Tremor Bed Lighting to Aux Switches

[lambo]

(Posting here as it has some Tremor-specific questions regarding the Aux switches, but can post in the Lighting subforum if more appropriate)

My old man picked up a Tremor and I thought as a birthday gift I'd buy/install some bed lighting for it. He's got a rolltop tonneau cover so I assume it's awfully dark.

Now because he's a few hours away and I can't just walk outside to look at the truck, I had a couple questions. I've done a bunch of research on the forum and haven't found answers, but if they exist, please point me to them:

1. Does the Tremor come with bed lighting? I didn't want to ask so as not to tip him off to the gift idea.

2. I saw another post on the forum that said the truck is not pre-wired to certain locations like the Bronco is, which is a bummer. So is there an existing wire loom/run I could easily access to run the wire into that'll take it to the engine compartment? Or at least be able to zip tie my wire to it?

3. Once I get the wire to the fuse box for the Tremor's aux switches, what kind of connector will I need? Or can I just heat shrink the wires together?

4. I saw on another post that the official Ford In Bed Lighting kit (which I didn't buy, I bought this cheap amazon kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017XFF9IM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) has the passenger side wiring run under the tailgate to the driver side to connect. Not sure if other people have experience with 3rd party bed lighting kits, but does that still make the most sense or is there another/better place behind the cab?

5. I think I'll install these to the number 2 switch based on the current draw of these lights, but if someone suggests otherwise please let me know.

Apologies in advance for all the questions in my very first post - you guys have a great community and this is a terrific resource of information and knowledge.

I also grabbed him a Deezee damper so he can join the club.

Cheers!

Rob

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[gwhalin]

My Tremor (Lariat) did not come with bed lighting. I ordered the Ford kit and having installed next week so can’t answer specifics of wire run. From my own research you can find posts here of how people have run wiring from bed to battery.

The tremor aux fuse box is front of engine bay on driver side just in front of battery and has a short bit of wires hanging out. You can just heat shrunk to whichever wire you want. I found a ground point just underneath the fuse box that I used. I did find it easier to remove the grille shroud to get access.

Unless I am reading wrong that kit is only 12w so you should be able to use any of the switches. The switch specs and wire colors are page 407 of the manual if I recall.

 

[Vr22s]

Alternatively if whatever you get has switch, there is a 12v supply that is runs off of the trucks PMS that you can tap into on the drivers side underneath and near to the rear of the bed box.
The only downside is having to switch it on from the outside instead of using the AUX switches, the plus side is they continue to run for awhile without the truck engine running.


Though to be honest running a few wires along the frame from the engine compartment is not that difficult(in my opinion)

I used that power source for some LED lights underneath my bedrack on my old 5th gen ranger.

 

[lambo]

My Tremor (Lariat) did not come with bed lighting. I ordered the Ford kit and having installed next week so can’t answer specifics of wire run. From my own research you can find posts here of how people have run wiring from bed to battery.

The tremor aux fuse box is front of engine bay on driver side just in front of battery and has a short bit of wires hanging out. You can just heat shrunk to whichever wire you want. I found a ground point just underneath the fuse box that I used. I did find it easier to remove the grille shroud to get access.

Unless I am reading wrong that kit is only 12w so you should be able to use any of the switches. The switch specs and wire colors are page 407 of the manual if I recall.

Good to know I've not started all this research in vain. I assume if yours didn't come w/ bed lighting then his didn't either.

Thanks!

 

[lambo]

Alternatively if whatever you get has switch, there is a 12v supply that is runs off of the trucks PMS that you can tap into on the drivers side underneath and near to the rear of the bed box.
The only downside is having to switch it on from the outside instead of using the AUX switches, the plus side is they continue to run for awhile without the truck engine running.


Though to be honest running a few wires along the frame from the engine compartment is not that difficult(in my opinion)

I used that power source for some LED lights underneath my bedrack on my old 5th gen ranger.

Oh man your setup looks super nice. The entire reason I bought the lights was so that he would actually have a use for those damn switches in the cab, but if I'm being honest with myself, having a switch in the bed he could hit when he needed the light (rather than remembering to hit the switch before he gets out of the cab) would probably be far more useful.

