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Cargo Lighting Ideas

NavyVet1959

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Thanks for that information. Appreciated.
One thing that I think I forgot to mention... Not all of those 1W, 5W, and 10W LED COBs are expecting the same voltage, so pay attention to the eBay ad to see what they are expecting with respect to current and voltage. Just having the right voltage is not good enough if you are providing too much current. That's the function of adding a current limiting resistor in series with the device.
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Rumblefish

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Here is a video about DIY LED strip lights.
 

NavyVet1959

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Here is a video about DIY LED strip lights.
If you cut the strip anywhere other than the solder points, you are not going to be able to light the orphaned LEDs. If you look closely at what he did, you'll see that there is at least 1 LED on one end and it looked like 2 LEDs on the other end that are not lit because of this. If you cut it right on the line that goes through the solder points and this use a razor blade to strip off the silicone, you have a full length of strip that will light. I would not recommend melting the silicone with a soldering iron like he did here since it just contaminates the solder joint. I would also put a dab of hot melt glue over the solder joints as a bit of added electrical insulation. I have also found that a good pair of scissors works better (i.e. makes a cleaner and more accurate cut) for cutting the LED strip than a pair of side cutters.
 

Ntegtmeyer

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Does anyone know if the 4 door JLs have an existing plug somewhere behind the plastic panel for the cargo light on the left side found in the back of the 2 door JLs?
 

James_a

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I'm hoping someone here can help me with wiring an led strip for cargo lighting in my JLUR.

I purchased an led kit off of amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYHHKPS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As well as "tap it" connectors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MPW54G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I plan to tap into the 12v power supply on the driver side cargo area. The idea is to Tap the hotline and run it to a switch I picked up at O'Reilly's:
https://bit.ly/2UdnTox

Then tap the Negative wire from the power supply and run it directly to the light.

The light would be installed on the hardtop towards the back and not on the window glass. This is the reason why I went with the LED strip instead of the Brawlee light.

Now here is where I'm having issues...The wire for the LED light is 22awg, I haven't pulled the panels yet but I assume the wire for the power port is a larger gauge, if anyone knows the gauge I would appreciate the info. Is it okay/safe to tap the 22gauge negative wire for the light directly to the negative wire to the power port?

Also when tapping the positive line from the power port can I tap it with the 22gauge wire then run that wire to the switch and out to the light? Or do i need to tap the positive line with the same gauge wire (as the power port) running that to an in-line fuse then connect the 22 gauge wire from the fuse to the switch and out to the light? If the second what type of fuse would be needed to allow me to step down the gauge of wire from input to output?

Also does anyone see an issue with the switch I selected or the "tap-it connectors? I chose the "tap-it" connectors because I wasn't sure I wanted to solder the wires because I'm unsure if the setup would work out and i thought the clamp style quick splice connectors could do more damage to the wires if I decided to remove them.

I know I have a lot of question here and I'm asking for a lot of info but I'm a bit lost. The lights had basically no instructions and no one could help at autozone or O'Reilly's... I've read threads here about tapping into the wiring for lights but no real detail on how the tap was performed such as the need for a fuse or the issue with different wire gauges.

On a side note I do a lot electrical work on homes just not on vehicles.

Any help would be very appreciated.
 

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James_a

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I did it it from scratch HERE
That looks great.

I haven't worked with LED strips before so I went with the prebuilt approach which already had a disconnect for when I remove the hard top.

Only problem is that while it came with wiring to tap into a power supply there were no instructions/recommendations for performing the tap a problem since the wiring in the kit is only 22awg and I'm trying to tap the power port.

If you have any advice/recommendations I would appreciate it.
 

blessidsoul12

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MVIMG_20180923_200613.jpg

Strip LEDs from WalMart. Trailer hitch plug in for now, but plan to put 12V adapter on for the port in the back. Then need to splice in quick-connect for when I take the top off.
 

