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2018 Silverado Cargo 12v Plug

dye7barrel

By dye7barrel
in Modifications & Accessories

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dye7barrel Enthusiast

dye7barrel

Posted
Posted

My suspicion is this question has been asked and answered. Just can not find exactly what I am looking for. 

 

Goal is to add a 12 volt plug to the bed of a 2018 Silverado. Trying to understand where the best location to bring power from. A couple years ago I added cargo lighting and connected to a plug beneath the bed by the spare tire. Wondering if one of the extra plugs would suffice. Would also prefer a plug that is not tied to accessory switch. In other words, hot at all times. 

 

As a bonus, if I could get 110v plug back there as well I would go for it. 

 

Thanks much for the help. 

mikeyk101 Senior Enthusiast

mikeyk101

Posted
Posted

I am not an expert but have stayed at a Holiday inn, LOL! But IMHO, I think a lot depends on what you are wanting to use the 12v power for in the bed. And I'm assuming you are looking for full time power or did you want switched power? If it's something that wont pull a lot of amps, there should be several places to grab power from. A multimeter should be able to find the power source you need. Personally, I think I would rather have a dedicated feed and just run wiring up to the battery. I would use heavy duty wire and maybe a sealed 2 wire cable to do it. Amazon has many choices but maybe stick to a 10 or 12ga wire because of the length. Make sure to fuse it as well and maybe install a waterproof connector close to your 12v outlet in case it needs to be disconnected in the future.

 

As far as 110V, it can be done but you will need to install an inverter. Again, you will need to decide what you plan on powering with it. If you have the 110v dash outlet and were considering tapping into that, that's a mistake as that inverter is pretty anemic. A dedicated one as well as a higher output one is the way to go. And if your new 12v outlet circuit is "beefy" enough, many portable inverters will just plug right into one and then you have both.

dye7barrel Enthusiast

dye7barrel

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Not looking to pull a ton of power. Mainly phone, GPS, and dog collar charging. And yes, full time power rather than switched. Knew there was a better term :) If 110v power requires another inverter then that is too much effort for this project. 

 

Sounds like I have two options:

1) Tap into hot wire from somewhere beneath the truck.

2) Bring new wire from battery to back of truck. 

 

Option 2 sounds more robust and would eliminate cutting of factory wires. I could also remove the bed plug and wiring in the future should the need arise. What else am I missing?

  • Like 1
  • 2 months later...
Neroado Enthusiast

Neroado

Posted
Posted

If you just need power back in that area and not inside the bed, you can just purchase a 12V plug adaptor that plugs into seven-pin trailer power port. There is a main line in that port that is always hot.  If I recall correctly, it's the larger gauge red wire that goes to the center terminal and it's on a 30Aamp circuit.  If you need the power inside the bed, you can easily access the seven-pin wires under/behind the bumper and run a line up behind the DS taillamp. 

 

Do your own research on which wire and terminal it is: it's been a while since I checked this out to plug in a macerator plug for my camper. I'm going from memory here.

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