Anybody tap led bed lights in to hitch wiring instead of battery?

I have some Matt Gecko led bed lights to install, and the positive wire usually goes either to the battery or pin14 on a connector near the fuse panel. I'd rather avoid running a wire all the way to the front, and I have other plan for pin14.

Would it be possible to tap in to the wiring harness for the hitch instead, and has anyone out there done it? Need to know which wire to tap in to using a posi-tap.

 

Pretty sure all the wiring for the 7 pin connector only has power on ignition which would be inconvenient.

I’d just run the wire to the battery, it’s not that bad.

 

I was under the impression that it always had power, due to the hazard lights being part of it.
I guess I could check if there's one that's always hot.

 

I'd also suggest not using a fucking posi-tap. If you're going to do it, do it right at least and solder then heat shrink, or at minimum use the self-soldering heat shrink butt connectors. Also, there's not a 12v always on source. When hazards are on, the signal is sent from the truck to those connectors, if they were always hot, the lights would never turn off. The + connector (there's a wiring diagram right on the trailer connector cover) is 12v when the truck is on but when it turns off, it drops down to ~4v-5v.

 

Don't have schematics handy, but pretty sure Shellshock is correct. I used the hot wire in the 7 pin connector to power airbag compressor I mounted back there, and it is definitely hot on ignition only. (Note, I spliced in using a 7 pin gooseneck relocate kit to make it plug and play mod.)

 

Didn't want to mess with trailer wiring as I need that to work.
Ran it to the HZD fuse in the interior fuse box. Used an add-a-fuse.
(below the red arrow)

Bed lights work all the time.

 

I'll just use a fuse tap or run it to the battery then.

As for the posi taps... I like em and can't solder if my life depended on it (maybe my AliExpress iron is just crap lol). It's not an important item, so if the tap ever broke it wouldn't be a huge deal. Haven't had a problem ever before though.

 

Might do this. Thanks

 

Ran mine up the frame with the factory harness, above the gas tank, and then through the grommet under the drivers seat.
I grounded mine under the dash and ran a negative wire as well, but you could ground it at the back of the truck as well.

 

Here are the Trailer wire schematics.

 

Probably the wire you are trying to solder, more than anything.

 

Worst thing I have ever seen when it comes to electrical!!! My motorhome started losing ground to circuits, while diagnosing I found the manufacturer used taps to make every connection. They ran a large gauge wire from the frame and then tapped every ground into it. Over time the wire broke where is was tapped and everything downstream had no ground. I ended up rewiring the entire motorhome to fix the mess! Now it is all wired to a Bluesea fuse box and ground block.

Do yourself a favour! Throw those things out and practice soldering. Even unshielded butt connectors and heat shrink are better than those!

 

Remove the Battery Charger Relay and it's 40A fuse. (Not many use it anyway)
Assemble a jumper wire with male terminals on each end.
Insert in slots 3 & 5 of the Battery Charger relay holder spot.
With a add-a-fuse and the proper fuse for the bed lights on the top slot crimp a female terminal and insert it the male terminal where the JCASE fuse used to be.
Posi-Tap Blue pin 3 on T12.

 

Another option:


Pin one is always powered, so remove the battery ground terminal before you work on the vehicle....

Or this, to keep added fuse holder out of sight.