Ragbagger’s 23 Sport S

[Ragbagger]

Last year my wife gave me a set of those RGB whip lights. I don’t run them often partly because I didn’t have a good way to mount them that didn’t interfere with my softtopper. And to be honest they are a bit silly. But with Halloween events and several parades we do coming up I decided I want to be able to run them at the events but have a quick way to remove them too.

I had some wire left over from another project, so I’ve run it from an aux switch for power to the bed. Wire is run along the top of the passenger side frame rail, entering the bed through a preexisting hole. I did add a grommet for chafe protection. This is just temporary, I think I’m going to reroute the wire and add a switch panel in the bed for charging USB devices/powering random whatever.

I already had some Teraflex mounts that attach to my trail rails, I’ve added the aluminum flat bar to them then “clamped” to the bed side under the Softtopper mounting track.

Ignore the flexible hose - that’s for a fog machine setup I’ve got running for Halloween.

I built up where the whips attach to hopefully keep the nuts and bolts well away from the bedside.

Mounts were rough sanded for adhesion, primed, painted with Rustoleum black enamel, and then coated in plastidip.

Total spent was $11 for the aluminum flat bar. Everything else I had laying around in my garage (Hence the mismatched fasteners).

Ending thoughts - I think if I were to make a V2 I’d use thinner aluminum and bend it to add strength and rigidity. But I’m not sure I’ll bother since they are only going to get used a handful of times each year.

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[Ragbagger]

I’ve ordered several things for my Gladiator that should start showing up today so a flurry of posts coming probably. While waiting, and since I have the grill off anyway for another project I removed and repainted the radiator support bars. Probably no once noticed except me, but the failing paint was bothering me.

Painted with Rustoleum flat black. I think a satin finish might look better, but maybe it will grow on me.

 

[Ragbagger]

Today I also installed a brush guard, bull bar - whatever you want to call it onto the MP Concepts bumper. I don’t like the color match, or lack thereof, but it’s one of the few I found that would fit this bumper since the mounting holes are slightly different than the MOPAR steel one it’s mimicing.

I also installed a set of XKGLOW RGBW Pre-runner lights. A little spendy, but already I love these things. Seem built well, the app is fairly intuitive and the leds are bright enough to show up in daylight. They are at 70% brightness in the below photo.

I’ve just got them wired to an aux switch for now but I’m going to change that up so they light up amber automatically when the parking lights come on but I can also still do all the fun RGB stuff at the shows, on jeep night, off-road, parades whatever.

 

[Ragbagger]

I worked today on idea I’ve had for a bit on adding power into the bed. I want it to be removable if needed and flexible for different scenarios. This is what I’ve come up with.

The box is Apache brand from Harbor Freight, I got it on sale.

I ordered the switch panel from Amazon, https://a.co/d/b3rjw8Z. 6 switches is more than I can ever see me using but it also has a 12V charging port (cigarette lighter style) as well as USB-A and USB C charging ports.

I also ordered a trolling motor quick disconnect https://a.co/d/eR9TReM. Power is currently run from an 40 amp aux switch, routed above the passenger side frame rail up between the cab and bed and in through one of the preexisting holes.

I cut a square in the box to recess the switch panel, then drilled holes for the quick disconnect mounting side, and an exit for cables to run out to whatever it is I’m powering. I forgot to order a bus bar for ground, so I made one out of some scraps I had laying around.

The box is mounted to the cargo rail using one of these T nuts: https://a.co/d/buAz4YQ. That works well, but the box is still flexing more than I would like. I need to revisit how I’m supporting it, clearly the aluminum flat bar I used isnt up to the task.

I still need to run the wires more appropriately and add some strain relief here and there - but it works. My thought is to eventually add a battery to the setup along with solar charging but that’s down the road.

 

[Ragbagger]

I bought the Quadratec Daytime Running Light DRL Adapter https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/daytime-running-lamp-adapter-wiring-harness-jeep-wrangler-jl and it came in yesterday, no pics.

Install should havre been easy but it was a total PITA. Not because of the adapter, but because it took an act of congress to get the fender DRL connection unplugged. Finally using a mix of a good cleaning with electronics cleaner and a small flat bladed screw driver to add some leverage to the clip I was able to get it undone.

(For my own future reference: Don’t go through the fender liner to get at it, look about 8 inches from the brake booster and use a trim tooil to pop the Christmas tree holder off the frame)

The XKGLOW Prerunner lights are now connected to that pigtail so they come on and automatically turn amber when the parking lights come on - I used the red sensor wire on the XKGLOW controller and renamed it parking. It overrides whatever default function I’ve set and that’s what I want the majority of the time.

 

[21Mojave24XR]

Looks like the build is coming along nicely. Before long the wife is going to want hers built to as mine did lol

 

[Ragbagger]

the wife is going to want hers built to as mine did lol

Man, I’m there with you. We lifted her Wrangler a little over a month ago, so she’s got me there.. I still think I’m the better off road driver but don’t tell her I said that.

 

[21Mojave24XR]

Man, I’m there with you. We lifted her Wrangler a little over a month ago, so she’s got me there.. I still think I’m the better off road driver but don’t tell her I said that.

Your secret is safe with me lol, after the Clayton lift my wife’s got the MetalCloak gc

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