Rear 12vdc power outlets

Part #:

I needed some additional 12vdc outlets in the back of the Jeep to run things like DVD players, and other games for the kids. I even put a GPS back there so that the kids could see where we were and how far we had to go. They could now figure it out themselves. No it didn't cut down the "Are we there yet's" by much. I have the Tuffy box in the back so it makes a perfect platform to sit all sorts of things on, even the portable TV when you are out camping. I knew I needed to put 2 outlets back there, so I looked around at the auto stores for a good 12vdc outlet, but couldn't find anything that really provided what I wanted. I had already run into the problem of needing more than 1 outlet and I really didn't want to buy 2 assemblies and wire them in. Of course hindsite is 20/20. Now that I have this installed I realize that I probably should have ran an outlet to each side in the back. I was in the local marine store looking for some other items that I needed for a project at work, when I thought about this again and looked at the 12vdc outlets that they had. The did have a waterproof dual outlet part that looked pretty good and would be fairly easy to install in the back. So out the door it went. I have the Tuffy Security trunk in the rear of my JK, so mounting the outlets to the side plate on it was fairly easy. You may be able to install single outlets into the side of the center console in the rear, but I haven't researched if there is enough room with the Tuffy Insert installed.

Additional Parts:
12 gauge black wire
12 gauge red wire
Heatshrink female spade terminals
Marine 12vdc dual outlet

Tools Needed:
Drill
Phillips screwdriver
Electrical connector crimper
Wire Cutter
Wire stripper
Heat Gun

Parts:
Here are the parts that you will be using			12 Gauge Wire (Red and Black)

Installation:
Disassemble the Marine 12vdc outlet, you will be using the housing as a template to mark where you are going to drill your holes.		Remove from Package	Unscrew retaining Ring
	Remove Rubber seal	Remove Outlet from houseing
Mark where you are going to position your outlet. Ensure that you will have enough room behind or below it to allow for the outlets to be installed along with the wiring.
Drill and grind out your holes for your outlets. Check to make sure that your holes are large enough to accept the outlets.
Reassemble your Marine 12vdc outlet. I would recommend keeping the + and - terminals aligned with each other to aid in connecting the terminals. Test fit the outlet into the holes you drilled, check below or behind it to ensure that you still have enough room for the electrical wiring.
The Lock rings will go on after you insert the outlet into the metal platform in this case.
Drill the holes to mount the plate. I used some self tapping screws that were the same size as the bevel head screws that came with the outlet.
Remove the outlet so that you can build the wiring harness.
Building the wiring harness is fairly simple. You will need the 12 gauge wire and the terminal ends.			12 Gauge Wire (Red and Black)
Strip the ends off of the wires and install the female spade connectors on the end of each. Crimp the terminal and seal the heat shrink with the heat gun.
Now install these on one of the 12vdc outlets and loop the wire around to the next. This will give you the length you need for the next step.
Cut the wire and strip the ends off of each side. You will now have 2 wires each. One will be short and have a terminal on one end and the other should still be attached to the spool or long enough to reach where you are going to connect it.
Twist the wire ends together and insert them into another female spade terminal. Crimp the terminal and seal the heat shrink with the heat gun.
Reinstall the 12vdc outlet.
Connect the electrical harness to the 12vdc outlets. Ensure that the red goes to the + terminals and the Black to the - terminals.
I made up a length of about 30 feet originally, since I was going to go all the way to my sPOD under the hood so I would have control of the outlets, but soon realized that I wouldn't need to do that. If you wish to run it all the way under the hood here is how I did it originally.
Remove the molding from below the door by removing the push fasteners that hold it down.
Run the wire down along the rear door and underneath the B-pillar molding.
Run the wire along the bottom of the front door. As you can see the factory didn't install my satellite antenna cable very well, it didn't line up with the hold downs and was just laying there.
Remove the side panel from the dash. This will expose a foam filled hole that will allow you to run a cable into the engine compartment along side the hood.
Poke a hole in the foam with a long screwdriver.
Push the wire through the foam and into the engine compartment
Run the wires along the back of the engine compartment over to the sPOD, or battery. Trim the ends and connect.
Install a 15amp inline fuse on your red power lead to prevent the outlets from overloading. This will protect your wiring and your outlets.

I have a 1200watt power inverter installed near the 12vdc outlets and I ran my wires to the power leads on the inverter.

N-m	Ft. Lbs.	In. Lbs.

This page last updated: 04-Mar-2020

Content and Design © 2002-present WanderingTrail, Ronald Seegert
Common Sense and Safety should always be observed when working on your vehicle or doing modifications. Jackstands, wheel blocks, disconnecting the battery are a few of the basic safety precautions that should be used and may not be mentioned in the write ups on this site. You are responsible for your own installation, these write ups are a helpful guideline and should not be taken as an official installation instruction. My write up may be different from the kits currently out there, so alwasy double check the manufacturers installation instructions when installing anything. I try to keep the site up to date with changes that have occured as I discover them, but may not have the latest unless someone lets me know. If you feel that an install is above your capabilities after reading my write ups, I recommend getting together with a club and getting some help. Only a few times have I needed to employe some actual help from a shop to get something done. Usually welding or A/C work. While I have spent many years working on mechanical systems, I am not an expert, nor do I pretend to be one. I hope these write ups have been useful to you.
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