Cable routing to rear monitor

Topic: Cable routing to rear monitor (Read 1276 times) previous topic - next topic

Cable routing to rear monitor

January 19, 2019, 02:30:29 pm

As a new FT owner I have slowly made improvements to my new to me 2001 U270 before spring arrives. (Flooring, MCD shades, Koni shocks, Continental air bags, LED lights both interior and exterior)
Thanks to all who have shared their experiences and knowledge.

My question is, for the life of me I can't find access from the front to the rear to run new cable to the new rear camera. Seems the old RG 58 runs under the chassis and not overhead. Am I missing something? Maybe I should reuse the RG 58 to the old camera.

Thoughts?
Greg

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #1 – January 19, 2019, 02:35:44 pm

In the area on both sides of the coach, where the (interior) walls join the (interior) roof, there is a hollow aluminum extrusion that runs the full length of the coach. Factory uses this to run wiring. Access is through holes found at various points, usually inside the upper cabinets, and at the ends. Look for some removable plastic plugs up inside your cabinets. See Reply #6 linked below.

Need updated opinion on the best wired back up camera

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #2 – January 19, 2019, 02:35:52 pm

Very likely you can use the OE cable. Might contact Tim at rv.cams for adapters you may need (kind of depends on what camera and monitor you choose).

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #3 – January 19, 2019, 04:17:33 pm

In the photo above, I have checked the channel in the upper cabinets and there doesn't appear to be any plugs or access on either side of the coach. The tort head bolts are placed every 14-15". Is this the access channel as mentioned?

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #4 – January 19, 2019, 06:44:15 pm

No plugs that I found either so I had to grind/drill/saw the holes in the aluminum. A Sonicrafter might work well. After you gain entry be sure to pull more wires/cables for future use or at least a heavy string so you can pull more through later.
Jim

2002 U320 42"

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #5 – January 19, 2019, 07:24:50 pm

The industry standard for CCTV and TV is RG-59 or better yet, RG-6. The impedance is 75 Ohms. Two way radios like aircraft have utilize RG-58 or RG-200 as an upgrade. These are 50 Ohms impedance. Not good to mix the two impedances.

Old cable is probably good but you may be able to blow a wax cylinder with high strength dental floss type string through and then pull a new cable.

I installed RG-6 from the OAT antenna all the way down to the center consul and both HDMI and RG-6 through the belly/compartment to the back salon wall. If you use braided cable sleeve, it makes it 100x easier to pull plus deters the rodents too.
braided cable sleeve | eBay

Pierce

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #6 – January 20, 2019, 10:39:17 am

I ran new cables from the front drivers side to the rear end on the drivers side. Access to the channel at the front is through the end of the channel which is up in the front space where all,of the front overhead wires are. A not so easy spot to get to. It ends about where the front valence is. The original cables cam out the other end behind the upper rear cabinet. I could not figure out how to reach them so I cut a 1.25" access hole in the channel inside of the rear overhead cabinet. I ran the cables down in that space and through the bottom of the rear cabinet and then (through some holes) out to where the cameras are.

I used a wire snake from the rear to the front and pulled them to the back. Used some wilre pulling lube as well.

Cables can run down from the driver's side front overhead cabinet through a hole in the bottom of the cabinet, behind the window top valence and down the inside if the front vertical trim and then into the dash space.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #7 – January 20, 2019, 10:56:43 am

Not too hard of a job to bring the wires down from the above driver cabinet to the dash area. I connected the new to the old, used spray silicon and pulled. Had to pull off a couple of things like the flip up tiny compartment lid. This was in a GV.

Pierce

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #8 – January 20, 2019, 01:17:11 pm

I'm with Brett. Use the factory cable.
jor

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #9 – January 20, 2019, 01:57:34 pm

Might be easier to use the long range wireless transmitter/receiver. Here is one that you could use to send the video camera up front and with stereo sound. Could also use for satellite, etc. A little more money but still cheap.

2.4GHz 3W 4CH Wireless CCTV AV Audio Video Transmitter Sender & Receiver Set...

