Westfalia Rear Dome Light

[Convoy]

I'm contemplating adding an additional rear dome light for my 1974 westfalia, similar to the front cab dome light, mounted into the rear plastic head-banger. It would closely resemble how the transporters came stock (but just a little further back). I'm attempting keeping the bus close to stock as possible, so LED strips, bars or pods are not an option. And honestly nothing appeals to me like a nostalgic glow of the incandescent dome light.

I've searched and came up with no pictures. Anyone done this or have pics? I've searched for a few days with no luck to see what this may look like or who's done it.

[Oil Phil-M]

Definitely do it. And I agree with the use of original lights though I'm thinking of swapping to some warm white LED bulb. My bus has gone from having two lights with 4 bulbs total to 6 lights with 12 bulbs total - all stock lamp units.

I did it in my 72 Westy cutting into the roof cargo shelf unit near the rear door. Have a different interior set up so pics wont be of any use. I used a 3 position light and for one of the grounds I zap strapped a mercury contact switch from an old washing machine to the door hinge so when I open the back door the light comes on if the switch is set in that position. I also love the additional westy light that I attached to the roof so when it gets popped up I have light up there.

[Ginger Rogers]

Hi. I'd really like to see pictures of the light in the pop top if you have any.

[Convoy]

Okay moving forward with this idea. Planning to daisy chain the two dome lights together as the new dome light will more than likely be a 3 way switched light from Wolfsburg. I'll switch over to amber LED festoon bulbs in both lights. Just some reservations about cutting a hole into my headbanger.

[Oil Phil-M]

Sorry I dont have any pics.

The center area lights i have in my westy have a metal backing plate that holds the bulbs and mounts the light unit and a white plastic cover with two switches screws to it. For the pop top install I just determined the best mounting location with the light running length ways with the bus, drilled the fiberglass, squeezed in some white caulking and pop riveted the metal plate from the top side of the roof (two person job). The wiring was placed in white shrink wrap stuff for wires and held to the roof with small offset white plastic cable mounts again pop riveted to the roof. Wiring goes from the light out to the side the runs along the inside of the roof next to the fabric and up to the roof support posts and down them.

My bus originally had the 3 bulb light above the table controlled by the switch up in the cab. When I rewired all the light I made only one of the 3 bulbs in my new roof light controlled by the switch up front. All other lights are now controlled fully at the lights themselves.

Hope that helps. One of these days I really do need to snap and up load some pics.

[Convoy]

I ran into a slight snag. A few years ago I replaced my dome light above the cab with a new one. The broken one I replaced, to the best of my knowledge, was original and I was fortunate enough to find the exact duplicate. Now fast forward today I go to find another one and can't get this same one (Id prefer to have them both match with this kind).

Here is the one I have that has a more flat top to the actual white switch portion and a little more squarish than the early baywindow ones. I like overall look of this one.

Here is a image of the dome light in my bus that I'm trying to find another one.
(A few vw part suppliers show this type on their site but they don't carry it?) anyone know where I can get this type?

[DougB]

I have a '75 and was thinking about doing exactly the same thing...stock light, warm LED festoon bulbs...but didn't want to carve a big hole in the bottom of my headbanger. Have you all come up with a different way of mounting it that would eliminate that need? It wouldn't even be too hard to mount a stock style door switch to turn the light on and off automatically.

- Doug
_________________
'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

[Convoy]

To answer your question I've given this a lot of thought so let me explain.
Disclaimer: This is a modification that hopefully enhances the utilitarian aspect of this vehicle. I don't care for the rear fluorescent light for eating, reading, or sitting adjacent to. This will be the 3 way switch dome light that would be tied into the front dome light located above the cab. Front doors open, both lights comes on.

HEADBANGER
Pros:
1. Provides light into the engine compartment via access panel
2. Provides light into the rear cabinet
3. Good light in the far back
4. Good reading light laying down
Cons:
1. It doesn't cast the light anywhere besides the back area
2. Light is much closer to your face laying down
3. Light is blocked if someone is sitting in the rear seat

WOOD PANEL ABOVE PASSENGER SIDE
Mount into the existing wood strip that is located directly below the ceiling. You know that 3.5" or 4" wide birch wood piece than runs at a 45 degree angle. I would locate it right above the passenger side above the rear bench seat.

Okay here are my thoughts on this location.
Pros:
1. Provides light into the storage under the bench seat
2. Provides light for the rear passengers
3. Provides soft light when eating at the table
4. Good reading for the back seat
5. Provides light for passengers entering the Bus
6. Appears like a stock mounting location
6. A bunch more reasons which I'm sure I'll benefit from.

Cons:
1. It doesn't cast the light to the back cabinet as much as the
head banger location would.
2. No light being casted to the top of the engine. I will solve that with
LED light later down the road located within the engine compartment.

