UBL rocker panel lights
Two 60" amber/white UBL bars low on the rocker panels on two 30A relays, relay A (LED Output 3) for Mode 1 in slides 2-3, relay B (J1 Output 7) for Mode 2 in slide 3; arrows and pattern step on LED outputs. Not bought yet; draw to be measured before fuses are chosen.
Legal notice
Emergency lighting and siren use is regulated by state law and permits. This page documents a personal build and is not legal guidance.
Side warning lighting low on both sides of the truck, synced to each other, coming on in slide position 3. Done means both bars are mounted on the sills, fused by measured draw, switched through the relay, and synced.
Constraints
Section titled “Constraints”- Draw not listed. UBL’s manual gives no fuse size or current draw. Each bar is measured on the bench before its fuse and wire are chosen.
- Airbags: UBL warns against mounting or routing in airbag deployment areas. These stay low on the sills, clear of them.
- LED outputs are 2.5A, so the bars can’t run straight from LED Output 3. A relay carries the load; LED Output 3 only drives the coil.
- Ground: steel frame rail or Ford ground point. Never the battery negative post.
UBL LED Running Board Rocker Panel Light
- SKU
- UBL-TGB-AW2
- Length
- 60 in
- LEDs
- 60 x 3W
- Housing
- Polycarbonate/composite
- Colors
- Three color modes, amber/white
- Patterns
- 120 with directional: 40 Color 1, 40 Color 2, 40 dual color
- Leads
- 6 ft
- Voltage
- 12 to 24V DC
- Standard
- SAE J595 Class 1
- Mounting
- Rocker panel O-bracket kit included. 3M tape, clips or O-brackets
- Draw
- Not listed. Measure
- Price
- $219.99 each (to buy)
Source: UBL listing, and UBL Tailgate Bar Instructions version A.4 (SKU UBL-TGB)
| Part | SKU | Price | Key specs | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBL LED Running Board Rocker Panel Lights (x2) | UBL-TGB-AW2 | $219.99 each | 60", 12–24V, SAE J595 Class 1 | TBD | Planned |
| EHDIS 30A 12V SPDT relay with harness, 2-pack | TBD | About $10.00 (estimate) | One used, one spare | TBD | Planned |
| Yellow momentary push button, 16 mm, 6-pack | TBD | About $7.00 (estimate) | Use 1, pattern and sync (R8) | TBD | Planned |
| 12 AWG primary wire, red and black | TBD | About $15.00 (estimate) | ~30 ft red, ~10 ft black (R3, R4, R5) | TBD | Planned |
| 30A blade fuse | TBD | TBD | R3, from the Nilight kit | TBD | Planned |
| In-line ATC fuse holders and fuses, one per bar | TBD | TBD | R4, sized after measuring | TBD | Planned |
| 2A or 3A blade fuse | TBD | TBD | Button feed (R8) | TBD | Planned |
| Deutsch DT connectors | TBD | TBD | Unplug point at each bar | TBD | Planned |
Wire functions
Section titled “Wire functions”| Wire | Function | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Mode 1 | Relay pin 87 (fused feed). Fuse each bar |
| Black | Ground | Frame rail ground |
| White | Mode 2, overrides Mode 1 | Capped |
| Blue + green | Arrows | Tied together for a center-out arrow, or both capped |
| Yellow | Color/pattern select | Momentary +12V: under 1 s = color, 2 s = pattern |
| Pin | Connects to |
|---|---|
| 30 | Fused battery feed from the accessory fuse block (30A) |
| 87 | Both bars’ red wires, each through its own fuse |
| 86 | LED Output 3 (slide 3) |
| 85 | Ground |
The coil draws about 0.15A, well inside the LED output’s 2.5A (general knowledge). A relay with a built-in suppression diode is good practice on an electronic output (general knowledge).
Wiring
Section titled “Wiring”| Wire | Color | Function | Source output | Draw | Fuse | Gauge | Relay pin | Termination | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Coil feed | Relay coil + | LED Output 3 (J4-5), slide 3 | About 0.15A (coil, general knowledge) | LED output 2.5A, 20A group | 18 AWG | 86 | Relay socket | TBD |
| R2 | Coil ground | Relay coil − | — | Return | — | 18 AWG | 85 | Ring terminal | Frame rail or Ford ground point |
| R3 | Red | Relay load feed (tag A on the diagrams) | Accessory fuse block | Both bars (not measured) | 30A | 12 AWG | 30 | Relay socket | TBD |
| R4 | Red (each bar) | Mode 1 power | Relay output | Not listed; measure on bench | One fuse per bar, sized to measured draw | 12–14 AWG | 87 | Deutsch DT at each bar | TBD |
| R5 | Black (each bar) | Ground | — | Return | — | 12–14 AWG | — | Ring terminal, star washer | Side of a steel frame rail. Never battery negative |
| R6 | White (each bar) | Mode 2, not used | — | — | — | — | — | Capped | TBD |
| R7 | Blue + green (each bar) | Arrows | — | — | — | — | — | Capped, or tied for center-out | TBD |
| R8 | Yellow to yellow | Pattern/color select and sync, through a momentary button to fused +12V | Fused +12V | Signal | 2A or 3A on the button feed | 18 AWG | — | Yellow 16 mm button in the cab | TBD |
Sync steps (UBL manual)
Section titled “Sync steps (UBL manual)”- Set both bars to steady burn.
