As a Jeep Wrangler owner, one of the first things you discover when camping in the middle of no-where is that the interior lights of the Wrangler do not provide adequate lighting to the rear exterior of the vehicle. While trying to prepare dinner on a dimly lit tailgate during my first few camping trips, I quickly realized that I needed a lighting solution that covered the cargo hold and tailgate of the jeep.
After researching multiple install options and lighting products, I selected the National Luna 21 LED Light (hard mount style) as my light of choice. The light output is very crisp and comes in two settings: Low at 70 lumens, High at 480 lumens. The functionality of the light is very efficient with just a simple “switch” with three positions-off, low, & high.
For the installation, I utilized 3M Indoor/Outdoor Mounting Tape and placed the light on-center along the bottom edge of the hardtop’s back window. I recommend this placement for several reasons:
- The light casing does not impede rear visibility while driving
- When the window is extended up, the position of the light casts a 360 degree spread and covers a greater area than mounting within the rear cargo area
To connect power for the light, I ran my wiring along the edge of the glass and used automotive weather stripping to encase the wires, giving a nice, clean installation. I continued the wiring into the hard-top through the rear defrost access, this is where things became a bit tricky. I wanted to have a constant power source for the light and the best option I could find was to tap into the rear 12v DC power socket next to the rear subwoofer. I ended up drilling a nickel size hole near the base of the hard-top and fished the wires down through the interior wall (this took a number of attempts, you need to be patient and have a few beers on hand). Once I was able to navigate the wires through the access point, I finished it off with a rubber gasket and connected the wires to the power source using a standard wiring harness plug so I can remove the Hardtop with ease.
Overall, this light performs very well and I’ve received a lot of compliments on its installation and capability. National Luna also produces a Clip-On LED solution for more modular requirements (connecting to awnings, other locations around camp, or the vehicle). If you’re looking for a simple lighting modification on a budget (less than $100), you won’t be disappointed with adding this product to your overland rig.
Jason, can I assume your 4 photos after installation represent the National Luna LED Light at high (480 lumens)? Do you have a photograph showcasing the low setting?
Jason Shipley, yes after going through the photos, it looks as if the only photos posted were on “High” vs “low” Probably was done intentionally as the “high” output provided a better photo. I’ll see if I can get a “low” photo posted for article.