What is this for?

[lebolewis]

This is for any 70's Sovereign owners that might read this. In my forward overhead storage compartment above the Goucho, there is a fairly large, almost clear, stiff plastic conduit that comes in from the left side through a hole in the wall with a grommet. It runs over a little past half way across the compartment. No doubt, it was put there by Airstream. This conduit has just one wire in it. The wire is loose and not connected to anything. The wire is fairly heavy bare solid copper and is inside a mesh metal shield. Since the wire is bare, the purpose for the shield escapes me. I cannot figure what this thing was/is for! I've scanned the wiring diagrams and they give no clue. Anyone know what this is and what it was for? Thank you, Bill

[yukionna]

No idea. Do you have a photo?

[lebolewis]

Originally Posted by yukionna

No idea. Do you have a photo?

I'll post a photo tomorrow. Bill

[till]

I bet it is for the outside temprature gauge.

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by till

I bet it is for the outside temprature gauge.

Ditto, except mine isn't inside a clear pipe of any kind. I removed it as part of the rebuild because the temp guage didn't work any longer. See if you can follow it down to the belly pan and check for the temp sensor attached to the bottom of the belly pan outside of the camper on the roadside.

Jim

[bibbs]

yes my 74 and 75 motor homes have a black plastic tube in the back for the thermoter."That was eazy"

Doug

[Excella CM]

It could be a quasitron forward backflow inhibitor from the interocetor

[2airishuman]

a/s has always been very forward thinking....

that wire is part of the original tincan networking system...

once connected folks could communicate with each other,

without a handset...

it was the aluminum party line!

cheers
2air'

[lebolewis]

Well, I think it is the temperature sensor wire. I looked under the street side near the front, right under where the plastic tube goes into the wall above, and the same type plastic tube comes through the belly pan and curves back toward the rear for about 6 inches and it is clamped to the belly pan. The end of the plastic tube is open and I cannot see any wire in it. Looks similar to a drain tube.

Here is an interesting and a scary thing about this wire that has happened TWICE! When I first paid attention to this plastic tube, shield and wire, I pulled the tube out of the wall and slid the shielded wire out of it and was thinking of just cutting the copper wire and shield off flush with the wall, since it seemed to have no useful purpose. Then the shielded wire touched the aluminum frame around the compartment door and electrical sparks occurred, like there was 12 volts on the shield and wire!! I carefully put the shielded wire back in the plastic tube and pushed the tube back in the wall as far as it would go. I then measured the voltage on the shield and wire to the metal frame and got ZERO voltage. I then touched the wire to the metal frame and NO sparks. I thought, Hmmm, what was that all about! I then left it alone and thought "I need to find out what that wire is for".

Today, the same thing happened, I pulled on the wire and it would not come out of the tube. I removed the upper part of the tube from the wall and was about to cut the shielded wire and SPARKS occurred as it touched the metal frame. I went through the same procedure as described above, and no voltage on the wire. VERY STRANGE. All I can figure is that when I remove the plastic tube, the wire comes in contact with a bare hot 12 volt line in the wall somehow. When I put the plastic tube back on the wire and push it back in the wall, it breaks the connection! I know this sounds a bit far-fetched. I was wondering if I removed the clamps on the 6 inch part of the plastic tube on the belly pan, if I could then just pull the tube and wire out from the bottom? I cannot see the wire in the tube from the bottom part of the plastic tube on the belly pan. Is the temperature sensor small enough to fit inside this plastic tube that has about 1/2 in inside diameter? I have decided I need to get this thing out of there, somehow. I do not want any SHORTED 12 lines! Bill

[rgesch]

Temperature sensor. Is your Clock/Thermometer Gauge insert missing?

[lebolewis]

Originally Posted by rgesch

Temperature sensor. Is your Clock/Thermometer Gauge insert missing?

Yes, there is no clock or thermometer insert. The PO must have kept it. Bill

[rgesch]

Ahh, there's the answer to the wire question. A good number of those thermometer/clock units no longer work. Mine didn't. Why the PO removed yours will probably be another unsolved mystery.