Illuminating your truck bed makes loading and working after dark dramatically easier. Here’s the best setup and installation guide.
Why Bed Lights?
The factory bed light (if equipped) is a single dim incandescent or LED that barely covers the front 25% of the bed. For any working use, this is inadequate.
Aftermarket LED strip kits provide bright, even illumination across the entire bed floor.
Best Bed Lighting Options:
1. Metra/Putco LED Bed Light Strip Kits
These are vehicle-specific kits with pre-measured strips that mount along the bed rail top. They draw power from the factory bed lighting circuit and trigger automatically with the tailgate.
2. Generic RGB LED Strip Kits
Universal LED strips cut to length work well for most truck beds. Adhesive backing mounts to the bed rail channel.
3. Rock Lights in the Bed
The Nilight RGB Rock Lights 10-Pod pods can be mounted in the bed corners for heavy-duty illumination with color control.
Installation Steps:
- Route LED strip along the front and both side bed rails
- Connect power to the factory truck bed lamp circuit or a dedicated switched circuit
- Connect ground to bare metal in the bed area
- Test for full illumination
Power Source:
The simplest approach is tapping the factory bed light wiring — it’s already switched and fused. A hardwire to a fuse box circuit with a switch in the cab is the cleaner alternative.
The Nilight 25" LED Light Bar also works as a dedicated cargo lighting solution mounted to a crossbar or the cab rack.