SeanD

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Get a Brawlee tailgate LED lightbar on Amazon ($60 and they have versions for both the JK and the JL) and hardwire it into your dome light on the passenger side (JK version works for this fitment on the JL), or get the JL-specific version and you can hardwire it into the 12v accessory port on the driver side and add a switch. I have both installed - JK version in the top corner of my hardtop which lights the cargo area really well, as well as the JL installed on the glass in the intended location - great for additional on-demand light when camping. Super easy, very finished look, inexpensive and effective.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/tailgate-brawlee-led-light.12969/

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James_a

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Get a Brawlee tailgate LED lightbar on Amazon ($60 and they have versions for both the JK and the JL) and hardwire it into your dome light on the passenger side (JK version works for this fitment on the JL), or get the JL-specific version and you can hardwire it into the 12v accessory port on the driver side and add a switch. I have both installed - JK version in the top corner of my hardtop which lights the cargo area really well, as well as the JL installed on the glass in the intended location - great for additional on-demand light when camping. Super easy, very finished look, inexpensive and effective.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/tailgate-brawlee-led-light.12969/

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Your making me reconsider my purchase lol. I plan on doing exactly what you did on the inside. I didn't want a light on the glass itself because I didn't want a light that would light up an entire campsite while people are sleeping.

I would be wiring it to the 12v accessory port for the always on option. Is there a reason why you have the JK version on the inside other than for wiring it into the dome light or will the JL version work for both inside and on the glass when wiring to the accessory post?

And two more question since I see you have taped the 12 volt accessory port. Did you need to add an in-line fuse for the positive line between the tap and the switch and are there any specific requirements for the switch e.g. AMP rating.

I appreciate your input.
 

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SeanD

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Your making me reconsider my purchase lol. I plan on doing exactly what you did on the inside. I didn't want a light on the glass itself because I didn't want a light that would light up an entire campsite while people are sleeping.

I would be wiring it to the 12v accessory port for the always on option. Is there a reason why you have the JK version on the inside other than for wiring it into the dome light or will the JL version work for both inside and on the glass when wiring to the accessory post?

And two more question since I see you have taped the 12 volt accessory port. Did you need to add an in-line fuse for the positive line between the tap and the switch and are there any specific requirements for the switch e.g. AMP rating.

I appreciate your input.
I imagine the JL version will work just fine on the inside with the wiring to the driver’s side. The back story is I originally bought the JK version for the glass but wanted to wire it to the driver’s side like many others. The lights are designed with a specific curve to fit the glass, and the JK version was made with the wiring to the passenger side. If you flip it to have the wire go to the driver’s side, the curve doesn’t match and it doesn’t mount flush to the glass. I had contacted Brawlee about this and my desired wiring, and they were kind enough to send me the new JL version for free (nice customer service). So I was left with one of each, and decided to put the JK inside tapped into the dome light on the passenger side for cargo (it also fades out with the dome light when you close the doors). I may be the only one that has mounted it this way, but it works super well. Oh, the lights also come with a remote and you can make it dim or bright or anywhere inbetween. Very handy when camping and trying not to disturb your neighbors!

I’m not a wiring expert, but I didn’t need to add a fuse between the tap and the switch. If you follow the thread I linked, there are wiring instructions that another member provided, and that’s what I followed. I’ve not had any problems. The LED light draws very little power. You can pretty much use any LED switch - several are linked in the thread. The tricky part is finding a convenient location to mount it. I bought my switch on Amazon for <$10, along with a convenient wiring pigtail.

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James_a

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Thank you so much for the info.

My main concern was tapping a larger gauge wire (the power ports supply) with a thinner gauge. My setup requires me to run my wires down the drivers side so tapping the dome lite looks to be out, since access to the dome wires are on the passenger side, requiring me to tap the power port. This is because I'm installing a Diabolical Slipstream cargo unit which completely seals the deck except for a pass-through on the driver side.

I'm still going to try tapping the dome light possibly at the light itself but if I do have to tap the power port your answer puts my mind at ease. Thanks!

I plan on putting my light in the cargo area because I wanted to limit the light to the cargo area as much as possible. I'm trying to minimize light pollution when I'm out camping particularly when people are sleeping lol.
 

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Any one do anything with the soft tops? Not sure where i would even put the lights for a soft top LED strip install.
 

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Any one do anything with the soft tops? Not sure where i would even put the lights for a soft top LED strip install.
Haven't looked into it but maybe two small LED strips on the back of the left and right roll bar with wire running through the roll bar panels and taped into the dome light...
 

SmoothJeepOperator

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Haven't looked into it but maybe two small LED strips on the back of the left and right roll bar with wire running through the roll bar panels and taped into the dome light...
Yea i was thinking about using the roll bars. could def use some light back there. I have LEDs hooked up for my side steps, i could just tap into that I'm thinking (if i can find an easy way from the cargo area to the outside of the vehicle) something to think about.
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