Installing bed lights

The reviews on the battery/remote light from Walmart - say it "eats" batteries due to the fact the remote has to be "always on" in order to communicate/work with light and uses batts quickly. If that's true that would be only down side, has anyone experienced dim light or dead battery after couple months useage?

 

Had mine in for three months. Still original batteries. The light may eat batteries when it's on, but it's not on for long in my using it.

 

what is the range, could you like have the remote in the cab, like in the center console or laying around the shifter somewhere and it come on ?

 

Yep.

 

Wish I would've known this prior to me installing the Matt Gecko bed light kit. Woulda saved me time on wiring the thing up. Oh well.. mines done and it works awesomely!

 

Update: The lights are great but the batteries finally wore out. I may just reduce it to one since they are fairly powerful. Side note, my son may or may not have left them on(he's 2.5) when we were getting stuff out of the bed the other day. I did just happen to order some LED lights I am hoping to set them up soon. Cost $20 with a remote and sticky adhesive on the bottom.

 

3 pack.....

 

I was thinking of getting something like that from Walmart as well but the only thing im hesitant about is the batteries themselves with the summer heat. Like 100 degree weather and with no ventilation in the bed with the cover on, could probably get up to 120 and afraid the batteries would explode from the heat.

 

No issues so far with mine. It's been high 90s and humid here.

 

No issues here either. Although the crazy heat did end up melting the adhesive tape and the light bar ended up in the bed of my truck. No matter. I'll just stick it back on when the temps cool down. Not much call for it during the long days of summer.

 

Ha, same with mine, found it on the bed one day, used automotive trim tape and all good. We’ve had a continuous heat wave, no mini explosions. Motion activated so it only be ideal if you had a cover. I pull it off (only the magnetic strip is taped) and recharge it about once a month or two, $20 Amazon. They come in pairs and triples too for smaller versions.



I have this one:

 

Oh OK, well as long as the batteries are OK. I think i'm going to go with Matt Geckos's lighting. I like everything hard wired. I had solar lights with batteries on my balcony and got tired of swapping the batteries out every week so I bought hard wired (driveway) lights and problem solved...LOL!!!! Thanks for your input guys!!

 

I just started installing his set up. I realized that it was my fault with the batteries, I left the light on, better yet, my 3 yr old son did when we were cleaning out the truck. But this way the lighting system will stay hard wired for years to come. No more batteries and what not.

 

How did you make out with the set-up? Did you run directly to the battery? This is what I want to do but before I order from Matt. I want to make sure I know what i'm doing since I never wired anything up on a vehicle before. I also want to use a different switch other than the one that comes in the kit. I want to use a 3 prong lighted switch and currently learning how the wiring goes with that. 2 reasons why I want to run direct to the battery is 1: I want to be able to switch the lights on anytime without having to turn the ignition or have parking lights on. 2: I figured if I run directly to the battery with a fuse right by the battery, I cant screw anything up with the electrical system since its a brand new truck (2018). If I can accomplish this and all is well, then my next mod will be to install a light bar or pod lights on my bull bar.

 

I actually have not finished it yet. You can actually message him and he will send you the list of instructions. But to answer your question, yes, you hook up to the battery directly.

 

Good idea i think i will do same is that water resistant

 

Anyone try to put in a wired LED light in the rear sides of the bed, but tapped into the trailer harness in some way and switchable at the tailgate? I like the stick - on types but would want to one-up that with a wired power source near the rear.

 

I just had under the rail lights, 4 on each side installed with them being controlled by the cargo light switch on the dash earlier today. Was considering going with a setup similar to what is posted here as it is definitely much less expensive but am happy with the outcome for the 200.00 I paid. It took them about an hour and a half to install.

 

Where did you get the rail lights? I want to do the exact set-up..

 

At a local custom shop in Enfield CT.

http://onpointconnections.net

 

Nice lighting idea! How do you batteries handle the heat of the Summer? I wonder how they would handle the 120 degree weather of AZ?

 

I must be missing something here. Does anyone have a picture showing which holes in the scuff area and lower portion of the cab where the wires run through?

 

Good idea and for $20 bucks its hard to go wrong.

 

I'm working on this today. To make your life easier, remove the left rear tail light. It's only those two screws (T30) and it comes right out and you can feed the wires up into the box easily.