Community Forums

psikora · 09-29-2018, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhooker

Lippert makes a hinged strap called flex guard. Attaches under slide and you zip tie loomed wire to it and it bends in and out keeping wires straight. Replaced mine recently whole kit is under $30 on Amazon.

After today's scoping, can't see how to get under the slide.
I took off an access panel on the flimsy plastic waterproof covering underneath to watch as my wife put the slide out. It's above a floor which was all i could see under there. You would have to cut an access patch out in that floor to get to under the slide, and then somewhere else to bring it up into the RV for power. Not what I expected when I went searching.

ThePowells · 09-29-2018, 07:07 PM

Post what coach you have and looking at the floor plan may help, unless (to be clear) that you have nothing (water, power, or venting) that is on both sides of the coach?

cpaulsen · 09-29-2018, 07:18 PM

HD and other stores have all kinds of external inside add-on electrical stuff. I did it on a Montana....spliced into an outlet already there and added 2 extra outlets to stop using long extension cords.

psikora · 09-30-2018, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePowells

Post what coach you have and looking at the floor plan may help, unless (to be clear) that you have nothing (water, power, or venting) that is on both sides of the coach?

I have a Prime Time Crusader 351REQ. This is the dining slide that has a 12v light over the table and no other utilities on the slide. The kitchen slide is across from it.

The main issue now is that I can't get to the bottom of the slide of the center island where I would steal power from, from underneath. Not easily, IAE.

Mudfrog · 09-30-2018, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psikora

I have a Prime Time Crusader 351REQ. This is the dining slide that has a 12v light over the table and no other utilities on the slide. The kitchen slide is across from it.

The main issue now is that I can't get to the bottom of the slide of the center island where I would steal power from, from underneath. Not easily, IAE.

The slide shows dinette and two nice recliners. You know, a place where people get comfy and sometimes might want to plug in to play on their laptop, tablet, or charge the phone. Just seems hard to believe the manufacturer didn't install an outlet in there somewhere.

redhooker · 09-30-2018, 07:47 AM

Reading your post earlier about looking underneath I think I understand what you were looking at.

You need to get into the underbelly (remove a section of chloroplast). Find an acceptable 120v line (preferably feeding other outlets) to access, which may require adding a junction box. Alternatively you can add a circuit at panel and run new wire for this. Splice into said circuit and run wire to side of frame under slide, add a junction in a box to protected line (loomed or coiled) and attach at OUTSIDE edge of slideout. You will then need to drill up through bottom plate of outside wall and also cut interior wall to place outlet box.

When you are finished the wire will be exterior under the slide attached at the outside edge and loop to frame- not touching any of the floor that “disappears” as the slide goes in. Look under your other slides or slides on other rigs to see in action.

Kind of involved and you need a bit of electrical knowledge to do this. If too involved any decent RV shop could handle this job as well.

psikora · 09-30-2018, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhooker

Reading your post earlier about looking underneath I think I understand what you were looking at.

You need to get into the underbelly (remove a section of chloroplast). Find an acceptable 120v line (preferably feeding other outlets) to access, which may require adding a junction box. Alternatively you can add a circuit at panel and run new wire for this. Splice into said circuit and run wire to side of frame under slide, add a junction in a box to protected line (loomed or coiled) and attach at OUTSIDE edge of slideout. You will then need to drill up through bottom plate of outside wall and also cut interior wall to place outlet box.

When you are finished the wire will be exterior under the slide attached at the outside edge and loop to frame- not touching any of the floor that “disappears” as the slide goes in. Look under your other slides or slides on other rigs to see in action.

Kind of involved and you need a bit of electrical knowledge to do this. If too involved any decent RV shop could handle this job as well.

