This one is not as cool as the cupholder LEDs, but for those of you with a tonneau cover or truck cap where you cant see if the tailgate is closed or not, when you are in the truck and you forget to close the tailgate after throwing some stuff in, or just can’t remember if you shut it or not….this one is for you.
First you need another one of these LEDs:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062569
or similar
and one of these:
http://www.securitystoreusa.com/Adem...t-p/487468.htm
or something similar. I got mine free from work. I also painted mine black so it blended in better. Just make sure the contact is “N.C. with Magnet”

You need to get a wire (pair of wires) from the front wherever you mount your LED to the rear taillight area. I fished the frame of the truck from the front to the back:

Then routed up the taillight area:


Drill a small hole (just big enough for the wire) here:

Mark your holes, and drill and tap the metal to either a 6-32 or 8-32 screw size
Connect the Wires to the contact, and make sure the dog is watching:

I calked all three holes and calked over the terminal screws to prevent corrosion from forming anywhere:


Use Stainless screws for mounting to avoid rusting. I used button head allen screws:

I ended up cutting off the two tabs with screw holes on the magnet end and mounting with JB Quick, for a clean look:

The wiring is beyond easy:

Tailgate down……..No LED:


Tailgate Up………..Green LED………Good to go

 

thats pretty cool man.

 

i was thinking of making something up like that, but it seems like too much work for me... i will wait until i leave the tailgate open and dump my toolbox out the back on the freeway. lol

 

If I got around to doing this one, I'd have it the other way around. This way it isn't an eye-soar when it's closed and lights on. But all in all . . . great idea. Definitely a keeper.

 

The way I have it set up, if the LED burns out I will know right away. The LED is not super bright, don't even notice it when driving at night, but its bright enough to see during the day, becaue it is mouted lower. this thing took me like 1 hour to install......really easy, and only cost me $2

 

so the lights on when the tailgate's closed? i agree with silentram, that would bother me... could it be wired to turn off when the tailgate is closed? and just put the light in a more visible spot?

 

You could easily do that, but you would need a "N.O. with Magnet" switch. instead of the "N.C. with Marnet"

The thing is really no "bother", but you could do it however you want.
Just remember if the LED burns out you will "think" your tailgate is closed even though it may not be, but then again LEDs last like a ba-gillion hours so the odds of that happening are slim to none, but whatever.....I like the LED shining while I am driving, gives me something to look at other than the road!

 

yeah who wants to look at the road anyway

 

Yes, but you could actually just install an additional relay to change the polarity for the led to come ON when the gate is down.

My blue LED light is bothersome when I have my Grill lights on. It glares off the windows and practically everything inside the truck. maybe it's just a really bright light?

 

You could get a relay, but why not just get the contact that way from the start? Then you have to buy a contact and a relay, and more wiring, I guess if I wanted to change mine I would just get a new contact for $2, but I like mine how it is.......
Possiblities are endless.....

you could have it wired into a realy to turn on a stobe light, or a disco ball too!