Truck Tailgate Light Bar: The XKdrive App Bar vs the Standard Bar

Tap the brakes and a solid red line lights up across the back of your truck. Hit the turn signal and the bar flows in sequence. That is the job of a tailgate light bar, and XKGLOW builds two of them for trucks.

The XKdrive App-Controlled Truck Tailgate LED Light Bar and the 3rd-gen 48/60inch Truck Tailgate LED Light Bar share the basics. Both are one-piece bars in 48 or 60 inches, both carry an IP67 rating, and both run five rear functions. The difference is control: the XKdrive bar runs on the XKdrive app, and the 3rd-gen bar is the standard version with no app.

Driving a Gladiator? XKGLOW sells a separate Gladiator-only XKdrive listing, covered in our Jeep Gladiator tailgate light bar guide.

What a Tailgate Light Bar Does

A tailgate light bar is rear signal lighting. It repeats what your tail lights already tell the driver behind you. Both XKGLOW bars cover the same five functions:

• running lights
• brake lights
• sequential turn signals
• hazard lights
• reverse light (white on the XKdrive bar)

This is signaling, not a work light or a driving beam. XKGLOW sells the XKdrive bar on visibility and safety, and the 3rd-gen page says its sequential signals help get you seen on the road.

XKdrive vs 3rd-Gen Bar at a Glance

Prices are list prices at the time of writing. The XKdrive bar costs $24 more at 48 inches and $32 more at 60 inches.

Control: The XKdrive App or No App

The XKdrive bar pairs over Bluetooth with the XKdrive app, which the manual points you to on Google Play and Apple's App Store. From the app you pick:

• a startup animation that plays each time the truck turns on
• a sequential turn signal animation
• a standard or F1-style strobing brake pattern
• Show Mode, which cycles up to five modes

Turn Signal Learning reads your truck's turn signal sequence and matches the bar to it. The manual handles it with a turn-signal detection step in the app, right after pairing. The controller's built-in memory keeps every pattern exactly as you set it.

Show Mode is the part built for the parking lot. XKGLOW designed its chasing effects and animated patterns to make your truck stand out at meets, shows, and events. The bar itself uses ultra-high-density LEDs, which XKGLOW says give a smooth, continuous glow without visible hotspots. XKGLOW calls it the most advanced LED tailgate light bar on the market.

The 3rd-gen bar skips all of that. There is nothing to pair and no pattern to choose. XKGLOW rates it 200 to 300 percent brighter than its 1st-gen bar. The one-piece design gives an unbroken glow from end to end.

One more thing to know before you order: XKGLOW's accent kits run on the XKmax app, not the XKdrive app. If your truck already wears XKmax rock lights, you will have two apps on your phone.

48 or 60 Inches: Picking the Size

Each bar comes in a 48-inch or a 60-inch length, both one piece. XKGLOW lists the XKdrive bar for full-size and mid-size trucks. Neither page maps a bar size to a truck model, and the 3rd-gen page names no truck class at all. Measure the spot where the bar will mount before you choose.

On the 3rd-gen bar, the longer size is also the brighter one. The 60-inch bar is rated at 700 lumens red and 1,900 lumens white, against 560 and 1,600 for the 48-inch. Stepping up to 60 inches adds $12 on the 3rd-gen bar and $20 on the XKdrive bar.

Installing a Tailgate Light Bar

Both listings quote an install time under an hour. Both manuals start the same way: plug the bar in and test it before you mount anything. Then clean the mounting surface with isopropyl alcohol and pick a mount:

1. Permanent: peel the tape backing and press the bar into place once it sits centered and straight.
2. Removable: snap the brackets onto the bar, screw the brackets to the truck with the supplied self-tapping screws, then lock the bar into them.

Wiring starts the same on both bars. Each can plug into your truck's 4-pin trailer plug, and each needs one extra wire tapped into the reverse circuit. The XKdrive manual says plainly that the reverse light will not work until it is hardwired. The XKdrive bar also needs its controller wire run to a 12V source. Its manual adds a brake tap on trucks with a dedicated brake circuit, and an ignition-switched connection for the startup animation.

Plan the cable route before you stick anything down. The XKdrive manual has the wiring exit toward the right side of the truck, and the 3rd-gen manual toward the left.

Trailer detection gets handled differently too. The XKdrive page credits built-in trailer detection compatibility and error-canceling technology for eliminating warning messages and extra modules. The 3rd-gen page promises error-free operation on trucks with trailer detection, and its manual moves those trucks to a hardwired install behind the tail lights. Seeing a trailer, tail lamp, or blind spot warning, or a flickering bar? That manual has you wire the dedicated power lead to constant, fused 12V.

If you tow, both listings offer the 1-to-2 trailer plug splitter as an add-on. Both manuals point you to a licensed professional for the install, and both product pages link to XKGLOW's dealer locator for install help.

Warranty

The XKdrive bar is backed by XKGLOW's Limited Lifetime Warranty, and its manual spells out the fine print. The exterior finish is covered for one year, commercial or fleet use is limited to five years, and you register the bar to activate coverage. For the 3rd-gen bar, check the warranty terms on its product page before you order.

Either way, coverage applies only to products bought from XKGLOW or an authorized dealer. It does not cover labor for removal or reinstallation.

Which Tailgate Light Bar Should You Buy?

Pick the XKdrive bar if you want:

• your own startup, turn, and brake animations, set from your phone
• Show Mode for meets and shows
• a turn animation synced to your truck's signal speed

Pick the 3rd-gen bar if you want:

• the five signal functions with nothing to configure
• the lower list price on either size

For the rest of the truck, XKGLOW's guide to choosing the best truck LED lights covers rock lights, wheel rings, and interior kits. Build yours today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tailgate light bars legal?

Rules vary by state, so check yours. XKGLOW's manuals for both bars tell you to check local and state laws for proper use. Flashing patterns deserve a close look: California Vehicle Code 25250 reads "Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as otherwise permitted." Check the F1-style strobe and Show Mode against your state's code.

What is a tailgate light?

A tailgate light bar is a one-piece LED bar that runs across the back of your truck and repeats your rear signals. XKGLOW's two bars add running, brake, sequential turn, hazard, and reverse lights. Both can plug into the truck's 4-pin trailer plug, with one extra wire for the reverse light.

What is the best tailgate light bar for trucks?

If you want app control, pick XKGLOW's XKdrive App-Controlled Truck Tailgate LED Light Bar. The XKdrive app sets its startup animation, turn animation, brake pattern, and Show Mode, and XKGLOW lists it for full-size and mid-size trucks. If you only need the five signal functions, the 3rd-gen bar costs less.

Are light bars worth it?

A tailgate light bar is worth it if you want rear signals that are easier to see. Both XKGLOW bars put all five rear signals on one bar. The XKdrive bar adds app-set animations and a Show Mode built for meets, shows, and events, which the standard bar does not list.