 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Not a euphemism.
I have a 2013 Doblo. The boot has one tiny (5w?) courtesy light about 6" up on the left hand side. It is a poor illuminator.
I need to add some additional lighting as the boot is a massive dark cave when loading/unloading. I'm thinking LED. I'm thinking Warm White as I don't want flashbacks to an operating theatre. I'm happy to wire in via a relay and a 30A feed I have run to the rear quarter for the towbar.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a suitable LED unit? I could use 5050 SMD off the roll, but I'm unsure how much I'd need.
Has anyone got any recommendations or advice?
Thanks,
TroutWrestler.
Try replacing the existing bulb with an LED first. I did that for the rear lights in my Trafic and it made a huge difference.
Would it be worth trying the LED equivalent of the bulb first, before looking for a custom solution? I think there are some very cheap ones on eBay.
Edit: beaten by scotroutes.
How about a couple of those multi-led round torch things that you get in places like B&Q. Yeah, they take batteries, but they'll last for ages and you can Velcro them into the boot and just whack them on when you open the boot...
Not as convenient as something wired into the car, but simple and cheap.
A major issue is the low location of the current light. Also the seatbelt for the 3rd row of seats hangs RIGHT across it. The interior is specific to the 7 seater, and the designer must have been wanting to get finished without thinking things through. Additional lighting is definitely required.
Take a feed from the light to a relay and fit a bigger more powerfull light into the roof. Or as someone sugested some velro and leds.
I stuck some random aux light I got off ebay on the tailgate and wired it into the feed for the original interior light. I'm probably pulling more amps through it than it likes but it's not set me on fire yet and it's massively useful.
If I was going to do it again though I'd be tempted to just get a cheap bike light and sticky back tape it to the tailgate 😆
I added a 30cm LED strip ([url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-30CM-1Ft-12-12-LED-5050-LED-Flexible-Strip-Light-Waterproof-DRL-12V-M002-/310982051772?hash=item4867f987bc:g:50EAAOxyqjBTlqsn ]Like this[/url]) just spliced straight into the wiring for the existing interior light pretty successfully. This is the before and after:
[URL= http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/crashbanggg/Capture_zpsnyus88nc.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab75/crashbanggg/Capture_zpsnyus88nc.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
1:10 in ...
You can get stand alone battery powered led strip lights, the kind designed for sticking under kitchen units etc. You'd have to manually switch them on, but it could be a cheap solution.
The batteries should last a long time as presumably you'd only be using them for a few minutes at a time then turning them off.
Not quite the same but I know of some one that fitted 12v down lighters into his boot lid interior, I've been meaning to do it to my car.
I just bought a work-light from Aldi a couple of months ago.
Takes batteries, but based on how little it is on (mainly just the weekly night ride for getting ready), should last a fair while.
I fitted two of the lights from this set to my wife's car - flush mount and thin
http://m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/70119425/
Oooo I've got a spare one of those ikea lights that didn't go in the kitchen... good idea, ta... 🙂
Just get one of those LED bars that uses the cig lighter for power.
Do the job properly. Intercept the feed to the interior light and take it behind the trim and up to somwehere useful then fit an LED light, earthing to the body. This won't stay on when you leave the car and an LED won't need a relay or an extra fuse.
I added a 30cm LED strip (Like this) just spliced straight into the wiring for the existing interior light pretty successfully
Yep, I stuck one of those to the side wall of one of the ribs that runs along the underside of the parcel shelf, such that it points straight down when the boot is open and the parcel shelf up. terminated with a jack plug. That plugs into a jack socket mounted in the bit of trim that the parcel shelf pivot sits in. wired up to the existing boot light.
Best mod ever.
I've got the larger version of this in the back on my Vivaro, huge improvement
[url] http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/321866973186 [/url]
is it time for this again?
Silliness aside, the lighting in my newish car's boot is poor. I'd considered those velcro-on LEDs but usually just pop the torch or Joystick out of my coat to light it up.
Park next to a streetlight? HTH