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Old 07-10-2024, 07:15 AM   #1
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Converting Penthouse Lights to Aux Battery

Good morning my all knowing friends, I'm back with another silly question. Where does SMB tie the 12v wiring in for the penthouse lights? Just need to figure out where it runs and terminates so I can convert them to the house battery instead of the main battery. I'm in the process of converting the housings to LED strips, but while I'm at it I might as well make sure they can't run the starting batteries dead.

Not sure if it matters, but it's a 2006 e350 pop top only.

Thanks!

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Old 07-10-2024, 08:14 AM   #2
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Post #4 may help:
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...tml#post268580
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Old 07-10-2024, 08:21 AM   #3
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Hmmm, maybe? I'm trying to compare this to my setup since I don't have the SMB interior.
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Old 07-10-2024, 08:31 AM   #4
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If you don't have an SMB interior and your van is pre-can bus (What year is your van?) then I can just about guarantee they tapped off the original dome light wiring.

Pop the buttons off the trim around the pop top and start removing screws to remove the trim pieces on the sides and front and rear. First. you'll have to remove the front and rear latch plates in the center of the fore and aft panels that run crossways, one above B pillar, one above rear door. Then it's just 4 simple upholstered trim panels finishing out the pop top hole. You may have to peel some carpet/upholstery back and re-glue it after. Can't remember. This will expose a lot of stuff to you, the springs and mechanism which are something you might want to see but also the wiring on the left side.

From your lights in the pop-top a pigtail comes down in one corner of the top, can't remember where SMB drops it, probably in the rear left. It either goes across to your original dome light or joins the main body wiring loom about midships where the center dome light used to come to the middle of the factory headliner. If neither of these places it will be in the B pillar behind the trim somewhere between the pillar and the front seat center dome light

It's probably a simple splice in there with cheap speaker wire and an inline fuse. There's nothing impressive about the way old SMB's were put together.

Once again, year model could help us tell you more.

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Old 07-10-2024, 08:43 AM   #5
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If you don't have an SMB interior and your van is pre-can bus (What year is your van?) then I can just about guarantee they tapped off the original dome light wiring.

Pop the buttons off the trim around the pop top and start removing screws to remove the trim pieces on the sides and front and rear. First. you'll have to remove the front and rear latch plates in the center of the fore and aft panels that run crossways, one above B pillar, one above rear door. Then it's just 4 simple upholstered trim panels finishing out the pop top hole. You may have to peel some carpet/upholstery back and re-glue it after. Can't remember. This will expose a lot of stuff to you, the springs and mechanism which are something you might want to see but also the wiring on the left side.

From your lights in the pop-top a pigtail comes down in one corner of the top, can't remember where SMB drops it, probably in the rear left. It either goes across to your original dome light or joins the main body wiring loom about midships where the center dome light used to come to the middle of the factory headliner. If neither of these places it will be in the B pillar behind the trim somewhere between the pillar and the front seat center dome light

It's probably a simple splice in there with cheap speaker wire and an inline fuse. There's nothing impressive about the way old SMB's were put together.

Once again, year model could help us tell you more.

Ah! That would make a lot of sense. It's a 2006, I believe the install was done in 2011?

I'll take a peak this evening, but connecting into the dome light would make a lot of sense. It's just all black speaker wire and crimps tying into the enclosure. I'm going to keep the switch, but remove everything else and replace them with LED strips and a controller with multiple zones.

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Old 07-10-2024, 09:04 AM   #6
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A few of us have done that. I have done that upgrade but it's been years since I had an SMB top or those type fixtures. There are some threads on here but it's pretty straightforward.
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Old 07-10-2024, 09:15 AM   #7
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A few of us have done that. I have done that upgrade but it's been years since I had an SMB top or those type fixtures. There are some threads on here but it's pretty straightforward.
Ya, 12v wiring is easy, and I have a lot of experience with LEDs. I've got them all over the house tied into a lot of my home automations. I use a bunch of small circuit boards called ESP32s and an open source software called WLED. You can do all kinds of fun stuff with them. I briefly considered adding Home Assistant to the van for a dashboard and automations, but decided it wasn't worth the constant power draw. It's hard though, because home automation is addicting.
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Old 07-10-2024, 01:29 PM   #8
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Ya, 12v wiring is easy, and I have a lot of experience with LEDs. I've got them all over the house tied into a lot of my home automations. I use a bunch of small circuit boards called ESP32s and an open source software called WLED. You can do all kinds of fun stuff with them. I briefly considered adding Home Assistant to the van for a dashboard and automations, but decided it wasn't worth the constant power draw. It's hard though, because home automation is addicting.
You will have a blast checking out Scalf77's van and projects, if you haven't already.
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Old 07-10-2024, 01:39 PM   #9
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You will have a blast checking out Scalf77's van and projects, if you haven't already.
Oh? I haven't, but I'll go check them out now!
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