Removing rocker switches in our skoolie conversion has left my thumbs sore.
It’s a literal pain in the thumbs.
It’s also another one of those projects that, before you know it, has chewed up an afternoon and you’re not sure if you really have much to show for it.
Welcome to the world of school bus conversion, I guess!
I have to say, though, that there’s a feeling of satisfaction after figuring it out. And with it comes an increasing level of confidence that we’ll be able to decipher future problems at hand.
But let’s get on to the nitty gritty!
After removing all of the unnecessary wiring circuits , we were left with a handful of rocker switches in the driver’s console that we don’t need. And since we want to add a backup camera monitor, a switch to control it, and a mighty cupholder, we needed to reorganize the remaining switches.
First, they needed to come out.
Those stubborn SOB’s.
I had already unscrewed the mounting panels from the console so that I could remove the superfluous circuits.
Label the Wires!
Before getting too far into the process, tested all the remaining circuits to make sure they worked.
Fans…check.
Heater and defrost fan…check.
Windshield wipers…check.
And so on.
Then, I labeled each cluster of wires that terminated in the plug at the rocker switch. Most of the time I could actually read my handwriting.
Once everything was labeled, I used a small screw driver to pry up on the tabs locking the wiring harness onto to the back of the switch and worked them free.
After I had removed all the harnesses, I was able to pull out the plastic mounting board holding all the rocker switches.
Wrangling with Rocker Switches
It was a cold, rainy day. Temps in the 30’s with pouring rain.
A perfect day to sit inside.
I grabbed a few different sizes flathead screwdrivers and sat down at the table.
Each switch seats itself into a plastic housing that holds 3 or 4 switches. The housing locks into the plastic mounting board. I found that I had to first remove the housing from the board, then remove the switches from the housing.
Removing Rocker Switch Housing from the Panel
I would not have broken so many tabs had I been more patient.
That being said, it’s still not easy.
I found that I had to work each side one at a time. I depressed one tab with a flathead screwdriver, then pushed that one small part of the rocker switch through the mounting board. If I pushed it too far, it created too much pressure on the other tabs and made it difficult to depress those tabs.
I learned this the hard way. Out of frustration I would press the tab overzealously and break it.
Dagnabit.
So, the key here was to push one tab at a time, gently work that section through the panel, then continue on to each tab.
Patience, Grasshopper….
Removing Rocker Switches from the Housing
Phew…I get the all the housings out.
I took a moment at this time to revel in a small victory.
I find this step critical in maintaining one’s sanity and emotional well-being in the school bus conversion process.
Then I began the Herculean task of removing rocker switches out of the housing.
After breaking several more tabs with a screwdriver, I finally arrived at what I found to be the most effective method: Thumbs and fingers with an occasional screwdriver assist.
The tool, not the drink.
Although, now that I think about it…
Anyway.
I set the rocker switch housing on the table, used my two index fingers to press down the tabs, and my to thumbs to press the rocker switch out.
Occasionally the tab would get hung up somehow in the housing, but with a gentle pry with a screwdriver I could get it to release.
Removing Rocker Switch Covers
So now I had a table full of rocker switches!
Again, I celebrated with a little dance.
Then tackled the problem of the switch covers.
Little plastic covers guarded the vacant switch bays. Since I wanted to consolidate all my switches, I needed to figure out how to evict them.
Having never worked with these things before, I had no idea how to get them out.
Cut them with an box-cutter knife?
Dynamite?
Had I used a flashlight, and my eyes weren’t 52 years old, I might have discovered four small tabs of each cover holding into place in the housing.
Instead, I elected to use the “smash them out with a screwdriver using your hand as a hammer” method.
It didn’t go as badly as I predicted.
I only broke a few tabs and didn’t drive the screwdriver through my hand.
After removing the first one, though, I discovered the tabs. To remove the rest of the covers, I flipped the housings upside down, gently pried open the tabs, and popped off the covers.
What the Heck is this Thing?
I found these plastic, flexible, circuit board looking things stuck to the bottom of the mounting plates. They came emblazoned with a “12 volt shock hazard” warning sticker. At first I didn’t know if they were some sort of grounding system or what.
Turns out, they are light modules. The cast a green glow when the headlights are on so that you can see the switches at night.
Cool things you learn when doing school bus conversions.
I peeled them off and put them in the box so I can reinstall them on my new panels. Looks like I’ll have to solder one of them, though, the wires broke off!
What’s up Next?
So now I have a box full of switches, housings, covers, and mounting plates. I’m going to create new mounting plates from 1/4 inch birch plywood that will better fit the style of the bus. Then I will install these new plates into the console, plug everything in, then pray to the bus conversion gods that everything works.
It’s all part of the process.
Thanks for checking in. Feel free to post any questions or feedback in the comments!
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