by Matt Konkle
Torque Editor-in-Chief
Personalization and Jeep are just two things meant to be together. Like Mac and Cheese, Bonnie and Clyde, or Mickey and Minnie. It is often the first thing a new owner thinks about doing to their vehicle, sometimes even before the ink is dry on their new purchase. And simply put, it is a hungering desire to take what the factory provided and add new, or better, touches.
For some, that means larger tires, flashier wheels, winches, suspension lifts, or any number of other goodies that turn the Jeep into a off-road dynamo.
For others, it involves something a bit more stylish. Something that doesn’t really add any performance benefits, but can still transform a Jeep's look in ways other products are not able to accomplish.
Something like vinyl decals and stickers.
Just like re-decorating a favorite room in your house, adding vinyl decals and stickers on your Jeep gives it a ‘lived-in’ appearance — a mark that differentiates your vehicle from others. Whether that involves hood decals or side applications for doors, or even lifestyle add-ons that focus on Jeep's military history and rugged off-road prowess, these products perfectly add just the right amount of personalization.
And here are the five best styles of Jeep decals to accomplish that look:
Lifestyle
Whether it is because of the vehicle’s image, or its chiseled history, many people purchase a Jeep just because of its reputation. What it can do versus a normal car, meaning something a bit more than merely a carrier from point A to point B. In fact, when you dive into Stellantis purchasing surveys, that’s exactly what the majority of people cite in regards to their Jeep buying decision.
So, when it comes to vehicle personalization beyond bumpers, wheels and tires — things like adding affordable vinyl decals or stickers are normally high on the list. And some of the most popular ones reflect that rugged, go anywhere, mantra.
We’re talking decals that honor a Jeep as an American Legend and point to 1941 as its birth year. Or something that indicates the vehicle’s Freedom to Roam. Maybe it is even a slogan you like such as “Adventure is Everywhere” or “Have Fun Out There”. It all celebrates Jeep as that do everything vehicle, and you can have it all on yours.
All of these Jeep decals are colorful, utilize easy to install graphics and definitely show off your Jeep pride.
Hood Blackout
A Jeep’s hood has perhaps the largest flat real estate area on the vehicle that is easy to see when adding an eye-catching decal.
This could mean a straight-up hood blackout that pairs well with textured black fender flares or bumpers, or maybe it is a large military star that is a perfect throwback to Jeep’s military heritage.
Other popular hood decals include Mopar’s ‘Since 1941’ designed to honor Jeep’s birth year, the American flag, Jeep lettering cut into a blackout, barbed wire design, skull cut out, or even a large sandy beach footprint and desert lizard decal.
Because of their size, hood decals do require a little more care when affixing, but most have the needed cutouts to fit around things like wiper nozzles, footman loops and hood bumpers, so installation is fairly straighforward.
Factory Replacement
Every Jeep leaves the factory with a certain amount of decals attached. On newer Jeeps, that means stuff like the Rubicon lettering embossed on the side of the hood, or Sahara or Sport logos affixed by the front doors.
Even older Jeeps usually arrived with some sort of decals signifying the model or edition.
And just like time can do a number on your vehicle’s driveline components, it can also wear away those factory decals — whether through excessive heat, inclement weather, or just constant tree branch abuse from numerous trail rides.
If that describes the current state of your factory decals, well, there are plenty of designs out there to replace your worn factory version.
That means standard ones like Jeep lettering, Wrangler decals, Rubicon lettering, or trim level callouts like Sport and Sahara. You can even change out that special edition badging like Smoky Mountain, Moab, Islander, Scrambler, Laredo, Renegade or YJ-edition Sahara with factory-matching replacements.
And the best part is they are all easy to install with a simple cleaning of the area before pressing on the new one.
Door
Door decals and stickers are for those who want to take the next step in vehicle personalization, as these make a great compliment to hood decals, but also stand out well by themselves.
These attachments can be many different designs like mountain ranges, the Moab Arch from Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, barbed wire, Mopar’s 1941 decal and a host of unique door designs from Drake Automotive.
Most of these are pre-cut for simple installation and they utilize low gloss vinyl for a striking appearance designed to pair well with other Jeep parts like fender flares or textured black side armor.
Fender Vent (JL/JT Only)
One of the changes Jeep made on its newest generation JL Wrangler (and JT Gladiator) was the addition of a small vent right behind the front fenders, and the design idea behind this was to add a little more airflow to the vehicle and give it a slightly more aerodynamic stance.
This area is also ripe for decal customization and Under The Sun has come up with many different designs to fill that space.
Maybe you want to put an American Flag there, or a tie-dye insert. Perhaps digital camo appeals to you, or the Jolly Roger satisfies your Pirate aspirations.
Bottom line, these side vent decals are an easy way to add flare to your Jeep, and are computer cut to guarantee an exact fit.
