Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch
Forum Index -> Vanagon Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Rubber Tramp
Samba Member


Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 385
Location: DFW, Texas
Rubber Tramp is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:04 am    Post subject: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

I'll be on the road living in my van in three months and wanted a place to hide my valuables in case I run into thieves. I removed my entire A/C system and converted the extra storage space into a hidden compartment.
I made it where the vent assembly will swing down to allow access to the storage space. When not in use, the door will be held closed by magnets. It's not pictured, but I placed black felt behind the vents and on the back chain-link looking thing to prevent anyone seeing into the compartment.

Also, to make it much harder for anyone to steal my van I installed a fuel pump kill switch in the hidden compartment. When the switch is turned off, the fuel pump loses power and the engine will not run.

Here's how I did it: (click on images to see full size)

This is the view from inside the A/C storage compartment, looking at the back of the vent assembly:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

After the wires are dropped down into the engine bay, I ran them on the back wall (bumper side) behind/under coolant tanks and power steering reservoir, around and under air filter. The connections are at the front right of the engine bay right where the fuel pump wire comes into the engine bay.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
1985 SVX powered Westy - soon to be converted to syncro


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=382910
^^^Rocky Mountain Westy SVX rebuild and conversion^^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
McVanagon
Samba Member


Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
McVanagon is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:25 am    Post subject: Re: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

Rubber Tramp wrote:
If for some reason the switch fails, all you have to do is disconnect
the red wires and connect the male black wire to the female black
wire to have the factory setup again"

That's my favorite part. A "reset" feature. Nice job.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

"How do you know how to do that?
Nobody can start this car but me."

-B. Tannen
_________________
'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Twitter Instagram Gallery Classifieds Feedback
madspaniard
Samba Member


Joined: August 18, 2008
Posts: 3795
Location: Alameda, CA
madspaniard is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cool, now everybody knows where you will be hidding your money! Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Rubber Tramp
Samba Member


Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 385
Location: DFW, Texas
Rubber Tramp is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haha well hopefully nobody from the Samba will try and break in Rolling Eyes

A friend thought it was a great setup and had me do it to his van, I figured somebody here could benefit from it as well.
_________________
1985 SVX powered Westy - soon to be converted to syncro


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=382910
^^^Rocky Mountain Westy SVX rebuild and conversion^^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
crazyvwvanman
Samba Member


Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9889
Location: Orbiting San Diego
crazyvwvanman is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:36 am    Post subject: Re: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

If you put the kill switch inside your "safe" then you must open the "safe" every time you want or need to flip the switch. Better to put the switch where you get to it in a hurry without exposing the existence and location of your safe to prying eyes.

Mark


Rubber Tramp wrote:
I'll be on the road living in my van in three months and wanted a place to hide my valuables in case I run into thieves. I removed my entire A/C system and converted the extra storage space into a hidden compartment.
I made it where the vent assembly will swing down to allow access to the storage space. When not in use, the door will be held closed by magnets. It's not pictured, but I placed black felt behind the vents and on the back chain-link looking thing to prevent anyone seeing into the compartment.

Also, to make it much harder for anyone to steal my van I installed a fuel pump kill switch in the hidden compartment. When the switch is turned off, the fuel pump loses power and the engine will not run.

Here's how I did it: (click on images to see full size)............
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
1621
Samba Member


Joined: May 15, 2006
Posts: 2174

1621 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very clever! I love when Sambanistas share creative ideas like this. Great job!
_________________
'85 Westy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Rubber Tramp
Samba Member


Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 385
Location: DFW, Texas
Rubber Tramp is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:06 am    Post subject: Re: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
Better to put the switch where you get to it in a hurry without exposing the existence and location of your safe to prying eyes.




I have a few big items I want hidden such as my guitar that won't fit in the safe, so at any time I feel the need to flip the switch off I have the entire cabin shut off from peering eyes as well. I have thick insulated curtains and drapes that block off the cabin from the driving cockpit. It only takes a minute to drop the curtains and flip the switch. In my opinion this is probably the best place to put the switch as the thief would have to first find the safe spot, which with the limited time most car thieves have I believe chances are low they'll figure it out.
_________________
1985 SVX powered Westy - soon to be converted to syncro


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=382910
^^^Rocky Mountain Westy SVX rebuild and conversion^^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
crazyvwvanman
Samba Member


Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9889
Location: Orbiting San Diego
crazyvwvanman is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:21 am    Post subject: Re: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

One problem I would foresee is law enforcement. If you are asked to "move along, NOW!" and have the switch set to disable, you will need to open the slider and get to your "safe" and the officer may watch. The officer may then see something that he decides is probable cause. Your day may not go smoothly after that.

Mark


Rubber Tramp wrote:
crazyvwvanman wrote:
Better to put the switch where you get to it in a hurry without exposing the existence and location of your safe to prying eyes.




