By Scott Bain
With Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, Team Rowdy decided that our Sport needed a bit of holiday flair. The question: What kind? A wreath? ... nope. Evergreen garland? … nope. Antlers? ... Oh, heck no!
After debate and deliberation, it was decided we would decorate Rowdy with twinkle lights and sparkly tinsel garland on the luggage rack.
No Power Outlet? No Problem
So off to Amazon I went in search of holiday outdoor illumination. I settled on an indoor/outdoor string of C9-style LED lights. I liked the traditional look of the bulbs, and the controller had the features I wanted. The lights are made for home use, but that was no problem. I just added my 12v inverter into the mix to run them. If you have the power outlet on your rig, fantastic. You’re one step ahead. I don’t, so I needed to find a place to put my inverter.
One UPS truck and a pilgrimage to Hobby Lobby for tinsel garland later, and we were in business. It was a flurry of Christmas magic as we attacked Rowdy like a bunch of Santa's elves keyed up on hot cocoa and peppermint.
After securing the lights to the top of Rowdy with purple zip ties, we ran the wiring down the windshield from the luggage rack via a KC HiLiTES Wire Hider (what a fantastic product!), through the trim below the wipers and into the engine bay. From there we passed through the opening under the top of the right front quarter panel, through the door and under the glove box to the inverter waiting in the cubby below the climate controls. Whew!
Merry and Bright
On top of the lights, we attached the tinsel garland, again with purple zip ties that blended in. It’s said that the world is held together by duct tape and superglue … well, I'd like to add zip ties to that list.
Once powered on, the lights are smartphone-controlled, and you can set any configuration you'd like for them. Make 'em flash, fade, chase, and turn almost any color –– though I'd stay away from red and blue personally! The lights do have a "memory" and will retain their last setting when powered up.
Now when we go out, we're the most festive vehicle you'll see this side of the North Pole: lights twinkling, garland fluttering, and Christmas music blaring as we roll by!
All of us here on Team Rowdy wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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