Running Wires Into T@B?

ScottG

Has anyone had any success fishing new wires through the existing access conduit under the T@B on the front driver's side? It seems pretty tight in there. I'm pondering relocating my solar controller to inside the cabin, and the simplest approach (in concept, anyway) would be to follow the existing wiring harness.

For those of you who have installed electronic gizmos inside your T@B, if you didn't follow the original harness, how did you get the wires in?

On a related note, can anybody see a reason why the outgoing wires from the solar charge controller couldn't be spliced directly into the positive and negative lines already running between the battery and the converter? Electrically speaking it doesn't seem any different than hooking them directly to the battery terminals.

jkjenn

ScottG said:

Has anyone had any success fishing new wires through the existing access conduit under the T@B on the front driver's side? It seems pretty tight in there. I'm pondering relocating my solar controller to inside the cabin, and the simplest approach (in concept, anyway) would be to follow the existing wiring harness.

For those of you who have installed electronic gizmos inside your T@B, if you didn't follow the original harness, how did you get the wires in?

On a related note, can anybody see a reason why the outgoing wires from the solar charge controller couldn't be spliced directly into the positive and negative lines already running between the battery and the converter? Electrically speaking it doesn't seem any different than hooking them directly to the battery terminals.

Solar charges your battery, directly, and does not use your converter.

ScottG

Understood. I was asking more from the perspective of using the existing wiring to connect the charge controller to the battery. Since everything is electrically connected anyway, I can't see where it matters whether the controller is hooked directly to the battery terminals, or spliced into an existing line that also runs directly back to the battery. I could be missing something, though...

jkjenn

ScottG said:

Understood. I was asking more from the perspective of using the existing wiring to connect the charge controller to the battery. Since everything is electrically connected anyway, I can't see where it matters whether the controller is hooked directly to the battery terminals, or spliced into an existing line that also runs directly back to the battery. I could be missing something, though...

Are you permanently mounting your controller, if so, where?

Ratkity

@ScottG, I used the tiny bit of space to run my controller wires to the monitor inside that I found where the gas hoses were going into the T@B. I used zip ties to tie them up (gently).

AldebaranJill

I have run several wires from the front plastic bin (battery) into the driver's side under seat area. I zip tied automotive cable shrounds to the frame and ran the wires inside the shroud. I drilled a hole in the floor of the driver's side under seat area and brought wires in.

AldebaranJill

ScottG said:

Understood. I was asking more from the perspective of using the existing wiring to connect the charge controller to the battery. Since everything is electrically connected anyway, I can't see where it matters whether the controller is hooked directly to the battery terminals, or spliced into an existing line that also runs directly back to the battery. I could be missing something, though...

In rewiring my Trimetric meter (because the dealer didn't install properly) I discovered many "upstream", meaning in between the inside of trailer, and battery, wire connections. Many of these were in places I could not inspect, but was able to deduce them via continuity tests. I would suggest running new wires to the battery so that you're sure that there's nothing else going on. It's a mess in there, all kinds of odd connections. I'd make no assumptions unless I could visually inspect 100% of the wire you're thinking about tapping into. I even attempted to make a complete wiriing diagram of my trailer, and despite my best efforts, there are still many unknowns due to being unable to inspect wiring.

seajeeper

I drilled another hole next to the existing hole (between the cabinet and the black water tank) to run outdoor speaker wires through.
Here's a pic, you can see the drill bit.

Smullis7

I ran the power cable for my rear view camera thru an access point near the Alde.  There is a black plug with 4 holes, 3 of which are used.  I ran the power cable thru the 4th hole.  You need to remove the little, black plug blocking the 4th hole to get thru it.  I was really simple to do.

ScottG

Jenn, I haven't considered mounting details yet, as I was just pondering options. As discussed in an earlier thread, I need to build an extension cable for my suitcase, and as part of that project thought it best to move the controller closer to the battery. I might just mount it in the tub, but thought that inside the cabin would be more out of the way and out of the elements.

Ratkity, Jill, seajeeper, and Sheila, thanks for the suggestions! (seajeeper, am I correct that you took that photo though the little access hole in the lower cabinet under the sink?)

Jill, if I do this mod, I probably will run dedicated wires. If you ever figure it out, I'm curious to know what else you might have tapped into that battery line. In theory, the only thing that should branch off before the converter is the power to the breakaway brakes the charge line back to the TV. However, if I recall correctly, your T@B is notorious for some unusual configurations.  :-)

AldebaranJill

ScottG said:

Jill, if I do this mod, I probably will run dedicated wires. If you ever figure it out, I'm curious to know what else you might have tapped into that battery line. In theory, the only thing that should branch off before the converter is the power to the breakaway brakes the charge line back to the TV. However, if I recall correctly, your T@B is notorious for some unusual configurations.  :-)

Notorious! Ha!

