2019 Truck cap/topper/camper shell thread

[Rockcrawlindude]

I have to jump or stand on my toes to reach it already lol
Been meaning to tie a string/rope to it to make things easier

I have a rope on mine. I’m short.

 

[copperman]

ordered on March 31 came in on 5-9 installed 5-10 looks great!

 

[Lifeinthesouth]

The ole war pig in the wild. I couldn't bring myself to drop the $ on the Datin fab rack for the softopper so picked up this elevate (over cap) roof rack. I got it used so it was a bargain but the price for a new one isn't so bad at about $5-700 less than the Datin rack from softopper.

 

[MrSteve]

Hello All. Here is my 2021 with a 2022 AREA topper. Sliding windows front and side. Color matches pretty good now. I think the sun was needed to heat it up after it was new. I do have some issue with the third lite fitment and a rivet poking through the rear lid. Quality control could be better and my installer was very good at credit card processing but not so much with my concerns with the issues I discovered. Welcome to todays world old “ oh well” customer service.

 

[Blowenblu]

2022 Laramie w/ ARE Cap

 

[southern_yank]

Just picked up a used ARE Z series and got it back from paint. Went to wire this thing up, no Bueno. Has the dome light, 3rd brake light, and power lock. All the wiring terminates at a small control module. Module has a 6 pin connector. I was not given the pigtail. Question is, what connector does ARE use? Looks like a weather-pak connector, but hoping someone can confirm or state otherwise. Local ARE dealer is quoting $100 for a pigtail. I'd rather not drop that on a simple wire connector. Any recommendations? Still trying to figure out the purpose of the control module. Seems almost unnecessary?

Pics for attention.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Just picked up a used ARE Z series and got it back from paint. Went to wire this thing up, no Bueno. Has the dome light, 3rd brake light, and power lock. All the wiring terminates at a small control module. Module has a 6 pin connector. I was not given the pigtail. Question is, what connector does ARE use? Looks like a weather-pak connector, but hoping someone can confirm or state otherwise. Local ARE dealer is quoting $100 for a pigtail. I'd rather not drop that on a simple wire connector. Any recommendations? Still trying to figure out the purpose of the control module. Seems almost unnecessary?

Pics for attention.

I can’t help you with proprietary wiring connectors but if you’re a DIY guy like me you can hook up the third brake light to the white wire with purple tracer terminated under the bed.

I tapped my topper bed lighting into the factory bed light circuit which your truck may or may not have. It works with the bed button, the dash button and has a self timeout as well as a dash indicator when it’s on (cargo light)

 

[southern_yank]

I can’t help you with proprietary wiring connectors but if you’re a DIY guy like me you can hook up the third brake light to the white wire with purple tracer terminated under the bed.

I tapped my topper bed lighting into the factory bed light circuit which your truck may or may not have. It works with the bed button, the dash button and has a self timeout as well as a dash indicator when it’s on (cargo light)

View attachment 60477

Good to know! Hadn't got that far just yet. It's been right at 100° here last few days. Can't stand to be in it for too long. I'll at least get the brake light functioning this week if nothing else. The rest is just fluff for me. I've got bed lighting from factory, BUT, the decked system covers the bed button.... first world problems I know. Also the anchor cleats need removed when installing the decked system. So yea, learned that today too. Lol

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Good to know! Hadn't got that far just yet. It's been right at 100° here last few days. Can't stand to be in it for too long. I'll at least get the brake light functioning this week if nothing else. The rest is just fluff for me. I've got bed lighting from factory, BUT, the decked system covers the bed button.... first world problems I know. Also the anchor cleats need removed when installing the decked system. So yea, learned that today too. Lol

I trimmed one “fin” off my decked system to open up access to that button and my air compressor button is right there too

 

[southern_yank]

I can’t help you with proprietary wiring connectors but if you’re a DIY guy like me you can hook up the third brake light to the white wire with purple tracer terminated under the bed.

I tapped my topper bed lighting into the factory bed light circuit which your truck may or may not have. It works with the bed button, the dash button and has a self timeout as well as a dash indicator when it’s on (cargo light)

View attachment 60477

Where is this located, I've just climbed under the back of the truck and looking all around, I don't see these wires?

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Where is this located, I've just climbed under the back of the truck and looking all around, I don't see these wires?

You have to lower the spare tire to see them. You can’t miss them. You can see the spare tire crank thing in this pic I got from my post back on page 3 or 4 of this thread

 

[southern_yank]

You have to lower the spare tire to see them. You can’t miss them. You can see the spare tire crank thing in this pic I got from my post back on page 3 or 4 of this thread

View attachment 60798

Gotcha! I did not drop the spare. Thanks for the information! I'll get at and do that tomorrow now that I know where to look. Couldn't bring my self to tap an existing brake light wire at the tail light. Though I did contemplate that for a few minutes

 

[southern_yank]

Alright, so I'm not getting this done today ( raining on and off, and truck doesn't fit into a single building/shop I own). What are the other two wires in the bundle you had pictured?

