Install a relay that powers your new lights off a separate 12V feed. Then that circuit is just powering the relay coil.

You can also use a solid state switch/relay. Something as simple as this would work:

 

I have not had time during the day to do anything more than just cycle the switch and get frustrated. I have a new switch on the way and can swap that out quickly, whenever it shows up. When I can coordinate some time I can visit my son, he has has Forscan ans see if he can find any DTC's from the BCM. I know nothing about Forscan or if he can even help me out. Is Forscan model year specific? My sons previous truck was a '17 and his current is a '22.

I had some time today and planned to check all of the wiring and connections to see if there was something loose but now the weather is not cooperating, don't have a garage or able to drive into work where I can pull in the shop.

Last night I did do some online searching and found a Tremor forum with a few different threads of guys adding to their factory bed light circuit and having the same exact problems. One guy had added the same lights that I installed, they draw 6 amps. He unhooked one strip, to reduce the draw to 3 amps but even that did not work. Also did what I had thought and unhook the factory lights and use just the led strips but that did not work. Someone else had posted that the factory lights draw about 1 amp and the BCM would start tripping when anything more than 1 more additional amp of draw was added.

I have time to figure this out and greatly appreciate the comments and guidance.

 

If I go this route then the strip lights would be independent of the factory lights, with their own switch, correct?

My initial plan was to maintain the clean look and function of one switch and simply add the strips. The factory lights are clean looking but fall short on illuminating the entire bed, that is made even worse when I put the cargo divider in place and I have a folding cover, most of the light is blocked and the cargo lights at the top of the cab are of no help.

If I have to pull another power source for a relay I would rather just wire the LED strips directly to the battery with an inline fuse. I did this on my last truck and simple enough for me to do with no issues, electrical stuff is not my strong suit for sure.

It's funny, on my previous truck I thought it would be nice to have the factory bed lights, now that I have them on this truck I want to pull them out.

 

kenny day. I think babcock suggestion is - Have a relay (mounted near the factory bed lights) in which the contron-side is activated by the bed lights and the power-side is going to your added strips with power supplied directly from the battery/fuse or something in the rear which can handle this extra load.

 

I think I understand what he is suggesting and not in any way disregarding that but would need a sketch to understand it. I am able to figure out most of the mechanical components on a vehicle but look when it comes to electrical and reading electrical diagrams I am stumped.

I am just looking at it from a way that I understand how to make the LED strips work and the easy way at the moment is to run power from the battery, to a new switch, ground someone to the frame near the lights and just eliminate the factory bed lights.

With the relay I would still need to get constant power from somewhere, don't know where other than the battery. I read on another thread that someone recommended another component or something other than a relay be added.

Are there any issues that pop up with the use of a relay? Lights flickering, flashing or buzzing?

 

Yes, you would have to run 12V from somewhere but you would be able to get the LED lights you are installing to come on with the existing bed lights. The only issue is when they turn off and turn on since the power get's ramped up so the relay may buzz a bit as the voltage is ramped. Solid state relay would be a better way.

 

Ok. I have looked at the function of a relay and how to wire them and it makes sense. However, based on what I have read from others having the same problem with added lights, it may be the case that the BCM will act up even with just one more amp of draw and trip the circuit. Not sure if there is any way to find out what the limit is on that circuit and work within that limit or know if it even doable. I would hate to go through the process of hooking up a relay only to find that it too is causing the BCM to trip the circuit. Can you get a relay that draws less than an amp? Would I need a relay for each strip or could I tie both strips into a single relay?

The only reason I even attempted to hook up the strips to the factory lights was having found others that had successfully done so. Those threads were all older and it could be that there was a change in the limitations of the BCM circuit.


Yesterday I used the lights several times, just the factory lights, the strips have been unhooked, and everything is working as it should. Without the ability to check the BCM for codes it certainly seems that the added lights are the source of over draw that is causing the fault.

 

I think you are way over your head if you think a relay coil is gong to consume an amp of current.

 

Yep, I basically have said that and why I continue to ask questions and listening to any advice that is given. If you have background of electrical systems and components then you probably figure this stuff out with little to no thought, I have done nothing more than the most basic wiring and have no experience or knowledge of using a relay, know nothing about them. My comment about 1 amp of draw was in regards to the BCM apparently having a touchy limit and being cautious. If a relay is the potential way to make everything work I just need a little more info to configure it into the setup.

Which ever way I go about wiring the lights I need a 12 volt power source. From reading through other threads there are a few different ways to get 12 volt power at the back of the truck but I want constant power, I want to use the bed lights without having anything else and I am now concerned about tying into another circuit and tripping it or blowing a fuse.

On my previous truck I did not have the factory lights so I installed similar strips lights directly to the battery using 16 gauge wire and a 5 amp inline fuse, they worked fine, never had any issues. After having the recent issues tying into the factory lights I have been reading up on LED lights and one thing I never thought of was, with wiring directly to the battery, do I need to be concerned with over voltage to the light strips due to the alternator sending more than 12 volts back to the battery?

 

That's where the fuse comes in. It'll pop no matter which way the current flows if its too much. This is why fusing to the appropriate wire size is important.