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Topic: Repurposing old phone lines (Read 555 times) previous topic - next topic

Repurposing old phone lines

They have no use anymore - at least not for me.  I'm considering repurposing them as USB chargers.  Has anyone else done this?  Or maybe there's a better use other than sticking a blank faceplate there...?

So far I've found 3 jacks - one near the passenger side couch/kitchen, one in the bedroom, and one in the wet bay.  I need to chase down wiring and find out where was power injected, but I haven't seen it on any wiring diagrams yet.
Steve and Cassi
2007 Foretravel Nimbus 42'

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #1 –
No power is injected, unless you consider that a phone cable was plugged into the outlet in the wet bay.  I believe wire going from wet bay, bedroom,  ended in living room
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #2 –
USB Chargers
Doug W.
96 36' U270 CSGI #4946
04 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
PNW

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #3 –
Quote from: turbojack –
No power is injected, unless you consider that a phone cable was plugged into the outlet in the wet bay.  I believe wire going from wet bay, bedroom,  ended in living room

Correct - the jack in the utility bay is the input jack if you happened to be at an RV park that offered landline phone.  (I think we've stayed at one that did, and that was 25 years ago.)
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #4 –
I think that the campground in Cheyenne opposite the high school still has phone hookups, we sometimes stop there for their really good barbecue.
88 Grand Villa 36' ORED 3208 (throwaway)Cat.
 Build # 3150
Happiness is the maximum agreement of reality and desire.

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #5 –
I remember in 2001 using a phone plugged into the campground in the Spokane area.  It was the only time the phone ever rang in the coach.  I do nto think we ever plugged it in again and cellphone use took off and we repurposed it to USB plate
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #6 –
I have repurposed 2 of our phone jackets to USB plugs but I did have to run power to them.  I suppose I might have been able to heat them up by sending 12 volts in at the wet bay, but I wanted to fuse them up front of the pass side where all the other connections are.
Robert and Susan
 1995 36' 280 WTBI 8.3 3060r
 1200 watts on the roof, 720 Ah of lithium's
 Build # 4637. Motorcade # 17599
        FMCA  # 451505
        18  Wrangler JLUR
 

Re: Repurposing old phone lines

Reply #7 –
I ran another circuit to the one by the coach.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport