Ceiling Headliner and Lighting - DIY Sprinter Van Build
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
- Using the factory Mercedes Sprinter headliner and adding dimmable LED lighting to our ceiling. For more information on this van build including an online store please visit ourkaravan.com
Website: ourkaravan.com
Instagram: / our.karavan
Music:
Vibe Mountain - Clover 3 (UA-cam Audio Library) - Авто та транспорт
Happy New Year! We missed our interactions with you and look forward to adding more content in 2020.
I was wondering if you were all done with your build videos. Glad you have another one. Thanks!
The van will never be done if I can help it. :). Sorry for the three month intermission.
Great to see you again, Ken! $150 is such a bargain. Easy to clean, insulated, light, easy to mount, low profile, excellent find! Thank you for so many wonderful videos, they are immensely helpful.
Thank you for watching!
Dang, $150 is cheap! Ease of installation is also amazing. Good stuff Ken!
Yea it was too good to pass up!
I see you! Thanks so much for all you're doing for those of us in the process of building.
Thanks for watching and good luck with your build!
You have the nicest, clearest and most fancy looking Sprinter build I've seen on youtube so far! Keep doing this way in 2020! :)
Thank you that’s a huge complement.
Great work! This is a fantastic combination of a factory look/custom needs van conversion :)
Thank you, it works great for us.
Happy New Year! Welcome back! Great to see you adding some videos. Thanks.
Thank you, and happy new year to you as well!
Great to see some new content from you!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for posting this! I really appreciate the level of detail you go into, it is just enough to instruct me on how to do the same with my Transit. Love the look of your van, it is so clean and functional, one of the best I've seen! Looking forward to more postings!
Thank you Larry, I really appreciate the complement! Good luck with your build as well.
🚐 Ah Ho Ken, 2020, and ready for the next decade of adventures !
Another inspiring visit ; ) Many thanks for sharing so much of your life.
thank you for following along!
Great stuff. You and Greg Virgoe must be the top van builders in the world.
I sure appreciate the complement!
Very nice, I always appreciate your thought process ... Happy New Year 🎊
Thank you, I always enjoy the feedback, especially when it’s positive. Happy new year to you too!
Van Looks Great Ken, Hope you are doing well! From The Great White North!
Why thank you; good to hear from you again.
You are so talented . Great best job and ideas ...thank you so much for your channel .
Thanks so much 😊
@@ourkaravan I was wondering if I could route the battery to the alternator so it charge while driving . Do you have any info on how to wire that ? thank you so much in advance .
On our website, ourkaravan.com I have an article that discusses how we achieve that. Basically we have an inverter/charger to provide AC power in our van, so we use an inexpensive inverter to supply power to the internal charger if needed. If you charge all the time via alternator, you'll most likely want a "battery to battery" charger due to the way modern alternators work. I hope that helps.
Its been a while brother, hope you are doing well with your little angel.. Wish you a wonderful year and all your dreams come true.
Thank you, you as well!
Are you sure you never done this before?
I like your cabinet built than typical wooden cabinets built by conventional van builder. I also like the idea of minimizing the cost of keeping factory headliner and using aluminum frame for the cabinets rather than the wood. Thanks for the video
Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback! We are very happy with the van build.
Awesome videos... I have a 2016 low roof passenger van with the rear factory AC unit and need to remove the headliners to install roof rails, any tips? Thanks
Headliner has to come out from front to back. Unplug and remove the dome lights, then using those cheap trim removal tools from my store, pop loose the clips that retain the headliner. Pick up a bag of the cheap green replacement body clips from my store as well because you may break a few of them. The headliner is retained to the sidewalls by some forked spring clips that can be released by pushing up from underneath with a screwdriver. Hope that helps!
🙌
Happy New year to you. What I want to know is where did you go to get that great deal on the liner?
Happy new year! I found mine on the sprinter source forum website.
Factory ceiling headliner is the way to go, awesome job 👍
Did you add any extra insulation between headliner and the metal roof?
Thanks
It worked great for me. I did fully insulate the van with Thinsulate. I did a write up here: ourkaravan.com/insulation/
Is that a bamboo switch bezel where the dimmer switch is?
Edit: BTW, you should do a build/rig walk around video on the 4Runner.
