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Topic: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side (Read 575 times) previous topic - next topic

What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

We have a number of display panels on the passenger side of the coach adjacent to the overhead storage compartments. See picture. What is the wiring route from the driver side battery compartment to the passenger side overhead display area shown in the picture?  I can visualize running thru the storage bay but how to get to overhead compartment.
Randy (N4TDT) and Karen Crete
Sarasota, Florida
2000 U270 34' WTFE Build 5756 "Ole Red"
Follow Us: Login • Instagram  Camping for the Rest of Life – It does not matter how slowly you go so long you don't stop

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #1 –
Quote from: floridarandy –
What is the wirin* route from, say, the driver side battery compartment to the passenger side overhead display area shown in the picture?

Randy, I like you thought this would be difficult, until I got in there and tried to run wire.

Since purchasing my FT, I have replaced the fuel lines myself, installed solar myself, run new inverter/charger wire from batteries to display area next to refrigerator area, run Victron 712 wire, etc., my SeeLevel Ii wires are run from my tanks on the pass side to the display in the wet bay on the drivers side to the display in the bathroom next to the toilet below the sink countertop on the passenger side.  Running the wires have never been difficult.  I also had the benefits of looking at other's "how to" posts on this forum.

Easy access was made for all either thru the metal channel in the basement storage area along the ceiling, across the top of the liquid storage tanks, or simply a hole thru the basement storage compartments for the solar wires coming from the roof behind the refrigerator.

So what I'm trying to say is it is kind of like telling someone how to ride a bicycle.  Once you have been "pushed off" on your own, you will do just fine.  Best of wishes on your new systems.  I know you'll like the results and will have no problem, from seeing your other completed projects.

Bathroom SeeLevel II monitor.
Shared album - John Lewis - Google Photos

Wet bay SeeLevel II moniter.
Shared album - John Lewis - Google Photos


97 U295 40, Build #5040, 6C8.3 325 HP
Oregon Continuous Traveler
Samsung Residential #RF20HFENBSR,
Xantrex SW2012, (3)AGM8D Hse, (2)AGM Grp24 Eng, Victron BMV-712, 1800w Solar 4 LG & 2 Sunpower
Extreme Full Body Pt w/hdlmps, new furn/floor, 4 down Lexus 2004 GX470 AWD curb weight 4,740 lbs
Prev: 1990 Barth, 10L 300 2 yrs; 91&92 Monaco Signature, 10 yrs, 10L C 300 &  6C8.3 300; 1997 ForeT 6C8.3 325 since May 2017.  Employed by Guaranty RV 14+ yrs.  Former VW New Car Dlr/Service Dlr, Sales Mgr, Rv Sales, and Service Adviser from 1968-2017
"Don't criticize what you can't understand" Bob Dylan

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #2 –
Thanks, Jack. In my case wires will run from battery bay on driver side to overhead display area on passenger side overhead adjacent to overhead storage areas. Still need routing help for this run. 

Randy
Randy (N4TDT) and Karen Crete
Sarasota, Florida
2000 U270 34' WTFE Build 5756 "Ole Red"
Follow Us: Login • Instagram  Camping for the Rest of Life – It does not matter how slowly you go so long you don't stop

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #3 –
Quote from: floridarandy –
Thanks, Jack. In my case wires will run from battery bay on driver side to overhead display area on passenger side overhead adjacent to overhead storage areas. Still need routing help for this run. 

Randy

Someone needs to help Randy out here that has both experience and a similar FT.

Randy, my year, and 40' floorplan is different than your 34' floorplan, so I see, after reading your last comment, my wiring was very different from what you will find.  I do hope someone jumps in with experience on a similar year, length, and floorplan to yours. 

This especially applies to the upper compartment access, mine was easily got to when I replaced my refrigerator.  Anticipating future changes, I consulted other experts of what wire to run from there, to behind my refrigerator,  and down to the basement battery area.  If I had to do it later, it would have been doable, just much more difficult.