I have a few big items I want hidden such as my guitar that won't fit in the safe, so at any time I feel the need to flip the switch off I have the entire cabin shut off from peering eyes as well. I have thick insulated curtains and drapes that block off the cabin from the driving cockpit. It only takes a minute to drop the curtains and flip the switch. In my opinion this is probably the best place to put the switch as the thief would have to first find the safe spot, which with the limited time most car thieves have I believe chances are low they'll figure it out.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
McVanagon
Samba Member


Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
McVanagon is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:31 am    Post subject: Re: Hidden compartment and fuel pump kill switch Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
One problem I would foresee is law enforcement. If you are asked to "move along, NOW!" and have the switch set to disable, you will need to open the slider and get to your "safe" and the officer may watch. The officer may then see something that he decides is probable cause. Your day may not go smoothly after that.


That would be the perfect time to lay on your back, slide under the van and go back to factory settings by bypassing your secret switch; Explaining to the nice officer that you need flip your kill swtich.

Then he'll never suspect you have a hidden stash of guitar.
_________________
'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Twitter Instagram Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Rubber Tramp
Samba Member


Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 385
Location: DFW, Texas
Rubber Tramp is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is a good point! Thanks for pointing it out, hopefully I'll never run into that problem.

I guess a way around that problem would be to install a second switch, somewhere easier to get to, that would bypass the primary switch. You would just keep the secondary switch turned off at all times to allow the current flow to be controlled by the primary switch. If in an emergency and the primary is switched off, you could flip the secondary on and still get power.
_________________
1985 SVX powered Westy - soon to be converted to syncro


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=382910
^^^Rocky Mountain Westy SVX rebuild and conversion^^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
240Gordy
Samba Member


Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
240Gordy is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Put a battery kill switch beside the driver's seat.
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
climberjohn
Samba Member


Joined: January 11, 2005
Posts: 1840
Location: Portland Orygun
climberjohn is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rubber Tramp,

Methinks this is a pretty sweet idea, and your photos are excellent. I have been considering a fuel pump kill switch myself, and this is a nice how-to.

But, if I understand your "stash spot" explanation, are you converting the entire inside area of the AC cabinet to secret storage? That seems like a lot of room.

To each his own, but if I were living in my van for months on end, I'd want every spare cubic inch I could get. I'd use the easy access AC cabinet for daily goodies, and make the secret spot a bit harder to get to, like maybe over the closet.

In any event, glad it works for you, and thanks for the informative post.
_________________
'86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Rubber Tramp
Samba Member


Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 385
Location: DFW, Texas
Rubber Tramp is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have yet to do it, but this is something I'll be doing before I leave. The little area above the closet will be converted into a second secret spot. I'm going to make a wall to enclose the area. The wall will have one of those "push-to-open" mechanisms (don't know what they're called. they're used on some cabinet doors...) This way, anyone breaking in would have to first find the AC secret spot, then would most likely see a wall there and think nothing of another stash spot behind it.
_________________
1985 SVX powered Westy - soon to be converted to syncro


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=382910
^^^Rocky Mountain Westy SVX rebuild and conversion^^^
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
dobryan
Samba Member


Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16450
Location: Brookeville, MD
dobryan is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I primary switch I'd recommend adding a fog light switch to the likely empty position below the emergency flasher switch. No thief would think of turning on the fog lights to start the engine. I like kill switches hidden in plain sight. Very Happy
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
240Gordy
Samba Member


Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
240Gordy is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I work for a bus co. we have mostly big highway coaches, but we have three min-buses that had constant problems with electrics, after installing the battery kill switch and having the power turned off completely whenever they are parked, they are much more reliable.
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
dbo550
Samba Member


Joined: August 28, 2008
Posts: 365
Location: Kentucky
dbo550 is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks ok, at least it must fool the border guards. Laughing
_________________
1985 Westy
2001 Audi Allroad
1999 Volvo v70 xc
1995 Volvo T5-R, Yellow
1998 Jetta GLX
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
greenbus pilot
Samba Member


Joined: March 14, 2008
Posts: 1285
Location: Wisconsin: Rustbelt, USA baby!!
greenbus pilot is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dobryan wrote:
As I primary switch I'd recommend adding a fog light switch to the likely empty position below the emergency flasher switch. No thief would think of turning on the fog lights to start the engine. I like kill switches hidden in plain sight. Very Happy

I like that protocol myself, also. Things hiding in plain view are hidden the best........... Cool Cool Wink Idea
_________________
Sent from a white van down the street.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
240Gordy
Samba Member


Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
240Gordy is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.rallylights.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=339


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
msinabottle
Samba Member


Joined: September 20, 2005
Posts: 3492
Location: Denver Area, Colorado
msinabottle is offline 

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2010 1:06 pm    Post subject: Cut into the ignition circuit? Reply with quote

My thought on the Kill Switch, re-activating this old thread, would be to find the wire controlling what I think is the post-relay circuit from the starter switch, and interrupting that with Dave's (dobryan) on the console light switch. As that would be the relayed circuit, wouldn't a stock light switch be up to the current flowing through it?

Just checking with the vanagocognoscenti before cutting.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Gallery Classifieds Feedback
MarkWard
Samba Member


Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 16972
Location: Retired South Florida
MarkWard is offline 

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2010 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From memory, didn't the double fuel pump relay have a short brown ground wire on it screwed under the mounting screw? I would think that would be a good candidate to interupt the engine from running.
_________________
☮️
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Vanagon All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.