115V Plug Install in the JT's Bed?

[ShadowsPapa]

I don’t like having all the accessories hooked to the battery terminals either but did have to make a few exceptions:
1) My winch, which does have a solenoid interrupting power
2) My air compressor, which does have a solenoid interrupting power
3) My DC-DC charger, which is really the only major power running front to back and I purposely oversized that run for a better margin of error. It is fused and I recognize a risk there.

This - ^^^^^
#3 is another way to go if you really need to have power back there, unswitched.
Oversize the wire, match the fuse to a smaller gauge wire.
If 10 is adequate, fuse for 10 but use 8, just for example.

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[Blitzinger]

It's not a "predicament" - it's just something I prefer to minimize - live power running along the length of the vehicle when the vehicle is off or not being driven (or even when it is to some degree)
The switch is in the panel in the rear.
The wire from battery to that panel at the right rear corner of the truck is hot - live.
When the REAR switch in that panel is off, there's no power TO that outlet, but still power to the switch clear in the back.
Yes, there's a fuse - but have you ever seen melted wires when someone inadvertently misconnects the trailer plug? I have - hot enough to melt other wires and ruin a harness, but not enough to kick the fuse.
Yes, the fuse should blow should that wire be pinched, crushed, chewed on, chafed, or come in contact with other things it shouldn't contact........ but......
That switch back there is convenient, yeah, but honestly serves little practical purpose other than shutting off the USB and 12v outlet - the wire running 16 feet from battery to that cheap switch back there is hot, battery level hot.
Hope the fuse blows and all is well........ but I just prefer it not be live. Hate to come home and find a damned chipmunk or mouse has chewed things and that wire ends up melting all the way back up to the fuse.
I don't like live wires running 16' the length of the truck if I can kill power so easily using a switch up front - like the aux switch. That switch being off I have no worries about trouble or a fuse not blowing for some dumb reason.
I also turn off the breakers (in my shop) that feed my welder, powder coating oven and certain other things when not in use.
I have also recently replaced a GFI outlet in the bathroom when my wife plugged in a low draw device and the thing started to sizzle and she saw smoke coming out from around the outlet plate and the area became scorched.
I have seen a UL certified EXIT sign in a care facility catch fire and smoke up an entire wing of that facility.
Ironic, eh? The very thing to help guide you out of a building in emergency WAS the emergency.

Call me paranoid if you want (but there really IS someone following me) but I prefer one extra step when dealing with things like this.
One extra switch up front is no big deal and gives me just a tiny bit of peace of mind.
Besides, I hate hanging accessories off battery terminals. Drives me nuts. HIGH current things, yeah, but even then, I used my winch solenoid to act as a terminal block for power for my snow plow to remove one extra cable from the battery.
The aux switch wires were right there, handled by relays and fuses. So the connection was extremely simple, especially because I have a nice terminal block up there so I could simply slip a terminal under a screw and tighten it - all done.

My 4 aux switches terminals are lower left - I simply run wire from whatever to whichever aux switch I want to use.

Fair - but is your concern any bed power? That is to say if I got an outlet in the bed from the factory, would that be as much of a concern or do they wire it differently? Genuinely curious as I’m very new to this.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Fair - but is your concern any bed power? That is to say if I got an outlet in the bed from the factory, would that be as much of a concern or do they wire it differently? Genuinely curious as I’m very new to this.

There's a dash switch in that case. No power unless that's on

 

[Blitzinger]

There's a dash switch in that case. No power unless that's on

Really? Is there a pic of this?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Really? Is there a pic of this?

It's in the owner manual.
There's probably pictures out there.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Really? Is there a pic of this?

Part of the problem for those trying to add the bed outlet afterwards, is the harness to connect the switch is missing.

 

[Blitzinger]

Part of the problem for those trying to add the bed outlet afterwards, is the harness to connect the switch is missing.

Oh wow that’s a completely diff molding. Weird they did that. Thanks for the pic!
Are we saying it would be safer to run to an Aux switch or that it’s best to just not have power back there?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Oh wow that’s a completely diff molding. Weird they did that.

Why is it weird they did that? It's a built-in switch to control a built-in inverter that supplies 110 volt AC power to the rear truck bed outlet. it's right where the bed light switch is, etc. so makes sense that's where it would be placed.
That also makes sense as that's where the Wrangler 4xe powertrain control buttons are, so they simply used the same bezel type for both. Smart.

Are we saying it would be safer to run to an Aux switch or that it’s best to just not have power back there?

First - you seem to flip-flop a lot on "power back there". Do you even have a need defined yet? Doesn't sound like it. I posted information about running 12 volt DC battery power back there.
The pic above is for the inverter, which is 110 volt AC power - like a house outlet.
That's not for 12 volt DC power like I was talking about.
So you need to define a need. Sounds like you haven't even decided if you need power back there, let alone what type.

* Do you even need power of any sort back there?
If so -
* Do you need AC power back there?
* Or, do you need 12 volt DC battery power?

As far as what's safer - my observations about this conversation would suggest these steps:

1. Decide what you need first - do you need 110 volt AC outlet power (only 400 watts max) or would you be better served by 12 volt DC battery power? (the switch above is ONLY for the 110 volt AC inverter - not 12 volt DC power)

2. Once you finally settle on if you even need power back there, and what for to begin with, and decided which type of power - 110 volts AC power outlet, or 12 volt DC battery power, take it to a qualified automotive electrician with experience in such things and tell them what type of power you want back there and leave the truck with them.

