Tailgate light bar

[V8Spock]

Yes, there is a delay. About 1 second. Even with their harness and on board electronics.

 

[JJWerline]

Updating this thread. Installed the Putco Blade red/amber/white light bar with the Putco wire harness.

60”, SKU: 92009-60
https://www.putco.com/blade-led-tailgate-light-bar

Blade Quick Connect Harness
SKU: 529004
https://www.putco.com/blade-quick-connect-harness

Light bars looks fantastic and works as advertised. Reverse is super bright. For an extra effect, the red LEDs light up the entire cavity under the tailgate. I’m pleased with the purchase.

Installation took 2 hours. I took my time and had a couple interruptions. Opted to install with stainless steel, self-tapping screws and spacers. This allowed space behind the bar for the camera wires. Hardest part was lining up the holder brackets. I had several plastic spacers on hand from another project and just combined them until the brackets were level with each other.

The wiring harness webpage shows the white (reverse) wire with a connector. It arrived with the white wire cut about 1 inch out of the shielding. Pretty tough to splice. The light bar white wire was simply stripped and had no connector. I was a little disappointed with the difference between the product and the webpage. Not difficult to overcome though.

There is a delay between the truck turn signal and light bar. No biggie for me. Be advised if this is a concern for you.

Thanks for the posts in this thread. They helped a bunch.

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Do you know if that Putco Harness would work with the OPT7 Light bar for reverse lights?

 

[fotomatt1]

What’s the benefit of the Putco harness over the Curt adapter?


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[JJWerline]

What’s the benefit of the Putco harness over the Curt adapter?


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i have the Curt and it doesnt do the reverse lights you still have to spice into the factory wiring. the Putco ones looks like you no longer need to do that but i dont know if it works with the OPT7 Light bar or only with the Putco light bar

 

[Rick8325]

i have the Curt and it doesnt do the reverse lights you still have to spice into the factory wiring. the Putco ones looks like you no longer need to do that but i dont know if it works with the OPT7 Light bar or only with the Putco light bar

You could have got the Curt 56584.

 

[fotomatt1]

You could have got the Curt 56584.

This is the one I’m referring to. Looks like it does the same thing for 1/2 the price?


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[grinch72]

i have the Curt and it doesnt do the reverse lights you still have to spice into the factory wiring. the Putco ones looks like you no longer need to do that but i dont know if it works with the OPT7 Light bar or only with the Putco light bar

The Curt will do reverse. You just got the wrong one. They make a few different adapters. The Putco one is specifically for their lightbars I believe but don’t quote me on that!

 

[V8Spock]

So, I got to thinking about the delay in the turn signal and being an old B-52 electrician, I accepted the challenge to sync the blinkers with the light bar.

I called Putco and spoke with an engineer. As mentioned in previous posts, the delay is caused by the truck turn signals being on a separate circuit than the trailer connector. The engineer had me wire the light bar turn signal wires directly to the truck turn signal bulb wires (instead of the trailer plug). As he put it “this way the light bar is receiving voltage at the same sequence as the tail lamps”.

I used a voltmeter to determine the correct pin on the truck turn signal connector and spliced in a wire. I ran that to the light bar turn signal input wire and the delay was gone. All other connections were made according to the instructions. Pretty simple stuff really.

Verifying turn signal voltage on the tail light. Right truck connector uses yellow/white wire. Left uses green/white wire.


Spliced in, heat shrinked, taped and and zip tied.

 

[SpeedyV]

So, I got to thinking about the delay in the turn signal and being an old B-52 electrician, I accepted the challenge to sync the blinkers with the light bar.

I called Putco and spoke with an engineer. As mentioned in previous posts, the delay is caused by the truck turn signals being on a separate circuit than the trailer connector. The engineer had me wire the light bar turn signal wires directly to the truck turn signal bulb wires (instead of the trailer plug). As he put it “this way the light bar is receiving voltage at the same sequence as the tail lamps”.

I used a voltmeter to determine the correct pin on the truck turn signal connector and spliced in a wire. I ran that to the light bar turn signal input wire and the delay was gone. All other connections were made according to the instructions. Pretty simple stuff really.

