Bandit Runner's Roof Rack Build

[Bandit Runner]

I guess I should have posted a "before" pic of the snorkel, so it is easier to compare the changes.

Before:

After:

Now you can more easily see the head position difference.

 

[Bandit Runner]

Rock lights on roof rack?

So I was bored at work today and surfed the net looking for LED lights to put on the roof rack. I just wanted something that would increase the light at the rear for backing up. I also thought some side lights would be useful to light up the area around the truck if I was setting up camp or something in the dark.

I found these rock lights with a complete wiring kit for a decent price:

Has anyone used these, or heard anything good/bad about them?

Anyway, I quickly modeled them up in CAD to see what they would look like on the roof rack. I have 3 facing the rear, 1 in each rear corner facing outward at 45 degrees, and 6 on each side.

Back corner shot:

Close up shot:

Side shot:

So I would need 2 sets of the lights. I would put the back lights on one switch, and the side lights on another. The remaining 3 lights I would probably put inside the back hatch, so that when it was open they would shine down toward the ground. I would wire those 3 up to the existing cargo area light, so they would come on with that.

Watcha think? Good idea? Terrible idea?

 

[fish0281]

I like the idea a lot, but I think the lights you referenced may only be for accent light, probably not bright enough to light up the ground from the height of your rack... I may be wrong, but I don't see anything about light output on that page which usually leads me to believe they're not too bright.

 

[Bandit Runner]

I like the idea a lot, but I think the lights you referenced may only be for accent light, probably not bright enough to light up the ground from the height of your rack... I may be wrong, but I don't see anything about light output on that page which usually leads me to believe they're not too bright.

You may be right about them not being bright enough. I'm not looking for tons of light, but I would like it to at least reach the ground.

Does anyone know of some small LED lights that could light up a small area, and not cost a fortune?

 

[cj80cruiser]

You may be right about them not being bright enough. I'm not looking for tons of light, but I would like it to at least reach the ground.

Does anyone know of some small LED lights that could light up a small area, and not cost a fortune?

I remember seeing some on pirate in the vendor section that were bright but they were classified as rock lights too.

Not sure if these will work for you but here's a link to one so you can see the light output.... rock lights

 

[Scat Adams]

Looking good so far, very interested to see the final!

 

[Bandit Runner]

I remember seeing some on pirate in the vendor section that were bright but they were classified as rock lights too.

Not sure if these will work for you but here's a link to one so you can see the light output.... rock lights

Thanks for the link. I sent them an email asking about the light output.

Looking good so far, very interested to see the final!

Thanks!

 

[Bandit Runner]

I also found these LED lights from a link in Dirtco's build thread. They have good light output and look very promising.

Link:

Marine LED Spotlight: High Intensity Waterproof Marine LED Lights

Anyone ever use these?

 

[blizz86]

I also found these LED lights from a link in Dirtco's build thread. They have good light output and look very promising.

Link:

Marine LED Spotlight: High Intensity Waterproof Marine LED Lights

Anyone ever use these?

T15 High Power CREE LED Projector Bulb 912 921 Reverse Backup Light Xenon White | eBay

or something like that i think can work .. check out ebay for cree led type miniprojectors : something like cree reverse lights .. im thinking you have the know how to wire these suckers up !

 

[Bandit Runner]

T15 High Power CREE LED Projector Bulb 912 921 Reverse Backup Light Xenon White | eBay

or something like that i think can work .. check out ebay for cree led type miniprojectors : something like cree reverse lights .. im thinking you have the know how to wire these suckers up !

Thanks, I was looking at those, but was unsure of how to make them work. Can I just string a few bulb bases together and plug in the bulbs? Or do I need to build a housing around them for a heat sink? Would they be weather proof that way?

 

[JadatheRottweiler]

I am looking forward to finished roof rack !

One other alternative when it comes to side and back lighting are just individual headlamps. When I setup camp at night, everyone in my party wears headlamps...

headlamps at REI - Free shipping on orders of $50 or more

Just saying...

 

[Dirtco]

I also found these LED lights from a link in Dirtco's build thread. They have good light output and look very promising.

Link:

Marine LED Spotlight: High Intensity Waterproof Marine LED Lights

Anyone ever use these?

I have two extra lights, I could throw the battery pack up on the roof and let you know if the light output is good enough to reach the ground. I'm pretty sure it will be bright enough, but I think your going to have to mount the lights at a 45 degree angle towards the ground to really take advantage of the light output.

 

[Mick1]

Wow, I like the idea of using relatively inexpensive LED "rock-lights" on the roof rack for the rear and sides. :AK47:

The smaller 6" rigid lights I have seen installed on the sides and rear of 5th gen truck racks are pretty expensive. They have been cost prohibitive for me and I was thinking they would be a theft target. Here is a link to a thread in the 5th gen area I started that has a couple pictures of them installed. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/127991-what-light-mount.html

A couple guys have installed LED light strips that look very bright. Probably not a lot of throw, but I am thinking they may be pretty good for sides of rack for camp setup etc. Here is a link to a page a bookmarked the first time I saw them. 5K WHITE 3 CHIP STRIP LIGHT STRIPLIGHTS Looks sold out now....

