Is there a constant power source in the back of '08 SR5v6?

[Seymore Butts]

I need power for a rear facing dash cam in the back. Is there already a constantly hot circuit back there or do I need to run power from the fuse box?

 

[TowMeOut]

Do you have a 7-pin hitch?? One of the leads is a constant 12v. It might take a bit of doing to trace the harness back but it's there somewhere. I believe that "tow kit" is an add on and the main harness is a standard. It's just a pigtail that connects from that harness to your hitch. Last time I was poking around it ran along the frame rail on the driver side near the spare tire well. Unfortunately, I didn't happen to notice where/how exactly it entered the cabin.

The other-other option would be to convert the rear power outlet to a constant-hot and tap off that. I think that's a pretty common mod where you swap a relay for a fuse holder or similar. For a lot of folks running fridges and such in the back it's minimal but it works.

 

[RonJR]

The 7-pin towing harness does not have a constant power wire. It has a 12V line that is relay switched whenever the key is in the RUN position (not ACC). This line is designed for battery charging for an auxiliary trailer battery, and disconnects from the main battery when the key is off.

The relay for this wire is in the relay box under the hood, so it would be pretty easy to bypass that relay and make the wire a true "always on" circuit.

The fuse and relay for this line are rated at 30 amps.

 

[Ralph Blake]

I have a lighter plug in the rear of my truck on the right side near the seat, you should also have one there.

 

[tay4R]

I have a lighter plug in the rear of my truck on the right side near the seat, you should also have one there.

You can make this outlet 12v always on by removing the relay in the relay box under the hood (check the easy weekend mods thread). Then you can either plug it directly into the outlet or connect to the wires and leave the outlet open (I did this for some aux lights).

 

[Seymore Butts]

Thanks, guys! I also just realized that the cargo dome light is always powered. I'll tap into that, as the camera will be mounted only a few inches away from it.

 

[riceandpho]

Thanks, guys! I also just realized that the cargo dome light is always powered. I'll tap into that, as the camera will be mounted only a few inches away from it.

dome light do shut off during a certain amount of time, maybe 15 mins or so.
its safer to run a 14 gauge wire to the back from the front, always fuse it. you can run a thicker one and have a distroblock in the back for additional accessories.