In a message dated 03/12/2004 6:32:53 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

My 87  Westfalia does not have courtesy lights in the back that light up the
cabin  when the sliding door alone is opened at night. I would like to
install one  above the sliding door in place of one of the vent openings. How
would I go  about getting a 12v power line up there? Upon removal of the vent
openings  I only found the wiring for the rear speakers. Will I have to go
through  the trouble of snaking a line through the pillars from the front?
Once I  have power line there then I will also install a contact switch on
the  sliding door pillar.

Jean-Woo, there are no 12 volt wires in the vent  area above the sliding door
on a Westy.  You can easily add the wiring,  light and switch for a light
above the sliding door.  Use a VW courtesy  light like the one above the drivers
door, a sliding door switch and its  counterpart plastic striker.  You can get
these easily from your VW  dealer, a wrecking yard or a List Member parting
out a passenger van.  Locate the light in the vent channel above the sliding
door between the two  vents.  The metal channel can easily be cut with a jig saw
or rotary  cutting tool.  The switch location is already there as most
passenger model  Vanagons had this switch and rear compartment lights. The switch
position  is behind the rubber plug on the door pillar and same for the striker
on your  sliding door.  Even the screw holes are already drilled.  For the 12
volt power fish a wire from the courtesy light above the drivers door to the
light above the sliding door, passing through the end plate of the vent
channel,  it is easily removed by removing the screws holing it in place.  The
switch  on the pillar will switch the ground circuit to the lights.  Fish the
ground wire from the switch to the light up through the door pillar into the
vent channel.  You may find it easier to pass the wire from above down to  the
switch. You can add a light above the passenger door also while your into  the
headliner.  This is even easier as all you need to do is cut out the  head
liner to accept the VW courtesy light, the location may already be marked  on the
rear of some headliners.  You do not need the metal plate that is  used on the
one above the drivers door, the light will clip well if you make the  cut out
a tight fit.  Wire this one in to the drivers door light, both  positive and
negative feeds, and it will operate with the front door  switches that are
already operating the drivers door light.  I have done  this on my '87 Westy and
numerous customer's Westys.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 09 ~ 12, 2005
'87 Westy, '90 Carat &  Lionel Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or  http://frankcondelli.com