[Stormwind]

Hi all,

Can a cable be run from the center rear roof of the van inside the D-pillar down the passenger side D-pillar? Or do you know an alternative route?

I have a finished 2021 148" Long High Roof camper van. I recently installed a flat-mount 12v converted Starlink on the driver side rear roof, but current just have the cable running in through the rear door gasket.

I'd like to put a waterproof junction box on the roof, put a Neutrik waterproof jack on it, and run the Cat6 cable from the roof junction box into the van down to my equipment cabinet that is accessible from the passenger side near the floor. Running a cable loom tube for future use would be a bonus.

I'd like to run the cable without messing up the interior finish of the van, since I don't have the skills to make it look nice again afterwards - which means I don't want to mess with the tongue-in-groove ceiling my wife really likes.

Since the van interior is already finished and the D-pillar covered in automotive fabric, I'd like to try to find a usable cable route before I cut and tear into anything to minimize the uglyness I add or have to try and repair.

Info, suggestions, advice, photos, or links to videos or schematics would all be appreciated. (I've searched but there isn't much online I can find about the Transit D-pillar.)

Thanks!

 

[nealcallan]

Maybe try this: I see you have a roof gland for the solar wires, that penetration looks like it is behind the last rib. If you remove the rear top brake light you might be able to access the solar gland opening. There is a cavity opening to the brake light from inside the van, and you might be able to access above your ceiling. Then run a wire fish through the brake light opening and down the D pillar, will not be easy but might be doable. I have some pictures of these openings, will try and find them and post.

 

[gregoryx]

Agree with @nealcallan: if you can't open up that roof, outside is your only likely option. I can't remember if all the bolts are accessible from the outside, though... are they?

Good news is those d-pillars are /mostly/ a straight drop. I know I was able to get my arm up inside from the bottom far enough to get to the couple of obstructions to encourage wire around / through them. Maybe put a larger-ish hole in the roof near the rear corner that would allow dropping a fish line down the whole way? Assuming you have the wall open / accessible on the bottom... 🤔 Then you'd put a roof gland or glued-on box over the hole on the roof.

 

[Stormwind]

Maybe try this: I see you have a roof gland for the solar wires, that penetration looks like it is behind the last rib. If you remove the rear top brake light you might be able to access the solar gland opening. There is a cavity opening to the brake light from inside the van, and you might be able to access above your ceiling. Then run a wire fish through the brake light opening and down the D pillar, will not be easy but might be doable. I have some pictures of these openings, will try and find them and post.

Thanks! Photos would be awesome.

How does one remove the rear brake light enclosure? I've also been trying to remove the plastic caps over the rear door latches on the D-pillar without success so far.

 

[Stormwind]

Agree with @nealcallan: if you can't open up that roof, outside is your only likely option. I can't remember if all the bolts are accessible from the outside, though... are they?

Good news is those d-pillars are /mostly/ a straight drop. I know I was able to get my arm up inside from the bottom far enough to get to the couple of obstructions to encourage wire around / through them. Maybe put a larger-ish hole in the roof near the rear corner that would allow dropping a fish line down the whole way? Assuming you have the wall open / accessible on the bottom... 🤔 Then you'd put a roof gland or glued-on box over the hole on the roof.

Thanks!

Is there a path horizontally across to top d-pillar to meet the vertical drop down the vertical d-pillar?

I'm trying to avoid putting the junction box and hole on the far edge of the roof (above the vertical d-pillar) because it might be outside the protection of my roof rack from limbs, and is very close to my Parsec antenna. I'm hoping to put the junction box and hole more towards the center of the rear.

 

[nealcallan]

Thanks! Photos would be awesome.

How does one remove the rear brake light enclosure? I've also been trying to remove the plastic caps over the rear door latches on the D-pillar without success so far.

Thanks!

Is there a path horizontally across to top d-pillar to meet the vertical drop down the vertical d-pillar?

I'm trying to avoid putting the junction box and hole on the far edge of the roof (above the vertical d-pillar) because it might be outside the protection of my roof rack from limbs, and is very close to my Parsec antenna. I'm hoping to put the junction box and hole more towards the center of the rear.

Well, I tried to find some photos, seems I take a lot of pictures when I run into trouble and when things go smooth not so much. And my archiving system is crap.
Rear light: The whole assembly can be remove via the mounting bolts on both sides. And you can access the inside cavity via the internal opening.

Picture from inside - this is the best I have but you can see the red light reflection through the opening.

 

[NW_Freedom]

Running a cable through that rear beam would be awfully hard. If you could use the access hole on the roof to inside the van it might be possible to run it the few inches inside your roof into the hole that is in the D pillar and drop it down.

I'll take a look at mine here in a bit to see what i can see since my rear pillars and beam aren't enclosed yet.

 

[Scotty49]

Read @OldMadBrit post (Starlink - Van install) on this subject. He cut his cable and used RJ45 Cat 5 connectors to bring the cable into the van. He mounted his dish on the roof.
Also check this YouTube video for more details on how to wire the connectors.

 

[gregoryx]

Thanks!

Is there a path horizontally across to top d-pillar to meet the vertical drop down the vertical d-pillar?

I'm trying to avoid putting the junction box and hole on the far edge of the roof (above the vertical d-pillar) because it might be outside the protection of my roof rack from limbs, and is very close to my Parsec antenna. I'm hoping to put the junction box and hole more towards the center of the rear.