There's a junction box before the converter that (on mine) has 5 wires: ground, 12V, left turn, right turn, running lights. What's totally wacky, which is why I'm saying run new wires, is because in my wire tracing adventures, I found that the grounds (which are super important for meter's shunt) are all over the place. For example, the trailer tail light ground wire, which bypasses the WFCO (logically), is used for the LP leak detector! Ditto for every single light and 12V outlet! Crazy.

jkjenn

ScottG said:

Jenn, I haven't considered mounting details yet, as I was just pondering options. As discussed in an earlier thread, I need to build an extension cable for my suitcase, and as part of that project thought it best to move the controller closer to the battery. I might just mount it in the tub, but thought that inside the cabin would be more out of the way and out of the elements.

Ratkity, Jill, seajeeper, and Sheila, thanks for the suggestions! (seajeeper, am I correct that you took that photo though the little access hole in the lower cabinet under the sink?)

Jill, if I do this mod, I probably will run dedicated wires. If you ever figure it out, I'm curious to know what else you might have tapped into that battery line. In theory, the only thing that should branch off before the converter is the power to the breakaway brakes the charge line back to the TV. However, if I recall correctly, your T@B is notorious for some unusual configurations.  :-)

I couldn't squeeze it in the junction box or with the gas line. I actually fished mine through the vent below the fridge. It isn't necessarily ideal, but it works. The factory mounted my controller in the tub. I had it in the tub, previously, but in the old battery box, so it was protected. I have mixed feelings about the current location. 

dsatwork

@jkjenn I'm reading through some old threads and wondered how your controller is working in the battery box?

jkjenn

dsatwork said:

@jkjenn I'm reading through some old threads and wondered how your controller is working in the battery box?

So far, so good. I do keep it in a weather resistant box.

dsatwork

jkjenn said:

dsatwork said:

@jkjenn I'm reading through some old threads and wondered how your controller is working in the battery box?

So far, so good. I do keep it in a weather resistant box.

hopefully  my box will keep mine dry...but I'll have to keep my eye on it as well

BrianZ

Yes, @ScottG, I had success today fishing the cut end of a Cat5 6-wire data cable through that conduit.  It is the data cable of a Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor.  The cable is much longer than needed, so I  cut it in half, then put a new RJ-12 jack on the end after fishing it through.


The wire bundle inside the flexible conduit was tightly wrapped with electrical tape, but there was a tiny bit of space between the bundle & the inside of the rigid conduit opening in the bottom of the T@B at the arrow in the above photo.


After several tries, I was able to pass the thin folded stiff wire shown here towards the lower right in the photo.  After passing about 2-1/2 ft into the trailer, I was able to retrieve it inside the access panel behind the toilet.  I then attached the cable & pulled it back through from underneath and into the tub where I needed to connect it to the monitor's shunt.  It was very tight, but worked.  At least I hope so, because I still have to install the display unit inside & test it.  I need to get some Goop or something to seal that area back up again.

Mouseketab

When we installed my Power Mover, we just drilled a hole in the floor, ran the wires through into the closet, and then filled the hole around the wires with copious amounts of silicone.

wmaggio

This is an old thread, but I found it on my hunt to see if anyone has experience fishing wires through a Tab 320S. I'm preparing for a custom solar panel install on my 2021.

I successfully found my path by getting under the Tab and pulling down the corrugated panel enough to squeeze my phone inside the underbelly. (The corrugated sheet is held in place by a steel bracket and 4 screws.) Based on what I observed inside and under the trailer, I measured a couple of inches off the wheel well, on the inside. Using a 3/4" spade bit, I drilled through the floor just to the side of the frame. I'll throw a rubber grommet in the hole when I fish my wires. (Look for the solar project in another string. Coming soon!)

ScottG

I'd forgotten all about this old discussion (my own, at that) when I posted about my recent misadventures running new batter leads adjacent to the original harness. It seems @BrianZ and @seajeeper had already done something similar.

I am curious how you two managed to pull the wires where they were going once you had them inside. I had the benefit of an additional access panel behind the toilet, but it still took some T@B yoga to finish the job.

wolfeel2000

I feel much better about my decision to stop trying to feed the wires through the access hole for my battery move.  There is no way I would be able to get 4- 8ga wires through that space.  I will go through the floor like wmaggio.

