Door reflectors / lights?

I was cleaning out the truck today and pondered about the idea of putting red led strips or reflectors on the doors of my DC. Maybe hook them up to the interior light so they come on when the doors are open?
I also thought about putting a kill switch on them for stealth activities

Anyone done this before or have some ideas about where to put em so that they actually look kinda cool? Safety - Cool - not always a combo, but in this case some spiffy red led's......maybe....

 

First idea i have is to put a red LED strip alongside the outer part of the door frame but the length would be the same size as the window. Also maybe something at the bottom. see here...

 

Oznium makes some pre-wired flat surface LEDs that might work for you on this. Not sure if they're what you're looking for but...

http://www.oznium.com/prewired-surface-mount-led

Or something like this ?

http://www.oznium.com/silicone-encased-led-strip

 

Dude those lights are AWESOME. I didn't know they exist! The little individual squares are really cool but I don't think they'd be enough if they were just on the corners of the door, still, I am thinking they would be great cupholder or misc. lights.

Thanks for sharing that link! Gonna ponder some more ideas....

 

I would like a LED to shine on the ground when i open the door from the bottom of the panel

 

The suburus have this option. They call them puddle lights. Maybe you can adapt their kit somehow?

 

My wife's car has lights in the bottom of the door panel that turn on when you open the door. I was thinking of doing that using a strip of LEDs.

 

Bottom of the door panel would make sense to me, white light.

 

I was browsing that Oznium site and they have these "side emitting LED's" which basically are the led strips except instead of shining straight up they are pointed at the side.
Great for making a better looking audi light mod.
Most cars with the lit underbody where the door is have them installed under the panel but just an idea, if you used these side emitting led's in cool/warm white and attached them to the bottom frame of the door, then that would be unique style lighting.

 

Like instead of having them on the truck, it'd be on the door like this:

*sorry for the lame paintbrush editing*

 

side emitting led's


I don't see why they wouldn't be a bad idea for the bottom of the door. I think neutral white would be good to.

 

^^^ Instead of mountin the white LEDs on the edge of the door like you've shown, they would be mounted on the interior plastic panel. So, side emitting strips won't be needed. If they are mounted on the underside of the plastc panel, they will be on the interior when the door is closed, and kept out of the elements.

 

I think it would be a lot easier to mount the lights on the door panel itself rather than on the metal door itself. for the downward firing lights you could easily mount lights on the bottom of the door panel and keep all the wiring hiden.

for the reflector idea, just install some of these, one module in each door pannel firing outward and I think that would be plenty on light for anyone approaching the rear to see. drill a small hole, just big enough for the led's to sit flush.
http://www.oznium.com/prewired-superflux


for the bottom of the doors I would say go with these
http://www.oznium.com/led-ribbon
they are thin enough to not hit the cab when the door is shut and with the 12" version you should get plenty on light.

 

Word. I get it now, thanks for explaining! That does make sense and would probably be a better route since i hadn't considered that the lights would be subject to the elements on the frame. I think i was just really stoked to use the side emitting led's Part of it too is I could just see a lame strip of led's attached to the underside of that panel looking a little ghetto, where as if i put them along the edge of the door frame they would seem to look better.

now the question is, and i know i can research this, whats the easiest method for tapping into the wires that turn on the dome light when the door's open?

 

yeah roger I get ya. I didn't understand the idea before but now I do. Im going to take a look at where I might put them but I am starting to like this idea much better now. Esp. because having them on the door panel instead of where some running boards would be is a little more unique

 

Just to give ya a better look at the LEDS on the door. Ive done this mod to my vibe i have worked on. I ran all the wires to the dome light control. they all come on when one door opens but you cant seem them unelss you open the door. works really good lights up the ground just like i wanted!

 

I have LEDS under my cab for my AMP power steps and they are way bright. Really nice when its dark outside.
they are also hooked up with my doors so they just come on every time the door is opened.

 

Here's an option through Super Bright LEDs - water proof

 

Here's my 1st grader painting of the idea for the lights, now with the red's Im not sure what to go for here.... I was thinking either putting a few of them along the outer part of the door compartment OR finding / making some kind of setup where I cut out a small section of the door compartment, put in the led's but they're angled towards oncoming traffic... watchya think?



P.S. as i uploaded my masterpiece there was a pic of this right before it so I guess it's been done before.

 

Oh so YOUR the one! Haha I saw that pic as I was uploading and thought oh what a coincidence this is exactly what were talking about.