When you ran your various lights to the fuse box, did you wire in fancy connectors or just heat shrink them or what?

Also, I should mention that my parents named their truck KB (Kevin Bacon) for similar reasons you named yours Graboid - ha!

 

[gwhalin]

Good point raised that you might want to have the switch in the bed of the truck and on power that will be on for some time after the truck is off. I actually considered and rejected using one of my aux switches for bed lights for this reason.

 

[Vr22s]

Oh man your setup looks super nice. The entire reason I bought the lights was so that he would actually have a use for those damn switches in the cab, but if I'm being honest with myself, having a switch in the bed he could hit when he needed the light (rather than remembering to hit the switch before he gets out of the cab) would probably be far more useful.

I find it far more useful in the fact the truck doesn't need to be running to use it, unless he is getting out while it's running it's just far more convenient in my opinion.

I know that feeling, when I am completely done with my setup I will have all but AUX 1 connected to something and that one as of now, I have no idea what to put on it....And that really bothers me. I hate having switches that do nothing.

When you ran your various lights to the fuse box, did you wire in fancy connectors or just heat shrink them or what?

Ignore the messy looking wires, I have since cleaned these up a bit. I used a waterproof butt connectors, the kind that has heat shrink on it. It's super easy and allows the joint to expand. You could solder them, but I think this is the better way to go.

Also, I should mention that my parents named their truck KB (Kevin Bacon) for similar reasons you named yours Graboid - ha!

Oooo that is dark. Lol.

 

[LagoCJ]

Before I buy the WolfHaus gear, can anyone answer if a 21 Lariat/Tremor has the in-bed power connector from the factory? Or, are they all just delivered with the wire on the frame? The WolfHaus solution looks very slick, but I don't want to buy it if my Tremor will come with the port already installed.

 

[Vr22s]

Before I buy the WolfHaus gear, can anyone answer if a 21 Lariat/Tremor has the in-bed power connector from the factory? Or, are they all just delivered with the wire on the frame? The WolfHaus solution looks very slick, but I don't want to buy it if my Tremor will come with the port already installed.

It does not have it pre-installed. Unless the dealership adds it you will not have it there.

 

[The Tremor]

Alternatively if whatever you get has switch, there is a 12v supply that is runs off of the trucks PMS that you can tap into on the drivers side underneath and near to the rear of the bed box.
The only downside is having to switch it on from the outside instead of using the AUX switches, the plus side is they continue to run for awhile without the truck engine running.


Though to be honest running a few wires along the frame from the engine compartment is not that difficult(in my opinion)

I used that power source for some LED lights underneath my bedrack on my old 5th gen ranger.

Hi Ryan! I'm looking to add lights to my bed rack. What kind did you get. It looks like you have lights on the rack and the in the bed which is nice. Did you just zip tie the wire to the rack? Also where do the wires enter the bed? Thanks!

 

[Vr22s]

Hi Ryan! I'm looking to add lights to my bed rack. What kind did you get. It looks like you have lights on the rack and the in the bed which is nice. Did you just zip tie the wire to the rack? Also where do the wires enter the bed? Thanks!

I don't remember exactly what I did on this one as it was my FX4.
However to the best of my memory I got some amazon cheap LED lights.

As far as mounting the wires I got some simple adhesive wire retaining clips and ran them underneath the bed rails and on the rack to their respective locations.

On these lights I am actually using power from the plug that is up under bed/box the rear driver side. So I ran it up through a small hole in the rear left corner of the bed.
Just about every corner of the bed has a small gap/hole you can bring stuff up through, and hide along the bed rails.

Someone else here might have a better idea, that is just what I did.
Hope that helps

 

[The Tremor]

I don't remember exactly what I did on this one as it was my FX4.
However to the best of my memory I got some amazon cheap LED lights.

As far as mounting the wires I got some simple adhesive wire retaining clips and ran them underneath the bed rails and on the rack to their respective locations.

On these lights I am actually using power from the plug that is up under bed/box the rear driver side. So I ran it up through a small hole in the rear left corner of the bed.
Just about every corner of the bed has a small gap/hole you can bring stuff up through, and hide along the bed rails.

Someone else here might have a better idea, that is just what I did.
Hope that helps

Ok thanks!

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