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Fletch88 · 06-24-2009, 05:58 AM

I need some help. I lost power. All power. '77 Excella 500 31ft. I have checked with meter and I'm 99% sure (including the smell) that I have a melted wire between the feed line(hookup) and the breaker box. I have checked all breakers and outlet where camper is hooked up. I have a 110v 30 amp outlet wired to my garage power. I have power there but not at camper main breaker.It looks like the main wire is runing between the skins. Does anyone have any pictures of this wire's path from a remodel. I need to find the junction box where the feed line and wire to breaker box meet.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to check and replace this wire.

BTW it was 98 degrees and Air was on as I was painting interior.

Sorry if I'm not using proper terms. Still picking up the right names for everything.

87MH · 06-24-2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fletch88

I need some help. .... Does anyone have any pictures of this wire's path from a remodel. I need to find the junction box where the feed line and wire to breaker box meet.

Here is a pic of the roadside rear of a 31' 1978 Sovereign Rear Bedroom.
The feed wire enters from the "trunk", through the floor, disappears into the wall about a foot up from the floor, and then goes to a junction box behind the wall with a feed to the box in the far right of the below picture with leads to illuminate the "polarity" light on the street side outside of the trailer.

This is what I found on the '78 when I first purchased it - more pics and explanations in post #18 of this thread:http://www.airforums.com/forums/f219...ign-14737.html

Fletch88 · 06-24-2009, 07:53 AM

I may have found the junction box. I have not opened it up yet. If the problem is between the skins any idea best way to run new wire? I thought about using old wire as a pull wire

Fletch88 · 06-24-2009, 08:16 AM

87MH

Looked at your pics. Very nice. After seeing yours. I think I'm going to change my control panel. I also had the same idea for the bed conversion except mine are center cabin not rear. I envsioned the brace the same except that I need to make it portable. I plan to slide my plywood from underneath one of the beds and use a third mattress. I may use some kind of folding brace out of aluminum. Not sure yet still just a picture in my brain.

blanier · 06-24-2009, 10:59 AM

You have a couple of easy options to replace the service entrance cable:

1. Drill the rivets from the lower portion of the inside skin - to about a sixteen inches from the floor - allowing you to flex the two panels involved outward enough to route the new cable to the junction box. Be careful not to kink the panels or cut yourself. This is far quicker than trying to pull with the old wire, and you'll be able to confirm that the wire is protected from scuffs and cuts in the wall. Rivet the wall panels back with pop rivets. This is less than an hour's work.

2. Route the new wire through the trunk and directly into the junction box by drilling a hole (or replacing the cover with one that has a knockout) so you can use a weatherproof clamp to enter the box (a weatherproof clamp has a rubber grommet in the clamp.) You'd have to fasten the wire to the outside of the wall to keep it out of the way of your stuff in the trunk. The wire may be more protected from cuts and scuffs this way since it doesn't have to pass through framing. It would be open to getting banged up from stuff moving around the trunk. This is the easiest replacement since you wouldn't have to open the wall. You'd just have to cut off the old wire and push the ends into the wall cavity. I would put a plug in the old box entry from inside the box just to close the old hole. This one would take about a half an hour. (My times are not considering any Murphy's Law stuff that could crop up!)

Fletch88 · 06-24-2009, 11:12 AM

Option 1 will not work for me. I have plumbing and a closet in the way. I cannot get to the inside skin as far as I can tell. I will have to check on Option 2

I had thought about the possibility of scuffing the wire if I pulled it.

Do you know what gauge wire I should run. I was thinking it may be 6 or 8?