Picking a great switch panel for the Jeep JK.
After much research, we decided to purchase an sPod BantamX 8-switch controller for our Jeep Camper. We chose this style of switch panel because large tactile switches are much easier to see, feel, and ultimately use when bouncing around off-road. Red backlighting was an easy decision too as it is the least offensive to your night vision while driving. We wanted the BantamX because it has overcurrent protection for each circuit, auxiliary control inputs, minimal wiring into the cab, a nice stock-like appearance, and a good reputation for reliability. Furthermore, we might want a 2nd control panel at the rear so we can turn lights on/off from the camper at night, and the sPod can accommodate this.
Previous controls and alternates we considered.
We upgraded from this 4-switch pillar mounted unit as we needed more circuits and wanted the pillar for gauges. When comparing alternatives, a close 2nd to the sPod was the Switch Pros SP9100 mounted with the SP Overhead mount. This would have offered similar functionality at similar quality at a small savings, but we preferred the nice Carling switches offered with the sPod. Another popular option was the VoSwitch JK100, but this was less attractive looking and lacked the features we wanted. We also considered the Nilight and Hooke Road units, as they are decent looking and have real switches at an attractive price point, but they don't have all the features we want. We didn't really consider the AuxBeam or similar panels, as they don't integrate all that nicely on the JK, but price on some of those can be very attractive.
Modding the BantamX because we can't leave anything alone.
Despite all the features the sPod offers, we couldn't just leave it as-purchased. For instance, We want the option to trigger various lights on the Jeep when the high beams or backup lights come on, but need to be able to choose these triggers easily. Fortunately, the sPod BantamX allows us to trigger any circuit we want using an alternate source. Despite this feature, we need a way to select whether or not to enable synching the lights. Therefore, we need switches for each circuit of the sPod enabling aux control. The most intuitive placement for these is close to each of the rocker switches, so we explored our options and settled on a solution.
We searched and found these switches that are very similar to those sPod uses to control the backlighting. After a bit of measuring, we decided to mount them above each rocker switch. With no need for weatherproofing and a preference for a fully exposed button, we bought these nuts to hold them in instead of the rubber buttons they come with. We then marked the sPod housing and drilled it for 8 pushbutton switches like this:
Wiring the switch panel for our Jeep JK
As a result of this hare brained idea, we had a fair bit of wiring to do. We tapped into the high beam wire and took it through a push button switch for each circuit we wanted the option to select for high beam control, and then to the BantamX aux inputs. We then did the same for the backup light circuit to control some Baja Designs S2 lights recessed in the back bumper. As a helpful note, these Posi-Tap line taps make connecting into existing circuits neat and clean.
To allow easy removal of the switch panel, we took all the wires through a nice little 12-pin Molex connector. Crimping the tiny pins wasn't bad with this crimper, but we do plan to buy a nicer tool for this in the future. We used this 20AWG wire to connect everything, and liked the box with the holes that kept it all under control for us. To protect the wire, we used some of this expandable braided sleeving with this heat shrink to terminate the ends. Here's a few pics of the finished product:
The white wire comes from the high beam circuit and hits 4 switches to allow any of them to be triggered by the high beams as desired. The blue wire is from the backup light circuit. All the other colors are all heading down to the BantamX aux inputs to trigger the desired circuits. Connections to the switch leads were made using these non-insulated butt crimps and this heat shrink. Here are some pictures of the wiring assembled:
The rest of the install was pretty much per the sPod instructions and the fit is great. Finally, here is the BantamX installed and wired:
Final Thoughts.
We ran the sPod BantamX for a while before our modifications and loved how well it fit, along with the nice look and feel of the Carling switches they use. Now that we've modified it for aux control from the high beams and backup lights, things got even better. For example, it's sure is nice to dump all the front end lighting with a flick of the high beam stalk, as that is MUCH quicker than reaching out for a switch, especially when bouncing down a bumpy trial. Additionally, having the ability to light up the S2 lights out back simply by putting the Jeep in reverse is very convenient. The option to enable and disable these features easily by simply pushing a button makes all the wiring work well worth the effort. I hope you found this helpful. Happy Jeeping!
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