VW T4 Sliding Window Vent with Solar and CEE Power Supply Connector for Shore Power

I’ve had my VW T4 bus fully converted for over two years now, and I kept getting frustrated at campsites because I had to run the shore power cable through the sliding door. If I left the VW T4 for a longer period, I had to dismantle everything again.

Now, some of you might say, "Why not just install a shore power connector with a CEE inlet in the T4’s side panel?" I thought the same, but I didn’t want to take apart the rear of the bus again and drill a 94 mm hole into the freshly painted and rust-proofed metal. So, I spent a few weeks looking for a less invasive solution—and that’s when I came up with this idea. Why not use the sliding window as a passthrough for multiple connections? I decided to combine vehicle ventilation with two cutouts for power connections.

In the first version, the metal panel was still quite rough, uncomfortable to handle, and aesthetically unpleasing. The long ventilation slots also made it quite flimsy and unstable.

After multiple attempts and adjustments, I finally decided to swap the cutouts—moving the charging power connection downward and the 12V socket upward. This has the following advantages: when the bus is plugged into shore power, the two cables don’t interfere with each other—solar from above, shore power from below. Additionally, the flaps open upward. Yes, I know, you could rotate them, but that’s not ideal in the rain. 🙂

The VW T4 sliding window vent with solar and CEE power supply connector for shore power is designed to lock into the second position of the sliding window. With three tabs that guide and hold the glass from behind, the 2 mm aluminum panel cannot be removed destructively while in the locked position. Additionally, the aluminum panel is precisely bent at the transition to the window, creating a smooth integration with the glass. This makes the overall aesthetic blend seamlessly with the rest of the vehicle.

Some of you might be wondering about the flyscreen and the rivets visible on the prototype. The rivets will be removed, and you can easily apply a flyscreen yourself if needed—I don’t want to increase production costs unnecessarily.

Now, let’s talk about the included versions. I decided to offer two options:

• The first version includes only the black powder-coated aluminum panel with ventilation slots and cutouts for the power connections.
• The second version comes fully equipped, including a pre-wired shore power connection. The CEE inlet connector is connected to a 3m-long H07RN-F 3x1.5 mm² cable with a rubberized 230V / 16A outdoor-rated socket (IP44). Additionally, the 12V, 25A, 3-pin socket is pre-installed but left unconnected so users can configure it for their specific needs.

And so, what started as a simple idea has turned into a really practical product. If you have any constructive feedback or improvement suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments!