I personally couldn't find a good power source in that hatch but that doesn't mean one isn't there (or ground) and ran both directly off my 2nd batt, up behind the paneling in the back, through the little rubber hose to the hatch... It wasn't hard, but a bit tedious.
Rear Hatch-Aux/Camp Light (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter mpho
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Got it thanks Mogwai!
There is not an appropriate power source imo within the door. We bring the power into the door through the stock wiring loom setup and hard wire it, generally at the same time we add power outlets, etc to the rear cargo area.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Just to add to that...
My hatch lights run to the fuse box that also connects various full-time outlets to the rear.
But... It’s actually pretty simple to run a positive wire all the way back from either battery side...through the firewall. If you hate fighting with the door pillar pass-through (between 1st & 2nd row), you can just run up and along the headliner...then into the rubber tube that feeds into the hatch at the top/center under the edge of the headliner.
Just remember to add a fuse near the battery...which can even be just a standard fuse with slip-over connects in the pos. line connected directly to the fuse.
No need for a Blue Sea fuse box if you don’t plan on multiple installs back there.
If running off your main battery, all you need is a single, fused positive, and a shorter neg wire grounded somewhere in the rear.
Last edited:
To piggyback on what Mark said, if you're even remotely thinking of adding a fridge, inverter, more lights, ect... It may be a good idea to run a proper gauge wire into a fuse panel in the rear. The tire jack area is perfect for this. This way you'll only have to run a power wire once and can feed all your bits off of that wire. If not, disregard. 
Overland Tailor
Boltripper
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2012
- Threads
- 81
- Messages
- 1,142
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
- Website
- www.overlandtailor.com
As Markuson and Tony P said, if you are planning, now is the time. This is dedicated from my second battery system and runs all my aux lighting / USB / Fridge and such. Provides plenty of ability to add additional when you need it.
Albeit in an 80 rear quarter, the plan would be the same in the 200.
What you don't see is a bank of relays behind the sub and inverter mount. I like to run anything that pulls some juice via relays.
Cheers,
John
Albeit in an 80 rear quarter, the plan would be the same in the 200.
What you don't see is a bank of relays behind the sub and inverter mount. I like to run anything that pulls some juice via relays.
Cheers,
John
Last edited:
Hi all, thanks for the helpful info on this thread; really appreciate. I ordered the National Luna touch light to install in the rear hatch. I'd like to order a couple camp lights to install off the rear bumper. Based on @TonyP's great suggestion the Rigid SR-Q seems like the one to get. Curious since this thread is a little older if there's anything newer out that should be considered, otherwise I'll order a pair of the SR-Qs and find a way to attach to the bumper on a pole.
The Baja Designs S2 in flood/scene/work pattern look pretty nice as well. They might be worth checking out.
Markuson
SILVER Star
These cost a grand total of $28 for two, long, diffused, rotatable, hidden, Factory-looking, switched, full-time lights...
Notice there is no bright direct source glaring in the eyes...because it’s shielded by the rear window sill.
These are the same units @Mogwai referenced...also on my rig:
Check out before and after lighting in complete darkness:
Notice there is no bright direct source glaring in the eyes...because it’s shielded by the rear window sill.
These are the same units @Mogwai referenced...also on my rig:
Check out before and after lighting in complete darkness:
This has worked for me:
forum.ih8mud.com
Another Cargo Area Lighting Solution
There are many excellent cargo area lighting solutions on the forum but being a bit of a flashaholic I wanted to go another route. Also, I’m still averse to drilling holes into any large, difficult to replace panels. So, here is what I came up with: I had a small (1.875”) polymer Picatinny rail...
forum.ih8mud.com
If you have a Frys near you, go check out what they have. I was in there a couple weeks ago and they have a ton of LED light options, the touch ones, different colors, flat, round, short, long, you name it. Was in there for something else so I didn't really investigate but took mental note.
Do you have to pull that panel off to access the fuse block?As Markuson and Tony P said, if you are planning, now is the time. This is dedicated from my second battery system and runs all my aux lighting / USB / Fridge and such. Provides plenty of ability to add additional when you need it.
Albeit in an 80 rear quarter, the plan would be the same in the 200.
What you don't see is a bank of relays behind the sub and inverter mount. I like to run anything that pulls some juice via relays.
Cheers,
John
Overland Tailor
Boltripper
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2012
- Threads
- 81
- Messages
- 1,142
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
- Website
- www.overlandtailor.com
No, the 80 series has an access panel right over top of the fuse panel.
Best,
John
Best,
John
Ah that makes sense. Thought there was some 200 out there with a different setup and access there I didn't know about.
Here's my cheap Fry's special hatch light
RET2
SILVER Star
Now thats a very innovative idea
Plus you just wear the headband (I mean it's almost like we're back in the 80s anyway right?!?) and slip the light on for hands free. I know there were lots of flashlight solutions but I'm partial to the headlamp to free the hands.
Fry's has it on sale all the time with promo code. It was $8, I bought 4 of them few months back, and ATM have no idea where the other 3 unopened ones are.
