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Tailgate light bar

grinch72

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Sounds good. Anxious to hear how it went for you and any advice on what to look out for.
My Curt adaptor came in today. Aiming to do the install on the OPT7 Triple something before the end of weekend. I'll update the post once Im done
 

202snowman

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Maple

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What light do you have? The warning only seems to be related to the Triple LED. http://www.opt-7.com/redline-triple-led-tailgate-light-bar-with-reverse-sequential-turn-signals/

This is the note right from their website:

Adapter Module: Add if vehicle has a rear camera, tow-assist or a rear parking sensor. Blind Spot Sensor Equipped Vehicles Must Hard-Wire Directly to Tail lights:
Farther down it says more specifically:
  • Not Compatible with: Ford's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Trailer Coverage and Cross Traffic Alert.
Ford's BLIS information page does say that it turns off automatically it if detects a trailer. The Ford system probably detects the voltage draw if you tap into the trailer, that's why you have to tap into the tail lights. I don't know if Ram does that or not - doesn't seem like it, since others are reporting no issues with the install.
 

geotex1

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Can one of you fellas who have installed the tailgate bar provide pictures of before/after for the reverse camera picture in the dark? The LED reverse lights leave for an awful picture compared to my 2014, and my driveway is long, curved, and I live where night means pitch black! I'm undecided between going this route to brighten things or the similar thread with the license plate mount LED strip that CLEARLY brightened up the picture! TIA!
 

grinch72

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stmrm01

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I have the triple and I test fit it just fine. Doing the permanent install this week.
Did you get to complete the permanent install? Just wondering how the final install went (any problems or anything to look out for? ) and if the Curt harness is working nice with the BLIS, cross traffic, and advanced safety group. Getting ready to pull the trigger on the triple.
 

grinch72

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Did you get to complete the permanent install? Just wondering how the final install went (any problems or anything to look out for? ) and if the Curt harness is working nice with the BLIS, cross traffic, and advanced safety group. Getting ready to pull the trigger on the triple.
Wrapping it up right now. No issues. Just need to finish up the wiring. It is a tight fit though. You need to align the bottom light strip with the top of the bumper. The tailgate just clears it when it opens.
 

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MachineX

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Wrapping it up right now. No issues. Just need to finish up the wiring. It is a tight fit though. You need to align the bottom light strip with the top of the bumper. The tailgate just clears it when it opens.
I am super interested in your setup as well. I ordered the Curt adapter and Triple lights and found some wire management doodads on amazon so I don't have to use the 3m tape adhesive. Curious on the wiring you are wrapping up. Was it plug-n-play or some cutting and splicing?
 

grinch72

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I
I am super interested in your setup as well. I ordered the Curt adapter and Triple lights and found some wire management doodads on amazon so I don't have to use the 3m tape adhesive. Curious on the wiring you are wrapping up. Was it plug-n-play or some cutting and splicing?
ill take some more pics when all is said and done. I used a curt 5 way adapter. Then I got a 5way trailer connector kit and used that to make an adapter for the lightbar. That way everything is removable and nothing is spliced into the truck. I also used the metal clips that came with the triple to mount it to the truck. Didn’t use the 3M and in reality you really can’t. You need to offset the bar from the truck with some spacers to account for the tailgate camera wiring, etc. see clips and spacers along with tailgate clearance in attached pics.

I was going to paint them black but you can’t see them when the light bar is attached so I will probably leave them as is.
 

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grinch72

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Super abbreviated install here with a few pics ( all attached )

I went with the OPT7 Triple light bar. You need to mount it just above the bumper or the tailgate will hit it when it opens. You also need to use the metal brackets and spacers ( I used stainless washers form home depot ) to attach it in order to clear the wiring for the tailgate and camera. If you don't have that wiring harness then you wouldn't need to do that.

I used the Curt 5 way harness to attach the light to the towing harness. Curt part # 56584.

