How to wire brake light on topper?

Just installed a used Are topper on my 12 DCLB. Local ARE dealer wants $100 to run the wire . Is it fair or is it an easy DIY

 

2 wires, connect them to the brake light wires behind the taillight.
I hate them, but 3M quick taps work okay.
If you have an interior light, run it to the taillight if you don't have power run back there.

Honestly though, $100 is not unfair, considering you did not buy the shell from them.

 

This is what I did as well. I used a trailer hitch wire harness to connect to the shell wiring so I can easily disconnect it when I want to take the shell off. Works great.

 

The LEER dealer wired mine for free, but on my old Nissan I just used a tap splice and ran a wire from the left brake light to the one on the shell and then ran a ground behind the left light. I don't see how it would be any different on a Tacoma--the taillight assembly comes out with just 2 or 3 screws, and a with a multimeter and a buddy in the driver seat it should be easy to locate the correct wire.

 

Quick taps are the quickest and easiest way but I hate those things and, if you live in an area that uses salt, can cause the host wire to corrode. I would suggest a simple tap and solder to the brake light in one of the tail lights. I would suggest putting a quick connect coupler between the shell and the truck so, if you ever decide to remove the shell, you don't have to cut any wires.

 

The topper has the wiring and connectors already attached. The previous owner just unplugged it from the truck before removing. The ARE dealer advised that he could not wore to the taillight because the brake light would blink with the turn signal. He said that it needed to be run underneath to the front of the vehicle and thus the $100 was for an hour and a half's labor and the wire.

 

The guy at the ARE dealer is a moron... If you tap the turn signal, yes, it will blink like the turn signal. If you tap into the brake light, it works fine. The turn signal and brake lights are separate wires. 30 seconds with a test light will tell you which wire is the proper wire to tap into. I have my ARE shell wired this way, just tapped into the brake light.

 

ARE dealer is mistaken.
AFAIK, Toyota has always had separate turn signal and brake light signals to the rear of the bed on the pickups. Goes back to the common Japanese/European styling with the amber turn signal on the rear.

 

The third brake light is wired to the driver side brake light. Power for the rear cap light comes from the battery-this wire should be fused near the battery. The wire runs under the truck. Mine runs along the frame rail. Grounding is also done at the tail light.

 

The shell light is a personal preference. I have mind wired to the running light from the driver's side tail light. This way it's already fuse protected and can't be mistakenly left on since the marker lights turn off with the ignition.

 

In the four years I've owned my truck, I've never run the battery down.

 

^^This sounds like the way I want to do it. Any further details or lessons learned you can share?