You might start by looking in the basement, below your overhead display area, for any wires coming in to the basement.  On mine, I have found some this way.  On others, the wires went into the covered raceway that ran along the area adjoining the wall and floor at the bottom of the wall.
97 U295 40, Build #5040, 6C8.3 325 HP
Oregon Continuous Traveler
Samsung Residential #RF20HFENBSR,
Xantrex SW2012, (3)AGM8D Hse, (2)AGM Grp24 Eng, Victron BMV-712, 1800w Solar 4 LG & 2 Sunpower
Extreme Full Body Pt w/hdlmps, new furn/floor, 4 down Lexus 2004 GX470 AWD curb weight 4,740 lbs
Prev: 1990 Barth, 10L 300 2 yrs; 91&92 Monaco Signature, 10 yrs, 10L C 300 &  6C8.3 300; 1997 ForeT 6C8.3 325 since May 2017.  Employed by Guaranty RV 14+ yrs.  Former VW New Car Dlr/Service Dlr, Sales Mgr, Rv Sales, and Service Adviser from 1968-2017
"Don't criticize what you can't understand" Bob Dylan

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #4 –
On my coach there are multiple ways wires run from under to over. Next to the driver's seat where the thermostat is wires run up to the overhead bin. Same next to passenger seat. From there the overhead bins is a false bottom where wires run. Wire channel on passenger side floor.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #5 –
Randy,
  On my 97 34' the wires that run to that area pass through the floor of the adjacent cabinet. Might give you a start anyway.
jor

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #6 –
I was very hesitant to try to get wires from point A to point B in these coaches, overwheming at first. It's like pushing a wet noodle uphill... Once I started, In our situation on the 2002 U320, pulling those wires from the drivers side bay, (dc distribution panel) to the display area above the microwave was very "doable", though it was tedious and time consuming.

Here's what I found, in the bay where the dc panel and batteries are, there was a hole on the ceiling on the passenger side with wires exiting. This hole was filled with white silicone sealant. This is the tedious part, cause you have to pick all this stuff out so you can add more wires. Once I cleared this, I found that by removing the fridge vent cover on the outside of the coach, you can see the wire bundles coming from the forward areas along the floor. So, started pushing an electrical snake from the vent opening back to where the ceiling hole is. Took some time to get it to where I could see and snag it in the electrical bay ceiling. I had some mason string tied to the electrical snake. You want to use this to essentially be your "pull string" that later will pull your cables through... Also, pull out the drawers under the stove, you'll find you can see the snake coming across from the forward bay. The next task is to get from the bottom to the top, behind, or alongside the fridge. I  purchased from Home Depot an electricians fiberglass snaking rod set, it was also helpful. Either from the outside vent or under the stove, push your snake up to the top of the ceiling.  Above the microwave in our coach is the display area for electrical, to the right is a small cabinet with the microwave plug. There are a number of cabinet screws that if you remove them, the panels slide and tip so you can pull them out and open up the chase. From there you have a clear path to complete the cable run to the display area. It's a jumble of wire up there... The whole process was simply time consuming to get a pull string up there. I then pulled a larger diameter "rope" through the path, then tied my various cables to that and pulled everything through, plus the origanal mason line, (because I was waiting for the new Victron Cerbo touch panel). Keep all your new cables "streamlined" with electrical tape as they attach to your pull rope, so to avoid snags. Highly recommend using some cable pulling lube, really helps reducing the friction when pulling wire. Also much easier with two people, one on each end as you'll likely hit some snag areas, carefully pulling/pushing, bending resolves these issues.

If you can wait until we get back in November, we'll come down and help you!  :D

Jeff & Kristen

Jeff & Kristen
2002 U320 build #6039
Living the Dream!

Re: What is the Wiring Route from Driver Side to Passenger Side

Reply #7 –
Every coach is different.  My refrig bay is towards the rear of the kitchen and the display space is forward from the kitchen all on the pass side. 

My cables (and extra wires as long as you are going through the effort, +/- bigger ga 12 v wires, USB cables, HDMI cables, a CAT6 ethernet cable at least) come up through the floor in the kitchen space from the bay below.  I used a hole saw the right size to fit a piece of 1.25" gray plastic electrical conduit through. Smooth off the rough edges. Insert it and seal top and bottom with 3M 4000 caulk.  Run the wires through.  When younare done seal the passage with minimally expanding foam. It will keep bugs out but it is easy to open up for more wires in the future.

Follow the sequence of pictures.  Yours will probably be different but it is the same idea.

The panel where the displays are is hard to get out.  You have to remove the biggest of them, stick your hand through and remove the screws from the back side with a stubby screwdriver.  I never wanted to do that again so I made a new panel to fit the hole. It attaches on each side with velcro and has handles to make it easy to just pull out.