap wiring kit off Amazon that has 2 light leads and a relay pre wired. You would most likely just need to extend the light leads to the bed.

Everything would wire to the engine bay. Then you would take the switch wiring and feed it through to a new cab switch instead of using the provided kit switch.

Edit. If you go with a ch4x4 style oem switch theres 4 wires and are pretty easy to setup. There are a few guides on here on how to do it

 

Any chance you could provide a link to this wiring kit you speak of? Thank you for the help!

 

I put ditch and reverse lights on my shell rack using a remote controlled switch that includes 2- 10amp relays. No wiring needed to the cab and it works very well!

Solidremote 12V - 24V Secure Wireless RF Remote Control Relay Switch Universal 2-Channel 433MHz Receiver with 2 FCC ID Transmitters for Garage Door Openers, Cars, LED Lights & More (KIT-1)

$22 Solidremote 12V - 24V Secure Wireless RF Remote Control Relay Switch Universal 2-Channel Receiver with 2 Transmitters for Garage Door Openers, LED Lights etc (KIT-1)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGDV8UM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ubYoEbMM5WZ3P

 

Hold on cowboy, while that's super neat, I'm still on step one....

1. Have an idea I don't know how to execute and ask everyone else to do the work for me.

 

“I guess the question is, how would one go about wiring it to switch in the cab?”... I just mentioned a way to skip that step and make the job a whole lot easier...

 

Buy a giant halogen work light and plug it into the bed outlet.


BOOM.

 

I have to look cool though, I have to make up for my lack of skewp.

 

Ha! Skewp don't make ya cool. Ask my wife...


After the posts about guys trying to run lights and then their truck won't start, I'd wait to see how that all played out before splicing into anything.

 

After reading everyones other builds to ME at least, I am able to somehow wire the lights to the switch, then from the switch to the add a fuse. It seems so cheap and easy, the lights I want are like $13 and the button and wires are not much either, but just not sure what to buy and what works with what. As I said, I have an idea I want to execute and have no idea how.

 

So in the old days you found a hot spot in the fuse panel and go directly to it or splice into something that has power, mount your switch, wire to said switch, wire to the lights

 

$20 RUN-D Universal LED Light Wiring Harness Kit, Dual Output with DT Male Connector, Cable Kit for 2 Lights

https://www.amazon.com/RUN-D-Universal-Wiring-Harness-Connector/dp/B01B5UXWY4

You would need a dual light wiring harness like this. Since the lights are going into your bed, you will need to extend the wires that go to your lights quite a bit to reach the bed.

I would also wire it up directly to the battery instead of an add a fuse, or an auxiliary fuse box. If you want another switch, you can get one that will fit in one of your stock blanks if you have any, and wire that in instead of the switch supplied with the harness.

 

Thank you! That is very helpful!

 

I've used this one

$10 MICTUNING MIC-B1002 LED Light Bar Wiring Harness, Fuse 40A Relay On-off Waterproof Switch

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O72R7Z8/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_jYZoEbG1AKKV4

With a switch like this

$24 CH4X4 Push Switch for Toyota Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Fortuner, Hilux, 4Runner, Prado 12V 3Amp - Bed Lights Symbol - Blue LED

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXI6JC6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_6ZZoEbK8Y1C7F

And I would get 16 gauge wire leads to extend the harness as well as some wire loom to route it.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...uit-and-towed-battery-charger-circuit.650723/

 

Why not tap it into the cargo lamp circuit? Then you don’t need to add an in-cab switch, and it will shut off when the battery gets low.
Just make sure to only power the control side of your relay on it, not the lights themselves

 

Run it.

 

Yep, switch to the cab, power to the battery. I used a light wiring kit and extended the wires to the back of the truck. Easy as can be

 

I have ditch lights in my bed. Caliraised side shooters. They are mounted on a third rail behind the back window.
The harness reached the battery but I did have to cut and splice additional wire for the interior cabin switch.