AWD Ford Transit Cargo Area WIRE HARNESS RE-ROUTE Without Splicing Or Cutting Wires! - Part 13

[@RichBuilt]

**UPDATE** I've been shown by another builder, that the passenger rear pop out of the wire loom is not required. There is a hole that brings it all the way down the cavity where the tail light is. You can choose to go this route as well. This makes the number of times the harness comes out of the body work just 2 times instead of 3.

[@EZHD]

Nice. Did this tonight. Everything fits fine, so there is really only 2 pop outs of the cable. Took a little while, but I think it'll make a lot of things easier in the future. Thanks for the video. I think I broke more plastic than you did.

[@RichBuilt]

@@EZHD Glad I was able to help!

[@williamposse5519]

@@RichBuilt Hey Rich.. not one to leave comments but your videos are hands down the best out there.. I'm building a motovan... I kept searching for videos on things I was working on and your's kept popping up. Long story short.. I've subscribed and enjoying your approach/explanations. GREAT JOB

[@PromasterHOF]

D I Wire lol

[@JaYoeNation]

Thanks. Just did it to mine and you gave me the confidence to get it done

[@tonybucca5667]

2020 awd mid here. I installed car audio for years, so I'm used to splicing multiple wires. I was JUST looking at my loom this afternoon, and KZbin read my mind and pulled this video up. You did a nice job. I would have "massaged" that no-go point in the middle of the wall. I've only had the van 2 months, so I'm still in the "scheming" mode. This is my 12th van since (GULP) 1973.

[@markeh1971]

Hi you can depin the connectors to get them through, note where they go first and then just push them back in they should go "Click". Lots of photographs and time.!

[@barnswallowtinyhomes2990]

We did this without a guide and wish I had seen your video first. I think it’s worth it but certainly a lot of work !

[@LDPink60]

Thanks for taking your time to record this and show all your steps! My handyman builder, who’s also an experienced mechanic, told me him and his, also very experienced sons, who rebuild vehicles too, what they did after the fact to reroute the wire (like you) and I just about freaked out! They did a great job but pulling apart my new 2020 Transit has been a bit beyond my comfort level...my sliding door was the next thing. They’ve done a great job although when you’re paying hourly it can cause a bit more anxiety where you have to weigh out the value of certain things and ditch certain ideas so you can afford other more necessary things. Thanks again!

[@RichBuilt]

Glad I could help and absolutely agree with you! If you can just push them up high and make tuck them away from view, that would be a great alternative to this method.

[@mike123abc]

This is something Ford should have done to start with. Great job, looks far better and you did not have to cut and solder all those wires like I have seen others do.

[@RichBuilt]

Thanks Micheal!

[@jimkemp1816]

Nice job. I thought about doing this briefly, but concluded that any concerns about the funky look of the externally routed factory wire loom would be mostly taken care of by running it thru the upper cabinets. The loom is mostly invisible now that the cabinets are in. I did reroute the 5' section above the rear doors so that it is now tucked up behind the ceiling planks. I figured this was worth the small effort (no splicing or disconnecting wires) since that stretch would be very visible. I wish I had the foresight to install some larger 14 AWG wire to the rear door speakers.

[@RichBuilt]

Thank you! Nice work!

[@joesyard]

Thanks for this video! After watching this too many times to count, I finally took the weekend and knocked it out. Van built is now officially underway!

[@EffectsProtocol]

I’m planning on getting the same van and I’ve watched all your videos!

[@RichBuilt]

thats awesome! Congratulations, you'll love it!

[@craigwilson7477]

Rich thanks for the video, really helpful. BTW you can get the harness inside all the way down the driver side. I just used a crow bar to gently bend the opening a little bigger so the big connector would fit through.

[@RichBuilt]

ahh good tip!

[@clarkcarroll4819]

Great video. Just did it today to a new transit. Took an hour max. Toughest thing was fishing the harness down the drivers side rear channel. Normal fish tape kept going behind the wrong panel so the first harness kept getting stuck. So we tied a heavy nut to a string and dropped it down the channel. Had no issue after that. Used that technique on both sides. Also, we found that we only had to pop off the top of the passenger rear fender to get access to that vent. Didn’t break any fasteners. IMHO this is a no brainer mod that should be done with all transit builds.

[@RichBuilt]

Awesome! thanks for the tips, hope this helps others as well!

[@tommy1a1a]

Well done! Bold moves and obvious perseverance. Super helpful for those of us considering this job. Many thanks.

[@RichBuilt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tony.fehr.]

Wow what a job. Appreciate you putting this together, going to do that to mine in the next few days

[@RichBuilt]

Thank you! Glad I could help!

[@bishopj10000]

Thanks Rich. Just tackled this job today. The video was a great help. Keep up the great work on the vids.

[@Under9Kadventures]

Looks so much better. Why couldn’t it just be like that from the factory. Props to you for not splicing and taking the time preserve the original wiring by rerouting.

[@RichBuilt]

Thanks man!

