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Old 02-28-2021, 10:39 PM   #1
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1967 30' Sovereign
Elmira , Oregon
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 4
Question Rewire a 1967 Sovereign?

Hello AS Forum folks,

Four months ago we parked our cosmetically restored 1967 AS Sovereign Land Yacht to use as a tiny home for family. Original wiring, and now lots of problems with the fairly new 30 amp panel melting and outlets not working. The entire electrical system should be replaced ASAP, but the AS is occupied and cannot be moved to an RV electrical shop. I hope to find an RV electrician who will make house calls. We had a licensed electrician install the 30 amp pedestal, so stable power in.

How difficult will it be to run all new electrical wiring throughout the AS without tearing it apart? What can we expect? Has anyone DIY?
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Old 03-01-2021, 07:32 AM   #2
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1977 31' Sovereign
Rochester , WASHINGTON
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Elaborate on the fairly new 30 Amp panel melting, if you would
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Old 03-01-2021, 08:55 AM   #3
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1973 21' Globetrotter
Houston , Texas
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The electrical wiring is run behind the interior skins, so there is no way to replace all the wiring without tearing the trailer completely apart, unless you want it to look like some kind of hack job with conduits running all over the place and protruding electrical boxes sticking out of the walls.

The way these trailers were wired, is sort of a "spine and ribs" configuration, where a big bundle of wires runs the length of the trailer in the center of the ceiling, and then where an outlet is needed, a branch is dropped down to it through the walls. Since the wires cut through the metal hoops/ribs that hold the trailer in shape, it would be really hard to fish wires into place (or even to remove the old ones, as they are usually anchored to the shell).

But I would start by getting an electrician out to your trailer to actually troubleshoot what is happening. It could be you have a single outlet that is shorting to ground and causing you a lot of trouble, or maybe someone has installed a light fixture on the ceiling, and unwittingly put a screw right into the wiring bundle. The fact that things are melting instead of popping fuses may suggest that a previous owner has done some wacky stuff with the fuse box. Fixing the problem would be a lot easier than rewiring the whole trailer though.

The AC current distribution is done pretty much just like it is done in a house. Having an RV tech come out may be helpful, as he should have a clue as to how they are wired, and the subtle differences between an RV and a house, but in a pinch, a regular household electrician ought to be able to sort you out.

good luck!
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Old 03-03-2021, 02:48 AM   #4
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1967 30' Sovereign
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Well, this sure answered my questions, darn. In my head it seemed somewhat doable...thank you for the reality check!
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