That's super nice of you. I'll be ready in a month or so. I'm just building the headache rack now, and not looking forward to cold weather wiring of the traffic director and strobes. Don't care about heat as much as not rolling around in the snow. Hate removing plastic parts like grills outside—something expensive always breaks. Will advise when I get closer.
Can’t remember if I asked- are you planning on using the upfitter switches or making a custom switch panel?
LOL. I've been telling my wife the reason cars have roofs is pure Darwinism. They evolved this way so they can be parked outside.
The traffic director I bought has its own control panel to set the left/right arrow, flash pattern, etc. It also has AUX and Cargo switches. So I won't use the upfitters for this application. Two strobes will go behind the front grill, and then one on each side of the traffic director bar. I designed it this way on purpose—rather than have a traffic director that spans the entire length of the headache rack top rail, it is a shorter 30" model and centered on the rack. Then I'll mount a smaller strobe on either side of the director. That's so when I carry flat bar, it can rest on either far side of the headache rack and get tied down without needing to rest on an expensive traffic director bar and risk damaging it. The controller will mount on the top of the dash if all goes according to plan. That way I can see it without needing to bend over and look under the dash.
You probably already have a plan for this, but you will want a separate ground for the headache rack. Unless you’re going to ground everything back inside the truck. The plastic bed rail caps don’t allow good ground contactThe traffic director I bought has its own control panel to set the left/right arrow, flash pattern, etc. It also has AUX and Cargo switches. So I won't use the upfitters for this application. Two strobes will go behind the front grill, and then one on each side of the traffic director bar. I designed it this way on purpose—rather than have a traffic director that spans the entire length of the headache rack top rail, it is a shorter 30" model and centered on the rack. Then I'll mount a smaller strobe on either side of the director. That's so when I carry flat bar, it can rest on either far side of the headache rack and get tied down without needing to rest on an expensive traffic director bar and risk damaging it. The controller will mount on the top of the dash if all goes according to plan. That way I can see it without needing to bend over and look under the dash.
But I do love those upfitters on the roof of the 2018....just not for this application.
The wires and cables will be inside the headache rack 2" tubing, so it's kind of fun planning its design with holes I can get a fish tape through. The last few racks I built just had wiring zip-tied to the outside of the tubing. Nothing wrong with that...they are OK, but I like the clean look of routing all the wiring inside the rack.
I love fabricating this kind of stuff
View attachment 11363
View attachment 11364
View attachment 11365
Sounds like the voice of experience. Good point. Thanks.
Very nice offer and much appreciated. I think I'm covered now between the U-Wrench solution and all the kind offers from forum members. Thanks
