Added tailgate light bar

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Badger 13

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The Curt connector really makes for a simple "plug & play". Don't forget a night photo.
 

HunterCat

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I was thinking about getting one mainly for the white reverse lighting but the interference with the spare tire access put me off. Also, none of the products I looked at provided a non-splicing solution.

I decided to go with the Diode Dynamics Hitch Mount light (I don't tow) which came with a harness that plugs into the back of the trailer hitch outlet:
HitchMount

I have a Classic and the reverse lighting is abysmal. This light helps quite a bit. I do like the look of that full bar though.
 
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Jpage978

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Went with single light strip, just something simple, I did it cause was worried about my tail break lights being to dark, in the process of getting new tails, plan on wiring reverse wire into curt connector, if I remember ill take night shoot tonight
 

buckeyexx

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I was thinking about getting one mainly for the white reverse lighting but the interference with the spare tire access put me off. Also, none of the products I looked at provided a non-splicing solution.

I decided to go with the Diode Dynamics Hitch Mount light (I don't tow) which came with a harness that plugs into the back of the trailer hitch outlet:
HitchMount

I have a Classic and the reverse lighting is abysmal. This light helps quite a bit. I do like the look of that full bar though.
Like mentioned above, the curt adapter allows you to plug into your existing 7 way plug. It just tees off the connector making it plug and play so no splicing needed.
 
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Jpage978

Jpage978

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Correct, but the reverse wire can be spliced into I believe, instead of having to go into factory taillight harness
 
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Jpage978

Jpage978

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That hitch mount led cube is pretty cool, been thinking about some kind of lighting or cover for mine
 

Rlaf75

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I was thinking about getting one mainly for the white reverse lighting but the interference with the spare tire access put me off. Also, none of the products I looked at provided a non-splicing solution.

I decided to go with the Diode Dynamics Hitch Mount light (I don't tow) which came with a harness that plugs into the back of the trailer hitch outlet:
HitchMount

I have a Classic and the reverse lighting is abysmal. This light helps quite a bit. I do like the look of that full bar though.
I like that but what do you do with it if you tow anything
 

vhmike73

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Get the 5-pin Curt harness, and you can use a bullet connector to connect your reverse light to the corresponding socket on the 5-Pin female from the Curt harness. Or, I cut the male pin off the 4-pin hardwire pigtail that came with my lightbar to make that the plug for my reverse pin. I don't have pics, but it lined it up next to the 4-pin that the light bar used and just taped it up to make it a "5-pin" after soldering on the light bar's reverse wire. Worked great, and no splicing of the truck wiring.

Also, you can use magnets to secure the bar to the truck, which A) clears the cutout for the spare access so the light sits correctly, but B) allows the bar to be shifted a little bit to gain access. However, my experience with JB Welding the magnets to the bar I have (one from Amazon, can't remember the brand, but it's an aluminum housing) resulted in the bar-magnets basically just falling out of the JB Weld. I guess I didn't scuff them well enough so the JB Weld had anything to bite to. I'm going to reattach new magnets, but this time I'll scuff the bar magnets better and I'll try Gorilla Glue.
 
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crash68

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I like that but what do you do with it if you tow anything
You can unplug and remove the DiodeDynamics hitch reverse light, the 7 pin plug operation isn't effected.
 

crash68

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I was thinking about getting one mainly for the white reverse lighting but the interference with the spare tire access put me off. Also, none of the products I looked at provided a non-splicing solution.
Since your truck is a Gen4 you can mount the tailgate light bars on neodymium magnets (this doesn't work on Gen5). Several people on the forum have done this.
A CURT 56584 can make any tailgate bar plug-n-play.
 

Rlaf75

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You can unplug and remove the DiodeDynamics hitch reverse light, the 7 pin plug operation isn't effected.
Can it be used as just the reverse light and not the brake or parking lights? In other words, no red lights
 

crash68

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Can it be used as just the reverse light and not the brake or parking lights? In other words, no red lights
If your talking about the DiodeDynamics one, sounds like the C1 version is just the back up light. Not sure why you would be opposed to having an extra brake light right there in the receiver hitch, it maybe the one a distracted driver sees and doesn't rear end you.
Other tailgate light bars you can hook up whichever lights you do or don't want.
 

duckman631

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Get the 5-pin Curt harness, and you can use a bullet connector to connect your reverse light to the corresponding socket on the 5-Pin female from the Curt harness. Or, I cut the male pin off the 4-pin hardwire pigtail that came with my lightbar to make that the plug for my reverse pin. I don't have pics, but it lined it up next to the 4-pin that the light bar used and just taped it up to make it a "5-pin" after soldering on the light bar's reverse wire. Worked great, and no splicing of the truck wiring.

Also, you can use magnets to secure the bar to the truck, which A) clears the cutout for the spare access so the light sits correctly, but B) allows the bar to be shifted a little bit to gain access. However, my experience with JB Welding the magnets to the bar I have (one from Amazon, can't remember the brand, but it's an aluminum housing) resulted in the bar-magnets basically just falling out of the JB Weld. I guess I didn't scuff them well enough so the JB Weld had anything to bite to. I'm going to reattach new magnets, but this time I'll scuff the bar magnets better and I'll try Gorilla Glue.

use 3m tape to tape the magnet to the light strip
 

Rlaf75

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If your talking about the DiodeDynamics one, sounds like the C1 version is just the back up light. Not sure why you would be opposed to having an extra brake light right there in the receiver hitch, it maybe the one a distracted driver sees and doesn't rear end you.
Other tailgate light bars you can hook up whichever lights you do or don't want.
I am talking about the diode dynamic one and I just don't want the extra red light.

Edit... I ordered the C1 which is just the reverse light
 
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Mb7640

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I have a putco came with the tee connector and mounting brackets. No inference with the spare tire hole. I put the bar into the hole and mounted above it. Works great































 

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Rlaf75

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I was thinking about getting one mainly for the white reverse lighting but the interference with the spare tire access put me off. Also, none of the products I looked at provided a non-splicing solution.

I decided to go with the Diode Dynamics Hitch Mount light (I don't tow) which came with a harness that plugs into the back of the trailer hitch outlet:
HitchMount

I have a Classic and the reverse lighting is abysmal. This light helps quite a bit. I do like the look of that full bar though.
Do you by chance have a picture of it mounted in the hitch? I haven't received the one I ordered yet but I'm curious to see how flush it sits in the hitch
 
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Jpage978

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Runs across the hole for spare, not sure how wide the wrench is for spare , there is a gap above light strip it might fit, it was an inexpensive light, figured if worst case had to move to get to spare, will restick with HD double sided tape, and use supplied clips if had to
 
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