I then used a hopkins 5 way connector kit to make my own harness to the light bar. IMG_154

I used both ends of the connector kit and connected them together. IMG_150

I used a male bullet connector and connected it to the white wire from the LED bar for the reverse lights. IMG_157

I can use then that bullet connector to connect to the harness I made using the trailer connector kit. You can get the idea from IMG_147

With all of that said I took one end of the connector, attached it to the light bar connector, attached the bullet connector and taped it all together. IMG_158

Then you simply have to use the other end of the harness to plug into the curt connector. All Done. I know you can do this A LOT simpler but I wanted a way to simply disconnect form the curt harness and take the light bar off if needed. This way nothing is spliced into the truck or connector and I can easily remove it if needed.

No issue with blis, backup sensors or anything else. I will take a video later on and post to youtube. I will add the link to this thread when I get around to that later. Feel free to ask any questions. I know this may not be that clear. Hopefully the attached pics help.

@MachineX @stmrm01
 

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stmrm01

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Super abbreviated install here with a few pics ( all attached )

I went with the OPT7 Triple light bar. You need to mount it just above the bumper or the tailgate will hit it when it opens. You also need to use the metal brackets and spacers ( I used stainless washers form home depot ) to attach it in order to clear the wiring for the tailgate and camera. If you don't have that wiring harness then you wouldn't need to do that.

I used the Curt 5 way harness to attach the light to the towing harness. Curt part # 56584.

I then used a hopkins 5 way connector kit to make my own harness to the light bar. IMG_154

I used both ends of the connector kit and connected them together. IMG_150

I used a male bullet connector and connected it to the white wire from the LED bar for the reverse lights. IMG_156

I can use then that bullet connector to connect to the harness I made using the trailer connector kit. You can get the idea from IMG_147

With all of that said I took one end of the connector, attached it to the light bar connector, attached the bullet connector and taped it all together. IMG_158

Then you simply have to use the other end of the harness to plug into the curt connector. All Done. I know you can do this A LOT simpler but I wanted a way to simply disconnect form the curt harness and take the light bar off if needed. This way nothing is spliced into the truck or connector and I can easily remove it if needed.

No issue with blis, backup sensors or anything else. I will take a video later on and post to youtube. I will add the link to this thread when I get around to that later. Feel free to ask any questions. I know this may not be that clear. Hopefully the attached pics help.

@MachineX @stmrm01
Really nice install job and it looks great on the truck! I like the "simple disconnect" functionality you made, especially good when needing to access the spare or the tailgate wiring harness. And thanks for the great write-up, it definitely helped me make my mind up.
 

MachineX

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For everyone that installed the Redline Triple Bar, have you all tested your backup cameras, blind spot alerts, AND backup sensor/braking features? Or is the module for the Ford trucks only? Everywhere I'm looking claims I need the $15 module as well (maybe). If EVERYTHING listed is working while wired with the Curt adapter, then the arguement is moot.
 

Dmalonecentral

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I really want to pull the trigger on this OPT7 Triple LED 60 inch light bar but in all the videos I see there seems to be a slight delay in response. Any idea why this would be? I would think they should all come on together. The one that really bothers me is the brake light delay. Is it just me or does it have something to do with the way it’s wired up? I wouldn’t think that the trailer plugs would have some sort of inherent delay built in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

grinch72

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For everyone that installed the Redline Triple Bar, have you all tested your backup cameras, blind spot alerts, AND backup sensor/braking features? Or is the module for the Ford trucks only? Everywhere I'm looking claims I need the $15 module as well (maybe). If EVERYTHING listed is working while wired with the Curt adapter, then the arguement is moot.
Everything works fine. No adapter needed. I believe it is Ford only. I have had zero issues with mine.
 

grinch72

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I really want to pull the trigger on this OPT7 Triple LED 60 inch light bar but in all the videos I see there seems to be a slight delay in response. Any idea why this would be? I would think they should all come on together. The one that really bothers me is the brake light delay. Is it just me or does it have something to do with the way it’s wired up? I wouldn’t think that the trailer plugs would have some sort of inherent delay built in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It is because it is a four wire setup. Brake and blinker are on the same side in the same wire. The lightbar needs to wait and determine if it is constant power(brake) or pulse power(blinker). At that point it lights up accordingly. I thought it would annoy me as well and almost went with a different setup but in the end I am very happy with it.
 

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