Also, regarding the roof rack. I think your idea to move the rack forward of the moon roof is a good idea. More functional and aesthetically pleasing. However, I think you should consider adding a fairing to the front rather than just having it open with lights there. The wind noise without a fairing may be substantial. Look at the my pics in the link in my signature to see the baja flat rack.

And on third thought... ; ) Something like this Hella light might be a good intermediate choice. They are ~$75 each, which is a lot more than the original 10 pod set, but a whole lot less than the rigid lights I have seen ppl install. These come in white or amber and have way too many flash capabilities. I have not looked too closely, but I imagine the light output would be good for backup and side spill. http://hellahd.com/index.php/default/warning-lights/warning-lights/ms6-ms3/

 

[Bandit Runner]

I have two extra lights, I could throw the battery pack up on the roof and let you know if the light output is good enough to reach the ground. I'm pretty sure it will be bright enough, but I think your going to have to mount the lights at a 45 degree angle towards the ground to really take advantage of the light output.

Thanks, but I'm kinda thinking about heading in another direction now, as those lights are a little larger than I'd like. I really appreciate the offer though. I'll let you know if you can be of help later.

 

[Bandit Runner]

Wow, I like the idea of using relatively inexpensive LED "rock-lights" on the roof rack for the rear and sides. :AK47:

The smaller 6" rigid lights I have seen installed on the sides and rear of 5th gen truck racks are pretty expensive. They have been cost prohibitive for me and I was thinking they would be a theft target. Here is a link to a thread in the 5th gen area I started that has a couple pictures of them installed. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/127991-what-light-mount.html

A couple guys have installed LED light strips that look very bright. Probably not a lot of throw, but I am thinking they may be pretty good for sides of rack for camp setup etc. Here is a link to a page a bookmarked the first time I saw them. 5K WHITE 3 CHIP STRIP LIGHT STRIPLIGHTS Looks sold out now....

Also, regarding the roof rack. I think your idea to move the rack forward of the moon roof is a good idea. More functional and aesthetically pleasing. However, I think you should consider adding a fairing to the front rather than just having it open with lights there. The wind noise without a fairing may be substantial. Look at the my pics in the link in my signature to see the baja flat rack.

And on third thought... ; ) Something like this Hella light might be a good intermediate choice. They are ~$75 each, which is a lot more than the original 10 pod set, but a whole lot less than the rigid lights I have seen ppl install. These come in white or amber and have way too many flash capabilities. I have not looked too closely, but I imagine the light output would be good for backup and side spill. Hella HD :: MS6 & MS3 Mini LED Lightheads

Thanks for all the information. Yeah, the Rigids and those Hellas are really nice, but way too expensive for what I am trying to do. I think they would be too large also. I'm not too wild about the light strip idea either, as I think it would look kind of ricey.

 

[Bandit Runner]

Sorry, I haven't made any actual progress on the roof rack itself lately, but I should have time to work on it this coming weekend. Also, I've been trying to finish up the snorkel changes, so I can get that put back on the truck, to cover up that big ugly hole in the fender.

Anyway, back to the lights. These are the latest thing I've found, that I think might work:

Ebay link:
2pcs Car Motorcycle High Power 9W LED Eagle Eye Backup Light DRL Running Lamp | eBay

They are quite small with a diameter of less than 1 inch, and inexpensive at only $10 per pair. They claim to be 9 watt lights and are advertised as backup lights, so I am assuming that they would be fairly bright. I found them in a smaller size (about 3/4" diameter) also. Anyone know anything about these?

For only $10, I might buy a pair just to play around with, and see how much light output they have.

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

9W should be hell'a bright unless its super old school LED, i think rigid and vision-x use 3w bulbs a lot, but its a different breed of LED. that is a great price if they're bright. post up test shots if you try them out.

 

[rideexileex]

They have very similar LED's like those on dealextreme.com that I've been eyeing - but wow, 9W seems like a lot of power going through such a small package.

 

[Bandit Runner]

9W should be hell'a bright unless its super old school LED, i think rigid and vision-x use 3w bulbs a lot, but its a different breed of LED. that is a great price if they're bright. post up test shots if you try them out.

Will do, for sure.

They have very similar LED's like those on dealextreme.com that I've been eyeing - but wow, 9W seems like a lot of power going through such a small package.

I agree that 9 watt seems like a lot for such a small package. I'd be concerned about how hot they get. They also have versions that are 1.5 watt, 3 watt, and 5 watt.

 

[blizz86]

Thanks, I was looking at those, but was unsure of how to make them work. Can I just string a few bulb bases together and plug in the bulbs? Or do I need to build a housing around them for a heat sink? Would they be weather proof that way?

i would imagine with the lower wattage leds, you could string the leads together and wire them up.. the waterproof-ness is what i guess would be the downfall. the ones that are about an inch that you posted look pretty good too! at 10 bucks you cant go wrong