ScottG

wolfeel2000 said:

I feel much better about my decision to stop trying to feed the wires through the access hole for my battery move.  There is no way I would be able to get 4- 8ga wires through that space.  I will go through the floor like wmaggio.

Probably a good plan. As per the discussion I linked to above, just be careful where you drill!  :-0

BrianZ

Hey, @ScottG, great work you did, and glad to hear you're happy with how it all turned out.  Clever use of a syringe too, which actually provides a nicer smoothly tapered hole than the original plastic piece with a sharp edge.  I wouldn't have thought of using a larger fitting in the same hole, though most of the drilled holes are a bit oversized.  I just have two questions before I answer yours..
Did NüCamp previously mount battery switches inside before they started putting them on the front panel inside the tub?  I probably would have just moved the switch to the tub, or maybe even gotten a new tub. 
How did you get the existing wires out of the old plastic collar and through the syringe - did you disconnect & reroute them all?  That seems like a real pain - I probably would have cut the syringe open & then glued it. 
Ok, to answer your question, first of all, my cable was just a data cable, and relatively thin & more pliable with its thin wires inside a thin cover.  I pushed my snake wire in from the outside & pulled the data cable from the inside out to the tub where the battery monitor shunt was located.  So with that part done, I only had to get the cable from the space behind the toilet to the battery monitor display above the sink..

It was pretty easy to fish a wire through that wall..

You can see that access hole in the wall adjacent to the toilet window in the above photo by @CincyKid from a factory tour 3 years ago.
And here's my on shot of the same area..

It's the gray cable in the larger opening in the bottom half of the photo.  I usually use a shorter wire that's not as stiff as one an electrician would use for a greater distance, so I can bend it a little if needed.
The other gray cable going into the little hole at the top is from the new EMS unit I added recently & going to its display in the cabinet above the sink.

ScottG

@BrianZ, thanks for explanation. I was mistakenly thinking you had pulled the wire in from the outside, and than somehow routed it up to your monitor. I guess that still would have been pretty easy given the location of the monitor. The bigger challenge I encountered was not getting the wires into the camper, but rather routing them across the front and down the conduit leading to the converter area. Fish tape definitely would have facilitated things, and would have been an absolute necessity if I hadn't had my "extra" access panel. 

To answer your questions...

nuCamp didn't add battery cutoffs until (I think) 2016. Before that time, adding a cutoff was probably the #1 mod discussed here--usually completed after phantom drain killed your original battery in one season.  ;-)

Copying someone else on the forum, I choose to install my cutoff inside on the driver's side bench. One small advantage of this location is that I can disconnect all power to the camper while in transit, but still allow the T/V to charge the battery, and maintain battery power for the breakaway brakes. Personally, I also think it's a more convenient location that the tub, but that's a subjective preference.

As for installing the new wire collar, I did disconnect all the incoming wires from the junction box. This was necessary not only to pull the wires through the new collar without having to cut it, but also so I could temporarily pull them up inside and out of the way as I had to enlarge the existing hole to fit the larger collar). Doing this was a little tedious but not particularly difficult as all the connections are just ring terminals bolted to terminal studs in the junction box. 

The new collar has room for at least one more set of wires if I ever need them for a future project. 

BrianZ

That was quite the wiring project you did, @ScottG, and I didn't realize you enlarged the hole too.  Thanks for explaining how your switch works and the advantages/disadvantages of locations.  Routing multiple wires sounds like it was more of a challenge going from front all the way back to the electrical compartment.  When I ran my EMS data display cable, I did use a fish wire through the electrical conduit to pull it through to the electrical compartment, before also running it up through the front cabinets with stiff wire.  It was a relatively think data cable again, but this time I left the bulky connector clip on the end, which made it a bit harder to get through the conduit, but not bad.  I don't recall ever using that access hole at bottom of kitchen cabinet.  I recall taking that cover off once & seeing a circuit board inside, but don't recall a view of the hole at front for electrical cables, but maybe I didn't explore enough.
Thanks for that bit of T@B switch history.

ScottG

@BrianZ, it probably would have been a bit easier project if I actually had a plan, but it went from concept to "now I'm committed" in under ten minutes. I ended up pulling the wires through the new collar, then pushing them down the conduit until they (luckily) appeared under the bench. Again, fish tape would have been handy, but seems to be one of the few tools I don't (yet) own.

The little access hole in the cabinet is not really good for much--it's just big enough to get a view of the wiring harness (with assistance from your phone--thanks for that tip) and to slip one hand in there to yank on wires. I suspect the circuit board you saw in there was the sensor for your black tank--another feature introduced after I got my 2015.