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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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 Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:55 pm Post subject: Where To Access Power to Kitchen Light? |
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Just about done my aux battery install, many thanks to those who have posted details of their efforts. Most of the detailed reports I saw where for 86 or newer vans, I'm working on my 85 with old school fuse box.
Here's my final hurdle...I want to get the kitchen light over to the aux battery and could use a tip on where to pick up the power supply so I can transfer it over to my new aux fuse panel, which I have mounted in the cabinet under the sink. I have already moved the feed for the camper fuse box (little black box behind seat, powers fridge and sink pump), but the kitchen light didn't move with it!!!
I'd rather not run a new power wire forward from my aux battery to the front fuse panel, I'd much rather head it off at the pass 
So my question...where can I intercept the power feed to the kitchen light?
Does it travel a) along the floor? b) up near the head liner?
My plan is to find the wire, cut it and tape up the original supply from the front fuse box and then patch it into my new aux fuse panel. Just looking for a tip on where I might cut in for that new junction.
Project has gone very well so far, I maintained the "vehicle must be running feature" of the fridge relay under the driver seat. Installed a Yandina combiner as well, the Oydssey 1200 was a perfect fit.
...if I can just change the supply to that light 
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Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:50 am Post subject: |
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Seek and ye shall find....
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...mper+light
This thread would suggest if I open up the interior trim near the B pillar (just behind the driver door) I would find the wire up high? Anybody been there done that? I imagine I will find a black sleeve with a few other wires as well (tail lights must be routed here too?).
It would be sooooo much more convenient to pick up the light supply down in the cabinet, much closer to my aux fuse panel...
I don't really need to move the driver door light or glove box map light to the aux, I don't see using them too much when camping. Just the kitchen light concerns me.
_________________
Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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GWTWTLW
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Joined: April 22, 2008
Posts: 2174
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:00 am Post subject: |
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Not sure if it is the same for the 85 but for 86-91 you can just run a wire from your your aux battery to the lighter up front which will then back feed the drivers map light and galley lights. You need to pull the fuse to avoid connecting the 2 batteries. There is a Pretty good thread on the specifics. I believe the earlier vans are different but similar . You shouldn't have to run new wires to the lights though.
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:09 am Post subject: |
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In moving the camper fuse box supply (fridge and sink pump) to the aux fuse box, I took advantage of that no longer needed original supply to run in reverse; from my aux fuse box to the dash, feeding the cig lighter and stereo. I would just as soon not run the kitchen light on the same circuit.
And us 85ers....Fuse 3 aint' gonna do it. Research sez fuse 8 is powering not only the interior lights, but cig lighter and the brake lights. I'd be thrilled to just redirect the kitchen light supply before it leaves the kitchen, thereby not adding to the load I have (cig/radio) or adding more wires from aft to fore.
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Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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Timwhy
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2009
Posts: 4002
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:46 am Post subject: |
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Once you take the headliner down or partially down you'll see the wires, the tail linght wires are not involved
with the kitchen lamp. According to the Bentley there are two wires, hot one is red and negitive is black.
If you are looking for a clean finish to your aux fuse panel under the sink, I would suggest cutting those two wires
and wrap them individually with electrical tape, then reroute the wires from the lamp towards the back and into
the closet. From there it's pretty easy to get the wires from the closet to the sink cubboard, all hidden and out of the way,
Here's what I used to get the wires behind the fridge. A 36" long zip tie with the head cut off. Wires were then
duct taped to the tie and snaked thru.
I used the same method to snake thru some wires in the spice shelf for my over the kitchen LED strip light.
Here's the wires entry point at the top of the closet.
Hope this will give you some ideas?
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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
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Last edited by Timwhy on Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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wecm31
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Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:53 am Post subject: |
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Tim..you da mon!!!
Just the info I was looking for, will report back later this week when I get back out to my shop.
Thx for the pix!!
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Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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Timwhy
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Location: Maine
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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:03 am Post subject: |
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I did purchase the GW LED light kit...worked great for the driver and map light, just plug & play. However, my kitchen light is still an incadescent. the GW bulb would not simply swap out for the kitchen light. As I tackle this wiring mod, I may see about changing over to LED.
Yeah, I thought about leaving it on the starting battery...but having come this far, I feel the need to push on through.
Plus the snow is still well past my knees here in the Great White North, van is tucked away in my heated shop. Might as well, might as well...
and the Bentley...I did come across posts that refered to the page (I may have this wrong) 97.33b for camper schematic. Well, my Bentley doesn't have the b page 
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Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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Timwhy
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Location: Maine
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Westified
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Joined: May 01, 2012
Posts: 402
Location: Miami, FL
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:08 am Post subject: Interior camper light |
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| wecm31 wrote: |
I did purchase the GW LED light kit...worked great for the driver and map light, just plug & play. However, my kitchen light is still an incadescent. the GW bulb would not simply swap out for the kitchen light. As I tackle this wiring mod, I may see about changing over to LED.
Yeah, I thought about leaving it on the starting battery...but having come this far, I feel the need to push on through.
Plus the snow is still well past my knees here in the Great White North, van is tucked away in my heated shop. Might as well, might as well...
and the Bentley...I did come across posts that refered to the page (I may have this wrong) 97.33b for camper schematic. Well, my Bentley doesn't have the b page |
I have a 1984 Westy Wolfsburg with the original halogen G4 bulb. I have been upgrading to led. You can replace the kitchen bulb with a Dr LED bulb from West Marine or from the Dr Led website. There are two to choose from. One is a circular disk that shines down and the other is round with bulbs arrayed around it. Both work great. The disk one shines down which I prefer. The cylindrical one is brighter than the halogen bulb. The disk one is dimmer than the halogen bulb. Both are a pleasing warm white. I bought both but prefer the disk one ($19.00) the cylindrical one is $39.00. They use dramatically less electricity than the halogen G4 bulb and run cool.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servle...=dr+led+g4 |
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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 358
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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Thx again guys....
Pulled the spice rack, not too bad.
Found the plugs for the light, taped off the red and ran a new one to my
Aux fuse panel. Routed through the closet and top of storage bins (gave up
on going bottom of cabinet), behind the fridge and to under the sink.
And I ordered a LED G4 bulb to keep the original fixture in use.
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Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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