Hey Jes, I just shoved a piece of 1/4” bamboo into the inset of the black frame. I needed that 1/4” due to the depth of the dimmer switch.
Just seeing this video. Wondering if you have a diagram of how you wired the dimmer and master switches? I'm new to all this and any help is greatly appreciated 😊. I watch a lot of your videos! That are very helpful Thank you!
True 2 way lighting requires special switches and is a bit complicated. Mine is basically wired exactly how you would wire a dimmer, with the exception that the master switch interrupts the ground between the dimmer and the light. So the master has to be on for the dimmer to function.
Hi Ken, Can you share a link (where to buy) for the lighting switch as you enter the slider door? in the video at 12:58.
Thanks.
Hi Kevin, the switch is called the Marinco Contour. There is very little mounting depth behind the plastic for a normal switch, hence the reason for using this surface mounted one.
Hi Ken,
Was hoping you could share your source for the recessed black panels that house your light switches and the Espar thermostat.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Ray, if you google Penn Elcom recessed dish they should come up on amazon and parts express. I’ve ordered from both places. I can’t tell you how long it took me to find out what they are called.
ourkaravan Thanks Ken, found them!
Hi Ken - Great timing, I am right at this point in my install. Been doing a lot of your recommendations and great work. Any chance you could post a diagram explaining the two way switching of the 4 front lights. You've got a switch on the b pillar and than the dimmer switch, so I am assuming this needs to be a three way wire job. On your website wire diagram it does not show how you did this? Does the dimmer also control the rear lights?
Also, have you covered the LED lights that can turn red in the stock overhead lights. I'd like to at least replace the incandescent bulb with an LED. Can you add details of this? Like which LED to purchase?
Thanks - Hugh
Thanks Hugh! The dimmer switch has inputs for power and ground, then outputs for positive and negative to the light(s). All I did was install a rocker switch inline between the dimmer and the lights themselves. I interrupted the ground. The idea being that lighting can be turned on and off at the switch on the slider door as you enter and exit the vehicle. But when getting in bed you can use the dimmer and turn the lighting completely off without leaving bed. Inverse in the morning.
The rear lighting is not on a dimmer and just has a separate single switch.
The LED bulbs I used were discontinued, or at least the link no longer works. The VS30 Sprinters have factory LEDs that fit in the same headliner and some of my friends have purchased those from the dealership for apparently a reasonable price. Something worth investigating.
The red light is a custom affair. I installed a Cree LED on a heatsink in the factory light housing, powered from a Luxdrive 350mA driver and hooked to a switch on my house battery system. It's separate from the factory lighting even though it's in the same housing. Let me know if you need more details. It's not as complicated as it sounds.
Hope that helps!
@@ourkaravan Ken - Thanks so much. As always you provided just what I need to move forward. Plus you're ideas, like the red lighting is great. Excellent solution! Hugh
@@hughmontgomery7387 My pleasure Hugh!
@@ourkaravan Ken - another question regarding switching/dimming the lights. I understand your solution to the dimmer and main switch cutting the ground, but I plan to wire my lights on a 2 way circuit with two SPDT switches. I am curious if this dimmer you used could be wired into a 2 way circuit as one of the two switches? Or do you know of another dimmer that can be? Thanks -Hugh
Hi Hugh, I think so? I haven't messed with two-way DC dimming but I can't see why the dimmer wouldn't do it. The dimmer can be one of your switches as it has an OFF detent, but I suppose the less you use it for that purpose the longer it will last.
Where do you find Sprinter headliner? I'm about to buy a 2019 170" extended cargo van and would like to add the headliner for noise reduction.
I bought mine used on the sprinter source forums, but of course they are available as an option when ordering the van. The headliners do come up from time to time, you just have to keep your eye on it.
I have been thinking about using my factory headliner, but have worried that it will be hard to clean. Cooking in it would probably be a mistake, since that headliner will likely soak up any odors. Do you cook in your van? How do you prevent odor/ or clean the headliner?
Hi, I do cook in my van and I haven’t noticed any smells. That said any upholstered surface will be harder to clean than a treated wood one but the tradeoffs there will be weight and a hard surface will not absorb sound like an acoustic upholstered one.
Did you have to cut holes for your fan? I have two Maxx Air fans would that be doable with this headliner?
Yes I did. Certainly do-able. I cut mine in the van to be sure my cut aligned with the fan.
