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01-16-2025, 07:46 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member 
1965 22' Safari
Chicagoland
, Illinois
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 80
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Rookie Wiring Mistakes
Hi There,
My project is basically a down-to-the-shell rebuild. My question here involves wiring in general:
I'm pretty comfortable with the theory and practice of 12v systems.
However, I have never wired an entire trailer from scratch before.
I think I've gotten a pretty good grip on a solid plan.
But, I don't know what I don't know.
I'm trying to avoid doing something that will cause me headaches later.
Would you care to share mistakes that you made while wiring that you had to go back and correct? -- forget to run wires to the stove fan? Accidentally run something in series instead of parallel?
What are things that are easy to overlook, details that only get thought of later? Help me learn from your growing pains.
Thanks.
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01-16-2025, 08:50 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master 

1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 3,115
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I don’t remember any of the mistakes I’m sure we made. A couple of things I wish I had done or done better; a couple of empty flexible conduits going from the streetside to curbside in the cavity (or belly pan) and to have drawn a better more detailed location of the in-wall wiring. Taking your time, thinking ahead and checking continuity of all wiring before the inner skin is installed. Good luck
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01-16-2025, 09:09 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master 
2021 30' Flying Cloud
Sioux Falls
, South Dakota
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,557
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X2 on the extra conduits. I'd suggest adding some running fore and aft as well. If you really want to do it up right, put some wires in those conduits. Make the side-to-side and front-to-rear conduits match up in a couple of places that will be easily accessed later on. Label each wire on both ends so that you know which is which.
Our old Foretravel had several wires of different sizes going from above the windshield to the dash on the passenger side and another set running from the driver's side of the dash back to the engine area. I made use of some of each over the years we had it. That extra bit of thought on the part of Foretravel made life a LOT easier for the now four owners of that coach.
While you're at it, make sure that there are extra 12V fuse locations available.
__________________
David Lininger, kb0zke
7490
2021 Flying Cloud 30 RBQ
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01-16-2025, 09:15 PM
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#4
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3 Rivet Member 
Boise
, ID
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 196
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I don’t have much experience with a rebuild, but I’ve done a few wire projects. I really like silicone cased wire for is ultra flexibility. USB ports in smart places, for example, one up high and center for the level mate pro. Maybe run a 7 wire bundle to the roof for one of those fancy multi band antennas. If you want to go down a LED lighting rabbit hole, sort out WLED lighting hardware.
Just a few thoughts.
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01-16-2025, 11:28 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master 
2021 Interstate 24GL
, California
Join Date: Oct 2023
Posts: 516
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Connections, sounds simplest but a hundred connections or wire terminations a loose one will cause headaches at best shorts or worse.
Take the time on the last one same as the first one each should feel tight and well landed.
__________________
2021 AI 24GL 4wd, “maRVel”
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01-17-2025, 06:40 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master 

1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 3,115
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Also a consideration, we used tinned marine wire. We used crimp connectors and shrink wrapped all connections. Behind the fridge area we have a 120vac wired ‘J’ box in the event we need the power for future.
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01-17-2025, 08:31 AM
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#7
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Rivet Master 
2017 25' Flying Cloud
Longmont
, Colorado
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vernation
Hi There,
I think I've gotten a pretty good grip on a solid plan.
But, I don't know what I don't know.
I'm trying to avoid doing something that will cause me headaches later.
Thanks.
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The best way to avoid mistakes IMO is to completely and thoroughly document your plan in a schematic before starting any work. You will identify and solve many mistakes in the process of creating a schematic which is easily solved on paper at that point. Once you are done you will also have something to reference for trouble shooting and in the future when you forgot what you did. Make sure you included everything and map out your fuse/breaker strategy for each circuit based on current draw and appropriate wire gauge. This can be very time consuming but you will be glad you did it. A good free program for this is draw.io. You can easily grab screen shots of odd items like a blue sea fuse terminal and place them in the schematic so you have visuals to go with the wiring. Below is an example of the schematic I created for our solar/lithium upgrade.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Utg...ew?usp=sharing
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01-17-2025, 10:06 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master 