[@VanHaulen]

Nice work! Your brave , but it paid off. I just built my cabinets over the wires.

[@RichBuilt]

Cool, thanks

[@DD-sn4iz]

Watched this video couple times, helped a lot, finally got to re route mine today. Couple updates, so mine is 19 transit HR extended, mine has rear camera but no back up sensor, nor do I have blind spot sensor. Turns out I don’t have a cable that goes down from passenger rear, therefore no need to pull any fender/bumper. Way easier than my expectations, might help you if you have same trim of transit.

[@RichBuilt]

Glad I could help!

[@BennaCaique1]

Thanks for sharing your experience 🤠 hopefully I’ll learn from your mistakes

[@loumikb6556]

Just a thought.....perhaps consider some wire loom to cover existing wire from chaffing and possible shorting out in years to come from the sharp metal edges within the body work. I don't think masking tape alone will provide the necessary protection.

[@RichBuilt]

good call! I was planning to put some Kilmat but didn’t have any scraps on me

[@andreal1235]

This video got me to subscribe to your channel. I was way too scared to pull off that black styrofoam over the airbag on my 2020 so thank you for braving it for us all. Also, I couldn't agree more on how awful the wireway is from the factory.

[@RichBuilt]

Glad I could help! yeah, even for cargo purposes, that wire chase takes up space for shelving or storage for a work van.

[@TheZebbtab]

Great help. Thank you 🙏

[@jonwilliams6821]

Nice job, thanks for the mention.

[@RichBuilt]

No problem 👍 Thanks again

[@billyg.1212]

Now I see where the back two doors are that wire may become a problem for sure. Hopefully there’s enough slack in there that I can move it out of the way I’m away from home right now so when I get back I’ll take a look at it and see if I will have to reroute at least that area

[@diamondhead203]

1:39 Haha ford doesn’t build these vans with fulltime van life in mind. So the wiring was done at the factory with speed in mind. Good job rerouting.

[@RichBuilt]

haha true, thank you!

[@LarryStewart1]

Do you have photos or video of how you framed and clad the transition from your walls and ceiling to the factory headliner?

[@boomstick555]

Great video, Just a thought, would you consider making the sound volume consistent from your voice volume to the music. I have to consistently adjust the volume to watch it or just mute the sound altogether. I also put my wiring harness in loom to avoid rubbing or chaffing. 2019 Transit 250 Lwb, High roof. I should've made a video on mine for reference of a diff model. Once again great job.

[@RichBuilt]

Thanks Brian, hopefully I've made some improvements from these early videos.

[@tiny11231]

Great job!

[@billyg.1212]

I like what you did here it’s you put in a lot of work, but really thinking about it once you put on furring strips and what not you can actually build around that wire. That’s gonna be my objective build around the wire. And I don’t know if I’m going to use regular two by fours or two by twos, I may even use Metal framing. Which would be lighter than wood. The type of framing what they use in office buildings. It can be cut and shaped pretty much to the contour of the body

[@RichBuilt]

That's also a great way to mitigate the wires, My layout and design would not allow me to go with that approach. Looking forward to your progress

[@billyg.1212]

Sorry About the wording I was using dictation a lot,

[@Kayte...]

On my medium roof '22 transit there is only a thumb size hole to route the cable through from rear corners to back above the rear doors. A no go. :(

[@matthewappleby8272]

I found a much easier way than doing all this. If your ordering a new van in Australia it is nearly a 12-18 month wait, I just told them I would order a Mercedes Sprinter instead if they didn't run all the wiring through the cavity for me, they were more than happy to oblige.

[@RichBuilt]

Thats good to know!

[@soloridertv]

I'm planning on just leaving room behind my cabinets for the wire loom to stay. I'm going to do 8020 aluminum for the cabinet frames though.

[@RichBuilt]

Yeah to be honest with the work involved I should have just done that also

[@briannorwick]

RichBuilt thanks for the honesty!!!

[@user-hb8hx5mw3w]

SO helpful! Thank you! Peace

[@peterwharton5649]

There is a switch that located at the backside driver door on the plastic plate do you have the information on it and like part # and wire harness if possible

[@lolacasanova2000]

Thank you sooo much !!!!!! I needed to do this as well did it😎👍👍👍👍👍thank you Thank you

[@RichBuilt]

Glad it helped!

[@kasiembright]

Dang dude that kicked your a**! 😂 But at least you finished 👍🏽😬. I am routing mine this weekend. Gonna cut the wire loom. I'll let ya know how it goes👌🏾😆

[@RichBuilt]

HAHA yea! this one one sucked, but looking back splicing may have been easier

[@livefreevinnie]

Ordering a 2023 Ford Transit AWD 350 this weekend for a self build and cancel my STO MODE LT order. I wonder if rerouting factory wires could be requested during factory build.

[@RichBuilt]

Someone said the dealership did it for them.

[@peterwharton5649]

Is it possible that I get the information on the switch and plate at the back end drive side door that controls the rear end lights

[@ZillaYT]

Was there enough slack to just push the harness against the ceiling?

