Finally got them installed

[stiles watson]

Upfitter switches. Gottum installed. Retrofitted since they weren't included on my truck. Bruce Lenhardt helped me get them installed (actually he did all the work because I can't seem to contort my body like that any more). Hooked my Pressure Pro and CB radio to them. Will soon wire up an inverter to the switches.

I called Garmin about hard wiring the GPS cradle to the switches and was told them do not recommend doing so. I don't know why, but I didn't argue.

The whole purpose was to get all those wire tucked away neatly and stop looking like an electrical spider web in the cab. It is pleasant not to have all those wires hanging everywhere. If I can figure a way to wire up the Garmin Nuvi, all the extra wire will be gone.

[mtmy2k2]

Stiles, whats the chance of getting a before and after picture?

Thanks, Steve

[stiles watson]

Well, "before" is no more. In the before, I had my Pressure Pro plugged into the cigarette lighter and the GPS plugged into the other dash power take off. The CB radio was plugged into a power take off in the back seat. Wires all over the place.

The "after" is a clean cab without wires. The upfitter switches are mounted in the dash and are OEM equipment on many 2008 Ford trucks, especially the Lariat and King Ranch editions. I just added them to mine. We popped out a coin holder from the dash and replaced it with the switches and ran the wiring harness under the dash, out of sight.

[Ozzie]

Stiles...regarding the Nuvi mount.
I put my mount above the rear view mirror, fed the power line under the headliner and down under the post to get under the dash. I added an extension to the power line with a switch from Radio Shack that plugs into a lighter socket. This gives me my switchable source without even touching the Nuvi. You cannot see it from outside the truck as it is tucked up behind the window tinting, but if I'm parking, I simply disconnect the Nuvi from the cradle and get it out of view.
No wires in view at all other than the switch...nice and clean.
I suppose you could use a different switchable source too...no idea why Garmin thought using those upfitters were not a good idea.
I suppose the stock line has a resistor in it?

[Waynem]

Stiles,
You can still use the stock line for the Nuvi. Go to Radio Shack and buy an inexpensive Cig Lighter adapter and cut the wires. Hard wire that into the Upfitters and plug the Nuvi into it under the dash out of site. You should be able to route the Nuvi wire, little end, up from under the dash.

[stiles watson]

Great ideas, guys. I didn't think about using a 12 volt female plug to the upfitter switch. With that idea, routing the wires is a piece of cake.

By-the-way, one reason Garmin doesn't want you to cut the wire off the 12 volt plug is because there is a circuit board/radio receiver in the plug. If you subscribe to some of their transmitted services, that's how it comes in.

Thanks, you guys (or ya'll as we say in Texas) have given me a great solution.