Bed lights for access cab

As you know, the access cab does not come with bed lights, and does not even have the switch inside. I guess toyota thought that people who wanted the longer bed wouldn't use it at night? Luckily though, you can have oem bed lights for just over $100.

All the wiring is in place. The switch harness in the cabin is there, and in my 2021, the bed lighting plugs are behind the tail lights.

I ordered the switch for $66.86 from Village Toyota. Part #

$98 84267-0C020 , BLACK

84267-0C020

I ordered the bed lights that fill the blanks near the tail gate for $51.75 from Village Toyota. Part #

$60 PT857-35200 Toyota Genuine 2020 & Newer Tacoma Led Bed Light/Lighting Kit PT857-35200

PT857-35200

I just installed it. Very easy, all you need is a flat head, 10m, and 20 minutes.

Inside the cabin, you use the flat head to pop off the switch panel nearest the drivers door. Pop out the horizontal blank and pop in the new switch. I found it easiest to put the flat head between the panel and blank and push the blank out. The harness plug is found just below the switch panel. Make sure that the switch lights up before reinstalling the panel.

The bed light videos are all over youtube.

Don't load an access cab in the dark if you don't have to!

 

awsome, thank you for the info and part #s

 

I ordered my '21 TRD OR AC with bed lights.
Don't like that they're tied in with the rear cab dome light though...

 

I don't believe that's correct. I have a 2021 TRD Sport AC with the added OEM bed lights. The bed light switch on the dash has no effect on the rear dome light. The only thing the bed light switch controls is .....the bed lights. However, the front dome light switch (on the overhead console) does control the rear dome light. (The rear dome light also has a switch of its own.) Just checked this this morning.

 

I know my 18 isn’t pre wired for bed lights. I believe Toyota included the wiring sometime later or possibly on specific trim levels.

Anyone have more info on this? Specific years, trims, configurations? I don’t need it but I’m sure someone lurking here later will find it helpful.

 

Trust me, that IS correct for my truck. The switch on the lower left of the steering controls BOTH the bed lights and the rear cab dome light. I can set it for ON (all the time), DOOR (lights on when unlocked or when the door is opened), or OFF. The rear cab dome light is NOT correlated with the front map lights. There IS a switch on the rear cab dome light, but it's only for ON or OFF. I'd much rather that the rear cab dome light could be synched with the door opening independent of the bed lights.

 

I installed the OEM kit on mine. Was debating that and the @mattgecko kit. Talked my dealership down to a decent price and they ordered it overnight for me. With a bed cover, it is still kinda dark towards the front... Shoulda bought Matt's...

 

Well, that's the way mine is.

Since both of our trucks are 2021 TRD AC's (yours an OR and mine a Sport, shouldn't matter), the wiring should be the same. The only difference that I can see is that your bed lights were installed at the Port (or at the dealer), while I did the installation myself. Conclusion: whoever did your installation made a mistake. It's possible this could be corrected. Take it back to the dealer.

BTW, my truck was made in Mexico. Where was yours made?

 

The '20 and '21 OEM bed lights are LED's, and they are bright. Blindingly so, if you look directly at them.

 

I have a 2020. The problem is they are flat and pointing in to each other. I think some years they had angled LEDs. It isn't a huge issue, but I'd like more light up front, and the Mattgecko kits have the strip up there. Huge advantage of the OEM was the ridiculously easy install.

 

Mine did.

 

Mine was assembled in Guanajuato Mexico.
Judging from all that I've read on TW about messing with anything electrical on a Taco, I'm fearful of what may happen if the dealer attempts to correct/modify the way it currently works.

 

Or vice versa.
Does your overhead rear dome light have a 3-position switch (i.e. OFF-DOOR-ON)?

 

No, it's a 2-position switch -- Door and On. (Someone sitting in the back could turn on the rear dome light independently.) If set to Door, then it's controlled by the front overhead map light switch, which is 3-position. None of this has anything to do with the bed lights.

BTW, this is covered on page 348 of the owner's manual. This shows the 3-position switch on the front overhead console and the 2-position switch on the rear dome light. However, the manual doesn't mention the interplay between the front and rear switches. You have to find this out by trial and error.

 

I assume this was a dealer installed option?

 

Mine was either factory or port installed - I suspect factory. It was NOT installed by the dealer.

 

My 2020 sr5 access cab came with bed lights....dealer told me at the time when i place the order a year ago it would have them.

 

Bed lights (in the bed's side panels) or Cargo lights (in the 3rd brake light)?

 

The Access Cab doesn't come with the cargo lights in the 3rd brake light. (Those are found only in the Double Cab.) That's why Access Cabs normally don't have the dash switch. It's added along with the optional bed lights.

Getting back to the dome light switches, I checked mine again this morning. It turns out that the front overhead console light switch acts as the master switch for both lights. That is, when the front switch is "On," both lights are on, regardless of the rear switch position. Likewise, if the front switch is "Off," both lights are off. Only when the front switch is set to "Door" can the rear light be turned on independently. Again, this has nothing to do with the bed lights.

 

Its got what appears led lights in the rear bed side panels. Dealer informed me that the sr5 trim package i requested would automatically come with them.