Coin Holder mod Part 2

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Bergie

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Below is a finished assembly shown with the rubber cap and trailer brake control.
View attachment 69819
This photo shows how I decided to use it, with no rubber cap and a cubby hole in place of the trailer brake control – more about that below.
With cubby hole.JPG

The steps:
• To determine the center of a disc, draw 2 lines from one part of the disc’s edge to another, then mark the center point of each line. (I used a plain straight-edged ruler, drew 2-1/2” lines and marked the center at 1-1/4”). Draw a perpendicular line from the center point of the 2 lines and where they intersect will be the center of your disc.
• Use a spring punch or center punch and make an indentation in the center of the disc. The idea is to have a spot where you can seat a drill bit when you cut holes in the disc.
• You’ll want a small piece of scrap wood to use as backing for the bits when you cut your holes. I used a piece of 3/8” plywood that I had in my scrap pile. If you’re willing, it wouldn’t hurt to smooth one side of it with some sandpaper so that it will be a better surface for adhesion.
• With the protective paper still on the disc, apply double-sided tape to one side of the disc. The regular kind is better than the foam type. You want it to adhere without shifting when you apply stress.
• With the protective paper still on the disc, press the disc onto the smooth side of your scrap wood. Clamp it for about 60 seconds if you can so that it will make a nice thorough bond to both surfaces.
• Now you need to make the 2 circle cuts. The larger one – 2-5/16” diameter – may be more of a challenge. There are many YouTube videos that offer tips on how to do it. For me, I got lucky… I have a set of common hole saws and the 2-1/2” saw (shown below) leaves an interior circle cut of just under 2-5/16” – close enough to suit me.
2.5 hole saw.JPG

With the disc adhered to the scrap wood, use the center hole as a guide and make your first cut. I used a drill press, but any decent drill will do. Because the disc is only 1/8” thick, a high speed will work fine without danger of melting the disc edges in the cut. Make your cut just deep enough to reach the wood backing.
If you don’t have a hole saw, no matter - search the web for tips or use your own abilities. You’ll find that it’s not as difficult as many would have you believe.
• Leaving the disc adhered to the wood, change to the 1.1” bit provided with the USB charging unit.
1.125 bit.JPG
Use the center hole (made with the previous cut) as a guide, and make your second cut. You’ll now have 3 concentric circles adhering to the wood. Remove the outer and inner circles, then gently pry up the remaining circle. That’s your face plate through which the charging unit will fit.
• Time now to make your back washer. Repeat the procedure for determining the center of the second disc. With the disc adhered to the scrap wood, use the 1.1” bit to cut a center hole. That’s your washer for behind the dash.

To mount your charging unit:
• Remove the coin holder – it just pulls out.
• Remove the trailer brake control module or the cubby hole insert – whichever is in your Expy. Having the insert removed provides work room for installing your charger. Use a small flat blade screwdriver to pry it free. Start in the center of the top edge – there are catch latches that will be released as you pry. Do the same for the left and right side while keeping pressure on the loosened edges with your fingers. When top, left, and right are loose, tilt the insert forward away from the dash and lift. This will disengage the insert.
• You should find a wiring pigtail attached to the insert. It powers the brake controller. If you just have a cubby hole, the wiring pigtail will still be there – they use the insert as a keeping spot for the pigtail.
• For power to the charger, I tapped into the power wire in the pigtail (yellow/red) and the ground (black w/ stripe). The power wire is always hot, so I need to make sure I turn off the charger when I leave the vehicle. There are numerous options if you want to run wire and find a hot lead that works when the ignition is on – up to you.
• The charging unit comes with its own fused wiring pigtail, very easy to use, and with plugs at the end that attach to the unit. Behind the dash, slip the large charger nut and the 3” washer you made onto the wiring pigtail. Try to keep the two pieces up close to the dash – you’ll need to grab them in a minute.
• Snake the wires out through the coin holder opening.
• Slide face plate onto the charging unit, then plug the wiring pigtail ends onto the protruding prongs of the unit. Positive and negative are stamped into the back of the unit so that you can see what goes where. Red wire = positive.
• The rectangular opening is large enough to reach your fingers in, slide the 3” washer onto the charger, and thread the nut. With one hand, hold the charger in position from the front of the dash. With the other hand stuck through the rectangular opening, tighten the nut from behind the dash. When you get it as tight as you can, try putting on a thin work glove to get the nut even tighter without piercing your fingers.
• If the face of the charger is a bit off center, grip the charger body behind the dash and turn it from there. There is usually enough leverage to true up the unit’s position without loosening the nut.

Notes:
• With the coin holder removed, there is enough room in the opening with the remaining flange piece to securely hold the face plate you’ll be making. HOWEVER – I urge you to confirm the measurements I’ve listed so that you’re comfortable with your target. Because the disc is only 1/8” thick, when it sits in the recessed opening you can’t see the edges and it doesn’t matter if they are smooth or not.
• I got lucky and found a charging unit that came with a drill bit. If you find one you like better, the process is the same as long as it will fit through the coin holder opening and as long as you have a bit that will fit the body of the charging unit.
• If your power wire to the charger is an “always on” source, it will be better to have it on a switch. That was another reason I went with the charger I chose – it has an on/off switch. If your unit is always on, your battery will go dead if the Expy is unused for a time. You can also tap into an “ignition on” power source somewhere else in the vehicle.
• The discs come with a glossy finish. You’ll note that the other trim pieces in your Expy have a matte finish. Similarly, the discs are solid black and the vehicle trim pieces are dark gray. I used a piece of 1000 grit sandpaper and sanded both sides of the face plate that slides onto the charging unit. This gave it a nice matte finish and actually grayed it out some. I did the same thing for the 3” washer, but with a much lower grit – 120. This roughed up the surface so that the washer wouldn’t turn against the flange behind the dash and the nut would have something to grip instead of a mirror smooth surface.
• My Expy has the heavy duty towing package, which includes the trailer brake controller module. I bought it used and while I like the heavy duty radiator and transmission oil cooler, I don’t tow anything. I decided that I wanted another cubby hole, so I found the part. IF YOU DO THIS – the trailer brake control module needs to be plugged in if you have the towing package because it’s an integral part of the system. If it’s not plugged in, you’ll get a warning message that says, “Trailer Brake Module Fault” every time you start the Expy. It will clear with the OK button but it’s going to keep showing up. To prevent this, I pulled the center SYNC/Climate Control dash panel, plugged the Brake control module back in to the wiring pigtail from behind the dash, and tucked it into a nice open space. I don’t use it so I won’t miss it. I also left the coin holder plugged into its pigtail and tucked it behind the dash.
 
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