Of course I have my reservations about cutting into the wood

[DougB]

Oh, I totally love the idea and never liked the fluorescent light. With my Camper the PO gave me an additional NOS fluorescent light, in the original VW box (the one in the vehicle was broken)...so I kept the NOS one and just modified the broken one to remove the FL guts, replacing them with 2 strips of warm-white LEDs and a simple rocker switch plundered from a broken 12V air compressor. I can snap a pic but the results are great - warmer light that may use even less current than the original FL light. So that's always an option for that light, especially of you find a parts light or yours is broken.

BUT, even the brighter, warmer light from the amped up FL housing is not enough to make it to back with any usefulness.

My main desire for the additional light you mention is because during the summer I mount a rear hatch tent for my youngest daughter...and without a light back there it's way dark.

I definitely think the underside of the headbanger is the best location, use-wise...but have you considered some type of flush-mount light for which you might have to drill only a small hole for the wires (which you'd likely still want going through the inside of the headbanger)?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-4-5-480-LUMENS-SURFACE...mp;vxp=mtr


and smaller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/x5-NEW-3-2-240-LUMENS-SURF...mp;vxp=mtr

http://www.amazon.com/Westek-Surface-Mount-Accent-...+white+led

You could even use a strip of the waterproof, self-adhesive LEDs and use a remote switch elsewhere (perhaps wired into your fluorescent light), so that the flush mounting doesn't further eat into headroom.

One final thing to consider about mounting that stock light is that it's designed to insert into a sheet metal surface...the tangs and tabs that hold it in might not be able to accommodate something thicker, like the headbanger's floor. So to use it you might have to create a sheet metal piece for it to fit into, and then mount that piece to the slightly larger hole you cut in the headbanger.
_________________
'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

[DougB]

Oh wait, looking in the trunk I bet you could install the light you want in the flimsier white panel that hides the metal ceiling behind the headbanger!
_________________
'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

[Opossum]

[Convoy]

That's a great example! Thx for contributing to this thread.

[atomicmime]

Just saw this thread, and I have wanted to do this for a few years and finally got around to it just a couple weeks ago! I also wanted a "factory" appearance, but with the light operating just like the front dome light, wired into the door switches, but able to turn on manually. My wife needed to be able to reach up while standing outside the rear hatch, so it's located just barely behind the rear seat. Also, I've removed the headbanger from the ceiling, so ours is mounted directly in the ceiling panel, which required about a 3/4" shim to increase space between the wood panel and the metal top of the bus. I just fished the wires from the new hole forward to the front light and connected to the three connections on it. Installed the new light (from Wolfsburg West) directly into the wood panel without the metal plate like the front has. Just bevel the edges of the wood where the lens clips on. It should last okay - won't need to remove it often. Works great, and I too, love the incandescent warmth of the light! Great when camping, in the middle of the night just reach up... no groping for the flashlight under your pillow! Loading groceries, etc., plus just looks cool as it lights up the inside of your bus completely whenever you open the door at night! Pretty easy... a lot of fun!

_________________
---------------------------------
--Patrick--
'69 Meyers Manx (still a project, but not for long!)
'72 Westy
'79 Super Beetle (now electric!)
'13 Beetle

[DougB]

I'm eager to see if I have the same door switch location as Opossum but if not might just do the same as you did, atomicmime...I don't mind if the light doesn't come automatically when the hatch is open if I can turn it on manually.

Thanks for all the great pictures and ideas!

- Doug
_________________
'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

[Convoy]

Atomic,
I assuming you simply daisy chain the power lead and door switch lead directly off the front dome light to the rear light?

[wim3600]

This is what i did, i have made a light in de deep dark closet. So i can see what's on the bottem of it and i have a small light during the night that isn't to much.
It is operating by a switch that is placet on the closetdoor, so when you open the door the light goes on.
It is not a domelight in the rear but it is a light made by Hella.

[Convoy]

[Tcash]

[Convoy]

I've moved away from my initial plan of adding an additional dome in the far far back. It wasn't going to provide enough lighting so I'm entertaining the idea of adding "warm color" LED strip lighting.

So my new plan is to tap into the 12v power from my existing rear 12" Florescent Thin Lite (mounted above the table) and connect two separate lines of LED lighting. This would all be controlled by the OEM dome light switch on the dashboard. However I'm concerned if this is too much draw from the stock OEM switch?

These are my specs;
Florescent Thin Lite: 8 Watts | 0.8 amps
LED Strip Light Fixture: 3.5 Watts | .29 Amps
LED Strip Light Fixture: 3.5 Watts | .29 Amps

Total: 15 Watts | 1.38 Amps

So these are my questions to who is listening;

1. Would the draw needed to power the florescent Thin Light and two addition LED strips be too much for the OEM pull switch, located at the dashboard.

2. Was the original Westfalia Dome Light Incandescent? How many watts and amps did that fixture consume?

[Chris_914]

Being as your bus looks similar to mine and likely having the same PVC translucent plastic hinge cover in the back. An idea I was tossing around was to put a decent light behind the cover making the whole thing a light.

I had a plastic shop make a new cover though and it doesn't let light pass through so I had to scrap that idea.
_________________
'75 Westfalia Camper FI 1.8L
'75 914 2.0L