 

[Metternacht]

Oil slick and smoke screen. J/k.

 

[steve49]

Just picked up a used ARE Z series and got it back from paint. Went to wire this thing up, no Bueno. Has the dome light, 3rd brake light, and power lock. All the wiring terminates at a small control module. Module has a 6 pin connector. I was not given the pigtail. Question is, what connector does ARE use? Looks like a weather-pak connector, but hoping someone can confirm or state otherwise. Local ARE dealer is quoting $100 for a pigtail. I'd rather not drop that on a simple wire connector. Any recommendations? Still trying to figure out the purpose of the control module. Seems almost unnecessary?

Pics for attention.

Has to do with the electric lock, maintains 12v so the lock stays locked until you unlock with the fob.

 

[southern_yank]

Has to do with the electric lock, maintains 12v so the lock stays locked until you unlock with the fob.

I was able to do some diagnostic "testing" on the wiring yesterday and I'm not sure that is the case. The wiring on the output side of the module is a ground that is split between dome and brake light, hot for brake light, hot for dome light, and a pair of wires to the lock actuator. applying voltage to the lock solenoid in one direction locks, then a reverse polarity unlocks. same as most power lock actuators. II am really confused as to what the module actually does? My only thought ( I will confirm once i can get some time to play with this again) is that one input is a constant 12V+ so that the dome light operates on the switch attached to the lift strut of the back glass. That would allow it to operate independently of the rear cargo lighting. But still, it seems a tad overkill for such a simple circuit. There are several LED lights, an additional 2 prong connector (almost like an older programming connector from the analog days). It's really wild and I can't quite figure it out. It would be great if I could talk to someone at ARE. But they only communicate through their dealer network, and that is generally a non-productive use of time. I've decided to bypass that module entirely and wire direct to the required power/ground sources.

 

[jsalbre]

I was able to do some diagnostic "testing" on the wiring yesterday and I'm not sure that is the case. The wiring on the output side of the module is a ground that is split between dome and brake light, hot for brake light, hot for dome light, and a pair of wires to the lock actuator. applying voltage to the lock solenoid in one direction locks, then a reverse polarity unlocks. same as most power lock actuators. II am really confused as to what the module actually does? My only thought ( I will confirm once i can get some time to play with this again) is that one input is a constant 12V+ so that the dome light operates on the switch attached to the lift strut of the back glass. That would allow it to operate independently of the rear cargo lighting. But still, it seems a tad overkill for such a simple circuit. There are several LED lights, an additional 2 prong connector (almost like an older programming connector from the analog days). It's really wild and I can't quite figure it out. It would be great if I could talk to someone at ARE. But they only communicate through their dealer network, and that is generally a non-productive use of time. I've decided to bypass that module entirely and wire direct to the required power/ground sources.

It's probably just a wire hookup point, and has some lights for diagnostics so they can tell if things are hooked up properly.

 

[southern_yank]

It's probably just a wore hookup point, and has some lights for diagnostics so they can tell if things are hooked up properly.

Well, all this discussion made my curious mind wander a bit. Just ran out and removed the module. Pictures attached. I'm fairly competent in 12VDC circuits, and can identify all the components on the board. I guess at this point I am questioning the extra expense vs. Just a simple weatherpak connector for a pigtail. Nothing on this board is anything more than distribution.

 

[steve49]

I was able to do some diagnostic "testing" on the wiring yesterday and I'm not sure that is the case. The wiring on the output side of the module is a ground that is split between dome and brake light, hot for brake light, hot for dome light, and a pair of wires to the lock actuator. applying voltage to the lock solenoid in one direction locks, then a reverse polarity unlocks. same as most power lock actuators. II am really confused as to what the module actually does? My only thought ( I will confirm once i can get some time to play with this again) is that one input is a constant 12V+ so that the dome light operates on the switch attached to the lift strut of the back glass. That would allow it to operate independently of the rear cargo lighting. But still, it seems a tad overkill for such a simple circuit. There are several LED lights, an additional 2 prong connector (almost like an older programming connector from the analog days). It's really wild and I can't quite figure it out. It would be great if I could talk to someone at ARE. But they only communicate through their dealer network, and that is generally a non-productive use of time. I've decided to bypass that module entirely and wire direct to the required power/ground sources.

Yeah now that I thought about, I wired the electric lock to the door locking wires in the driver's door sill wire channel back into the bed. I had contacted ARE direct when I discovered you could no longer tap into a wire at the taigate latch, and they sent me wiring sheet that I posted earlier in this thread.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

@southern_yank somebody posted the ARE wiring instructions on one of the first pages in this thread. Maybe 2nd or 3rd page. I can’t help with anything other than the brake light