[MaintAndMore]

Hey all! Been a Mopar muscle car fan and owner since highschool (grad'84). First car was a 340 '72 Charger - then '69 RR 383 etc..etc.. and ended up selling my '68 Hemi GTX (4spd, 354) after getting married and now have 3 children. We have two Jeeps to haul everyone around and I have NEVER ever owned a GM or Phord anything. I started a handyman business and am purchacing an '02 1500 cargo van w/127" wb. Wanted a 25 or 35 but this government auction only has 10k miles and I have all the service records. It has gone through 3 O2 sensors though. Lookin forward to upgrading the power and torque (headers,pcm etc.) and installing power windows and locks and remote start/alarm. I'll be posting as soon as i'm able to get into it and am looking forward to your help, advice and thoughts. Mike

 

[alloro]

installing power windows and locks and remote start/alarm.

I did the same three things to mine, plus a double tube 4' fluorescent fixture to light up the shelves and parts bins at night, also interior and exterior ladder racks.

If you open the passenger door and look at the end of the dash, there is a cover that comes off if you pull real hard. That access panel was a lifesaver for running wires and hiding the door lock relays.

 

[alloro]

Oh and for anyone interested. Here is where I got the ballasts for the florescent light.
http://www.powerstream.com/ballast-1.htm

I bought a 2-lamp 4' fixture with a lens, removed the 120v ballast and installed two PST-EB40S12 12v ballasts in it, one for each lamp. Lights the cargo area up like it's daytime.

 

[MaintAndMore]

I did the same three things to mine, plus a double tube 4' fluorescent fixture to light up the shelves and parts bins at night, also interior and exterior ladder racks.

If you open the passenger door and look at the end of the dash, there is a cover that comes off if you pull real hard. That access panel was a lifesaver for running wires and hiding the door lock relays.

COOL alloro ! ! Did you use salvage yard stuff from a dodge ram pick up? Door panels too? Any other tips or instruction would be a great help. I will be using the ballast/light stuff! Thanks again. ww.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=CR39-K&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AEOS Too pricy?

 

[RAM MAN]

Welcome to the site

 

[97B2500CCV]

I bought a 2-lamp 4' fixture with a lens, removed the 120v ballast and installed two PST-EB40S12 12v ballasts in it, one for each lamp. Lights the cargo area up like it's daytime.

Alloro, What is the longest run time you have had on these between engine start ups?

MaintAndMore, welcome to the forum.

 

[alloro]

Alloro, What is the longest run time you have had on these between engine start ups?

Maybe 20-30 minutes. I don't hang out in there, I basically just go in to get parts, supplies, or tools.

I wired up an ON and an OFF push button relay switching system at the driver's, rear, and side doors to turn it on and off. I didn't want it going on automatically each time a door was opened and risk blowing the ballasts. Although I am using the dome light wire for power. That way whenever the doors are closed it does go off automatically, eliminating the risk of leaving it on by accident.

 

[alloro]

COOL alloro ! ! Did you use salvage yard stuff from a dodge ram pick up? Door panels too? Any other tips or instruction would be a great help. I will be using the ballast/light stuff! Thanks again. http://www.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=CR39-K&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AEOS Too pricey?

I used my original door panels. Since the old regulators come out, I decided to place my switches where the holes in the panel are for the crank handle.

I installed the same ones from A1 Electric that you're showing at your link. There is no room in the door to flush mount the switches so I went with these.
http://www.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=4990-10-421&Category_Code=

I'll post pictures of my switches so you can see the positioning on the doors.

 

[alloro]

First picture is of the passenger door, then the driver's door, then the door lock relays in the passenger dash end panel, and finally the lighted 4' fixture. It's night here so they're not the best, plus it's damn cold out so I was shaking while taking them. Hopefully they get the point across.

 

[MaintAndMore]

Does it matter if I go with T8 or T12 bulbs with those ballasts? Can't wait to do the p/w. Switches look so cool.

 

[alloro]

According to the specs for the ballast, you can use either T12 or T8 lamps. I used F32-T8 cool white lamps in mine just because they're brighter and last longer.