Add taillights to camper?

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I'm using an 8' Bronco Popup in a 6.5' Ram 1500 bed with the lowered tailgate supporting the back. Obviously, from a diagonal view, one truck taillight is blocked from view. There are no lights on the camper, and it's advertised for 8' or 6.5' use, so presumably it's legal. IMO, it still might be a good idea to add some discreet lights to indicate stop/turn/running lights?

Has anyone else added lights, and how did you wire them? I'm thinking of getting a trailer wiring harness and plugging it into the bumper receptacle

[Grit_dog]

Cars behind you can still see em right? Unless they are on your bumper literally.
Quick fix if you need lights though. Good time to wire up 12v to the camper battery though if needed.

[Grit_dog]

wcjeep wrote:
Are you sure the tailgate is recommended with the popup? My TC manufacturer is very specific about tailgate removal. The cables that hold the tailgate are not designed for TC weight when its moving around while driving down the road.

Meh. I haul my AF with the tailgate on.
Unless the tailgate sits higher than the bed, camper isn't going to do much because it's rigid. And if it isn't, better have the tailgate on!

[tonymull]

wcjeep wrote:
Are you sure the tailgate is recommended with the popup? My TC manufacturer is very specific about tailgate removal. The cables that hold the tailgate are not designed for TC weight when its moving around while driving down the road.

Those cables are heavier than the ones on my old hybrid travel trailer and those were rated for 1000 #'s. Shouldn't be a problem with a popup. You see many rigs that way, if there were problems I'd think we'd hear.

[tonymull]

zcookiemonstar wrote:
You are going to get a lot of stuff off the road and your tires hitting your tailgate like that. Are comfortable with those tie downs?

That is what I feared was happening, but when I traded my Tundra after 2 summers it just wasn't the case.

[zcookiemonstar]

You are going to get a lot of stuff off the road and your tires hitting your tailgate like that. Are comfortable with those tie downs?

[wcjeep]

Are you sure the tailgate is recommended with the popup? My TC manufacturer is very specific about tailgate removal. The cables that hold the tailgate are not designed for TC weight when its moving around while driving down the road.

[twodownzero]

Mine already has lights. It, like yours, is made to work on either a long or short bed, but the little tool boxes that can only be installed when it is on a short bed truck have tail lights on the back, and plug into the camper, so that it doesn't have to run sans lights.

[d3500ram]

I did not have the same issue of the lamp not seen from certain angles as you do, but for years a long time ago, I ran my 8' pop-up within the 8 bed with no exterior light sources at all. I did not mind because it was a pop-up and I had clearance lights on the truck front. Perhaps not exactly legal to the full extent of the law, but I had the functioning important ones operable.

Maybe you could do the same route as I described above for my current TC... Then by hitting the factory plug on the camper then the running lamps will work too.

I did not want to mess with trying to hit the truck loom somewhere in the middle when I knew exactly what line is which on the flat-4.

[d3500ram]

I am actually tapping the flat-4 but running a patch cord up to the round 7 in the bed instead.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

d3500ram wrote:
If BU lamp and charging are not necessarily needed, then go simple and tap the flat-4 right at the bumper and add some decent lamps mounted to the camper.

Thanks! That was the plan - wasn't sure if anyone had done that before.

[d3500ram]

If BU lamp and charging are not necessarily needed, then go simple and tap the flat-4 right at the bumper and add some decent lamps mounted to the camper.