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Old 01-20-2012, 09:55 PM   #1
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What are these wires for? -Interior of '72 Safari 23ft.

We have a 1972 23ft Safari and we have been ignoring these wires for quite a while, but now it's time to see if someone knows what they might be.
They exit where the fridge chimney rivets to the skin, right next to the door frame. They aren't live and they don't really seem to be on the wiring diagram. The diagram has been accurate for several other problems I have solved, I am stumped by this. There used to be a partition that ran up the hinge side edge of the door. We removed that as well as the forward-most part of the overheard storage, but nothing was electrical in it. The light over the door is wired to a switch on the latch side of the door and there are both 12V and shore outlets on the far side of the chimney, nothing in the diagram is indicated between.






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Old 01-20-2012, 10:04 PM   #2
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I have never seen any Airstream Factory wiring running in the refrigerator chimney nor pinched between the chimney and the walls like yours is. I suspect that some PO had added something for some reason, at some time. You might look or up from the refrigerator service door and see if the wires go up or down. If down, you might see where they go. If up, they might have gone to some added electrical item on the roof. Who knows? LOL
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Old 01-20-2012, 10:27 PM   #3
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I have never seen any Airstream Factory wiring running in the refrigerator chimney nor pinched between the chimney and the walls like yours is. I suspect that some PO had added something for some reason, at some time. You might look or up from the refrigerator service door and see if the wires go up or down. If down, you might see where they go. If up, they might have gone to some added electrical item on the roof. Who knows? LOL
I was kind of thinking it didn't look factory, I have had the fridge out and they don't run down. I have been on the roof and they don't pop out the vent on top. I can't really see up into the chimney to see if they spliced them in there. They aren't live, unless they are controlled by something else in the trailer that made them 'off' when I tested. That scares me a little.
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Old 01-20-2012, 11:07 PM   #4
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From the color coding they look like tank fluid level sensor wires. The fresh tank has 5, the black tank has 4. However, if there was a partition there, it may have been the location for the thermostat, two wires for the A/C and two for the heater.

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Old 01-21-2012, 07:05 AM   #5
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The original a/c thermostat would be mounted on the bulkhead next to the scoop for the fridge vent. The wires are most likely for that.
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Old 01-21-2012, 07:25 AM   #6
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Isn't the low-voltage wiring to a thermostat usually solid core?
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Old 01-21-2012, 07:39 AM   #7
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Was there ever a solar panel mounted on the roof? The chimney vent was a common routing for panels to the system.....even though these wires don't look appropriate.
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Old 01-21-2012, 08:26 AM   #8
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Those wires are for the original AC.

I will confirm that Monday when I will be at the office.

I have a 1973 Service Manual.

Who knows why they were moved.

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Old 01-23-2012, 11:18 AM   #9
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Foxbrook.

Correction.

The 1973 service manual lists those exact 4 colored wires for the fresh water tank probes.

Why they are there, in your Airstream, who knows ?

Andy
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Old 01-29-2012, 02:45 PM   #10
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Foxbrook, you’re not the only one with undocumented wiring running behind the vent stack. I thought I had seen them in the Tradewind before but wanted to confirm their existence before posting.
I pulled out the partition by the door yesterday for this winters projects and found them dangling out from under the vent. They exit from an insulating grommet in the interior skin half way up the vent.
The next page down in the repair manual shows the probe wires in that location for 27’s and up.
I would guess that there may be a “one size fits all” sensor wiring harness with wiring for tanks on either side and the rear of the coach. I’ve been in the import auto repair biz for 40 years and it's common to see unused connectors coming out of harnesses depending on the trim or equipment level. Maybe the installers just run the wires through the shell and figure the guys in the next assembly station would sort it all out.
BTW your wires are much shorter than the ones in the TW. One appears to have lain on the fridge chimney at one point because the insulation is melted at the bottom.


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Old 02-05-2012, 09:13 PM   #11
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Thanks to everybody for some insight into this. Sounds like it probably is the tank probes, I am keeping the tank empty over winter so I don't think I can test them. It has been the biggest electrical system mystery so far. Thermostat wires seem ruled out, the heat thermostat wires are blue and run to the other side of the coach (and I rewired the originals, they used to enter through the bathroom closet... now part of the shower) and there is no roof AC/AC thermostat wiring evident. We'd like to add a roof AC so it would be nice if it was pre-wired for that. Oh well, then again, maybe they are in there, I haven't pulled the center light fixture/vent cover and fished around in the ceiling yet.
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Old 02-06-2012, 08:03 AM   #12
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Thanks to everybody for some insight into this. Sounds like it probably is the tank probes, I am keeping the tank empty over winter so I don't think I can test them. It has been the biggest electrical system mystery so far. Thermostat wires seem ruled out, the heat thermostat wires are blue and run to the other side of the coach (and I rewired the originals, they used to enter through the bathroom closet... now part of the shower) and there is no roof AC/AC thermostat wiring evident. We'd like to add a roof AC so it would be nice if it was pre-wired for that. Oh well, then again, maybe they are in there, I haven't pulled the center light fixture/vent cover and fished around in the ceiling yet.
You can test them now, if you wish.

Just place the wires in a container of water, like a cup or glass.

Andy
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Old 02-06-2012, 01:17 PM   #13
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You can test them now, if you wish. Just place the wires in a container of water, like a cup or glass...
That would be the tank end of the wires....
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Old 02-06-2012, 01:27 PM   #14
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Since the wires are squeezed between two panels instead of coming through a rubber grommet (or other item to prevent the insulation from wearing off) I doubt they are original. They may have been re-routed from somewhere nearby.

They would not provide 120 volts to anything with a fairly high current draw like an A/C. They look to be somewhere around 16 or 18 gauge braided wire and would be used for 12 v. or low wattage 120 v. Since there are 4, the idea they are for a tank sensor makes sense, but where are the other tank sensor wires?

I'd be tempted to leave them because you may want wires there for something in the future, but whether the insulation has survived needs to be checked.

Owner installed wiring causes much consternation.

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