Black'd F150

I have an idea that i'm wondering if it will work. I just bout an 02 lightning. My dream truck actually but it came with a very nice bed cover over it. Its fiberglass and shiney and i plan to keep it that way. Now at night times its really hard to see in the back once opened up so i have an idea i want to run across to people. I wanted to buy a push switch and have it mounted somewhere under the cover. I want it so that when i lift the cover up, it comes off that switch and turns lights on that i want to mount in the back. I want to get some led strips and mount them inside somewhere. Its a freezer outside right now in illinois so i havent looked it over since i bought it but i'm trying to gather information now once summer comes i can hammer it out. So i'm looking for someone to help me with the wiring. I'm good at hooking up wire and running wire. I'm shakey at relays and switches. So if someone could help me out id gladly apperciate it. Thanks

mustang8998

I've always thought about taking an underhood light and making it work, similar to what you're thinking about. Those have to be some sort of motion/tip switch. I have never pursued the idea, but it might be a thought, for you.

Black'd F150

I've always wondered how the under the hood light worked. Mostly because i've never seen a switch or anything but def worth looking into. Thanks for the idea mustang

My01SCrew

I remember seeing a member of a F150 forum doing what you're talking about, I think he used a mercury switch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_switch.

Black'd F150

Interesting. Ill have to look into that too.

mustang8998

I was thinking the same way, but didn't want to say the dreaded "M" word, LOL!

You could find those switches, in old home thermostats.

That is why I thought about the underhood switch. I have no idea, if it is mercury, or not and it is obviously not, after certain years.

Black'd F150

Well even after the old years, what do they use now? They must use a switch or something.

Black'd F150

Or i could just not be lazy and mount a small switch back there i guess...but wheres the fun in that?

swagginATX

I bought a pair of universal led fog lights from vato zone. It came with a switch that I just mounted next to the bed. The fog lights were long and thin and fit under the bed railing.

I have to flip the switch on but it works.

schmanman

you could use a brake light switch from a older enduro bike, when you open the cover it pulls out on the spring/cable and completes the circut. attach to switch itself to the base of the piston that assists in the opening of the tonneau and the end of the cable to the tonneau, you could barely notice it if it was tucked behind it.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/1505266...=263602_304662

or you could use one of these, a refrigerator light switch! its only on when the tonneau is open, and you could mount it cleanly on a small bracket

http://www.etundra.com/Refrigerator_...medium=organic




EDIT:
the only other thing that i can think of is a magnetic switch, like the ones on doors for home alarm systems, which turn on when the magnets are pulled apart.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&biw=1579&bih=640&q=magnetic +switch&wrapid=tlif129550267439510&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=13741665087134191313&ei=Ys03TevaBo3rgQePnenj CA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum =4&ved=0CJgBEPMCMAM#

http://www.asihome.com/ASIshop/produ...roducts_id=757




I think this one might be the winner! it's made for use on motorcycles

http://www.slickcar.com/productdetai...ProductID=3869

















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