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McVanagon
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
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 Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:37 am Post subject: |
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| McVanagon wrote: |
| I put one in the ashtray behind the driver's seat. |
I got a PM last night about the in-ashtray socket, so I figured I would put the reply here in case someone else was interested. I never dedicated a post to it, I just threw out photos here and there.
I started with a Marinco 12v socket. They are made almost entirely out of plastic, so trimming and shaving of excess material to make it fit the ashtray was pretty easy. There is nothing securing the socket in the ashtray except for friction from the tight fit. Didn't need to use the collar, mounting plate.
I was fortunate enough to have another van to scavenge ashtrays from, since it took me two tries.
I honestly just started measuring, fitting, shaving, pushing, Dremeling, and filing until the thing fit. You can kinda see in one of the photos below how much I had to remove from the socket itself. It’s not perfect; the ashtray doesn’t open and close smoothly as it did before, but it still closes all the way. I also need to hold on to the ashtray when I pull the plug out, otherwise, the plug tries to take the ashtray with it.
I think the hardest part was getting the ashtray entirely and out, since the reinforcing backing plate fell to the floor behind the plastic panel. Getting it back in was a pain the butt. I think I rigged up some sort of string to hold in there while putting the ashtray back in. Took at least an hour to get it back in there. Fortunately, I had enough of the interior panel unfastened to run the wires to it from the aux panel so I could reach behind and retrieve the plate with a magnet. I even think at one point, I said f*** it, and used masking tape to hold the plate in place and then trimmed off the tape so you couldn’t see it.
Comes in handy. Last week we took a road trip, and Mrs McVanagon and I charged our phones/Mifi up front, while my mother used her Garmin in the back seat to keep us on track.
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'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop |
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erdonline
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2004
Posts: 943
Location: CT
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:34 am Post subject: |
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I like the ashtray location, but I'm thinking of using the face itself to mount the outlet to- drilling the hole through the door and using the mounting collar. I haven't looked at it closely yet to see if it would work. Any thoughts on this?
Ed
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'85 Vanagon Westfalia
'84 Vanagon 7-passenger
'98 Mexican air-cooled Beetle |
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climberjohn
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2005
Posts: 1840
Location: Portland Orygun
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| while my mother used her Garmin in the back seat to keep us on track |
That's a wonderful image, that one. =^)
Nice photos, thanks for the contribution.
-CJ
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'86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often. |
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Texxxxx
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 448
Location: Monterey, CA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| erdonline wrote: |
I like the ashtray location, but I'm thinking of using the face itself to mount the outlet to- drilling the hole through the door and using the mounting collar. I haven't looked at it closely yet to see if it would work. Any thoughts on this?
Ed |
There is a link for the way I did it earlier in this thread, that sounds along the lines of what you are asking:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=296775&highlight=ashtray
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'85 GL w/2.1L "The Tardis"
It's A Vanagon Day |
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McVanagon
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:29 am Post subject: |
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Texxxx! I got my idea from your idea!
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'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop |
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singler3360
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2009
Posts: 1191
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:34 am Post subject: |
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Here's the way I did it. EDIT: my original thought was that a passenger could plug in a gooseneck lamp for reading while underway. In retrospect, a usb port would have been a great idea too. For this, hiding it inside the ashtray is better.
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Texxxxx
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 448
Location: Monterey, CA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| McVanagon wrote: |
Texxxx! I got my idea from your idea! |
LOL! I remember you saying that way back when!
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'85 GL w/2.1L "The Tardis"
It's A Vanagon Day |
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McVanagon
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 1684
Location: Northern part of the Virginia
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| climberjohn wrote: |
| Quote: |
| while my mother used her Garmin in the back seat to keep us on track |
That's a wonderful image, that one. =^) |
Yet, with the Garmin, printed directions, and another passenger with a smartphone I still had to pull over and look at my smartphone to backtrack to the turn we missed.
Technology does not cure the directionally challenged. 
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'69 Mike
'85 GL
'87 Wolfsburg Hardtop |
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reido
Samba Member
Joined: December 15, 2010
Posts: 50
Location: sf bay area
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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Got these done a little while ago when rewiring for other issues.
My buddy milled up a little plastic (delrin?) wedge to keep the socket
above the sliding door level. They're all from west marine...
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1990 Camper, 2.1 stock AT...sold july2018  |
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Californio
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Joined: May 17, 2007
Posts: 1306
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Most useful place I ever had one was right above the sink, on the spice rack, in my 1984. I had a flex light in there that made cooking and dishes a lot easier. I also used it as was necessary to plug in lights, DVD player, etc. for upstairs use.