 

[Blitzinger]

Why is it weird they did that? It's a built-in switch to control a built-in inverter that supplies 110 volt AC power to the rear truck bed outlet. it's right where the bed light switch is, etc. so makes sense that's where it would be placed.
That also makes sense as that's where the Wrangler 4xe powertrain control buttons are, so they simply used the same bezel type for both. Smart.


First - you seem to flip-flop a lot on "power back there". Do you even have a need defined yet? Doesn't sound like it. I posted information about running 12 volt DC battery power back there.
The pic above is for the inverter, which is 110 volt AC power - like a house outlet.
That's not for 12 volt DC power like I was talking about.
So you need to define a need. Sounds like you haven't even decided if you need power back there, let alone what type.

* Do you even need power of any sort back there?
If so -
* Do you need AC power back there?
* Or, do you need 12 volt DC battery power?

As far as what's safer - my observations about this conversation would suggest these steps:

1. Decide what you need first - do you need 110 volt AC outlet power (only 400 watts max) or would you be better served by 12 volt DC battery power? (the switch above is ONLY for the 110 volt AC inverter - not 12 volt DC power)

2. Once you finally settle on if you even need power back there, and what for to begin with, and decided which type of power - 110 volts AC power outlet, or 12 volt DC battery power, take it to a qualified automotive electrician with experience in such things and tell them what type of power you want back there and leave the truck with them.

the weird part is that usually if you don’t have that option (switch for power in the back) you would have a spot to insert that later. For example, my rubicon didn’t come with Aux switches but it had an empty slot for adding it later - same as power cutout in the bed. Same as the ac plug in back seat (although mine came with it).My rubicon doesn’t have the same mold as pictured so I couldn’t add an oem solution if I wanted to.

I already routed power to the bed to supply my fridge going point to point. Also for powering the Ecoflow battery if needed when not much sun (granted the car has to be on so I don’t drain my battery)

 

[NHyde]

No, there is not. You need to run a power line back there.
You'd feed the line from either an aux switch, or a connection to a constant battery source, and put a fuse in close to the power source (meaning up front) that is sized for the current the wire can handle.
If the wire can handle 40 amps, you should fuse no more than about 35 amps, just for a very rough example.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ning-no-politics.23705/page-1343#post-1016912

I bought the 12v outlet and USB charge ports as part of a package from Amazon but for me their plate/bezel had things spaced too far apart and would mean cutting more into the truck bed side to get things in place.

The panel and outlets - I used only the outlets and the switch and volt meter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JHH5YP4

I have used it for in the truck camping - I charge my phone, hearing aids (USB) and can charge other things besides that.
I ran it through an aux switch so that I could cut power to the rear and not have a live wire the whole time I'm driving. I know the trailer plug has a constant 12v feed, but I didn't want yet another hot thing going back there (unless she was........ oh, never mind)

What wiring did you end up using?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My rubicon doesn’t have the same mold as pictured so I couldn’t add an oem solution if I wanted to.

Yeah, you could - buy that part.

For example, my rubicon didn’t come with Aux switches but it had an empty slot for adding it later

That spot is just where they found a place for those switches - otherwise it's a "cubby".
With the inverter switch, you get the switch and bezel. No big deal, swap a small part.

Also remember - the spot in the bed and the inverter switch is part of a factory option package.
For those of us who are instead going with 12 volts, of course there's not going to be any provisions for a switch because we are deviating from the factory options and going our own way, we just happened to hijack the bed 110 volt outlet location for our 12 volt power - otherwise, guess we'd be drilling holes.

Don't mix up the factory option bit vs those of us who hijack those areas for our own thing.

As far as switch location - why would there be anything from Jeep or a spot because adding 12 volt power back there isn't a factory option, it's our own thing.
The switch for the inverter -yes, they did provide for that - get the switch and bezel for the rear inverter outlet if you want inverter power back there.

Don't make it complex - it's really simple - factory options and parts for same vs our own thing using our own ideas and parts.
If I didn't have aux switches to manage the 12 volt DC power to the back, I'd probably locate a switch up front somewhere - I'd get creative, maybe even put it under the hood.

 

[DanW]

No, there is not. You need to run a power line back there.
You'd feed the line from either an aux switch, or a connection to a constant battery source, and put a fuse in close to the power source (meaning up front) that is sized for the current the wire can handle.
If the wire can handle 40 amps, you should fuse no more than about 35 amps, just for a very rough example.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ning-no-politics.23705/page-1343#post-1016912

I bought the 12v outlet and USB charge ports as part of a package from Amazon but for me their plate/bezel had things spaced too far apart and would mean cutting more into the truck bed side to get things in place.

The panel and outlets - I used only the outlets and the switch and volt meter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JHH5YP4

I have used it for in the truck camping - I charge my phone, hearing aids (USB) and can charge other things besides that.
I ran it through an aux switch so that I could cut power to the rear and not have a live wire the whole time I'm driving. I know the trailer plug has a constant 12v feed, but I didn't want yet another hot thing going back there (unless she was........ oh, never mind)

What guage of wire did you use to run from the Aux. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What guage of wire did you use to run from the Aux. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

I ran 10 gauge, the weak point them becomes the cheap switch back there and the 12v outlet.
For my light load I could have done 12 gauge. The cooler only draws 5 amps and I can't ever see using more than 10 back there.
Make sure to switch the fuse for the aux switch if you use one of the higher amperage switches. .

 

[MWarren]

Thank you everyone for sharing your examples!

 

[DanW]

Thank you everyone for sharing your examples!

Nice! What is the box you used for it and how did you secure it?

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