Camper shell wiring step-by-step (Picture Load warning!!)

does this install method cause your third brake light to blink along with your turn signals?

 

Good point, the connectors really don't matter as long as they are of sufficient gauge. Yours sound as good as mine.

 

I like the idea of the continuous hot wire for the dome but the easy access and location of the left brake light worked for me. I never did run a dedicated wire to the back from the battery for air but that was the original plan.. oh well.

 

That sir... looks sweet!

 

Not sure about you, but I love little projects like this!

 

Only if you do it wrong. the third brake light should do exactly what the regular brake lights do with this configuration.

 

I opted for the easiest solution - I just never wired it. The state doesn't say I have to, so I didn't. My air is under the hood, but I would like a plug in the bed eventually.

 

I was lucky in that mine came with the 110v bed plug. What do you use for air compressor and res?

 

I have the

$320 ARB CKMA12 On-Board Air Compressor High Performance 12 Volt for Air Locker Differentials and Tire Inflation

ARB CKMA12 compressor with the mini res attached, because I'll eventually do lockers.

 

thank you @majorhavok , I finally tackle the brake light 2 years later.

No drill, used some spare waterproof connector i had lying around.

 

My camper shell came with a little LED dome light, and they installed it for me when putting on the shell. With that said, it sure looks like they tapped into a hot wire without running a new one from the battery (meaning there is one) behind that left brake light fixture. It is independent of the running lights, no keys in ignition, etc. I do have a tow package so there is a chance the wiring being tapped into is from that, but I would need to further investigate.

This is great for a little LED light! Problem I face is that I want more plugs so I can run a few things - USB chargers, couple more lights, the stuff you want when sleeping in the back. Risk, as we all know, is running the starting battery dead while using these little things and then having a really good charge on the phone and lights all night long, but no starting power on the truck.

I am looking at a second battery setup for this exact purpose with an isolator and ability to put a solar panel on the roof to trickle charge while truck is sitting. It is worth saying that if you want to run stuff off of your starting battery, most starting batteries are not meant to be run to dead and charged again over and over. This kills the batteries. Deep cycle batteries exist for this reason - so for a second battery, I would go that route. Tons of other threads on dual batteries.

So many things to do, none of them necessary. Ughhh

 

Any chance you could take a pic of the trailer harness?

 

Thanks so much for the post! I am not really an electrical kind of guy but this makes it doable and look forward to wiring it up this afternoon. I do have a question though. Using this method, if I unplug the quick connect will my original brake light still be operational? (If I ever need to remove my truck cap for my motorcycle?)

 

Thank you for this write up and pictures. I plan to tackle this over the weekend. I've been putting this off for a while now. Mostly due to feeling this os overwhelming. Even had a local shop order a 4-pin connector for the Leer cap I bought. I'm going to use your post as a guide and to get my 3rd brake light connected, dome light connected, and run power/install LEDs in the cap for camping.

 

I could be wrong but I'd be careful running power off that circuit. I would imagine the rest of the stuff your running would be fine (LEDs ect)
Edit: I think I misread your post. Your running power to your LEDs correct?

 

Yes, I'm running power to LEDs. Hopefully I can tap into power from my trailer harness for that as I'd like to be able to use them while camping in the back without having the keys in the ignition.

 

Note to self: Thoroughly read post before beginning project.

"Granted with this method you have to have the running lights on, but now I have a bed light!"

That one line set me back a few hours. My buddies and I tested the trailer harness on my 2014 Tacoma TRD OR and found no power without the ignition on. I know the risk of leaving a light on and having the battery drain. But if I'm camping in the bed of the truck I simply can't have the ignition on to simply turn on a light to see what I'm doing.

We ended up running a 16-gauge power wire from the battery with an inline fuse to the rear of the truck. I routed this from the engine bay, along the brake lines, through and/or inside the frame to the taillight assembly. It was a pain in the butt, but it's a solid power source that is now running power to the cap dome light and to the LEDs I installed along the roof inside my cap.

Since I will have 6 wires running between the bed and the cap: (2) for the 3rd brake light, (2) for the dome light, and (2) for the LEDs, I purchased this

MSD 8170 Weathertight 6-Pin Connector

MSD 8170 6-pin connector to make a quick disconnect if I ever should need to remove the cap. It will be nice having just 1 connector instead of multiple connectors.

 

this is exactly what I was thinking of, except I want to try and find a flush mount connector (female) to mount in the bed panel, with a right angle connector to wire to the cap, so that if/when I take the cap off its super clean.

 

Awesome write up, this was super helpful for me to wire up the used Leer top that I bought. I don't know if there's really much difference, but I was advised to splice the camper ground into the ground wire going into the light rather than ground it to the metal behind the light. I was also able to run the wires from the light through the seam in the bed composite shown in @sawjai526 's picture. Thanks @majorhavok!

Has anyone else had problems with a Leer top leaking around the third brake light? Water was streaming in there every time it rained. I used some clear silicone to seal it up, but I would think that Leer would build these tops to be better than that?

 

Subd for if I do mine!