D-pillar cable routes. Anyone currently have a bare internal van?

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

Hi - if anyone currently has a bare internal van (preferably barn door) mid conversion and could help verify a couple of things for me that would be much appreciated. Through images if at all possible. Vid clip as a bonus!

I have a fully converted and carpeted van (one piece, so no easily removable ply panels) and I’m trying to investigate cable routes for a rear camera. I’ve searched and read most d/pillar references in the forum on cameras and I’m happy it can be done. Threads on barn door to tailgate conversion also helpful when showing images of the area I’m interested in. But now to actually do it.

I have used an endoscope and pull rods but struggling to understand the skins around the top of the d pillar to find a route up from rear N/S light cluster to the top of the roof and along to B pillar. Getting from B-pillar to rear of vehicle I’m happy with. I’m doing it all by feel and dodgy endoscope footage - I feel like a surgeon doing keyhole surgery. Badly!

Before I start peeling/cutting into my carpet unnecessarily, I want to understand the three holes at the back of the rear quarter panel/window frame - if they can help me fish a cable down from roof and then redirect a cable down the D pillar. Does the void connect? Or are they separate skins? Or is the only option trying to remove the boxing at the rear of the van under the pop top (I have no high level cupboards there).

I’ve removed a rubber grommet for the unused tailgate electrics and can see its daylight outline when I push the endoscope from the interior light over the sliding door so I’ve got quite close. But can’t find the top of the d pillar void, and easily control a pull rod from 2m away at the interior light hole.

I can feel that the converter has bodged the carpet and not taped over or sealed holes in the panels and pillars so these may actually help me with this task if I cut into them - but don’t want to do that if they are a dead end.

If I can get a line with my rods and fish wire in stages from rear light to the B pillar through these holes then I can then commit to buying the camera kit knowing I can safely DIY it.

Sorry - probably too much detail here - happy to cover this with anyone happy to put their hand up!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dellmassive]

some extra info,

[Guide] Barn-Door Reversing Camera Retrofit -- How I Done It --

Barn door Reversing Camera Retrofit -- How I Done It -- This is how its works: ******************************************************************* At the time of ordering the van i was told i could not have the RVS CAM option as it was only for tailgate models . . . . yeh right what-ever...

www.t6forum.com

.


and here:

Dellmassive`s Camper Van Adventure

You'll be exchanging WiFi passwords for beers at T6F events I'm assuming :p :rofl:

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

Thanks @Dellmassive. I’ve read your guide thread thoroughly a few times and it’s this that has given me confidence it can be done!

That photo of the panel pulled back with the insulation visible - does that give you access up to the top of where the looms come down from the roof AND to the point where they feed down to the rear light?

 

[Dellmassive]

yes, well you just follow the OEM loom.

have a look here,

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

From your 1st paragraph below - I couldn’t quite understand how you used the tailgate rubber bung hole to get access to the wire you were feeding.

“The new camera loom run through the existing door loop into the D-Pillar void and up to the top corner above the roof panel . . . i used the larger rubber bungs that cover the tailgate door-loop holes and a route to drop a draw wire down and fish the cable up.

Next it just follows the roof loom above the ceiling panel up to the bulkhead, above the Cabin ceiling and down behind the A-Pillar.”

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

Sorry - posted the above before seeing your reply - will check the video.

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

yes, well you just follow the OEM loom.

have a look here,

View attachment 259298

This freeze frame is so very close to what I need - but then it jumps straight to accessing the tailgate grommet. I need to get it down the d pillar for the barn door lights like you did. That's why I wondered if anyone has a bare van now they could help show the path from roof, 'round the corner' and down the d pillar.

I think I'm going to have to keep poking harder (oooh er missus) and hope to get the fish line to find a route down - or resign myself to getting the Stanley knife outage cutting the carpet round the side panel to access the void.

 

[Absolut5]

This freeze frame is so very close to what I need - but then it jumps straight to accessing the tailgate grommet. I need to get it down the d pillar for the barn door lights like you did. That's why I wondered if anyone has a bare van now they could help show the path from roof, 'round the corner' and down the d pillar.

