[ChefBoyArtty]

anybody change the 3 lights in the truckbed yet? or know if its even possible?

 

[_metafizik]

anybody change the 3 lights in the truckbed yet? or know if its even possible?

I'm sure it's possible. I can attest from personal experience the SC has the best/brightest OOTB bed lighting I've seen and many others have stated the same.

What kind of lighting exactly do you need back there?

 

[ChefBoyArtty]

I'm sure it's possible. I can attest from personal experience the SC has the best/brightest OOTB bed lighting I've seen and many others have stated the same.

What kind of lighting exactly do you need back there?

I just wanted to change it to a dif color lol

 

[ChefBoyArtty]

I ended up reading the manual, its not a simple bulb swap. The whole unit for the 3 lights in the bed area have to be switched out

 

[JMII]

I bet the bed LEDs are sealed units to keep water from getting into them, thus you can't just replace a bulb. So you might want to splice in some LED strip lights to go under the bed rails to add some color back there.

 

[Solkuter]

i was wondering, i have a plug mechanism for xmas lights that has a wireless remote. if i could use that and run the LED lights i want around the interior (under rails and cover case, you might have the lighting you need by fob when the brighter existing lights aren't as easy to turn on and off. Don't have mine yet but something i have been thinking about. I haven't even checked power requirements. Likely would cut small wire notch in cover with rubber seal to help keep it dry. thoughts?

 

[rrbhokies]

I'm sure it's possible. I can attest from personal experience the SC has the best/brightest OOTB bed lighting I've seen and many others have stated the same.

I noticed that last night. Those bulbs put out a lot of very bright white LED light. Kudos to Hyundai on the color and brightness. But I'm going to keep zonking them for not integrating them with the tailgate.

 

[Mike_TX]

I noticed that last night. Those bulbs put out a lot of very bright white LED light. Kudos to Hyundai on the color and brightness. But I'm going to keep zonking them for not integrating them with the tailgate.

If you had to haul something that required the tailgate to be down, such as when using the bed extender, would the lights just stay on and blind drivers behind you? I assume they can be overridden ... ?

 

[rrbhokies]

If you had to haul something that required the tailgate to be down, such as when using the bed extender, would the lights just stay on and blind drivers behind you? I assume they can be overridden ... ?

The bed lights on the Ram turned off after a few minutes. If you wanted to turn them back on, you had to shut the tailgate and put it back down.

With the SC, I did find two things:

1. I turned on the lights inside the cab. After about 4-5 minutes maybe, the lights will automatically turn off. So they won't stay on indefinitely.

2. I turned on the lights inside the cab. While the lights are on, I locked the SC with the key fob, and then hit the lock button a 2nd time and the bed lights turned off.

So it is nice that you don't have to go back into the truck to turn off the lights. They'll either turn off when you lock the truck or after about 4-5 minutes.

 

[ToadVine]

If the bed lights are on, will they go out when you put the truck in 'Drive'?

 

[Walking Black Bear]

I haven't tried it, but from a legal perspective, I think they would have to - since (at least in Ontario, where it is being sold) it is illegal to drive with a white light directly visible behind you. Got pulled over once many years ago for a license plate light on an old S-10 that had broken loose and was dangling just below the bumper. Yep, cops were bored that night.

 

[JMII]

it is illegal to drive with a white light directly visible behind you.

This is my theory as to why the bed lights aren't triggered by the tail gate. Having them turn off in drive is the obvious solution. I bet the bean counters factored in the cost of yet another circuit and killed that idea.

 

[hlacoss]

If the bed lights are on, will they go out when you put the truck in 'Drive'?

Yep, sort of - the bed lights turn off under a few conditions:
- After 10 minutes
- When the remote lock button is pressed twice
- When the under bed storage is closed
- When the car goes over 3.1 mph

(American manual, page 5-81, for reference)

 

[12V]

The lights in the bed are great looking, but I don't like that they only come on when the brunk is open. I believe on F150s with bed lighting there is a switch on the side of the bed to turn on the lights. At least my friend says that's how his is, no idea if they are aftermarket or not (he bought it used).

If the switch works by providing a ground when the latch to the brunk is opened (there's a wiring harness going to the latch) then it should be possible to tap into that wire and ground it through another switch. I could see mounting the right waterproof switch in the side of the bed to activate the lights being a decent hack for the lights. It should still be subject to all the rules for the brunk activated lights that way as well. Maybe not as slick as the touch lights the Maverick offers, but close.

And by extension, it would be just about as easy to make that switch actuated by the tailgate opening. Maybe even something like an alarm pin switch you'd use for a hood open detection would work if it's a simple ground. A magnetic reed switch could do the trick too.

 

[ToadVine]

... it would be just about as easy to make that switch actuated by the tailgate opening. Maybe even something like an alarm pin switch you'd use for a hood open detection would work if it's a simple ground. A magnetic reed switch could do the trick too.

And, while you're at it, this switch could also be used to provide an alert to the driver that the dreaded Santa Cruz Poltergeist had sneaked aboard and opened the tailgate!

 

[Walking Black Bear]

I agree that not having a switch other than opening the brunk or going into the cab is short-sighted. Every time I want the bed lights on so far, I've been unloading stuff from the bed - NOT the brunk. And I usually get there after I'm a) out of the cab and b) already locked the doors. Then I have to go back around the truck, unlock the doors, pop the button, do what I wanted to do, then make another trip back once I've unloaded just to turn off the lights and re-lock the doors. A simple switch in the bed would completely solve that. Yes, I know there's like a 5 minute timer to turn it off automatically, but I hate leaving lights on after I leave the vehicle. Especially in winter around here. But I'm also not doing anything that could potentially void my warranty like splicing into wiring harnesses either. We'll see what I think after 200,000km.

 

[hlacoss]

I agree that not having a switch other than opening the brunk or going into the cab is short-sighted. Every time I want the bed lights on so far, I've been unloading stuff from the bed - NOT the brunk. And I usually get there after I'm a) out of the cab and b) already locked the doors. Then I have to go back around the truck, unlock the doors, pop the button, do what I wanted to do, then make another trip back once I've unloaded just to turn off the lights and re-lock the doors. A simple switch in the bed would completely solve that. Yes, I know there's like a 5 minute timer to turn it off automatically, but I hate leaving lights on after I leave the vehicle. Especially in winter around here. But I'm also not doing anything that could potentially void my warranty like splicing into wiring harnesses either. We'll see what I think after 200,000km.

Agreed -- I would prefer that the lights turn on at least if the door-unlock button is pressed.

I'll eventually solve this problem in a better way, but I've actually been considering using 2-4 of these lights -- put the remote at the tailgate-end of the bed -- at least bridges the gap for $5 without hacking into anything.

wireless LED lights w/ remote control

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www.fivebelow.com

 

[ToadVine]

Might be better off storing a waterproof flashlight with a magnetic holder just inside the tailgate - easy to reach and the light moves with you. Yeah, it's old school but 'form follows function,' don't ya know.

 

[Ladano1957]

I just got my Santa Cruz, went with the SE, doesn't have the two lights by tailgate, but there are 3 holes on each side, Any clue if they can be added?

 

[Limelon]

Decided to hardwire a couple of motion sensing LED strips in the bed instead of using those battery powered ones that I saw someone else use. Very pleased with the results and don't have to worry about replacing AA batteries all the time. I just wired in a cigarette lighter and used a USB adapter to light the strips.

LED strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W2J1L23?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Fuse taps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QJHXRN6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details