Illuminating the Bed - Project Underway

[SPYC-2X]

Howdy folks! Just started my lighting project for the bed. Without going into all the details, I'll just start posting pictures of the process since that's what we all really wanna see anyway.

Here we go!

 

[Rookie]

What am I looking at?

 

[Jordan@Apollo-Optics]

Why not just do LED light strips under the bed rails? Should provide plenty of light along with the cargo lights. You could even tie them into the cargo lights so when those were on, the bed lights were on. You could then also run a switch back there so you could turn them on independently of the cargo lights if needed.

 

[SuperRaptor]

What am I looking at?

Kind of looks like a fancy cooler

 

[Rookie]

Why not just do LED light strips under the bed rails? Should provide plenty of light along with the cargo lights. You could even tie them into the cargo lights so when those were on, the bed lights were on. You could then also run a switch back there so you could turn them on independently of the cargo lights if needed.

Definitely an easier route. It's what I did. With a switch in the hole by the tailgate. Only downside is if I'm trying to use them for any length of time I have to at a minimum turn my marker lights on.

I'm curious to see what he's designing though.

 

[justvettn]

I pretty much did the same thing as MobileBeats.

 

[SPYC-2X]

The LEDs will be installed under the bed rails in aluminum housings with flood lenses. For my use case, I want to incorporate an illuminated power button and a separate dimmer. The images above are of the box that will protect the potentiometer, PCB (printed circuit board), switch housing and wiring. I will mount it in the dead space behind the tail lamp. The face plate will attach to it from inside the bed on the post.

Agree that this is overkill and that there might be an easier way, but I'm having fun with this way – I get to use the 3D printer, the mill and my personal touch. It will be an incredibly clean, classy and durable install. More pics to follow.

 

[dataustin]

I'm interested to see how it turns out...

 

[justvettn]

"classy"

 

[The Macf]

He probably won't have the problem of the strip tape coming undone.