I think I'm going to have to keep poking harder (oooh er missus) and hope to get the fish line to find a route down - or resign myself to getting the Stanley knife outage cutting the carpet round the side panel to access the void.

If you pop out the top grommet where the tailgate version cables go through you can drop a flexible rod or cable down to the bottom cable entry .

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

If you pop out the top grommet where the tailgate version cables go through you can drop a flexible rod or cable down to the bottom cable entry .

Ah brilliant that’s good to know that’s definitely a route. I tried through that grommet yesterday but got a bit snagged up so assumed it was a dead end. So I’ll persevere.

And then presumably once I have a line up to that hole accessed from the grommet from the light cluster, push through towards the front of the van to find the run that leads to C and B pillars?

 

[Absolut5]

Ah brilliant that’s good to know that’s definitely a route. I tried through that grommet yesterday but got a bit snagged up so assumed it was a dead end. So I’ll persevere.

And then presumably once I have a line up to that hole accessed from the grommet from the light cluster, push through towards the front of the van to find the run that leads to C and B pillars?

We remove the check straps by removing 6 spline bolts, just make sure the door dosent swings open to quick. This makes it easier to feed it down

What pop top do you have ?

 

[4WheelsFromCanvas]

Sorted it! Thanks to @Absolut5 and @Dellmassive for giving me the confirmation of a viable route, to explore with confidence.

Just for others who might be looking to do this - it’s only this tricky if you don’t have removable panels. My converters have cut corners in a few areas and this was one of them. I didn’t want to start cutting through my carpeted panels just to explore routes.

Aided with a £20 endoscope from Amazon attached to some pull rods I managed to explore that route better and because there’s a light at the end of the camera I could visibly confirm at the exit point that I was getting close. So in the D pillar, that route vertically is a different skin to the main cable loom, but it comes out in a square ‘window’ almost level with the opening for the rear light cluster rubber grommet and could be fished out. End of the pull rod with the flexible end and white string shown in image below.

I then brought some string up to the tailgate electrics bung hole (shown in photos) out of the van and then phase 2 was pushing the rods back in to the aperture and down the channel under the poptop support (westdubs) and along to the courtesy light aperture and out into the van. I’ve left the string in there for now and hope it’ll be enough to attach to the camera cable and bring it through when it arrives.

So now I can order the Autovox v5 rear view dashcam & reverse camera and move onto the next phase of installation.

I took a video of the cables passage along the pop top support void but can’t seem to upload it.

Thanks again - I have attempted (and enjoyed) several tinkering jobs on my van that I wouldn’t have even contemplated without the community shared info, advice and support in this forum! Will try and pay it forward where I can!

 

[Skyliner33]

Sorted it! Thanks to @Absolut5 and @Dellmassive for giving me the confirmation of a viable route, to explore with confidence.

Just for others who might be looking to do this - it’s only this tricky if you don’t have removable panels. My converters have cut corners in a few areas and this was one of them. I didn’t want to start cutting through my carpeted panels just to explore routes.

Aided with a £20 endoscope from Amazon attached to some pull rods I managed to explore that route better and because there’s a light at the end of the camera I could visibly confirm at the exit point that I was getting close. So in the D pillar, that route vertically is a different skin to the main cable loom, but it comes out in a square ‘window’ almost level with the open ring for the rear light cluster rubber grommet and could be fished out. End of the pull rod with the flexible end and white string shown in image below.

I then brought some string up to the tailgate electrics bung hole (shown in photos) out of the van and then phase 2 was pushing the rods down the channel under the poptop support (westdubs) and along to the courtesy light aperture and out into the van. I’ve left the string in there for now and hope it’ll be enough to attach to the camera cable and bring it through when it arrives.

So now I can order the Autovox v5 rear view dashcam & reverse camera and move onto the next phase of installation.

I took a video of the cables passage along the pop top support void but can’t seem to upload it.

Thanks again - I have attempted (and enjoyed) several tinkering jobs on my van that I wouldn’t have even contemplated without the community shared info, advice and support in this forum! Will try and pay it forward where I can!

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Glad you got it sorted. The only way to put videos on the forum is to put them on you tube (other platforms are available) and then paste a link.