Night Vision Gun Vault Mod

Installed red LED lighting on console lid. When the lid is opened, the LED shines on the combo lock allowing for nighttime gun safe entry with no loss of night vision. This method of vault entry is extremely low profile from the outside with tinted windows, allowing for entry without the use of overhead lights or requiring keys in the ignition.


How to:
1. Installed standard Console Vault


2. Added felt lining that I picked up from a fabric store. Cut to size and applied with spray adhesive.

3. I picked up a red LED from Autozone, a spare ball point pen case, rare earth magnets from Harbor Freight and a micro Reed switch online.




4. Cut a small section of the pen tube, insert the LED and tape together


5. Remove the console lid and disassemble it, including removing the latch.


6. Cut a section out between the ribs beneath where the latch mounts.


7. Mount the LED tube into that cut out and reinstall latch


8. Drill a matching hole in the lid liner (one could just glue the LED into this hole.


9. Mount the reed switch onto the lip of the lid's inner liner.


10. Wire the Reed switch inline with one of the LED leads. I cut out some of the ribbing to make room to tuck in extra length wire and connections.


11. Assemble inner and outer lid pieces and test LED by applying DC power. Moving the magnets near the Reed switch should turn the LED off.


12. Re-install lid running wire behind hinge down into console. I grounded inside the console, running a constant power via an add-a-circuit from the fuse panel behind the dash pocket drawer.


13. I wrapped the rare earth magnets once with electrical tape and super glued them underneath the lower console lip directly beneath where the Reed switch would make contact with the lid closed. The magnets are effective at turning off the LED within an inch or so from the switch.


14. Finished product

 

Good idea, good execution and looks like it works.

 

nicee! subbed for future reference. thanks!

 

Where did you get the "gun vault"? I want/need one!!

Also I love the light mod!! Outstanding!

 

Picked it up from consolevault.com

 

http://consolevault.com/toyota-tacoma-floor-console-2005-2011.html

 

THANK YOU!!

Is it worth the $270??

 

Truthfully, I had to swallow hard on the price. For the $, I would have liked to have seen an interior-lined product with a more robust locking mechanism as shown in the image below--possibly even biometric.



Beyond my legal obligation to secure the weapon, I also have a requirement to maintain rapid /convenient/subtle access. This prevented me from mounting a microvault ($220) behind the rear passenger seats.



My discretionary requirement also prevented the use of a visibly, cable-secured nanovault ($35)--I'm also uneasy with the ability to cut cable, but if your setup could accommodate the permanent mounting of one of these, I'd say that this would a bare minimum option worth considering.


I will say in favor of the console vault that it is easy to install, construction seems solid, it has a spring loaded lid, and it accommodates a full size XDm .45ACP service weapon with room to spare. It was the volume that was the clincher for me as I also needed to secure some expensive electronics that if stolen would dwarf the purchase price. Hope this helps.

 

Yep, got mine from the first batch a few yrs back and worth every penny........