Dormobile wiring

[Zcat7]

I'm trying to reinstate the "cap open" light and the interior light (fluorescent?) that was fitted just behind the driver/front passenger compartment.

Having recently had the roof lining down I have found a green/white wire, from the cap up switch, that heads toward the front right screen pillar and a violet/white and brown wire that come through the aperture trim for the light.

All wires are dead but I have found the junction box in the picture below just inside the driver's door under the dash and wondered if this is a Dormobile fitting? If so where should this connect (the 2 violet wires are cut)?

Also, does anyone have a picture of the "cap up" warning light in position?

 

[Trikky2]

Yes that is Dormobile wiring. The violet wire goes to the warning lamp on mine.

The switch is like a courtesy light switch and is mounted in the roof (not the pop top) close to the centre and a little ahead of the reinforcement rail round the roof opening. If your switch is missing there should still be a hole there.

 

[kevinhall]

This is where the light is on my dash...



Can't see I've got one of the switch position, but as Tricky said it's on the van roof where the front of the cap rests.

 

[Zcat7]

Thnanks guys. Starting to make some sense then. I have no light in that position, a PO has put a windscreen washer switch in there instead. I do have the "courtesy light" switch in the roof though and it goes straight to the green/white wire.

Both of those violet wires are cut on mine - should they both go to the lamp or does one go to power with the lamp earthed locally?

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

I always wondered what that little brown connector was for....

Roof warning is bulb on far left next to cigarette lighter



sensor switch



...neither of which function atm - we tend to use the public to remind us, the few times we've pulled away with the roof up....

 

[Zcat7]

...neither of which function atm - we tend to use the public to remind us, the few times we've pulled away with the roof up....

LOL! Thanks for the piccies Matt

 

[davechorlton]

Mine is exactly where Kevinhall shows. I fiddled with the wiring a couple of years ago and it started working. Was most surprised to see it flashes!

 

[Trikky2]

Thnanks guys. Starting to make some sense then. I have no light in that position, a PO has put a windscreen washer switch in there instead. I do have the "courtesy light" switch in the roof though and it goes straight to the green/white wire.

Both of those violet wires are cut on mine - should they both go to the lamp or does one go to power with the lamp earthed locally?

You got me there. Mine only has one violet wire.

 

[Zcat7]

You got me there. Mine only has one violet wire.

Do you have a light fitted on the aperture trim by the roof open "courtesy light" switch Trikky? I have a violet and a brown wire there and wondered if that is what the other violet wire feeds.
I am also trying to re-instate that light so if anyone has a pic of that (and know where I can get one!) that would be great!

 

[Dickie524]

I think the light itself is a Labcraft 'Nordic' model (though mine has been replaced by a later one) - someone will say if this isn't the standard though but I believe it to be.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Labcraft-Nordic-8-Watt-12-Volt-Fluorescent-Strip-Light-DL9-1-x-8-watt-Tube-/351754655063?hash=item51e6361557&nma=true&si=vhzbEK%252F%252FiVtil%252Fwj3wOjhu%252Bkjic%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Trikky2]

The warning light is ignition fed where as the interior strip light needs to work all the time. So they will not share a common power supply.

The original lights are not made but there are plenty of strip lights the same size and they look better than the original - for example :-

http://www.serial-kombi.com/en-GB/camping-leisure-and-furnishing-lamps-and-lighting-12v-interior-lights-fluorescent-1x8-watt-n327" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Trikky2]

I think the light itself is a Labcraft 'Nordic' model (though mine has been replaced by a later one) - someone will say if this isn't the standard though but I believe it to be.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Labcraft-Nordic-8-Watt-12-Volt-Fluorescent-Strip-Light-DL9-1-x-8-watt-Tube-/351754655063?hash=item51e6361557&nma=true&si=vhzbEK%252F%252FiVtil%252Fwj3wOjhu%252Bkjic%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The original has twin tubes and a similar switch but was a little longer / narrower. Both the short end cap and the larger cap covering the transformer with the switch in it, were metal and painted national health beige in 71.

That said many got broken and replaced and it's likely Dormobile sold replacements that were not identical to original. After all, they did not manufacture the lights themselves and they had to buy in what was available. It's therefor also likely that the original lights may have varied over the years of Dormobile production.

 

[Trikky2]

By the way, the original was also way too bright. Fine if you need to take out somebodies appendix but for camping it was a truly hideous amount of light.

 

[Zcat7]

By the way, the original was also way too bright. Fine if you need to take out somebodies appendix but for camping it was a truly hideous amount of light.

LOL Well the Dormobile was always considered a very versatile conversion..!

Thanks for the links gents. I'll let you know how I get on. If any of you should come up with a wiring diagram then please do let me know

Neil

 

[Zcat7]

Well that was interesting.I got the dash warning light working just by connecting up the 2 violet wires to the bulb; simple! However there was some fun along them way...

I took off the little brown junction box in my earlier picture and flipped it over to reveal what looks like a couple of bimetallic strips with a fine coil of wire wrapped around them. I naturally prodded around at them only to hurn my thumb as the were red hot! I should point out at this stage the the roof was up but the ignition was off.

i think these bimetallic strips (if that's what they are) make the light flash, only what I found is that they are live for as long as the roof is up, ignition on or not. I suspect that's why the PO cut the lamp off before. To cut a long story short I also think a PO has messed with the fuse wiring as the live feed for this warning light was from my windscreen wipers, which so far as I can tell should not be permanent live.

I have remedied this now but it's interesting to know that each time I have been camping in the past I have been slowly discharging my starter battery and would never have found out if I hadn't looked to reinstate this lamp!

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

...things do seem really complicated with this old analogue technology, my fuel gauge swings wildly at certainly times, and looking at how they work it's baffling (heaters & vibrators!). Needless to say it still swings madly,

 

[Trikky2]

Well that was interesting.I got the dash warning light working just by connecting up the 2 violet wires to the bulb; simple! However there was some fun along them way...

I took off the little brown junction box in my earlier picture and flipped it over to reveal what looks like a couple of bimetallic strips with a fine coil of wire wrapped around them. I naturally prodded around at them only to hurn my thumb as the were red hot! I should point out at this stage the the roof was up but the ignition was off.

i think these bimetallic strips (if that's what they are) make the light flash, only what I found is that they are live for as long as the roof is up, ignition on or not. I suspect that's why the PO cut the lamp off before. To cut a long story short I also think a PO has messed with the fuse wiring as the live feed for this warning light was from my windscreen wipers, which so far as I can tell should not be permanent live.

I have remedied this now but it's interesting to know that each time I have been camping in the past I have been slowly discharging my starter battery and would never have found out if I hadn't looked to reinstate this lamp!

Glad to hear you got it working. Yes you are right, the bi metallic strip flasher unit should be ignition fed whilst the interior strip light should be live all the time. Sounds like a PO got the wires swapped around at some stage.