Electrical hazard found during rerouting of the plumbing

[darlingbooks]

Electrical hazard found during rerouting of the plumbing in our 2006 Classic.

This AC cable feeds the outlet next to the outside door, and is mounted in the cabinet, next to the floor.

I guess that this type of a problem is to be expected during installation of the cabinets, as the cabinets are pre-made and assembled before installation. The bottom deck of the largest cabinet was installed before the cabinet was brought into the Airstream. This cabinets deck covers the furnace, and the installation crew could not see what they had done. In a home, this type of install would not be accepted, much less in a trailer that would have about 1000 times the movement. I believe that ultimately this could be a fire hazard.

The leftover crumbs, metal filings, stapled down vinyl flooring, are typical from what other owners have found when investigating hidden corners.

I have visited with a few friends that have worked in trailer manufacturing plants here in the North West, and it is typical that a plumbing and electrical rough-in crew install their part, as fast as can be done in preparation of the finishing crew. The finishing crew installs the cabinets and fixtures, and ties into whatever the rough-in crew left them. All of this is installed as a matter of convenience for the installation crews. The plumbing quite often runs across or clutters prime cabinet real estate and the manufacturing company can’t afford to have the crews spending hours and hours routing piping to provide the maximum cabinet space possible.

The changes that I have made to our kitchen cabinets, and the amount of time that it has taken, would make it unaffordable, if done by the manufacture.

If you think about it, if each work crew were to spend several hours extra during each phase of construction, installing components in the hardest to reach places, to maximize storage space for the end user, this would drive the end cost up to the point where no one could afford it, or run the manufacturer out of business.

I didn’t like finding this mashed power cable, and I don’t excuse it. A different system should be used. This lifted the rear corner of the cabinet up by ½ inch, and it made this cabinet not level with the rest of the cabinet line-up, and this should have generated a little curiosity.

I understand that the manufacturing haste during assembly dictates speed, and sometimes quality suffers. I would be challenged in finding the balance that Airstream has to deal with, raw material expenses, component costs, engineering a system that streamlines assembly, quality control issues during assembly, all while keeping expenses down, and not breaking the company.

Steve

[HowieE]

It really don't take that much more time to do a job right. If you look at 2 different trailer manufactures with the same price range trailer you will often see the quality of one much higher than the other. Some manufactures count on the fact that most buyers can't tell the difference.

I talked with a fellow that worked for Fleetwood, you know that trailer company that just went out last month, he mentioned that every electrical wire in the trailer was cut for the full length of the trailer and then cut off during assembly to the needed length. Was the wasted wire less than the time to cut them correctly the first time. Yes it was when copper went Fleetwood went out. Oh yes the plywood for the flooring was delivered to the oppisited side of the plant from where the flooring was assembled.

We are just now beginning to realize the cost of stupidity as the rest of the world cleans our clock.

[Wayne&Sam]

So I'm thinking these are two "after" photos, because I don't see a problem, other than it looks like the wires had been pinched at some point. I guess was the cabinet sitting on top of the wire when you found it and this is after you corrected it.

I don't think the metal filings ever stop. It's been two years and I still see them from time to time. I always thought a high school kid with a Shop Vac (turn him loose before things are sealed) would be a good addition to the factory.

[darlingbooks]

The pictures have the correct title to the pictures, “Cabinets were placed on Romex”, and “Romex dented by cabinets”, but I did not say what the problem was.

I dropped a tool behind the cabinet, and when I was feeling about for the tool, I found a cable caught or mashed under the cabinet. I had to unfasten the cabinet from the floor, and use a pry bar to lift the cabinet enough to be able to pull the cables free. These pictures are taken after I moved the cables from under the cabinet.

Steve