One thing on the To-Do List is adding Bed lights to my Steppie Bed.

My plans are for four lights  too mounted close to the Tailgate and two in the middle; I have a bed box so four should be good but might add one or two in the Bed Box too !

Switch will be a single pole double throw with center off, wire for manual and auto-tailgate-on, with an Off position; mounted using an Aircraft Switch cover... down will be the auto mode so if you flip the cover down it will go to that setting.

Both auto and manual switching will have a flashing RED LED on the Dash somewhere, maybe the same one.

Here is what I was thinking for the lighting... the units may change but I'm thinking four of these will put out enough light.




Yes these are LED License Plate Light, waterproof, easy two screw mounting.

The Tailgate Switch




Wiring should be straight forward a single wire with all of the extras before the switch circuit.
AND thanks to JAMMAN I will be adding a Door Switch in the Tailgate area for the Auto mode.

The dash switch 
SPDT

-----  Picture Coming  -----


I'm afraid I won't be back to this modification for a while, it is high on the list of To-Do's, just I'm working on another !

Any thoughts, ideas, add links for lighting and switch, thanks !

Last edited on Thu Mar 5th, 2020 01:35 am by Scrambler82

Last edited on Fri Mar 6th, 2020 01:23 am by Scrambler82

Here are the Switch Cover for the Bed Lights, using a SPDT, Center Off, Toggle Switch the Flip Cover should work to throw the switch to the auto setting when the Cover is flipped down.

Last edited on Fri Mar 6th, 2020 06:28 pm by Scrambler82

Last edited on Sun Mar 15th, 2020 03:49 pm by Undrstm8ed

Scrambler82 wrote:
A mercury switch is a good one, but false triggering can be a problem as with any type of tilt switch.

The Pin Switch won't false trigger, only time will tell.

I will need to take a good look at switches before buying one.

Thanks for the thought !
Well, after putting in about 4-6 thousand alarms and remote starts back in the day within my 12volt career and short MECP instructional career, I can tell you they havent changed those pin switches in design from the late 80's through 2020 and the way they are designed I would have to say, they can false too. MOSTLY in the sense that the slim ring of metal contact they're given to touch to a solid ground corrodes or maybe the better word is oxidizes and then they dont make any contact so just as bad as falsing - They FAIL in general at at a higher rate than any mercury switch.
The Mercury switch can be both a positive or a negative trigger too.

The issue with Mercury type switches is poor installation thoughts and even less care in how they are setup, meaning the actual common sense of where its installed and how its affected by the end-user parking the vehicle. Does the owner have a steep driveway? If the owner pulls in or backs into that driveway? Is it a sports car or truck - How will the suspension affect the install overtime? Where is it installed at - screwed into a piece of plastic? Metal? Is just two-sided taped in or is it screwed in? Is the mounting tab a solid stiff metal or flimsy metal? Did the installer use a proper pan-head screw or did he anchor it with a typical drywall screw? Is it in the front of the vehicle? Rear? How will that change if the vehicle is on an incline? Is the circuit a single or two stage trigger? Is it a real mercury switch or one of the cheap ebay BB's in a plastic tube? Can it be bypassed or circumvented..?  All these questions and maybe a couple others usually come to my mind from those days. My observation is if someones being cheap (chinese ebay walmart products come to mind) for the part, (NOT saying this is you, i'm merely making a generalization) Then what short cuts are they taking during the installation process? Can't ignore Fact when you see it on a day to day for 23+ years and then in several industries abroad from that too.

I mean I've people watched men for example, in a gas station or mini-mart, shop for a snack like women would while buying high-end high heels.. but then short cut something that really matters. I don't know what that's all about. Maybe someone can elevate my mind on WTH that's all about.

Also keep in mind that the ground wires in a Frame harness and its support harnesses will run back to the cab in circuits like lights or fuel pumps or to the frame itself. The bed is ONLY bolted in through large "speed clips" in the frame, NOT exactly the best "grounded" point of the vehicle. You can get a voltage drop across a negative just as easily as across a positive, keep that in mind while running your ground and what kind of ground you use if you do use a pin-switch and where its terminated at.





Just added $ .02

Last edited on Wed Mar 18th, 2020 08:18 pm by Undrstm8ed

Last edited on Wed Dec 29th, 2021 10:19 pm by Scrambler82