Factory Bed Lighting

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shibby927

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Curious if anyone else has added the factory bed light kit through their dealer. My previous truck (a 2016 Big Horn) had these lights from the factory, so when I traded up to a 2021 Laramie I assumed that bed lights were probably something that was more standard but was surprised to find I didn't have them. My bad for not checking, but had I noticed I'd of tried getting the dealer to throw them in with my deal.

I stopped down at my dealer today to drop off the title to my previous truck that my local treasurer accidentally sent directly to me instead of the dealer. Since I was already there I decided I'd stop by the Parts/Service desk to inquire about having these lights installed. I got quoted $485 after tax. About $203 for the part itself, and the rest in labor/taxes. Just seems kind of high to me. They quoted 2.5hrs of labor. Maybe I'm wrong, but this doesn't seem like a 2.5hr job for a trained tech. I have watched the process on youtube and I figure it'd probably take someone like me that long to do it, but a tech should be able to get it done in at least half that time I'd think.

The actual kit (Mopar Part #82215272AC) is going for $146 (w/$15 shipping) and change right now on mymoparparts.com I ran this by the parts desk guy and he said they'd be fine with me purchasing the part on my own and them just installing it. Fair enough there.

Just curious if anyone else has added these through their dealer, and if so how much did you end up paying? Maybe the price is about right and I'm in the wrong, but I want to get an idea before I go on deciding whether or not to tackle this job, at least in part, myself.
 
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shibby927

shibby927

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Actually found this tidbit of info directly from the Official Mopar parts website. 1hr install time. Funny my dealer quoted more than twice that. Seems kind of shady to me.


ram lights.PNG
 

Pjwilbricht

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Yeah. Just traded in my longhorn for Laramie and forgot to have them jnstall
Also. Going to get them and install. Pretty sure it’s plug and play kinda deal
 

Rlaf75

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If I'm not mistaken the vehicle harness for the bed lights is already in place. You just need to pop in the lights and connect the light harness to the harness in the vehicle. The problem is you'll need to have a dealer program the BCM, body control module to turn that function on. You should be able to activate that function with AlfaOBD too. Or you can add aftermarket lights to the bed for like $30 and a little bit of elbow grease yourself. My ram came with factory bed lights but I plan on adding something similar like this video shows. https://youtu.be/ArtoUctsRSo
 
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Dean2

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Take the Mopar parts list with the 1 hour install time and ask your dealer to honour it. If they won't find a dealer that will and do all your service and other work through them from now on. If your current dealer will grab you for this small job, imagine what he will do on larger ones. I used to do pretty much all my own work because I enjoyed it, but last few years I have been way too busy to do it myself. Started checking out dealerships to service the vehicles still on warranty. Took me a long time to find good dealers to work with but I have now found 2 locally. Makes a HUGE difference. They will also be where I buy my next vehicles from.
 

sandawilliams

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When I ordered my 21 I got the bed package which included the spray in liner, bed lights, and OMS for 850.00
 

brian42

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I don't think the wiring is already there if you didn't get the bed lighting option.

I've read of some installing it and it takes some time to route the wiring in the OEM location.

To get it to work with the factory programming the dealer will have to add a sales code to your VIN and re-flash your BCM for it to work. I'm not sure if your headlight switch has the button to manually operate it.

Many dealerships won't add sales codes any more. They are becoming few and far between for whatever reason (complications, corporate pressure, etc.).

You can activate the function yourself with a program called AlfaOBD, which will set you back the cost of the software, an OBDII connection, and the hardware to run it (takes an Android device or Windows computer/laptop).
 

GTyankee

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The better bed lighting kit, comes with a On/Off Switch back near the tailgate
 

jagibson187

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Couldn't you skip the OBD step by utilizing a 12V constant power source (maybe off of the trailer plug) and any chassis ground? I know you couldn't control it from inside the truck, but the OEM light on the drivers side does have a switch on it.
 

brian42

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You should be able to, you just have to know what wires are power and ground.

The BCM settings are to activate the feature "in" the truck so it knows the bed lights are installed so you can operate them with the switch (if you have it in your headlight knob) and with the door switches to come on with the rest of the cab lights when you open the door.

