Loose wire above bed

[AdvToaster]

So we picked up our new International Serenity 30RB recently and we love the thing. The COVID outbreak is putting a hold on our travel plans, but luckily we’re able to bunker down at my dad’s place in NC, and it’s giving me time to work out and install solar.

However, while doing a nice deep clean and inspection of everything I found a loose white wire with a blue butt splice a hanging down from the rear overhead locker above the bed. I gave it a light tug and it feels like it’s attached to something. Everything seems to work properly, so I’m thinking it might be trash that got left behind and it’s just caught on something.

Anyone have any idea what this is from, or how to find out without removing the entire overhead locker?

Edit: the forum has decided my pictures should be upside down, not sure why. Just stand on your head and they look fine.

[BayouBiker]

It's not trash, it is an unused 12VDC negative/ground wire for some optional item your trailer does not have. There are a few of these floating around in the trailers.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by AdvToaster

Edit: the forum has decided my pictures should be upside down, not sure why. Just stand on your head and they look fine.

Another member just informed me that he fixed that problem by reducing the size of the photo by 25%.

Good luck with your danglers...


Bob
🇺🇸

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

It's not trash, it is an unused 12VDC negative/ground wire for some optional item your trailer does not have. There are a few of these floating around in the trailers.

Something about DC grounds not being black makes my eye twitch.

I don’t want to leave it hanging, but I’d also rather not just shove it up into the gap. What’s the best way to get access back there?

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Another member just informed me that he fixed that problem by reducing the size of the photo by 25%.

Good luck with your danglers...


Bob
🇺🇸

Thanks for the tip!

[BayouBiker]

Originally Posted by AdvToaster

Something about DC grounds not being black makes my eye twitch.

I don’t want to leave it hanging, but I’d also rather not just shove it up into the gap. What’s the best way to get access back there?

test it with a voltmeter of it comes up 0, test for continuity to ground. If it has continuity to ground, its no different than the aluminum sheet all around, shove it in a discrete place and forget about it! Not sure why but Airsteam seems to like to use purple and white for 12VDC circuits.

happy camping!

[GMFL]

Using an airbag wedge might give you the gap you need.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Calculat...-206697086-_-N

[waninae39]

all white wire in AS are ground
they use others colours to identify the circuit

d/l a copy of the full layout and parts for your model of the AS site ( no cost). its about 100+ pages long and details all layouts, circuits, power , hw, water , sewer, equipment, cabinets etc.

some of the diagrams are best printed in 11x17 and then folded in half as the are too small to read as 8.5 x 11. . I made mine and bound it at work with the plastic spiral binding equipment. most supply stores can bind it for you as the book is handier than if you staple it

its a must have if you plan to maintain your AS

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by waninae39

all white wire in AS are ground
they use others colours to identify the circuit

d/l a copy of the full layout and parts for your model of the AS site ( no cost). its about 100+ pages long and details all layouts, circuits, power , hw, water , sewer, equipment, cabinets etc.

some of the diagrams are best printed in 11x17 and then folded in half as the are too small to read as 8.5 x 11. . I made mine and bound it at work with the plastic spiral binding equipment. most supply stores can bind it for you as the book is handier than if you staple it

its a must have if you plan to maintain your AS

I checked the AS site and all I’m able to find is the owners manual and a parts guide. The parts guide (400 pages) has some layouts for the plumbing and all of the furniture, but unfortunately no electrical diagrams, just a list of parts.

[AdvToaster]

Found the wiring diagrams. They’re in the owners manual. Thanks for the advice guys.

Ronnie: Good thought on the air bag. That just might work!

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Another member just informed me that he fixed that problem by reducing the size of the photo by 25%.����

There's no magic in 25%. Any change strips the old orientation off. Here, the OPs image was 1600 dpi and I made it 1550.
Does everything work? Speakers? Lights? They might use a wiring harness that's universal to several models and that wire, unused, just escaped.
I'm curious what the white thing on the right is? And why is there a square of aluminum under the window?

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

There's no magic in 25%. Any change strips the old orientation off. Here, the OPs image was 1600 dpi and I made it 1550.
Does everything work? Speakers? Lights? They might use a wiring harness that's universal to several models and that wire, unused, just escaped.
I'm curious what the white thing on the right is? And why is there a square of aluminum under the window?

Everything works fine. I’ve checked all of it.

The white thing to the right is the magazine holder (or in my case, iPad holder) that the factory installs on the bedside closets in our floor plan.

The square of aluminum is actually a rectangle, and it runs the width of the back window. I assume it’s there to reinforce the window frame.

[AdvToaster]

Had a chance to go check with a voltmeter. It’s definitely a ground.

And now it’s tucked up behind the cabinet out of sight, and hopefully soon out of mind.

[Boxite]

I am going to venture a guess why Airstream does not use black to indicate a DC ground:

The Airstream also has household AC electrical current running alongside 12v DC current. In the Nat’l Electrical Code for AC current.... BLACK is a powered (HOT in DC vernacular) conductor and WHITE is a neutral conductor.

If the consumer were to get confused and grab a black wire that happened to be AC it would give a nasty shock to the person if they believed black was a safe “ground”.

In AC terminology, a “ground” is GREEN, White is a “neutral” and BLACK is powered (think of BLACK-DEATH).

Hope that helps make sense.

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by Boxite

I am going to venture a guess why Airstream does not use black to indicate a DC ground:

The Airstream also has household AC electrical current running alongside 12v DC current. In the Nat’l Electrical Code for AC current.... BLACK is a powered (HOT in DC vernacular) conductor and WHITE is a neutral conductor.

If the consumer were to get confused and grab a black wire that happened to be AC it would give a nasty shock to the person if they believed black was a safe “ground”.

In AC terminology, a “ground” is GREEN, White is a “neutral” and BLACK is powered (think of BLACK-DEATH).

Hope that helps make sense.

That’s a pretty good theory. Better than anything I could come up with. I’ll of course be using black for my solar install grounds, but I’ll know what’s what, and I label everything anyway.