Cool. Where did you run your wiring?

 

Well i ran a wire from the battery so i know ill always have power for sure by the time you figure out if theres any wires in the back of the truck to tap inTo and tHen actually do it you could have the whole project done. I just got a low profile switch from autozone

 

I ran from the battery across the engine bay and down thr frame to the back. And the other wires under the bedliner

 

I did this over the Holidays. Used the vendor found here on the forum for the LED's (V-???). Used two 12" and two 24", with the 12" near the gate, the 24's at the dark end (front). I've got a three-fold Extang Solid Fold bed cover. After hanging the LED's with their adhesive backs, I connected them all together, with the two-wire line exiting the bed through a factory hole in the 'post' behind one of the taillights. This went straight down to the ground, where I spliced into a license plate wires. No switch. To use, I open the unalarmed bed latch and click the 'unlock' button on my remote (key)-thus turning on the exterior running lights AND the LED's. They stay on for one minute, and with the other exterior lights on, I'm a bit more visible to approaching traffic while I'm behind the vehicle. Need more time to dig through your junk? Click again.
Photos later...

 

Thats kinda how i dd it on my last truk i had a cap on it and moumted them and ran it to the light for the cAp

 

Not to devalue anyone else's ideas and installs, but this is exactly how I want to do it.

I haven't looked yet, but do you have good access to the wires with the receiver right below? In-line fuses or anything?

 

What keeps them from being on all the time when the lights are on?

 

Good question. My excitement is waning.

 

No, it's simply two wires to the bulb/socket: ground and 12v power. They are plainly visible laying on your back under the tow hitch.

 

The lights for the lic. plate are part of the timed circuit of the key remote. That is, to hit the "unlock" button, interior and select exterior lights go on, including the license plate. After 30-45 sec (whatever it is preset for), these timed lights go out which includes the license plate -now truck bed LED- lights. I prefer this with an automatic 'off', instead of forgetting to turn them off and cause a battery drain, albeit slight.