Date:         Fri, 23 May 2003 11:49:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Steve Gough <stevegough@HCIS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Gough <stevegough@HCIS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Getting wires to the roof - how?
Comments: To: Markus Benne <markus@M-BASS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <3ECE4147.B10F9C93@m-bass.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I did this for a solar panel rig.  I drilled through the
rear inside wall of the luggage rack.  There I installed a
waterproof marine connector (like the military ones
with screw-on weather cap). I then a hole
in the roof of the van between the rack and the canvas (so
it's covered and weather-protected with the pop top down.)

Thence underneath the headliner (had to take out screws and
pull it down a bit) and down through the door pillar.  You
can access that space from the bottom through the ventilation
hole.  I the drilled through the pillar wall back into the
van inside (I put my charge controller on the composite wall
that faces the rear of the driver's seat).

I remember it took a while, and it is no fun drilling holes
through that thick German sheet metal with a hand drill.

Will publish a few pictures if anybody wants.

Steve Gough
'86 Westy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of Markus Benne
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2003 8:42 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Getting wires to the roof - how?
>
>
> I'd like to route some cables to the roof of my westy (luggage
> rack area) and was wondering if anyone has
> come up with a good, inobtrusive way of doing this.
>
> In general, if you have to punch a hole through the roof to run a
> wire, what is the best way to do this that
> ensures that the wire won't rub through the insulation and that
> no water will come in?
>
> Thanks,
> ...Markus