Cargo area LED light mod!

Regarding brightness...

For those that are concerned about this setup being too bright, I have some advice. You don't have to do the whole mod to figure out if it is too bright or nor not.

1. Buy the two LED strip light sets and hook them up to the cigarette lighter with a home made adapter.
2. Do not remove the 3M tape backing and just put the strips up and fasten them in place with clear packing tape.
3. You can even drive around with this setup and see how it works for a week, and then decide later to pull off the rear panel and do it for a more permanent setup.

This is what I did. Doing this helped me decide that the amount of light really was helpful and not ridiculous.

Hope that helps.
 
Snooperstyle said:
For those that are concerned about this setup being too bright, I have some advice. You don't have to do the whole mod to figure out if it is too bright or nor not.

1. Buy the two LED strip light sets and hook them up to the cigarette lighter with a home made adapter.
2. Do not remove the 3M tape backing and just put the strips up and fasten them in place with clear packing tape.
3. You can even drive around with this setup and see how it works for a week, and then decide later to pull off the rear panel and do it for a more permanent setup.

This is what I did. Doing this helped me decide that the amount of light really was helpful and not ridiculous.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Snoop, I took your advice. Today's blizzard gave me time to toy around with this and the lights for the engine bay mod provided lights.

The current set up uses two of the same lights you recommended for the engine bay, one on each side.

The wiring is run through the headliner to the side with the 12v plug. The wires currently come out of the right side tail light access cover and go through a switch to the plug.

If I like this set up and feel it's bright enough, then I'll eventually work my way into the rear door as you did.

The first pic with no flash doesn't do the lighting justice....they do seem bright enough in person.
IMG_20110201_203907.jpg~original

IMG_20110201_204042.jpg~original

<a href="http://s1080.photobucket.com/albums/j324/undrh20man/2011%204Runner%20Limited/?action=view&current=IMG_20110201_204020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j324/undrh20man/2011%204Runner%20Limited/IMG_20110201_204020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
Hey that is pretty discreet. I am liking that, but is it bright enough? It is funny, because I actually bought those smaller LED strips to put back there, but ended up doing the engine compartment LED mod first and used them there instead. I am still loving my setup too...
 
Snooperstyle said:
Hey that is pretty discreet. I am liking that, but is it bright enough?
Click to expand...

"Bright enough" is very subjective - compared to your truck, it's probably like having a candle lit! :biggrin2: Seriously though, it seems to accomplish what I need.

I think it will work out OK - but I won't use the 3M tape for a few days until I'm 100% sure. I like the discreet look of these lights with the functionality of yours....trying to find the happy medium there.

If I had to order the lights again, I would probably order the 2 of the silver circles for use in place of these black bars. Seems like they'd be even more discreet on that tan surface.
 
Scuba6 said:
"Bright enough" is very subjective - compared to your truck, it's probably like having a candle lit! :biggrin2: Seriously though, it seems to accomplish what I need.

I think it will work out OK - but I won't use the 3M tape for a few days until I'm 100% sure. I like the discreet look of these lights with the functionality of yours....trying to find the happy medium there.

If I had to order the lights again, I would probably order the 2 of the silver circles for use in place of these black bars. Seems like they'd be even more discreet on that tan surface.
Click to expand...

Post pics when you get it finalized!
 
Snoop / all:
Has anyone bought the silver LED strips here? I am wondering if the silver LEDs will look less obvious against the tan pillar than the black light strips do. I'm finally about to finish this project out and want to know if the silver will look better than the black. I have to order 4 more of these lights anyway for the engine bay, so it's no additional cost.
 
I dunno. But they are so subtle that probly doesn't matter either way. My vote would be go for black, since there is already black stuff inside in other places.
 
I just wanted to say that I finally finished this mod a few weeks ago with the wires running into the door as Snooper recommended. I used the small LEDs that I posted on Feb 1st, but elected to use two on each side. I'm finding that they provide plenty of light in the back and are more discreet than some of the other options.

I haven't fully appreciated how great this mod was until I was out on the drop zone last night and digging around in the cargo area after dark and with no ambient light - these lights worked great! (Too great, because all the moths started coming in the truck).

Great mod, and I fully recommend it. For the members more timid about disassembling their vehicle, this is a great starter mod with lots of functionality.
 
i know this goes against most peoples beliefs but for something with as low a draw as LED lights i wouldnt worry about running the power to the battery nor would i worry about a relay. i would just tap into the cig lighter(as long as its got power full time) and go from there. tap into that wire, run that to the switch then to the lights and ground the lights on a screw/bolt in the rear. :boink:
 
Just did mine this afternoon! Fishing the wire was the biggest pain in the ass, but everything else went smoothly. I mounted them parallel to the ground because I could not, for the life of me, get any kind of adhesive to stick to the upper plastic - I even used citrus cleaner and acetone(!) to clean up the plastic (I fully expect to see the plastic melted tomorrow morning). Anyway, I think I like it better the way I have it now, too. It wasn't super dark out when I took the picture, but the lights are bright! Definitely gives much more light in the cargo area than with the hatch lights.

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Last edited:
limamike said:
because I could not, for the life of me, get any kind of adhesive to stick to the upper plastic - I even used citrus cleaner and acetone(!) to clean up the plastic (I fully expect to see the plastic melted tomorrow morning).
Click to expand...


Alcohol, my friend, alcohol.

Pics aren't working for me??
 
Watch out for those jet airplanes landing back there! The Boeing Dreamliner nearly landed in mine last week on a test flight...:zoom:

I still love my ridiculously bright LEDs back there! They have been the most useful mod of everything I have done...

Way to go limamike!
 
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