[@southerngirlyall6497]

Are the cable trays easy to reinstall?

[@TransitVan350]

How long did this take you from start to finish ?

[@mrgcav]

Please post links to your other parts of videos 1-12 ?

[@RichBuilt]

They should be in the descriptions

[@robertstatwick715]

Hey @richbuilt, approximately how long does it take to complete this reroute, start to finish?

[@RichBuilt]

About 6 hours but I didnt have much guidance

[@AndreasEUR]

So as I understand it the right rear trim has to come off, but the rear bumper does not. Is that correct?

[@RichBuilt]

yup thats correct

[@stealthd16]

Uh, Yeah, I’m not doing that, does not seem worth the hassle. The way these vans are built is that the components are really designed to snap in place one time. Your experience with broken trim clips is a good example. Even if you don’t break any of the plastic clips during disassembly, they never fit the same when you reassemble and I feel like it diminishes the overall integrity and reliability. I don’t want any rattles or things falling apart down the road. Once your van is built out you can’t see much of the wiring anyway. I kept my harness in place, ran all the additional cables along side off the OEM wiring where I can still access them behind the cabinetry to make any future mods or changes. I may not agree with you on this one but I’m still subscribed :)

[@RichBuilt]

Thanks Stealthd16! yeah, your right about one time use, these parts aren't really made to be modified and the majority of the vans produced never will. If I was to do it again I probably will just tuck it up high and out of site covered by wall panels. Would have been awesome if it worked out

[@stealthd16]

@@RichBuilt I have to give you MAJOR credit for trying AND succeeding. Dude that was sheer willpower to succeed! I know there's been a lot of discussion on this on the Transit forums. I freak (& silently yell NOOOO! in my head) every time someone does the cut and splice option... that said I still want to find that damn wire that controls the cargo lighting and install a switch! (Hint hint)

[@jamesmicah99]

@@stealthd16 What is that switch on the drivers side rear door pillar? It has a little light on the cover but I can't figure out what it doesn't. My light keeps shutting off while I work in the back.

[@stealthd16]

@@jamesmicah99 it’s Ford’s frustrating version of a light switch. If your cargo lights are on, that will shut them off. They stay off until you activate the switch again. What you’re experiencing is that after the lights are for a while, a tuner shuts them off to save battery. Ford is just trying to protect us from killing the cheap undersized battery they gave us. Its a very confusing switch since you can’t use it to turn the lights back on when they go off. I keep my key fob handy, when the lights go off while I’m working I push the unlock button and the lights (and stereo) come back on.

[@jamesmicah99]

@@stealthd16 How annoying!

[@markstevenswinecountryreal6493]

Where are you located?

[@hoogabooga9736]

your warning added "Don't make my mistake, you don't have to remove the harness from the bumper"--means you didn't have to take off the bumper AND the side panel at all? unsure on instruction--you can disconnect the harness from under/behind the bumper and feed through without removing the bumper AND side panel, or you just have to remove the side panel? thanks, tackling it tomorrow.

[@RichBuilt]

You don’t need to remove the bumper and harness in the bumper

[@hoogabooga9736]

@@RichBuilt great, thanks. i have a 2021 transit also and you're ahead of me!

[@aaronmckeown4928]

How did you get the vent off?

[@RichBuilt]

Its held on by clips. If you squeeze it from the top and bottom and pull out, it should come off easily.

[@byronmorris1594]

Ford relies on the resistance you are putting near a heat source. Those harness having shortage problem ford will not cover if it is taper with. I see they cost $4,000. to repair. You will lose your warranty.

[@pathollis9918]

going to have someone else do this. LOL!!!

[@RichBuilt]

Hahah! Looking back I would do the same or just splice it so it’s completely tucked away

[@billyg.1212]

Just a thought

[@gersongjr]

Hi mikko

[@raphofthehills4405]

Ha, wish I had seen your video before I rerouted my harness... The end of it going into the bumper and sides seemed too much of a mess to my feeble brain. So, instead, I simply cut the 16 wires that exit the van at that spot. Reconnecting them was just a 1 hour job. Video here, in case it helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3ecpKagasSanJY With hindsight, maybe I could have considered a hybrid approach.

[@RichBuilt]

Thanks for sharing that info!

[@sluggysmalls]

Thanks for this video Rich, it was super helpful for my harness reroute. Regarding the connector behind the rear side panel I made a short video showing how to get to it in detail. Hope this is helpful for folks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYHFqKSwmMSSaJY Also for anyone considering whether or not to attempt to do this job it really isn't too difficult. Seems worth it to me to make installing cabinetry and rear doorframe paneling easier. Took me a few hours.

[@dalesherman2218]

why the fuck would you jack the sound up :(

[@gwho]

Freaken ford...

[@GeoffreyHale]

Great work! Thanks for sharing this. 🚐

[@RichBuilt]

Thank you!

[@TankToChest]

I don’t have that big connector 😩