LED Work van lighting ?

[Andy Greene]

My 2016 work van - had LED lights in the cargo area- and my new to me van doesnt. Anyone have suggestions on anything they actually use that they like- I have a power inverter if I need to use it, but I would prefer something plug and play that works off the existing door switches/ timers.
Thanks..

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

LED bulbs are probably available for that make and model, take out the old and put in the new. But not sure.
If your up for a little tinkering you can DIY:

I've taken a small perf board and arranged 4 standard LEDs in series. Made it so it would snap in. Or just one LED and a 1k ohm resistor (may be off on that I haven't don't the math). And 12volt LEDs exist too. Depends on the type of bulb in there now as to how complicated the project.

 

[jpoehlman]

I think many of the auto parts stores are stocking replacement LED's now. I ordered a kit for my 2007 Mini Cooper that included replacement LEDs for all the various interior lamps. Include some if like 12 in 3 or 4 different form factors. Also a search on Amazon.com for "auto led bulbs" turns up a number of options.

You should be able to find a plug in replacement.

 

[Steve Shannon]

Here's a place that sells cabinets and shelving for cargo vans. They have LED lights:
https://www.americanvan.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Led+lights


Steve Shannon

 

[jsdemar]

This is what I bought to add inside my cargo trailer: LED 32" Light Bar. I switch to a 12V power supply when parked. A smaller one would be better to not discharge the car battery.

 

[T-Rex]

I recently read an article where somebody used dome lights from the auto parts store with LEDs for his work trailer. Might be worth looking at.

 

[T-Rex]

This is what I bought to add inside my cargo trailer: LED 32" Light Bar. I switch to a 12V power supply when parked. A smaller one would be better to not discharge the car battery.

I have been looking at LED tubes for my shop. Never considered truck lights. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Sooner Boomer]

When I hear a question like this, another pops into my mind; build, or buy? Do you want something turnkey? Is cost a factor? Do you mind putting something together?

Last year I replaced the fluorescent bulbs in my kitchen ceiling fixture with LEDs. Two LEDs replaced four tubes. The package listed how many hours they should last, and I think it came to something like 35 years. I should never have to change them again.

I was looking for a replacement for the under-counter fixtures. They use 8" fluorescent tubes, and like the ceiling have to be changed every couple of years. I thought about making my own. I searched through a lot of on-line stuff, including surplus sales. I ended up buying a bunch of 27 LED flashlights from Harbor Freight for about $3 each. I was originally going to desolder all the LEDs and make my own fixture but I got lazy. I removed the circuit board with the LEDs. I cut off the switch. I scratched off a bit of the paint on the circuit board and attached wires. I found a bunch of wooden slats from a broken window blind a neighbor had thrown away. I cut two to length to fit under the counter and glued the LED panels on them (four per slat). I wired the panel in parallel, and powered then by a USB charger. The charger puts out about 5 volts, and the LEDs were powered by three AAA batteries; 1.5 x 3 = 4.5 volts. Screwed the slats to the underside of the counter, and they work great. If anything goes out, I've got a bunch more of the flashlights, and USB chargers - even ones that run off of a car's 12 volts, are cheap and easy to find.

Thinking about using these for a future project:
https://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G22276

 

[OverTheTop]

My advice: Make sure you have good diffusers on the LEDs. If you have ever been into the many LED shops in South East Asia you will know why I say this

Bare LEDs are very intense point sources and hard on the eyes. If you just put the strips of LEDs without diffusers of some sort you will end up with sore eyes.