Crushed Umbilical

heyskipper · 02-23-2003, 04:50 PM

Hi Everyone

Just picked up our ’99 25’ Safari from the doctors office. We had a systems check and a couple of additions made (stabilizer jacks, water filter, etc.). After parking last night on a test run to a nearby campground, I noticed that my umbilical was crushed pretty significantly. It looks like it got caught between the bumper and the trailer (although I can’t figure how for the life of me). It was not under the jack either.

At any rate, it now is a little deformed and has a pinhole sized break in it. I have wrapped it with electrical tape and now I am standing around wondering how I did it and what exactly I should do. All the lights and functionalities still work fine, there seems to be no impact to brakes, lights, charging, etc., just a big dent in the cable.

Question: Should I be more concerned about this given the small hole and have it replaced? Or should I just keep an eye on it and try and figure out how it got mushed?

Thanks for your advice.

Carl & Cheryl Jackson
Montgomery, TX

**john hd** · 02-23-2003, 06:34 PM

heyskipper,

where is it crushed?

middle, plug end, or near the trailer?

they are pretty tough, you may want to repair or replace it for piece of mind.

did your "doctor" do it?

john

heyskipper · 02-23-2003, 08:12 PM

John

Thanks for the comeback. It is crushed in the middle (sort of); it is dented about 8 inches down from where it connects to the truck---just where it hits the bumper. So it looks fairly obvious that it got 'pinched' during one on my newbie backing maneuvers, but I can't figure out where I might have done that.

As for the doctor, I looked closely when they were re-heightening my hitch due to the new truck height, and I didn't notice it. That doesn't mean it wasn't there, but I really don't think they did it.

Thanks,

Carl

**john hd** · 02-23-2003, 08:23 PM

heyskip,

if you don't replace it, industrial sized heat shrink tubing would be the best repair.

however, finding a piece big enough to slip over the plug will be hard.

unless you know some one in the cable tv or power company. we use heat shrink this big all the time for splices on underground cable. it has an adheasive that makes it waterproof.

otherwise taping it well would work well too.

watch carefully how you route it when you plug it in. sounds like it got pinched in your hitch.

john