Pierce

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #10 – January 20, 2019, 07:34:42 pm

I tried a wireless camera/receiver. Not very good resolution and poor stability. Old cables might work OK. New cables were pretty easy. I added two cameras in the back so I nneded more (new) cables anyway.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #11 – January 20, 2019, 09:27:50 pm

I cut a hole in the rear as suggested and ran the fish tape to the front. Now just pull the cable for the new camera/monitor and hope I can figure out what to do with the tank monitor side of the equation. Lucky for me this Newbie has the Veterans available.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #12 – January 21, 2019, 11:20:39 am

See Topic: There really is a Cable Chase!! from about 2 years ago .
That is where I found the chase from front to back

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #13 – April 30, 2019, 08:12:15 pm

I spent most of today trying to do just what Roger did - identical setup at rear cabinet in his photo with hole drilled in the aluminum run channel. My frustration has been some kind of blockage or hangup in the run channel. The fish line fed through from the rear hole I drilled like Roger did, but pulling it back with the camera cable from the front encountered a blockage of some sort. Ripped the new cable apart and the fish line still tried to hang up. Almost didn't get it pulled back out. I had the impression the aluminum channel is open full length from front to rear, but something seems to be a restriction in it. Now I have to order a new camera cable and figure some way to start over and get it installed.
Any ideas appreciated. 95 U240.
Thanks,
Doyle

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #14 – April 30, 2019, 08:17:11 pm

If your old cable is still in splice into it. Mine works fine that way.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #15 – April 30, 2019, 08:24:48 pm

Doyle, sorry you are having a hard time pulling the cable. I tried to make my connection to the wire snake as compact as possible and used a liberal amount of wire pulling lube. I pulled 2 video coax cables and two power coax cables through the aluminum channel. Yours might be different from later models or have something in the way.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #16 – April 30, 2019, 09:04:31 pm

Appears no one wants to hear "use the existing cable". MOT put new cameras on my coach yesterday and used the old cable. The only cables he had to run were the short pieces from front cameras. Plenty of advise being offered if you insist on running new cable.. which ever makes you happy.Rear camera and others work beautifully..

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #17 – April 30, 2019, 09:21:55 pm

My OEM camera was horrible, couldn't see much of anything. Could have been the camera, the old B/W monitor, cable or power. I added two rear cameras and a new color monitor. No sense in not using new video and power cables that came with it instead of 17 year old cables. Everyone gets to do what they think is best for themselves.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #18 – April 30, 2019, 09:39:59 pm

No argument here all I know is you can stand at the back of my coach and I can tell if you missed a button on you shirt from the drivers seat.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #19 – April 30, 2019, 10:00:37 pm

As long as it took them to install the cameras I would have had to spend the night to run front to back cable. The man did do a very clean and neat job. My factory camera was horrible too Roger so much so I never would turn it on. About all you could see in it was the burned in image of the toad. Sure is good to have a 3 sided clear view. I have no complaints of the service at all.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #20 – April 30, 2019, 10:21:17 pm

I did close to Roger difference is I tried driver side but kept getting hung up on cables that were already there so I went to passenger side ran fish tape from front to back then took a hole saw and cut a1-1/2 inch hole in the side of channel reached in and pulled out fish tape hooked on RG-6 and 6 other wires for future projects left enough wire coiled on each end to go across coach
The white goop on RG-6 is polyurethane to fill hole around cable
Chris

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #21 – April 30, 2019, 10:27:35 pm

Dub, I have 2 new cameras the top one is using original cable the bottom one is using new cable. I started to pull an extra cable with bundle but didn't have enough on hand and didn't want to pull off job to get more Just me
Chris

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #22 – April 30, 2019, 11:01:34 pm

10/4 Chris.. my hats off to anyone who tackles installing cameras. I would have never satisfied myself with my on results.Finese type work is not my strong suit.

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #23 – April 30, 2019, 11:05:36 pm

Old cable works fine. Done maybe 10 installs.Just cut the ends and change them, or buy adapters

Re: Cable routing to rear monitor

Reply #24 – May 01, 2019, 12:07:26 am

Chris, like you I installed dual rear cameras (not too bad a job), and the system came with 2 sets of integrated power/coax cables. Gotta run a new cable anyway for the extra camera, so doing both new runs makes sense. I think, like you noted, the driver side cable chase probably already has enough factory wires in it to choke it up in places. I was wondering about trying the passenger side and you convinced me. Tomorrow I'll be trying that.
This forum is a most valuable asset for Foretravel owners. My thanks for all the experiences shared on this topic (and so many others).
Doyle

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