Verifying turn signal voltage on the tail light. Right truck connector uses yellow/white wire. Left uses green/white wire.
View attachment 23842

Spliced in, heat shrinked, taped and and zip tied.
View attachment 23843

Great work!

If the plug-and-play light bar connectors were designed to intercept the wiring harness to the taillight (plugging in directly between the factory harness and taillight instead of connecting to the trailer hookup), it seems the delay issue would be avoided entirely, as expected.

 

[JJWerline]

You could have got the Curt 56584.

Thats the Curt i have. maybe i should check the reverse lights again. But the first time i checked it wasnt working. There is no where for the white wire from the OPT7 Bar to go to that Curt Connector. Or does it just work with the 4pin connector and you dont need to connect the white wire?

 

[JJWerline]

You could have got the Curt 56584.

i Stand corrected. i just checked and i have the Curt 55384 not the 56584... DAMNIT!!! lol

 

[JJWerline]

Also after looking at the 56584 it’s a 5 pin connector. The connector on the light bar is 4pin hows the white wire get tied in? Is there something I need to put on it to plug it in or something (I’m new to this as you can tell)


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[Rick8325]

Also after looking at the 56584 it’s a 5 pin connector. The connector on the light bar is 4pin hows the white wire get tied in? Is there something I need to put on it to plug it in or something (I’m new to this as you can tell)


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It's been mentioned in this thread already. Grinch72 has posted a picture on page 3. Just use a bullet connector or do what I did and cut off one from the extra unused wiring that came with the light bar and splice it to the white wire.

 

[ksn240]

So, I got to thinking about the delay in the turn signal and being an old B-52 electrician, I accepted the challenge to sync the blinkers with the light bar.

I called Putco and spoke with an engineer. As mentioned in previous posts, the delay is caused by the truck turn signals being on a separate circuit than the trailer connector. The engineer had me wire the light bar turn signal wires directly to the truck turn signal bulb wires (instead of the trailer plug). As he put it “this way the light bar is receiving voltage at the same sequence as the tail lamps”.

I used a voltmeter to determine the correct pin on the truck turn signal connector and spliced in a wire. I ran that to the light bar turn signal input wire and the delay was gone. All other connections were made according to the instructions. Pretty simple stuff really.

Verifying turn signal voltage on the tail light. Right truck connector uses yellow/white wire. Left uses green/white wire.
View attachment 23842

Spliced in, heat shrinked, taped and and zip tied.
View attachment 23843

This is likely what I will be doing when I get mine. I have been debating back and forth on getting one. I figured if you wired it straight in it would eliminate the delay. I know I won’t be able to see it but just the thought of it not being in sync drives me crazy.

 

[Rudrow]

OK so I spoke with PUTCO today as i was having issues with mine. Wired direct into the tail lights but was having issues with the brake light being lit all the time when the lights were turned on. ANYWAY good news. In about 30 days they are realeasing a BRAND NEW LIGHT BAR for the 2019 5th gen rams that solves all these issues.

 

[SpeedyV]

OK so I spoke with PUTCO today as i was having issues with mine. Wired direct into the tail lights but was having issues with the brake light being lit all the time when the lights were turned on. ANYWAY good news. In about 30 days they are realeasing a BRAND NEW LIGHT BAR for the 2019 5th gen rams that solves all these issues.

How do I double-like this?!

 

[ksn240]

OK so I spoke with PUTCO today as i was having issues with mine. Wired direct into the tail lights but was having issues with the brake light being lit all the time when the lights were turned on. ANYWAY good news. In about 30 days they are realeasing a BRAND NEW LIGHT BAR for the 2019 5th gen rams that solves all these issues.

Very interesting. Have been debating putting one on. Will wait a bit and see how this one does.

 

[DarkKn1ght]

I was excited to see any 5th Gen with a taillight bar. I didn't think they would fit. I was personally looking at the Putco Blade. Hopefully, that new version specifically for our trucks turns out well.

 

[SpeedyV]

Very interesting. Have been debating putting one on. Will wait a bit and see how this one does.

Maybe a group buy down the road...

 

[TheRamMan]

If everything were hardwired would you still have the delay?