- Advance only one bar one pattern with its yellow wire.
- Turn both off and connect the two yellow wires together.
- Turn both on. To change patterns, advance twice so one bar is on P1 and the other on P2.
- Dual color: +12V to yellow for 2 s, release, repeat until dual color (one bar P1, the other P2).
These match the UBL Tailgate Bar Instructions, version A.4 (SKU UBL-TGB), which I checked on 8 October.
Option: drop the relay
Section titled “Option: drop the relay”If both bars together draw under about 8A, they can run straight from J1-7 (a spare 10A output) with no relay. The five-modes plan takes this further (decision C): red on J1-7 and white on J1-8, so the CanTrol can flash them. A mechanical relay can’t switch at flash rate for long, so flashing modes need the relay removed. All of this depends on the measured draw.
31 October update: two relays and CanTrol wiring as approved
Section titled “31 October update: two relays and CanTrol wiring as approved”On 31 Oct 2026 I approved the final rocker wiring (project document sections 3.1 and 9.2 G). It is now in Upfit Studio and on the generated output plan. It replaces the single relay, the capped white, blue and green wires, and the in-cab yellow button above. The relay, wiring and option sections above are kept as the earlier plan.
Relays (two 30A SPDT, ISO style)
Section titled “Relays (two 30A SPDT, ISO style)”| Relay | Coil trigger (pin 86) | Load (pin 87) | When it is on |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | LED Output 3 (J4-5, orange) | Both bars’ red (Mode 1), each bar fused | Slides 2 and 3 |
| B | J1 Output 7 | Both bars’ white (Mode 2, overrides Mode 1), each bar fused | Slide 3 |
Pin 30 on each relay is a fused battery feed and pin 85 goes to ground, as before. Fuse sizes per bar still wait on the measured draw.
Bar wires
Section titled “Bar wires”| Wire | Function | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Mode 1 | Relay A pin 87 (fuse each bar) |
| White | Mode 2 (overrides Mode 1) | Relay B pin 87 (fuse each bar) |
| Blue (both bars joined) | Left arrow | LED Output 22: left-arrow and both-arrows keys |
| Green (both bars joined) | Right arrow | LED Output 23: right-arrow and both-arrows keys. Blue and green together = center out |
| Yellow (both bars joined) | Pattern / color step | LED Output 32: LEFT ALLEY key, momentary (under 1 s = color, 2 s = pattern) |
| Black | Ground | Bare chassis ground (frame rail or Ford ground point, never battery negative) |
- The yellow pattern step moves from a separate cab button to the LEFT ALLEY key on the control head.
- The arrow wires are now used, so the rockers join the arrow keys with the Color Flood bar. Rocker arrow behavior is marked “BENCH” in the plan.
- Status: bars and relays still to buy; nothing bench-tested or programmed.
Bench test
Section titled “Bench test”Measure the draw steady and flashing, size the fuse and wire, and practice the sync steps, all before mounting.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Off in slide position 3 | Relay coil not getting LED Output 3, pin 85 open, or a bar’s black not grounded |
| Won’t sync | Not both on steady burn before joining the yellows, yellows not joined, or not advanced twice for P1/P2 |
Open items
Section titled “Open items”- Buy both bars, the relay and the button.
- Measure each bar’s draw, then pick fuses and wire.
- Decide the five-modes option C: J1-7/J1-8 direct, or keep the relay.
- Pick the mounting method (O-brackets, tape or clips) on the truck.
Sources
Section titled “Sources”- UBL Tailgate Bar Instructions, version A.4 (SKU UBL-TGB)
- UBL listing for UBL-TGB-AW2
- F-150 project document, revision 10, sections 8, 8.2, 9.3 (R1 to R8) and 9.5
Changelog
Section titled “Changelog”Added the 31 October approved wiring: relay A (LED Output 3, Mode 1, slides 2-3) and relay B (J1 Output 7, Mode 2, slide 3), arrows on LED Outputs 22/23, pattern step on LED Output 32 (LEFT ALLEY). (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the 31 October wiring section.
Page published from the 23 October project files.
Rollback: Revert the commit that rebuilt the F-150 section.