People have hooked up aftermarket bed lighting options and tapped into the trailer plug for power. Way cheaper option (and better lighting) if you aren't looking to hook it "into" the system unless you are dying for the OEM look. I had some LED lighting strings I was going to hook up in the bed for better lighting but never got around to it. I think I paid $25 or so on Amazon for them compared to the price of the OEM bed lighting. Not sure what the bed lighting costs (it was included in my Bed Utility Group) but I'm sure it was a little more than $25 ;).
 

jagibson187

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Roger that Master Chief. As a former AE2, can't help but to go rogue and wire it my way LOL. I figure I can't mess it up, there's 2 pinned wires, and a terminal lug.
 

GTyankee

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Brian42
have you looked around at the Otay Mesa Auto Wrecking Yards

I used to be down there hunting parts, all the time
but i have not been down there in at least 4 years
 

brian42

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Roger that Master Chief. As a former AE2, can't help but to go rogue and wire it my way LOL. I figure I can't mess it up, there's 2 pinned wires, and a terminal lug.
I did a lot of custom items on my last truck but it was an electronic dinosaur (2003 Ford F-250) so was easy to piggyback on installed circuits or add my own (I was an ETN in the Navy). This truck is w-a-y more complicated integrated so it's hard to do anything without getting into computer settings, including OEM stuff, not to mention some circuits are sensitive to loading so you just can't start mounting and splicing ***** nilly.

Brian42
have you looked around at the Otay Mesa Auto Wrecking Yards

I used to be down there hunting parts, all the time
but i have not been down there in at least 4 years
I had an old F-250 for 10+ years that needed its share of love over that time so I spent my share of time in Otay Mesa and Oceanside looking for affordable replacements. Buying my RAM new in the first year of the new generation I had a warranty so let the dealership sort it out (Jack Powell), plus the fact that there really weren't many DT RAMs at those places with decent parts for some time.
 

jagibson187

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I did a lot of custom items on my last truck but it was an electronic dinosaur (2003 Ford F-250) so was easy to piggyback on installed circuits or add my own (I was an ETN in the Navy). This truck is w-a-y more complicated integrated so it's hard to do anything without getting into computer settings, including OEM stuff, not to mention some circuits are sensitive to loading so you just can't start mounting and splicing ***** nilly.


I had an old F-250 for 10+ years that needed its share of love over that time so I spent my share of time in Otay Mesa and Oceanside looking for affordable replacements. Buying my RAM new in the first year of the new generation I had a warranty so let the dealership sort it out (Jack Powell), plus the fact that there really weren't many DT RAMs at those places with decent parts for some time.

Understood. That's why I figured pulling power from the trailer plug, thought that would be the least sensitive circuit to tap from given the shoddy wiring (trailers) typically hooked up to it.
 

Razzman

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I did this on my '17 Laramie. Bought the kit which comes with the lights, harness and assorted ties and stuff. However I didn't want them to work in the factory manner controlled by the BCM. I installed the lights, ran the harness to the lights. I installed a waterproof switch in an existing hole in the inside of the bed near the tiedown, wired that into the harness and then ran the power wires to the battery adding a fuse inline. This way i could turn them on whenever I wanted and they would stay on until I turned them off. The new truck came with them luckily they don't work the same as the factory wired ones did in '17.
 

jagibson187

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I did this on my '17 Laramie. Bought the kit which comes with the lights, harness and assorted ties and stuff. However I didn't want them to work in the factory manner controlled by the BCM. I installed the lights, ran the harness to the lights. I installed a waterproof switch in an existing hole in the inside of the bed near the tiedown, wired that into the harness and then ran the power wires to the battery adding a fuse inline. This way i could turn them on whenever I wanted and they would stay on until I turned them off. The new truck came with them luckily they don't work the same as the factory wired ones did in '17.
Why did you use an additional switch? Did the Mopar kit not have a switch mounted on one of the light fixtures?
 

Razzman

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Why did you use an additional switch? Did the Mopar kit not have a switch mounted on one of the light fixtures?
Nope, the lights had no switches on the factory kit.
 
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