Yes, there is. Not much in the way. But difficult to do if you're just coming from the outside holes from the brake light. Above that ceiling there are three large holes... easy to use. But /maybe/ you could feed a semi-rigid wire across and down... 🤔

Prolly be one of those where the closer you are to the corner, the easier / more-likely it'd be.

 

[Stormwind]

Running a cable through that rear beam would be awfully hard. If you could use the access hole on the roof to inside the van it might be possible to run it the few inches inside your roof into the hole that is in the D pillar and drop it down.

I'll take a look at mine here in a bit to see what i can see since my rear pillars and beam aren't enclosed yet.

Thanks!!! If you could take pics, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stormwind]

Read @OldMadBrit post (Starlink - Van install) on this subject. He cut his cable and used RJ45 Cat 5 connectors to bring the cable into the van. He mounted his dish on the roof.
Also check this YouTube video for more details on how to wire the connectors.

Thanks. Yeah, I've already done the RJ45 conversion, the 12v conversion using the DishyPowa passive POE injector, installed the Starlink dish on my roof, and have it all working.

I have Neutrik waterproof RJ45 connectors for the cable. I just have the install of the roof waterproof RJ45 port and the cable to run from the port to my equipment cabinet left to do.

 

[NW_Freedom]

I wasn't able to locate my cable for the Weboost but i know i came from the rear access hole on the roof and ran it down the inside of the upper wall...i think you could use that access hole run it across the ceiling to the corner and down the rear pillar if you melted a small hole for the cable to run into the hole shown in this photo.

 

[NW_Freedom]

This is the perfect size for the access holes on the roof. it is almost the same size as the round sticker plug you need to remove to use the hole.

 

[Stormwind]

Well, I tried to find some photos, seems I take a lot of pictures when I run into trouble and when things go smooth not so much. And my archiving system is crap.
Rear light: The whole assembly can be remove via the mounting bolts on both sides. And you can access the inside cavity via the internal opening.
View attachment 185136 View attachment 185137
Picture from inside - this is the best I have but you can see the red light reflection through the opening.
View attachment 185138

Thanks!

Did you have to unbolt the left and right side bolts before being able to lift or the rear light middle itself?

 

[nealcallan]

Thanks!

Did you have to unbolt the left and right side bolts before being able to lift or the rear light middle itself?

The middle of the light can be removed first, just need a trim removal tool. I bought this kit; has come in very handy on many projects. These type of fixtures are straightforward to remove, just keep a container handy for the screws that are removed (easy to lose).

 

[Camperguy]

Hi all,

Can a cable be run from the center rear roof of the van inside the D-pillar down the passenger side D-pillar? Or do you know an alternative route?

I have a finished 2021 148" Long High Roof camper van. I recently installed a flat-mount 12v converted Starlink on the driver side rear roof, but current just have the cable running in through the rear door gasket.

I'd like to put a waterproof junction box on the roof, put a Neutrik waterproof jack on it, and run the Cat6 cable from the roof junction box into the van down to my equipment cabinet that is accessible from the passenger side near the floor. Running a cable loom tube for future use would be a bonus.

I'd like to run the cable without messing up the interior finish of the van, since I don't have the skills to make it look nice again afterwards - which means I don't want to mess with the tongue-in-groove ceiling my wife really likes.

Since the van interior is already finished and the D-pillar covered in automotive fabric, I'd like to try to find a usable cable route before I cut and tear into anything to minimize the uglyness I add or have to try and repair.

Info, suggestions, advice, photos, or links to videos or schematics would all be appreciated. (I've searched but there isn't much online I can find about the Transit D-pillar.)

Thanks!

View attachment 185128
View attachment 185129
View attachment 185130 View attachment 185131

 

[Camperguy]

Hi Stormwind,
Where did you get your rear door mounts and how do you like them?

 

[Stormwind]

Hi Stormwind,
Where did you get your rear door mounts and how do you like them?

The rear door storage box and the rack are from Aluminess:

Rear Door Box/Tire Rack – Ford 2015-23 Transit – Aluminess

www.aluminess.com

They seem good, but the box hinders access to the rear door handle and I can imagine ways it could have made the empty upper door space useful.

 

[Stormwind]

A quick update: we were able to pull the Cat6 cable up from the large lower hole of the passenger side D-pillar to the rear factory roof hole above the same side.

The process was difficult, took several hours, and involved using:

• Fiberglass glow rods
• Pulling line
• USB endoscope camera
• Bendable rigid wire

The method that finally worked was:

1. Opened the factory roof hole
2. Used camera and glow rods to make sure there was a passage downward (couldn't go down the whole way but saw light from lower factory hole)
3. Taped pulling line to the glow rods, and pushed it up from the lower large factory d-pillar hole to the top corner of the d-pillar, verifying it hit the top using the camera through the roof hole.
4. Used the rigid wire (curved and the end bent into a hook) to grab the pull line and get it up through the factory roof hole. We had to use the camera again to see the pull line to grab with the hook.
5. Removed the glow rods from the channel - there apparently wasn't roof in the channel we found for both the cable jack and the glow rods.
6. Attached the cable jack end to the pulling line (wrapped and taped it securely), and pulled it up the channel from the lower large d-pillar hole up through the rear factory roof hole. A few points in the channel required a strong tug to get past tight areas.

The process was difficult enough that we decided to call it a win and put the junction box over the rear passenger factory roof hole (today's job).

Thanks everyone for the information and advice!