Jeep JK Cargo Area Light
 

Jeep JK unfortunately lacks proper lighting in the rear cargo area. Many Wrangler owners probably experienced a situation when they were loading or unloading their Jeep after dark and could not see anything in the cargo area behind the back seats.
The interior dome light in a Jeep Wrangler JK is very weak and does not provide sufficient light for the cargo area, especially in a 2 door JK. With the rear lift gate open for extended period of time, dome light turns off after maximum of 10 minutes, unless you set the interior lights to “always on” on the multi-function switch/lever by the steering wheel. This timer is logical for courtesy lights, however it is impractical for overlanding or camping, when you might need to open the back of the Jeep multiple times while the engine is off, and leave the liftgate open for more than few minutes.

There are several products available on the market, which try to solve this problem.
Being more of a DIY person, I wanted to create my own custom solution, which would seamlessly integrate with my Jeep and look like it was there all along.
Inspired by the available products, I decided to combine some of the features together and install my own version of the cargo area light. One that would be integrated into the wiper motor cover and hidden as much as possible, provide just the right amount of light for either the rear of the Jeep OR the interior of the cargo area, and be hardwired to the constant power from the Jeep’s battery, thru the rear power outlet wiring, allowing me to switch it on & off at any time while the Jeep is parked and the engine is off.

This write-up describes a step by step fabrication and installation of a Jeep Wrangler JK cargo area light, however some of the details might apply only to my Jeep’s model year and trim level. If you own a different model year JK, you are welcome to follow all or most of the steps described below, or adjust anything you find necessary. Use this post as an inspiration for your own cargo area light solution.

There are too many steps and pictures to paste here. You can find full write-up in the post on my site:
https://azoffroading.com/blog/jeep-wrangler-jk-cargo-area-light/

Here are few pictures giving you the idea of the project:


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...a65dee1574.jpg
The finished product - LED light installed inside the rear wiper motor cover.


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Parts necessary for the project.


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"Modified" rear wiper motor cover.


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The ultimate goal - rear cargo area and tailgate lighting.

Man, that's ingenious, and I hate to rain on your parade, but the Brawley solution is almost perfect. It places the light higher up overhead, and is a long strip, so reduces harsh shadows typical of point light sources. It comes with various hookup provisions, none of which I like, though. So, I made my own harness, threw away the remote control and dimmer hardware, and inserted an inline lamp cord switch to power it on/off.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...04f1e93e88.jpg

Here's a video with more details (29:14 if not forwarded) ...

I agree, Brawlee has a product that is almost perfect. Almost. There are still some elements that might not work for everybody. As you said, some modifications were in order.
For me, and I know this might sound like a contradiction, Brawlee strip is a bit too bright and intense, and I personally do not like that kind of cold white light. Also I didn't like the way the cord is exposed. I realize I am being picky here.
As for the issue of shadows, that's the reason I placed two lights inside the wiper motor cover. One facing outward (the puck light) and one facing towards the inside of the cargo area (strip with 6 led's). The on/off/on switch allows me to control which light I turn on.

We all like to customize our Jeeps the way we prefer, so the intention of my write-up is to hopefully inspire other Jeepers to build their own solution for the cargo area light. Even if the only thing they use is the routing of the cables, I will be happy with that!


Great video, I really enjoyed it. Thank you.