DIY 12V Bed Outlet

[CWildman]

I got jealous of the 110V bed outlets in the luxury packages and Lariats. Here’s a few pictures of my first prototype for a 12V bed outlet. Designed and 3D printed out of PLA. Wired with a in-line 20amp fuse to keep from drawing too much power on the thin 12V wires. I plan on using my power inverter, but being conscious of what I plug in to it. The back has a cover to protect from road spray. The voltmeter is a nice touch, keep from running the battery down. I do wish Ford would’ve kept these wires hot all the time (as I have my own switch), but this is better than nothing. I’m not quite ready to tear into the wiring harness looking for power on my first (and likely last) brand new vehicle. The door is held up in place via magnets. Not totally water proof (although the outlets and gauge are designed for marine use), but should keep mulch/dirt out. It is two pieces, due to the size of my printer. The next iteration will likely be 1 piece.

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[A Sturdy Beast]

I got jealous of the 110V bed outlets in the luxury packages and Lariats. Here’s a few pictures of my first prototype for a 12V bed outlet. Designed and 3D printed out of PLA. Wired with a in-line 20amp fuse to keep from drawing too much power on the thin 12V wires. I plan on using my power inverter, but being conscious of what I plug in to it. The back has a cover to protect from road spray. The voltmeter is a nice touch, keep from running the battery down. I do wish Ford would’ve kept these wires hot all the time (as I have my own switch), but this is better than nothing. I’m not quite ready to tear into the wiring harness looking for power on my first (and likely last) brand new vehicle. The door is held up in place via magnets. Not totally water proof (although the outlets and gauge are designed for marine use), but should keep mulch/dirt out. It is two pieces, due to the size of my printer. The next iteration will likely be 1 piece.

I like the sliding cover.

 

[MavTime]

Great job, I am just about to do something similar but I didn't think to 3D print a new cover to keep it covered, I was considering buying another cubby for that side and putting it inside, but I could save that money and do something like this. If you end up sharing the STL file let us know.

 

[Decayed]

Love the design. I wanted to put the outlets inside the cubby but geometry disagreed.

 

[fossil]

Love the design. I wanted to put the outlets inside the cubby but geometry disagreed.

do ya think this would work? cut the male end off and splice in.

 

[Decayed]

do ya think this would work? cut the male end off and splice in.

Splice it in to what? The accessory wires are 12vdc not 110vac. You would have to mount an inverter back there for it to make sense but if you connect the inverter to the 12v accessory wires back there it's only able to handle 240 watts IIRC. If you need more than that, then you're talking about wiring the inverter directly to the battery or something. So then you really need to think about what you're going to plug into it and how much juice it needs. If it's just lights and stuff you can get 12v stuff designed for camping or RV's. If it's power tools you might be better off running a little generator or something.

 

[fossil]

Splice it in to what? The accessory wires are 12vdc not 110vac. You would have to mount an inverter back there for it to make sense but if you connect the inverter to the 12v accessory wires back there it's only able to handle 240 watts IIRC. If you need more than that, then you're talking about wiring the inverter directly to the battery or something. So then you really need to think about what you're going to plug into it and how much juice it needs. If it's just lights and stuff you can get 12v stuff designed for camping or RV's. If it's power tools you might be better off running a little generator or something.

your use of " geometry " led me to believe you were referring to a physical issue not the lack of 120vac.
I have the 120vac and plan to swap the oem outlet panel to a second cubby with the ac outlet inside.
As an 40 year electrician the rest of your post is moot.

 

[Decayed]

your use of " geometry " led me to believe you were referring to a physical issue not the lack of 120vac.
I have the 120vac and plan to swap the oem outlet panel to a second cubby with the ac outlet inside.
As an 40 year electrician the rest of your post is moot.

Ah, that makes sense. I didn't know you were an electrician. In my mind it was just possible that you didn't actually know the difference between DC and AC. The internet is a big place.

It hinges on how the outlet is affixed to the cubby. The 12v outlets stick through the wall of the cubby (and we are talking cubby not the plain flat cover panel some mavs have on one side) . the outlets are threaded on the back and you have to be able to screw a big plastic nut on the inside to tighten them down, but it's very hard to do unless you can somehow reach up from underneath, which I have not tried yet.

The outlet you posted has two screw holes but I kind of doubt the plastic is thick or strong enough to hold the screws. You might be able to glue it which is what I am considering. There is plenty of room in the fender toward the front and back but not the side IIRC it's been a while since I had it apart.

If you're gonna attach it to the flat cover panel it will be a snap to put something inside as a backer to hold the screws. Heck you might be able to do what with the cubby as well. But the plastic is only about 1/8" thick.

I

 

[MakinDoForNow]

OK guys do NOT FORGET= I do not know what max voltage on 12v buss is on the 2.0 ecoboost BUT on the Hybrid anything on the 12v will have to accept 11-15.4v (maybe a little more) OR YOU WILL HAVE TO INSTALL A 8-20v OR EVEN 8-30v to 12v buck converter/stabilizer to get current past your device over/under voltage protection! Temp this am was around 50-55 and with all electric heaters, etc drawing power my in power point voltage monitor was reporting 15.3volts!!!!
Some reporting that their cell phones are slow to charge most likely have an over voltage protection active

 

[TheWizziard]

Love the design. I wanted to put the outlets inside the cubby but geometry disagreed.

"Geometry" I installed both a 12v & 110v outlets a cubby. Others have done so as well. There is a Ford video on how to install a 12v one.

 

[MaverickResource]

Really cool design

 

[Rivers90]

outlets are threaded on the back and you have to be able to screw a big plastic nut on the inside to tighten them down, but it's very hard to do unless you can somehow reach up from underneath, which I have not tried yet.

You can reach the back of the driver side cubby from under the truck.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/added-12v-power-points-to-the-bed-cubby.32861/

 

[RichardCranium]

I like your design! Thanks for posting

 

[DBHorbert]

Love the design. I wanted to put the outlets inside the cubby but geometry disagreed.

I’ve recently done what you might be referring to. I made some silly mistakes with my measurements and have purchased a new cubby for $45 from my local dealership.

Others with more skill than myself may be able to do this an easier way, but I had to get everything in place and wired together, push them all to the cubby, and then back through and secure after pulling back the fender liner.

I plan on posting a guide once I’ve done this in a way I find satisfactory.

 

[fossil]

If you're gonna attach it to the flat cover panel it will be a snap to put something inside as a backer to hold the screws. Heck you might be able to do what with the cubby as well. But the plastic is only about 1/8" thick.

considered making a washer out of some aluminum scrap I have on hand with hole saws and/or drilling two additional holes in the outlet itself.

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