Much more useful than what's on my current van, right behind the fridge, and there's now a 7/8" hole in the cabinet (PO, not me.) Oh well.
It might be nice to have an exterior outlet near the propane tank for compressor, etc., use. |
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randywebb
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005
Posts: 3815
Location: Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:51 am Post subject: |
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How do you run wiring behind the fridge and cabinets?
Can you just remove the ventilated cover that runs along behind them and drop the wiring down?
or do you have to completely remove the whole cabinet & fridge setup to run the wires?
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans. |
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BillM
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Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 1381
Location: Stonington,CT
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:13 am Post subject: |
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It's not 12v but I seen at advance auto today a 12 to 120 inverter 1000watt
That had an remote extension with two 12O and two USB outlets. Didn't have time to ask price but it looked neat. Might stop by and check it out again. Only down side is if the inverter dies the remote extension may not work with other inverters. I am thinking of modifying my existing 120 outlet to have one side hardwired to my invertor that I have now and the other stay shore power.
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Bill M
87 Westy |
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Timwhy
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Joined: January 01, 2009
Posts: 4002
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| randywebb wrote: |
How do you run wiring behind the fridge and cabinets?
Can you just remove the ventilated cover that runs along behind them and drop the wiring down?
or do you have to completely remove the whole cabinet & fridge setup to run the wires? |
I used a 36" zip tie that I pushed through the small hole in the bottom of the cabinet next
to the fridge. The zip tie comes out under the sink (you'll have to remove the bottom shelf)
then you'll be able to tape some wires onto the zip tie and pull them through. Maybe run
enough for future projects?
| BillM wrote: |
It's not 12v but I seen at advance auto today a 12 to 120 inverter 1000watt
That had an remote extension with two 12O and two USB outlets. Didn't have time to ask price but it looked neat. Might stop by and check it out again. Only down side is if the inverter dies the remote extension may not work with other inverters. I am thinking of modifying my existing 120 outlet to have one side hardwired to my invertor that I have now and the other stay shore power. |
An inverter was really high on my list when I bought my Westy, thinking of all the appliances
that I'd be able to power up? Truth is I hardly ever use it. Maybe for the times when I
forgot the USB plug to charge my phone, or the few times that I have used it for my
coffee grinder (I purchased a GSI manual grinder...which is kinda fun). Don't get me wrong,
I like the fact I have it, but it's kind of like insurance.
Maybe we need a poll of who has an inverter and do you use it, and for what?
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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary
http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee |
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randywebb
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005
Posts: 3815
Location: Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Tim - I'll try that
re a poll, I don't use an inverter - except the purpose designed one for a laptop.
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans. |
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JaneSpacely
Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2011
Posts: 38
Location: Phila Pa
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:15 pm Post subject: 12 volt outlets |
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I have 3, one in the front near the spoon drawer and 2 in the vent near the fridge i don't know how to post pictures yet but as soon as i find out I'll show them.
tried to load a picture don't know what went wrong. will try again later. |
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NorCalbuggy
Samba Member
Joined: March 06, 2006
Posts: 126
Location: Tracy, California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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I just put this one in - it's powered by my aux. battery - with the light bulb connected to the LR marker light.
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"Steam seems to have killed all gratitude in the hearts of sailors"
1987 Westfalia Vanagon - "Clifford" |
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randywebb
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005
Posts: 3815
Location: Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: Winston's Auxiliary Power Jack |
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| msinabottle wrote: |
Here is Winston's Auxiliary Power jack, wired (natch) into the auxiliary battery through the 2nd fuse box.
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I have a question about this outlet installation in Winston: Did you have to take the cabinets out to put that outlet in?
Or were you able to do it just by removing the adjacent grill?
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans. |
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msinabottle
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2005
Posts: 3492
Location: Denver Area, Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject: Finger in the Van Surgery |
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No, I didn't have to take out the cabinet--I fished the wire back behind them, used spade connectors, pulled the grate, and drilled the hole. Then it was feel... connect... test... tighten.
I have medium-sized hands.
Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence." |
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randywebb
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005
Posts: 3815
Location: Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Thx much!
Where did you find a ground to wire to?
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans. |
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msinabottle
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2005
Posts: 3492
Location: Denver Area, Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:24 pm Post subject: The Body |
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| Quote: |
| Where did you find a ground to wire to? |
I think I just grounded it to the body of the Van. A toothed washer, a little scouring, ta da!
Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence." |
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