2023 25' Globetrotter
2021 16' Bambi
Forest Lake
, Minnesota
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,879
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My project, relocating batteries and adding devices, was tiny compared with yours. But like @OC I drew it all out with devices, gauges, fusing and it helped figure out my gaps in knowledge. I standardized on Victron equipment since it all plays together and it's the best. There are also many armchair RV electricians here that can critique your diagram.
For ideas and a template/sanity check, the electrical diagrams are available from Airstream for most every model. Assuming you're building out your 22', any of the recent modern models will have the wiring gauges, fusing, and other considerations. Things like the type II breakers in the positive bus bar I would have had no clue about.
My mistake was trying to skimp on tools in some cases. A good hydraulic crimper would have been nice, but so far the camper hasn't burnt down.
__________________
2023 Globetrotter 25FBT "Curly"
2017 Audi Q7 3.0T
WBCCI 6343
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01-17-2025, 10:51 AM
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#9
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2 Rivet Member 
1968 24' Tradewind
Dallas
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 45
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I am heading towards a similar project and would really appreciate suggestions on the specific flexible conduit people have been using.
There will likely be some long runs in my walls and some of the corrugated stuff looks like it would be hard to snake wire through after it is in the wall.
Thanks.
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01-17-2025, 11:43 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master 
2019 27' Globetrotter
McHenry
, Illinois
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,588
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KeithT
I am heading towards a similar project and would really appreciate suggestions on the specific flexible conduit people have been using.
There will likely be some long runs in my walls and some of the corrugated stuff looks like it would be hard to snake wire through after it is in the wall.
Thanks.
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KeithT, what ever conduit you use make sure to add a poly pull rope or tape inside with slack on both ends. When you pull a wire, include another piece of pull rope to retrieve the original one. Makes the job much easier than trying to push a fish line upstream.
__________________
2019 27’ Globetrotter FBT Walnut/Dublin Slate
2018 FC23FB
2019 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi Laramie Blue Ox 1000#
WBCCI# 10258
RETIRED!
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01-17-2025, 06:21 PM
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#11
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2 Rivet Member 
1965 22' Safari
Chicagoland
, Illinois
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 80
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"Maybe run a 7 wire bundle to the roof for one of those fancy multi band antennas."
I was thinking of things like this--like I thought perhaps an always-on rear facing camera for a substitute rear view mirror would be fun. And I had read that some bluetooth models have a tough time making it all the way to the front of the TV, so some people have a wire to run to the front of the trailer from the back to solve this issue. But then I started looking into what wire would be appropriate, and it seems that rear cameras often have proprietary cabling, so I would be potentially running the wrong wire to do this. (or locking myself into a certain brand).
I think an antenna is probably in my future, but if you search "antenna" here on the forums, you will see how many antenna issues are really talking about leaks around the antenna mount, which leads me to consider one mounted on a pole, deployed once you get to where you are going...
I was also having the cabling choice issue with the antenna--do you go coaxial? hdmi? ethernet? --You said "7 wire"... These kind of choices are bewildering.
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01-18-2025, 08:52 AM
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#12
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2 Rivet Member 
1968 24' Tradewind
Dallas
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffmc306
KeithT, what ever conduit you use make sure to add a poly pull rope or tape inside with slack on both ends. When you pull a wire, include another piece of pull rope to retrieve the original one. Makes the job much easier than trying to push a fish line upstream.
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That makes sense. Thanks.
My dad was an engineer and told me there are only three things your really need to know to avoid frustration in life:
1. Water flows downhill
2. You can’t push a rope
3. I can’t remember that last one, but I bet it was good, too.
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01-18-2025, 09:13 AM
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#13
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Rivet Master 
2022 33' Classic
Chesapeake
, Virginia
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 676
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01-18-2025, 09:24 AM
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#14
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Site Team

1994 25' Excella
Waukesha
, Wisconsin
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 6,355
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Bus bars to make your negative and positive connections so that all your cables are not going to the battery bank. That was an early mistake I corrected - after a few cables get routed directly to the batteries things become unruly.
I also undersized my 12v distribution panel (fuse panel) and had to add a second one. Wish I had just gone bigger to start with as there are always things being added as the years go on.
Documentation, as mentioned earlier, is VERY important. Forgot about trying to help the next owner, do it for yourself. No way I can remember everything I've wired over the years so those diagrams I stuck in the book are key to getting my head around future repairs/additions.
__________________
Richard
11018
1994 Excella 25 'Gertie' Follow the build on Gertie!
1999 Suburban LS 2500 w/7.4L V8 'Bert'
1974 GMC 4108a - Custom Coach Land Cruiser 'The Bus' (Sold)
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01-18-2025, 09:32 AM
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#15
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Rivet Master 
2022 33' Classic
Chesapeake
, Virginia
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 676
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Regarding the 12V system, I upgraded the ground buss that is attached to the 12V distribution box, to a Blue Sea Systems buss bar. The nuts can be torqued to the stud, and don't come loose.
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01-22-2025, 03:21 PM
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#16
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Rhode Islander
Currently Looking...
Arcadia
, Florida
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 35
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I used residential grade flexible conduit terminated in 4 inch round junction boxes, with blank covers. Someplace you can reach later on. All junctions go in a box. I use a ground wire on all circuits also screwed to a frame with stainless bolt and nut and NoCorrode electric grease. You can bond ground wire s together on the way to the panel but you also need to bump up a gauge, say 14 wire instead of 16. When you buy flexible conduit tell guy you want the kind you can run a fish tape through. I used 1/2 inch for my tail lites, running lites. Etc. And I found some round school bus LEDs back lights almost the same size as the 1968 originals.
__________________
Airstream Carpenter
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01-23-2025, 01:56 AM
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#17
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Rivet Master 
1978 31' Excella 500
Genoa
, Nevada
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,570
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Put in some “future” antenna cables for when you become a ham radio operator.
__________________
I admit to being powerless over housecleaning and social niceities
Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655
NevadaGeo
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