Waalll....
I too wanted my license plate inconspicuous, where it wouldn't get smashed, smash something else, or get melted.
I started by purchasing an "Axia Alloys Cage Mount Lighted License Plate Frame" at ROTR this Spring. Provides a nice, black, frame for the plate and a nice, black, white LED license plate light.
But where to mount it? Decided it would look good mounted to the bottom piece of the tailgate, an thus would not make contact with anything else when the tailgate is open or the bed is tilted up.
How to mount it? Designed this mounting plate in Inventor.
Then cut it on the PlasmaCam and painted with Rustoleum "satin black" spray paint:
Purchased a Rivit Nut tool to install the Factory UTV skid plate system and decided to give them a try to hold the mounting plate to the tailgate, here are the three 5/16" rivit nuts in place. Worked just fine in the plastic tailgate piece:
Used three 1" long pieces of 5/16" threaded stock with a chrome acorn nut red loctited to the threaded stock to hold the mounting plate in place:
To wire up the license plate light...I spliced into the tail light wires in the harness under the bed. Then used a for prong connector to double the circuits. One for the license plate light and one for my LED whips. Mounted the new connector with a Velcro square right next to the OEM rear harness connector:
Works just great!
Interested in one of my mounting plates? PM me.
Pirate