Charging, Light Control, and Rapid Access Panel

One panel for all our nighttime needs

After camping with our Ursa Minor equipped Jeep for a few years, we knew exactly what we wanted, and our list of wants was simple:

1. Charge 2 phones simultaneously 
2. Charge 2 watches simultaneously
3. Hold 2 beverages
4. Control all our exterior lighting
5. Holster a means of administering high speed lead poisoning
6. Leave room for other accessories

Well - it sounded simple until I set out to design this panel. We measured available space in the Ursa Minor, and spent a few trips discussing it before I started the drawings. Each device was carefully positioned within reach, and where it wouldn't be in the way when entering/exiting the camper top. The phones are in a perfect position for watching movies, though at our travel pace, I doubt we'll ever do that. The switch panel is positioned on the right so Ashlee can reach it easily. Here's a shot of the whole thing stowed for travel.

Power

While I wanted a very clean built-in feel, I didn't want to bury a USB power supply in a location that would be hard to get to. I also wanted to run genuine Apple MagSafe chargers, so I opted to build this little doghouse that doubles as the support rod mount. It contains a 12V power outlet sized USB power supply that can feed all 4 chargers simultaneously. 

Making the parts:

I used AutoCAD to draw each of the necessary components, and then had them laser cut and bent by SendCutSend. We've used this service a lot, and it was nice to have parts in hand fairly quickly. Here's what two of those 3D previews looked like when we ordered the parts:

And here's all the parts when they arrived:

Making the USB Power Outlet Doghouse

The first thing to do was finish the power doghouse. I left the tail unbent as I wanted a gentle radius where the tent fabric would lay against it with the the top down. It arrived like this:

I used a drill bit to hold a stack of washers of appropriate radius as a bend guide. I then hammered a bend into the back section like this:

Then I had a friend TIG weld all the seams, so I could sand them to a nice rounded finish.

With a bit of careful sanding, the doghouse/rod holder is done. Here it is next to the original Ursa Minor rod holder it replaces:

I think the original part was tired enough to need replacement anyway - don't you? Here is the final assembly with the USB power outlet installed:

And finally the whole assembly installed in the camper top:

Now, this final pic was taken after I had power to it, though it wasn't installed and powered until I had the main panel done and the wiring in place, but we'll get to that after the holster.

Making the Pistol Mount:

We wanted the ability to properly holster a pistol when camping, and after considering many options, finally came up with a plan. I designed a mount plate for a FAB Defense Scorpus M1 Level II Retention Holster. This would place it vertically in the perfect position to draw, if ever needed, though we hope that's never the case. The mount plate is easily attached via a Peak Designs Capture clip and a secondary hook made from laser cut aluminum. This design allowed an additional Capture Clip for mounting in the vault, when we need to lock it up. This quick release solution has proven to work very well.

Here's the Fab Defense holster attached to the aluminum bracket:

Making the Main Charging/Control Panel

The first thing we did with the panel after unpacking, was test fit the holster and sPod HD Switch Panel that would control all our lighting. Once we confirmed fitment, I sanded all the sharp edges, and finished the panel off with the DA and a Scotch Brite pad. This made the whole thing smooth to the touch and friendly to the tent fabric it will press against every time we close the Ursa Minor. 

The panel was now ready for chargers. I used this 3M VHB tape to secure these Apple MagSafe chargers, and these watch chargers to the panel with these zip ties. We left just enough cable at the USB end to allow them to plug in to the 12V USB power supply just above this panel. 

Installing the Panel and Power Supply Doghouse

In order to install this, we had to remove the Ursa Minor headliner. This was necessary to drill the top for hardware and to run power. We were also installing a large solar panel on the roof along with some Baja Designs lighting, all of which necessitated disassembling the Ursa Minor. It only made sense to do it all in one shot while the camper was apart like this.

 We drilled 6 holes through both the top and headliner for the mounting screws. I sealed the screws through from the top with Sikaflex. Each one got a washer, and a nut with some red Locktite. Once the headliner was back in place, each bolt got another washer and a pair of nuts. This was to space the panel off the headliner enough to weave MOLLE webbing into it. Here you can see the Cat5 cable for the sPod HD Switch Panel, the USB power doghouse, and the screws ready to accept the panel. 

Here you can see the clearance between the panel and our custom 4" thick mattress with the top closed. There's just enough room for our North Face sleeping bag, but not enough for pillows. We now pull them down when we close the top - kind of nice when we check into hotels though. We bring them in and don't deal with whatever pillows the hotel provides.

The Finished Product

Once installed, everything fits and works exactly as planned. Things are easy to reach and organized. Here you can see the final setup fully loaded, like it is most nights in camp:

And here's a close-up of the switch panel for good measure:

And finally - the panel fully loaded in "sleep mode", and closed up in "travel mode" - it only takes about one minute to unload the panel in preparation for closing the camper top. 

Final Thoughts:

We've been running this setup since August 2025 and LOVE IT! Previously, we had phones, water bottles, pistols, etc. stuffed between the mattress and the tent sides. We also took a bright flashlight to bed so we could easily see things outside the tent when there were surprises in the middle of the night. Now, we don't do any of that. The switch panel has obsoleted the flashlight, and everything is right where we want it. 

To be transparent as possible, I want to add that we bought everything mentioned here at full retail from SendCutSend and  Amazon. Also, we have no connection to, nor earn anything when you shop with SendCutSend. We will however earn some commission if you buy through some of our other provided links. If you found this information useful, and want to help us out, click a link on this page to shop and we'll earn a couple percent. This does not affect the price you pay, and we greatly appreciate it! In fact, any shopping through our affiliate links, like this one to Amazon.com, and this one for Summit Racing, works the same way. For the full affiliate disclosure and vendor list, click here. I wish you the best of luck with your project - Thanks for visiting!