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Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 1:04 pm
by Markas
I'm planning to add a spot/reading light to the interior of my Bongo. I was originally going to mount it on the offside 'D post', using the seat belt mounting point but have decided this is a bit low and I have an led ceiling light directly over the rear mounted kitchen, so plenty of light in this area.
Plan B is to mount it to what I'll call the offside C post - opposite the sliding door, above the seat belt mounting point for row 2 seats. To do the job properly I would like to remove the C post trim and the rearmost window surround to run the electrical feed through - it will be piggybacked to the original rear courtesy light and I put the wiring in place before I had the conversion done.
My question is, can I remove the upper trims for the rear window and C post (part no. 68-240B) without having to remove the lower trims? I know they are fastened in place with those fiendish metal spire clips and the seatbelt itself, but do the lower edges just slot into the top of the lower panels? If I need to remove the lower panels I will have another rethink and go to plan C, whatever that is... :?

Re: Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:49 pm
by g8dhe
As I recall you can remove the upper panels fine, they just slide up from underneath the lower panels at least on the nearside they do.

Re: Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 6:49 pm
by Flanners
I was thinking of but then went for a reading light. I purchased a USB charging led light with bracket/desktop stand with 3 brightness settings and the table or the grab handles provide a good place for using it. I am impressed with it. Have LED strip light fitted for outback and use the OE cabin lights too at times.

Re: Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 12:17 am
by Markas
Flanners wrote: Sat Dec 09, 2017 6:49 pm I was thinking of but then went for a reading light. I purchased a USB charging led light with bracket/desktop stand with 3 brightness settings and the table or the grab handles provide a good place for using it. I am impressed with it. Have LED strip light fitted for outback and use the OE cabin lights too at times.
It's for mood lighting more that anything else! The 3 led downlighters in the roof are a bit intense for watching telly at night and the cab lights, which I've changed for warm leds aren't quite bright enough to see by to pour nocturnal beverages accurately :P

Re: Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 10:00 pm
by Flanners
:D I have an outback and found the led strip under lip of the cabinet on the front works really well, can be dimmed too wired into 12v system and has a remote. I would like some of those multi leds placed in the roof lining for the evenings a la VW vans, but not sure how easy it is to drop the roof lining as it looks fairly fragile and with limited space.

Re: Removing upper interior trim panels

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:18 pm
by Markas
Flanners wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 10:00 pm :D I have an outback and found the led strip under lip of the cabinet on the front works really well, can be dimmed too wired into 12v system and has a remote. I would like some of those multi leds placed in the roof lining for the evenings a la VW vans, but not sure how easy it is to drop the roof lining as it looks fairly fragile and with limited space.
My conversion didn't include an led strip along the cabinet front. Did you specify that as an extra or have you added it yourself? I have considered adding an led strip - the type that runs in a flexible aluminium channel with a plastic diffuser to cover it - where the cab headlining ends. A previous owner must have had a curtain here as there are some small screwholes in the headlining.
Northstar removed my hab headlining to add the led spots, however, to do that again you would need to remove the rear cupboard as that goes up to the ceiling, as well as remove the window trims, grab handles etc. to release it.