Powering Go Fast Camper Lights
We waited six weeks to receive our F-150 because we had to order it. Dealers do not keep a base model XL 4x4 four-door with vinyl seats, vinyl floor and a six-foot bed in inventory. Although I work in an office, on the weekends we are avid outdoor recreationists. We go whitewater kayaking, rafting, skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking with our two boys, who are nine and 11, almost every weekend from our home in Olympia, Washington. We use a truck very much like a truck. It needs to haul a lot of wet, muddy and awkwardly shaped gear.
Before we even received the truck, once we had the VIN, I ordered a Go Fast Camper (GFC) v2. The GFC, when paired with a 6.5 foot bed, gives our family of four a way to all have a dry place to sleep in a pinch, and does not adversely affect the truck's ability to still be a fully functional truck. While waiting in the queue to get built, we received an email informing us we had been upgraded to the V2 Pro, which includes LED lights. Especially considering how we planned to use the truck, this was a welcome upgrade.
When I got our GFC installed at their headquarters just outside of Bozeman, Montana, they did not do any wiring. The wiring for the the brake light and the LED lights was zip tied to the inside of the GFC, up and out of the way, but not connected to anything. They suggested for the LED lights to use some sort of auxiliary power to avoid a dead battery in the middle of nowhere.
Once we had the GFC installed, we promptly began to use it. Being a camping family, we always have headlamps, so not having the LED lights functional really was not that big of a deal. We had a highly portable dry place to sleep not affecting the truck's ability to still very much be a truck. This is why we got the GFC, and in this capacity, it works wonderfully.
Researching online for ideas on how to power the LED lights revealed a litany of, at least in my opinion, very over-engineered options. Even the, "simple," options still started at around $150 and went up from there. Yes, we had just purchased admittedly a premium priced accessory for the truck, but I just could not understand why it had to cost this much to power what is little more than a few LED light strips.
Finally, I quit trying to find a solution in the GFC realm. Digging around enough on the internet led me to simply look at portable solutions used to power LED light strips for other applications. I figured out a very viable solution for under $50, a Talentcell 6000Mah lithium battery pack ($39.99) paired with a 5.5mm x 2.1mm, 12v DC Power Extension Cable ($8.99). I got a short, 1.6 ft, cable since I want to easily be able to plug it in at night, and keep it in the console of the truck the rest of the time. When we are not using the lights, I do not want the battery to get destroyed by all the water, mud, and gear piled in the bed.
The limitations of this solution is it can power the LED lights and possibly charge a phone at night, but this is about it. Also, it is not going to last long enough to provide endless hours of light. We are used to camping, using headlamps to do what we need to do in the dark, so having a LED lighting system to get organized for a few minutes is a very welcome upgrade. Further, since the lighting is a nice to have, not a need to have, figuring out a viable lower cost solution makes a lot more sense. If your priorities align, hopefully this provides a very functional and affordable solution for you as well!