Adding a 12V Power Point to the Bed of A 2019-2023 Ford Ranger

If your 2019-2023 Ford Ranger didn’t come with a 12V outlet (power point) in the bed you can easily add your own. The Ranger comes pre-wired with the harness attached to the driver’s side of the frame rail near the rear of the bed. The harness has a blank plug in the end of it since it’s not being used. If you want to add your own outlet you have two options:

1. Purchase the factory harness and outlet and add it yourself
2. Add an aftermarket outlet and harness.

Important Note: The truck is programmed to shut the power points off after 1 hour and 15 minutes (4,500 seconds). You can extend the time by using FORScan, but the Battery Monitoring System (BMS) may still turn it off sooner if it detects the battery getting low.

Finding The 12V Outlet Connector

Whether you use the factory parts or aftermarket components, you’ll need to first find the connector to get the power.

The harness connector is attached to the driver’s side frame rail just forward of the rear spring shackle. Ford calls this connector C474 CARGO BOX POWER POINT.

The connect has a blank plug stuck in it to protect it.

Below is a view of it so you can see it in relation to the rear spring shackle. In this photo I have removed the blank plug from it.

 

I don’t know what plug you would need if you wanted to make your own harness, but this is what the blank plug looks like:

 

People that add an aftermarket 12V outlet and make their own harness just tap into the wires going into the connector. The wires are:

• Red Wire = Positive
• Black/White Wire = Negative

Using Factory Hardware

Some dealers such as Levittown Ford have all the parts together in a kit under part number RNGRBEDOUTLET. Expect to pay around $120.00.

If your local dealer doesn’t have a ‘kit’, the parts you need are:

• KB3Z-14A411-A – Wire Assembly
• 7A2Z-19N236-A – Socket
• W505575-S307 (x4) – Screw
• W520801-S306 (x4) – Nut

You’ll have to drill some holes, but after that the outlet simply plugs into the harness at the frame and then bolts into place.

 

Adding An Aftermarket Outlet & Harness

Most people choose to add an aftermarket outlet. The outlet above belongs to Robert (Robbie) Mangrum (Robertmangrum.rm).

Robbie used 14-gauge wire and spliced them into the wires going into the connector for the Cargo Box Power Point.

• Red Wire = Positive
• Black/White Wire = Negative

He drilled a hole in the bed and mounted a Blue Sea Systems 12V Outlet and attached the wires to it. It’s really that simple. Robbie also used this power point to power auxiliary lighting under his bed rail and added an on-off switch next to the outlet. He added a fuse, but it’s really not necessary since this circuit already has its own fuse.

Fused Power

This power source is already fused by a 20-amp fuse in Position 17 in the fuse block under the hood.

Ford states “Do not use the power point over the vehicle capacity of 12-volt DC 180 watts or a fuse may blow.”

Think Outside The Box

Just because Ford installed the outlet down in the corner of the bed near the tailgate doesn’t mean that’s where you have to put yours. My 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 (TRS-3) did not come with an outlet, so I added one to the face of my toolbox. I didn’t like the idea of loading stuff into my bed and not being able to get to the outlet. I also liked the idea of having a 12V Outlet / USB Charging Port combination instead of just a plain outlet.

I purchased this 12V Outlet / USB Outlet / On-Off Switch Combination from Amazon for less than $15.00. The USB actually has dual 3.0 quick chargers, and the on-off switch allows me to turn the power off to the outlets when I’m not using them.

 

 

Above is a photo of the outlets installed. I used a Quick Disconnect from Amazon and mounted it to the bed so that I can unplug the power if I ever need to remove the toolbox.

Below you can see the quick disconnect. The wires pass through a rubber grommet and into the toolbox to power the outlets.

The other plug is actually a trailer plug. It powers the auxiliary lights and brake lights mounted to the rack on my truck. I used the trailer plug because it was a waterproof connection that allowed me to connect several wires with one plug. The plug allows me to unplug the lights from the truck so I can remove the rack if I need to.

Conclusion

Adding a 12-volt outlet to your bed is pretty simple. It also allows you to get creative and go beyond a simple outlet like Ford would have installed.

Good luck. If you add an outlet. please share your experience in our forum.