Need Help With Wiring Truck Topper Interior Lighting

[ecaldwell78]

Hey guys. I got a camper shell for hunting season and am trying to wire some interior lighting without running cabling from the battery. My Chilton doesn't have any info about a 12v constant at the tail lights. Can anyone tell me 1. if there is a constant in the back I can tap into? or 2. Which wire is switched to the parking lights, as I don't want to have to turn my headlights on all the way to just get power to the dome lights in the shell.
I was going to just drill a hole through a corner stake pocket and tap in from there unless someone has a better way of getting power to the inside of the bed.
BTW, All of my test lights and meters are in storage or I wouldn't be bothering all of you for help.

Thanks in advance for all your knowledge!

Evan

 

[Mean Green]

Do you have the factory tow package or a trailer brake controller? If you do, you will have is a constant 12V+. If your truck does not have the trailer brake controller installed, the provision harness will be tied up somewhere below the master cylinder on the firewall. Connect one of the wires to the battery (Install a circuit breaker or at least a fuse) and then you will have a constant 12V+ at the rear. The other end of the harness is tied up in the rear right frame rail usually by the rear most crossmember. Splice into that wire, and run the new wire into your topper, install a toggle or rocker switch then run a wire from the switch to your desired lights.
Doing it this way will allow you to use your aux lights in you topper without having to have the headlights or parking lights on. However, you could also tap into your reverse light wires but you would then have to have the parking lights on in order to use your aux lights!

 

[ecaldwell78]

Thanks for the info Mean Green. I'm pretty sure my truck didn't have the factory tow wiring as all I have now is a 4 pin flat hanging down that the PO must've installed. I hate that it hangs down like that and will remedy that situation at the same time I wire up the topper lights. I'll have to look and see if the truck still has the trailer brake harness or if it was ripped out by someone in the last 13 years. Thank you for giving me some direction and hopefully saving me from having to run a positive all the way from the battery.

 

[Hezsus]

If you have the tow wiring there will be an orange and blue (usually) wire tied up inside the wiring harness going to the back, It will run up front to whrere green said, My orange wire had a connector to hook right onto one of the aux pins on the power box, that'll put fused power right to the back.