BC847

Has anyone tried them?

The wife promised me the other day that if I didn't fix the sagging head liner, . . . she was gonna go psycho on it with a kitchen knife.

I replaced it with some 1/2" thick Rubitex (foam rubber) sheet insulation as is typically used to insulate chiller drums and the like glued directly to the interior roof metal. It turned out quite well IMO. As such it's black in color but I can always cover that with fabric, etc as appropriate.


The OEM headliner had the interior dome lamp assembly mounted directly in/through the back-board. The foam rubber on the roof metal won't allow that.

I'm gonna have to use a surface mount type of lamp and had been thinking of using something along the lines of that typically found in fire/EMS vehicles (7" white incandescent). I know for a fact that style works very well. However, being incandescent, they obviously run hot. Hot enought to melt the foam rubber headliner.

With that, I'm looking into using the newer LED designs. Doing a Google for different references to LED's and Dome Lamps I come across many dome lamp upgrade kits that have one replace the common incandescent bulb with an LED module in the original fixture. I'm shying away from those as I'm not convinced they will have a decent light pattern spread.
That narrows things down quite a bit. What I'm finding are assemblies that are predominately intended for marine applications (sail boats in particular) where battery longevity is paramount while providing adequate light. Those are followed by assemblies that are intended for the interior of big-rig trailers and the like (it appears the big-rig industry as a whole is shifting to all LED lighting big-time).

So this is what I've got so far (typical) ~

Marine apps: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/STAIN...40773558QQrdZ1

http://www.sailorsams.com/mall/led_dome_lights.asp

Trucking apps: http://www.buytruckstuff.com/product...=61&p_gpID=229 (third one down /back-up light).

This one has my attention ~ http://grote.com/product.php?product_number=61581


The thing with these as compared to the up-grade LED's is that they are built such that the LED's are spread out in a pattern that I think contributes to a wide (flood) field of illumination.


Anybody ever mess with such?

MikeyB

I added LEDs for console lighting from this place. http://www.superbrightleds.com/led_prods.htm

MikeyB

BC847

Hey thanks for replying Mike.

Yeah, I saw those folks during my Google searches. They've got a bunch of stuff, just not much in the way of dome lights (complete).

Jim Lane

This is a nice LED compartment Light.
http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/fin...m?itemid=23063

I have bought from AW Direct, for everything you never knew you needed.
http://www.awdirect.com/

Jim