After removing an access panel in the chloroplast, I expected to see the bottom of the slide. What I saw was the bottom of another wood panel and above that I'm reckoning was the bottom of the slide. Not what I expected. So...I would need to cut through the first wood panel to see the slide, where it goes, and where it doesn't before I could run any lines. I was hoping to see all that when I peeked through the chloroplast (didn't know the name for that - thanks). Running a line along the base moulding under the carpet on the outside wall of the slide and up into the pedestal of the table and having a 1' extension cord that needs to be plugged in everytime we set up is infinitely gonna be the easier way to go.

Thanks to all!

redhooker · 09-30-2018, 03:52 PM

When you remove the chloroplast and look up, you were looking at the floor of the trailer. The slide out floor rides in up and above that. The only time the slide out floor is exposed is when it is extended. That is why the electric goes in at the outside edge. If you cut a hole in the wood you see above the chloroplast when you extend the slide out you would have a hole in your floor

GypsyCoder · 09-30-2018, 07:23 PM

You could place an inlet on the outside wired to an outlet on the inside.

Then you would attach an extension cord to the outside.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-...-CWP/301304898

ThePowells · 09-30-2018, 08:08 PM

I think at this point, your DW suggestion is about the best one. The only way I would be able to help any further would be hands on.

psikora · 10-04-2018, 06:00 AM

Thanks again, all, for the suggestions and especially the pics. It would be way too much work to cut through the floor from underneath just to get to the bottom of the slide to see what's going on and to get the wiring to retract. Would have been cleaner but I went with the glorified extension approach.

The first pic shows the surface mount wiring conduit in place. I was gonna paint it to blend in a bit more but SWMBO likes the contrast, and wants me to trim the whole slide to match. Kinda an expensive way to do trim.

Second pic shows the outlet in place. Didn't know how to end the conduit. Originally the silver mounting bracket on the wall showed. I just saved all the carpet scraps and glued it in place to hide that and the wire going under the carpet. Not sure how robust that will be over time.

Third pic shows the flexible wire coming out of the cabinet that connects to the back of an outlet a few feet away by the tv. We will just slide the wire back into the cabinet hopefully before we retract the slide. Had a 90 degree plug for the end. Like that better.

Mudfrog · 10-04-2018, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Third pic shows the flexible wire coming out of the cabinet that connects to the back of an outlet a few feet away by the tv. We will just slide the wire back into the cabinet hopefully before we retract the slide. Had a 90 degree plug for the end. Like that better.

Not sure i'm reading your reply correctly. Is 120 volts delivered via the black cord and the 90 degree plug from an existing 120 volt receptacle?

Dav L · 10-04-2018, 07:56 AM

Just replaced the original outlet in my slide. Thankfully mine was super simple as there is an existing power line there. The original receptacles are just junk. They are designed for manufacturing installation ease, but not for use. They get super loose connections to the point the device won't power up. I am sure they are internally arcing as they fail, which is a fire hazard.

So, just replaced the old outlet with a household conventional outlet.

The trick: The old receptacle has "old work" clamps that tighten the outlet to the foam / thin wood finish surface as there is no "stud" for a "new work" box to secure to. So, I just took the clamps off the original outlet and used that for the new outlet that wasn't designed for not being installed in a box. To ensure no electrical shorting behind the wall, I wrapped the outlet with electrical tape. There isn't any conductive materials any where near the backside anyway, so the tape is just peace of mind.

Like mudfrog, If you unplug the right angle plug...are the "prongs" then exposed and "hot" with electricity? Or are you feeding the plug with electricity once it is plugged into the receptacle in the picture?

If the plug is "hot", that's a major hazard. the Female side always has to be the power source, and the Male side is the receiver.

If you (or someone) else was to move the slides when the right angle plug is connected - what happens? Is there enough slack? Or does the wire get stretched? Certainly another safety concern.

psikora · 10-05-2018, 04:37 AM

Holy crap! Thanks Mudfrog & Dave L. I shoulda thought of that.

Yes, those male leads are hot. I'll need to protect them with a female socket to isolate the hot leads. When the lead is unplugged, it would be pushed back to the base of the cabinet but still way too risky for my tastes.