1st Gen Double Cab Camper Shell Installation

Good afternoon- I finally found a camper shell for my 1st gen double cab Tacoma. Paint doesn't match but I will take care of that later. I am picking it up tomorrow and have a couple of hours drive each way.

Question- I would prefer to have the camper shell 3rd brake light hooked up for the return trip. I am NOT an electrician, I am handy. What is the easiest way to connect the lighting. There is no interior light, at this time, but I may want to install one in the future, so I'd like to do something forward thinking.

Also, I have the OEM bed liner that goes over the bed rails. Any suggestions about notching it for the camper shell clamps?

Thanks in advance!

 

You van wire everything from one if the brake lights. If you want constant 12v you'll have to wire that from the battery. The clamps go under the lip of the side rail of your truck and over the top of the camper shell. You may be able to just sit the topper on top of the shell....or cut it with an angle grinder if you need to.

 

I would remove the bed liner before your trip so you don't have to cut it up or worry about it interfering with the topper fitment.

If you want a super quick and easy way to connect the third brake light so it functions on the return trip, buy some wire t taps and connect the power lead from your driver's side tail light to the power lead of the topper brake light and the grounds in the same fashion. Then wire it up properly with a quick release harness when you get home.

Congrats on the topper, I know you've been looking for awhile.

 

Thanks for the responses. I guess I know less than I thought. Not looking to cut bed or shell with an angle grinder and I have no idea what wire t taps are.

I talked to the Service Mgr. at Toyota today. The nuts on the back side of the bed liner fit into slots on the bed liner. Apparently, these snap off frequently when attempting to remove them, and they are no longer available. As such, I am SUPER hesitant to attempt to remove the bed liner, given that these haven't been touched in 19 years.

Toyota will not wire it, they said corporate doesn't allow them to wire any 3rd party products. I've called a couple of camper shell places, who won't touch it, since I didn't buy it from them. Any other ideas?

 

I also called etrailer, who reportedly know everything and the woman I got knew little. She didn't know what a wiring harness was. I've seen videos where harnesses are used but Toyota claims there are no compatible harnesses.

 

Are you talking about the plastic bedliner? I removed the one that came with my 04 with no issues.

Wire T Taps are these things:

$15 Wirefy T Tap Wire Connectors Kit - Electrical Connectors Kit - Spade Terminals - Quick Splice Disconnect Wire Taps - (120 PCS 22-10 AWG)

https://www.amazon.com/120-PCS-Wirefy-Electrical-Connectors/dp/B077YB123S

The allow you to easily tap into a wire (eg the power wire behind your tail light) and run another wire off of it (eg to your topper's third brake light power wire).

If it's this weary for you, I'd just drive home without the third brake light wired up and find someone local to do it for you. It's super easy.

 

Okay forget you ever spoke to them.

There's a Toyota specific part that was used by dealers to install toppers. It literally connects to your tail light harness.

Part # PTS053505DWH




Below is a picture of what I did with the explanation/diagram. I used a 4-pin trailer harness but you'll only use three of the pins.

This is under the rear bumper looking up at your tail light.








1. is the where I tapped into the factory wire that powers the brake light. It’s in that wire loom bundle.

2. is the ground wire that I connected to the bumper bracket.

3. the wire just left of the number is the power lead I ran from my (+) battery terminal. This is so the dome light can be constant hot.

4. is all three new wires (truck side) that I ran. I bundled them together, taped them together then ran them up into the bed and connected them to the trailer plug.

5. is where I ran the three new wires up into the bed.

I labeled each red wire (only color I had) so that I could keep track of what was what when I connected it to the trailer plug.

 

When I removed my bed liner the nuts broke, but I'd suggest removing the liner anyway. They allow water to collect and cause rust issues.

Ask your local TW folk if anyone is willing to help with the light.

 

My plan is to keep the bed liner, I know about the issues associated with them, and in the +/-, it has been a + for me. The protection it has afforded the rails over the years has been worth it. The service mgr. at Toyota here has been in Toyotas for a long time, he warned the nuts are likely to break and your experience is in keeping with his. I still hope to notch the bed liner, for the clamps, using a jigsaw. Since I'd really like to have an interior light in the camper shell, I think my best option is to pay someone local to do it for me, and hook up the 3rd brake light, at the same time. I like to try to do things myself and certainly, if there is someone on this forum, in the San Diego region, who is available to assist, I am all for it. I am going to see if I can find that wiring harness that you posted, first. San Diego peeps- anyone?

 

Post here in the So Cal forum: https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/southern-california.43/

there’s a huge contingency on TW and I’m sure plenty of people willing to help out.

 

Wow, thank you, I didn't even know that forum existed.

 

Check around your area for an accessory shop. One that does window tint and such. Mine had a drop in liner removed by the previous owner and looked kinda rough. I opted for a spray in liner and couldn’t be happier. It now looks(and smells) brand new. With the cap on, it oughta last forever. Also, get some good double sided foam weather stripping from Home Depot to seal it to the bed.

 

I don't know how to post a picture here, but I picked up my camper shell today and I have to tell you there was not a spot on it. Flawless in every way.

The seller how to hook up my third brake light it took him about 10 minutes I was there less than an hour and I couldn't be happier. Thank you for the feedback

 

Here she is