@@ourkaravan I am going to look into this since I have the MB floor, might be a good match of colors
@@ourkaravan Do you have a part number for this? I have called the MB dealer and he's trying to find it in their catelogs etc. That would help him out even if it wasn't for my specific van. Mine is a 2019 Sprinter 2500
@@debberkebile4396 Hi Deb, I do not, I'm sorry. You probably want the optional crew van headliner as the passenger van version has a huge cutout for the factory rear mount air conditioning.
What forum do you use?
I'm a member of the sprinter-source forums. Lots of good info there.
what switch is that in the b pillar?
Are you ready for a long link...holy moly: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FMARINCO-1101-BK-CONTOUR-1100-DOUBLE-INTERIOR-SWITCH-ON-OFF%2F254699080838%3Fepid%3D1637704031%26_trkparms%3Dispr%253D1%26hash%3Ditem3b4d3f8c86%3Ag%3Ak~UAAOSwYKZfRKOs%26enc%3DAQAFAAACcBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkrDx%252B2NLp21dg6hHbHAkGMYXwApC4u1qchghmT9Lpa2QSWJ9fMLGCvmiNG6uiiShQVqiw1%252BoiLuGWfTQEvCZchNWXtFDghfm%252FneOv%252B0e%252FC%252BoUJKD%252FK9jzFYIgoDUjLL1l5rvThTMm9f40wcvhr5F5WLoLhmzOyREspcQ60SKYkoRMAY3OMt%252B7jrA4VuPEii366e6MiEzUIZuyrQg5R51S8OyOhjTtzIJpvulvLELvomh5hPqpi6x4%252FMQm%252Fxg7p23oECgSMeGCNV7X4QsUFZE%252BfU93CHkpzrRpUe7uzdpoNOv1hyTXw3hEGN%252FZBtZS17DiwtoyOs9v0vJQHzyoc0C%252BVyNpZG56hl9rw9hFHYG7sa3RNVRiESYInvbJ34UbwPn1vq9BJrr414vfekD8Vy2dBxKeox%252F82U6RG0RvpLI9Vmp6UWGwyc2NBI4RszZBBrrzYjCe0lVCwtQcgC%252BaYKZJHrQ0E%252FXmJl%252FnXyYkfx6uHUfivaTPZoIU%252FQHqt76sHAwfzUdOp24Gq8y7ujIS2zn35%252BSTbCliSXQSF6h2fnxetVyd2Ye%252FQxkk5umkuY1pRCYqGWHc7b54bZpRyV0X27Mb9G1qMyv1aySblZC7ZyY5%252BHiIVqDX%252FTEYensPX%252B3odThjit6g6gFb4LTQZ4txERphCo%252BBcWEhfuSa1ObcULJuE9qOCb%252FPgLJvrPH2l2DI6sitI7RF3wVvti8H8V%252FdWvrHPmpL%252B9hjvwVkQnF09uDre0Y08in%252FkOs241u%252Bbe7Ddy5JSTF%252BiZ2JUfmQi6pTeBB%252FzQ%253D%253D%26checksum%3D25469908083898bfa73c75f649b2b085048b4bb47ee1&campid=5338288596&toolid=10001&customid=
Can you explain what the yellow wire is for? It wasn't clear to me.
Some boats use multiplex wiring, which I have no experience with but it’s basically away to control lighting from a centralized panel. These lights have that capability but I’m just using a regular switch.
@@ourkaravan thank you very much. I've done a lot of basic automotive wiring but have never dealt with multiplexing
@@ourkaravan That's why the lights are so expensive, they must be addressable and able to decode MX signals. That will reduce control wiring significantly for a multitude of lights setup. Pretty awesome
@@dodgeplow It's basically a single wire communication bus.
@@georgedemean2228 Thanks for the explanation. I mainly bought these because two of my favorite van builders use them and I'm tired of LED lighting going bad. I've had particularly bad luck with the circuits in LED yard lighting, deck lighting and automotive replacement bulbs. Not taking that chance on the van.
My 2008 crew van had the headliner deleted.
It may have been an option, I’m not sure.
I think $100 for each light is a bit steep.
I totally agree. But given the luck I’ve had with cheap stuff I wasn’t willing to risk it. You could do the same install with any light.
It averages out well with the $150 headliner 🤣😂😅