Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 15:59:09 EDT
Reply-To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeffrey R <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Light Inside Camper/cockpit lighting
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Mick and Tim--
On the subject of Westy interior lighting in the cockpit area, I wired an
extra interior light over the passenger seat--the same type stock light that
is over the driver's seat. You can take out the headliner and run the wiring
from the existing driver's door light across the ceiling. Then, of course
when you put the headliner back the wiring is hidden. This really makes a
difference in cab lighting when the front doors are opened. And the passenger
can turn on his or her "own" light to look at the map or whatever.
The westys have a metal plate that is rivited to the headliner and the stock
dome light snaps into that. I opted for finding that plate used from a westy
which I got from a listee and rivited in place, cut a hole in the headliner
and snapped in the dome light. I cut the hole first, then riveted the the
plate BTW. Some have said they had success manufacturing the plate--but
didn't ahve luck there. The stock mounting piece made for a neater "stock"
appearance IMHO.
Problem is there is still no central way to turn on the inside cockpit lights
without opening the door. Otherwise you have to turn on each light by it's
own switch.
I'm sure adding a switch to turn the lights on when the slider is opened
would not be too difficult. Although I have not done this so don't know
exactly where you'd run the wiring. You do have pretty east access into the
"b" pillar through the furry "vent" hole (after popping out the furry vent)
in the front of the b pillar when the passenger front door is open. My b
pillar also has a triangular plastic plug where the switch might go? to turn
on the light when the door is opened. But even if that hole is not cut for a
switch cutting for a switch should not be all that difficult.
In a message dated 8/31/2000 3:26:45 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
TSmith5041@AOL.COM writes:
> itto on the lighting sucks thing. Been thinking about some kind-a
> courteously lights, low mounted in the rear area; tied into a light switch
> operated by the sliding door. Maybe the existing rear light could be tied
> into a sliding door switch. Any body done either of these yet?
>