Use magnets to mount a tailgate lightbar

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norton333

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Great idea

For anyone interested the newer PUTCO switch blade comes with brackets that allow you to mount it but also easily remove it and re-mount as needed and to make it easier to get to the spare tire access hole
Thanks Nick for the super fast shipping, here is mine hardwired in.This is just the running light during the day, this works great!4FycJr8.jpg
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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My plan was to use the curt wiring harness that goes in behind the bumper, then cut off the putco 4 way end and wire on a 5-way end to match the curt harness 5-way, this would make it a plug-n-play.

Thoughts?


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007EA6WQU/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N7IGRGP/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A1G7ZYUAM0XZK3&psc=1
Good idea. I am going to use the same Curt harness and I think I have a male crimp connector that will fit in it to make the reverse work with it too and will keep it plug and play

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Nick@GotExhaust

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Thanks Nick for the super fast shipping, here is mine hardwired in.This is just the running light during the day, this works great!4FycJr8.jpg
Your welcome. That looks great, REALLY BRIGHT too!

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Michael

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Good idea. I am going to use the same Curt harness and I think I have a male crimp connector that will fit in it to make the reverse work with it too and will keep it plug and play

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I like Nick's idea, but your improvement on it is what I really like.
 

TonyMM

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Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
 

Michael

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I found a simple solution to mount a tailgate lightbar without removing the tailgate, and making it removable and fully adjustable. I bought round strong magnets from Home Depot and depending on the light bar I either cut the backing off the 3M tape on the bar and stuck the magnet to the exposed tape.
If the bar doesn't have the 3M tape already installed, such as the Putco Blade bar, I added the tape to the magnet and then stuck it to the bar.
I did remove the grommet from the spare tire access hole so the bar would sit flat. But to access the spare tire you can either slide the bar up or down or completely remove it.
The magnets also offset the bar a bit so it stands off the welds at both ends of bed frame.
I hope this helps those having difficulty mounting the tailgate bar.

How thick was the magnets you used?


Debagged, 20x9 Fuel Hostages +0, 295/65R20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers, Bilsteins at 2.8, weathertech mats, Tuftruck 1223's, Leer camper shell, lumber rack, DeeZee tailgate assist, a homemade platform for the floor in the back of the cab, Packrat toolbox, a UWS truck box, a bedrug tailgate rug and a bolt hitch lock.
 

vhmike73

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So are there any issues with the light bar being wired into the back of the 7 pin connector (using the Curt harness) triggering the "trailer connected" messages in the EVIC, or any issues with the trailer brake controller having any hiccups with the bar wired into the trailer connectors?

Good idea. I am going to use the same Curt harness and I think I have a male crimp connector that will fit in it to make the reverse work with it too and will keep it plug and play

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Nick, what is the "male crimp connector" you're referring to? I'm sure it's nothing magical, but I'm just not picturing what you're referring to. Perhaps if it wasn't in the teens temp-wise here, I could just get under the rear bumper and look at the back of the factory trailer plug and picture how the Curt harness would interface (and what would be necessary to make the 5 pin work). I'll PM a price request soon!
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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So are there any issues with the light bar being wired into the back of the 7 pin connector (using the Curt harness) triggering the "trailer connected" messages in the EVIC, or any issues with the trailer brake controller having any hiccups with the bar wired into the trailer connectors?



Nick, what is the "male crimp connector" you're referring to? I'm sure it's nothing magical, but I'm just not picturing what you're referring to. Perhaps if it wasn't in the teens temp-wise here, I could just get under the rear bumper and look at the back of the factory trailer plug and picture how the Curt harness would interface (and what would be necessary to make the 5 pin work). I'll PM a price request soon!

Nothing special at all lol The curt harness is just a T harness. we can set you up with that as well. I have a small right up in our vendor section if interested

F0534660-01.jpg
 

vhmike73

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Nothing special at all lol The curt harness is just a T harness. we can set you up with that as well. I have a small right up in our vendor section if interested

F0534660-01.jpg


I kinda figured that was the connector you were talking about. I know I have a bunch of those in one of my wiring terminal kits that are kicking around my toolbox.

To my first (and frankly more important) question: Is there any interference/conflict with the truck seeing a trailer always connected, or any errors with the trailer tow settings/features page on the Uconnect or the EVIC when a tailgate light bar is wired to the back of the trailer plug (with either a t-harness or simply tapping the wires)? I don't want to get a light bar, wire it up and have the truck react like I've got a trailer connected all the time.
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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I kinda figured that was the connector you were talking about. I know I have a bunch of those in one of my wiring terminal kits that are kicking around my toolbox.

To my first (and frankly more important) question: Is there any interference/conflict with the truck seeing a trailer always connected, or any errors with the trailer tow settings/features page on the Uconnect or the EVIC when a tailgate light bar is wired to the back of the trailer plug (with either a t-harness or simply tapping the wires)? I don't want to get a light bar, wire it up and have the truck react like I've got a trailer connected all the time.

For the trailer question I get NO errors at all or anything like that. It works like there is nothing connected
 

slim chance

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question .. i have been reading the reviews on OPT7 Redline Tailgate light and alot say they fail in a short period of time .. has anybody had these light bars long enough to vouch for them ... what model do you have and have you had problems .... i have read this thread, do i use the curt 56584 or the curt 55384 ???
 

BeachRam

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question .. i have been reading the reviews on OPT7 Redline Tailgate light and alot say they fail in a short period of time .. has anybody had these light bars long enough to vouch for them ... what model do you have and have you had problems .... i have read this thread, do i use the curt 56584 or the curt 55384 ???

I used the 55384. Just got it hooked up over the weekend. Perfect plug and play. Trailer plug to the harness. Harness to the plug mounted behind the bumper. 4 way flat from the harness to the Opt7 redline. Still need to wire the white reverse to the harness.
 
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