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How to run wires - I want to learn

June 11, 2012, 07:48:10 pm

George Stoltz was good at starting discussion type posts so I thought I'd give it a try...
Many have added 12 Vdc, 110 Vac, HDMI, speaker, signal, etc. wires or cables as part of a modification or repair. The part about getting the wire from A to B often stops me from trying some of these and yet it gets sort of slighted in the explanation. It gets comments like "getting this wire run was a nightmare".
I'd like to see some posts explaining how you ran that wire. Photos would be nice when possible.

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Re: How to run wires - I want to learn

Reply #1 – June 11, 2012, 08:55:39 pm

Dick,

I recently ran 8 16-gauge wires from the dash to the storage bin over the driver's chair. The wires were for the installation of a Magnum AGS-S automatic generator controller.

Steps involved included:

pulling a couple of screws from the window valence  so I could pull it away from the wall
removing 8 screws that hold a race cover that goes from the upper cabinets to a race near the floor (if had to hold the valence out in order to get to some of the screws)
removing a few screws to allow the removal of the floor panel in the upper storage cabinet
removing a couple of screws to pull a panel in the corner near the driver's feet
using a metal fish tape pushed from the bottom of the vertical race to the area that was covered by the lower panel
taping the end of the bundle of 8 wires to the fish tape and pulled them through the race under the switch panel to the left of the driver's chair
all the remaining "wire pulling and stuffing" could be done with bare hands

After hookup and testing, I bundled the new wires with zip ties and black plastic wire protector where it was accessible. That made for a neater installation.

Other folk may have more and better tips for pulling wire and cables. On some installations, I have pulled a single wire or string with a fish tape, and then used the string or wire to pull "bigger" wires. My understanding is exposing any turns in the run and trying to make each "pull" straight enhances the chance of a successful "pull."

It appears that I had success on this job. Most of the time, if I want a job done right, I hire an experienced person to do the work.

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Re: How to run wires - I want to learn

Reply #2 – June 11, 2012, 10:47:22 pm

This info is for the Unihomes, but certainly may apply to Unicoaches as well.

For wire runs up high access the beam outboard in the overhead cabinets (little round plugs)  that hollow beam is easy to use to run wires fore and aft.

Front to back, it requires a little fishing over the fuel tank/propane tank area and battery area, then temporarily drop the basement overhead metal trays to run wires.

Brett

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Re: How to run wires - I want to learn

Reply #3 – June 11, 2012, 11:53:58 pm

Another way to run wires from the dash to the compartments over the driver is to remove the padded corner piece next to the windshield (3 screws in our coach.)  Wires can then be run down behind it and through the existing hole under the corner piece into the dash.

When I ran thermocouple wires, boost gauge tubing, and twisted pair for a current shunt on the alternator from the dash back to the engine room, I elected not to drop them down into the cable trough in the basement and pull them into the engine area..  Instead, I routed them back under the back of the couch, then used fish wire behind the cabinets in the kitchen, under the fridge, through the cabinets in the bathroom, and then under the carpet in the bedroom and into the engine box.  This was much easier than it sounds and not much of a lump under the carpet.  Our fridge has a gas furnace under it, so wires can be accessed there and guided through.  I put wires and tubing in a couple of 1/2" wire looms to protect them.    There is a cable chase with 50 amp and 20 amp elec cables (already pretty full) under the floor from the utility compartment into the rear of the engine box (where the transfer switch and breaker panels are) but it looked like a hard job to break into that.

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