Help Wiring Switches for Bedlights.

I was reading in another post that a guy wired his lights with a switch in the cab and bed. and they worked just like a 3 way switch. just wanted to see if it was possible to wire them with a tailgate switch as well. the explanation of that mod is in the link i posted earlier in reply to another members question on this thread. we will see what happens.

thanks for all the help man, hopefully ill be able to figure it out. if not im wiring it just like yours! what type of lights do you have in your bed?

 

That's a long thread- I'm not reading through the whole thing again.

But I'm using two of those same light bars supplied by 'drunkensloth'

 

Nice, how do you like them? Can't wait to get mine. Does 2 of those light up the bed pretty well?

 

Even simpler than all that....

Use a relay (you really should anyhow).

I'm working on a wiring diagram and will throw up a pic here shortly.

Just to make sure, you want a switch inside the cab, a switch in the bed, and a pin switch that turns it on when you open the tailgate/canopy cover, right?

Edit: Ok, here you go, parts and all. I've left out connectors and such, just included the major components (Left to Right on pics, Top to Bottom on links)


SPDTRocker
SPST Round Rocker
Pinswitch
Relay






So here’s a rundown of how it works:

This will require you to run two wires (16 awg speaker wire would besufficient) from the cab switch to the bed switch/relay area, plus a power wirefrom the battery/fuse block you’ve got.

I’ve selected the parts out of simplicity, for example, the SPST RoundRocker goes in the bed so that all you have to do it drill a hole – feel freeto get your own switches, just make sure you get a SPDT and a SPST switch. The pinswitch should be able to be trimmed tolength; nearly any type of switch will work as well so take your pick.

You’ve got 12V from the battery going to the relay NO (87A) and oneside of the coil (85 or 86, doesn’t matter). Hook up the positive wire from the lights to the Common side (30), andthe NC (87, middle leg) gets nothing. Connect your lights negative wire to ground, preferably the same placeas your rear SPST rocker switch.

Install your SPDT rocker in the cab where you want it… Ground one ofthe outer legs somewhere in the car. Runtwo wires (color yellow and green in the pic, if using speaker wire , makeyellow the + lead and green the – lead) out of the cab, down to the 12V wirefrom the battery, back to where your relay and rear rocker are at.

Connect the Green (-) to one of the legs of the rocker switch, andground the other one. Install yourpinswitch and connect it to the green wire somewhere.

Connect your Yellow wire to the relay.


How it works:

To make the rear switch/pinswitch turn the lights on, you need to leavethe front switch flipped one way – don’t ask me which, you’ll figure itout. For example, see how the switch inin the photo.

This way, when you open the tailgate, the pinswitch sends a groundsignal along the green line to the front switch, through the switch, outthrough the yellow wire to the relay, opening the relay, sending 12V to thelights and turning the lights on. Samething happens when you flip the rear switch.

When you have the front switch flipped the opposite way shown in thepic, same thing happens, but now this is independent of the rear switch andpinswitch. Ground signal goes from thefront switch to the relay along the yellow wire, opening the relay, sending 12Vto the lights.

If you have the front switch in the neutral position (assuming it has aneutral position) the lights will not turn on at all.


If you should decide to want to separate the pinswitch and the rearswitch, get another SPDT rocker (like the front switch), wire the green wire tothe middle leg, ground to one of the outer legs, and the pinswitch to the otherouter leg.


Good luck, hope this helps

 

Yeah I was planning on getting the relay. And yes that is correct, switch in the cab, switch in the bed, and a pin switch for the tailgate.
Thanks man

 

Ok... Keep an eye on my previous post, it'll get a few updates here

 

Sounds good, thanks again for the help

 

Post editted.... PM me if you have any questions, and I'll give you my cell number

 

Ah problem solved good!!

 

Nice. I think it would help your diagram to see the tailgate pin switch terminated to ground - I had to read the description to figure that part out.

And using this diagram, I DO think you want to make sure that the cab switch is a three-position switch, otherwise you won't be able to keep the lights from turning on whenever the tailgate is open. That would be a battery drain if you end up storing e.g. some long pieces of lumber in the bed overnight.

 

I guess you're right, however by design of the switch, provided you mount to to anything metal, you're likely grounding it.

Point taken, if for some reason you mount the pinswitch to something other than metal, be sure to use a ring terminal and a stretch of wire and ground it to the same ground you use for the LEDs/relay.

As for the switch, that is exactly why I chose to use the setup I did. Also exactly why I chose to add the option of adding in a SPDT rocker in the back as well, to be able to disconnect things as necessary

 

Thanks a lot for all of this! Truly appreciated. I'm out right now but I'm gonna look at it more in detail tn or this weekend. I will definitely send you a message if I have any questions! Thanks again

 

Thanks man. I'll take a look at it this weekend.

 

That was my post.

I may chime in later. Looks like ya'll are getting it figured out.

 

No worries, hope it helps. I'm going to try to do the one from this thread. Hoping it all works! I'll let everyone know and post pictures once I get it done!

 

This setup looks like the winner to me. I would definitely do the mod described in the last paragraph.