Wire routing

Raptor361LEV · 05-07-2012, 07:02 PM

BTUF: I want to install a light switch (on the side wall) to an existing DC light in our bathroom ceiling.

I have a 2010 Raptor 361LEV. The bathroom light above the sink is not hooked to a light switch (switch is on the light) and my kids cannot reach the light.

I am thinking all I need to do is take the light down cut the wires and splice in some extra length to route to the side wall for a switch....I am simplifying this too much????

**hankpage** · 05-07-2012, 07:19 PM

I am just guessing here, but .. You may stand a better chance on an inside wall as the exterior walls will be filled with insulation or possibly foam. JM2¢, Hank

Raptor361LEV · 05-07-2012, 07:26 PM

I was planning to just route the wire from the ceiling in the bathroom down the side of the bathroom wall (maybe 4ft total length).

bennydog · 05-08-2012, 07:26 AM

I really need to get better at taking pictures as I'm working on these projects.
I too was asked to install a switch for the bathroom light. You had to be real careful at night to not knock your shins on the toilet as the light fixture was right above it. As long as I was at it figured I'd do the fan. Took the light fixture off and the inner faring for the fan down. Using a wire snake first ran a pair of wire from the light fixture hole to the fan. I had located a spot on the inside wall next to the door for the switch placement. Cut the hole for the switch and then drilled a 1" hole in both the ceiling and the wall directly above where the switch was. Using the wire snake and working from the hole in the ceiling ran the snake back to the hole where the light fixture was. Now hooking 2 pair of wire to it, the one from the fan and another for the light pulled them back to the hole in the ceiling above the switch. Got rid of the snake and dropped the wire into to hole in the wall and fished them out were the switch was to go. Cut the neg wire on the fan and spliced in the new wire and reinstalled the cover. Same with the light. Hooked up the switches and like magic the light and fan can be turned on as you enter. The whole project took maybe an hour. Oh yea the hole in the ceiling and the wall where concealed by a block of wood that I hollowed out to make room for the wires. It was either that or fancy crown molding in a bathroom which just seemed wrong.

michol02 · 05-08-2012, 12:32 PM

I used some small wire conduit and 2 switches (canibalized one switch to use it's case for a back plate, so i didn't have to cut a hole in the wall)to run a switch on exterior wall in B.R. (skim through thread named "32SAB mods" for pics and details)

Raptor361LEV · 05-09-2012, 05:22 AM

Thanks for your input all. I will attempt this mod this weekend and will try to remember to post some pics as well.

05-09-2012, 06:50 AM

I also have the 361LEV and both the light above the sink and toilet are wired together to the switch on the wall.

Raptor361LEV · 05-09-2012, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCajun

I also have the 361LEV and both the light above the sink and toilet are wired together to the switch on the wall.

Did you do it or was it already done? What year do you have?

06-18-2012, 05:52 PM

Came from factory like that. 2010 model

happytrails · 06-25-2012, 10:11 AM

I have the same issue with a Cougar 31SQB. My poor son is too short to reach the switches in the bathroom and the bunk room. Who in their right mind would install lights without a switch!? Well I bought it so who in their right mind would buy one without them? I didn't even consider it and it just isn't something you think about until it's too late. I am going to try some sort of mod someday... For now we just keep a nightlight in the bathroom. For whatever reason there's an electrical outlet on the wall behind the toilet. I guess it's there for a nightlight.

*** Edit

Okay, I was inspired today to start doing some work on these switches and look at some air conditioning stuff as well. I have some pix that I will try and post at some point. For now, what I have done is route some pull strings to add a light switch to the bunk room and power to the vent that, for now, has no fan. The bunk room light switch was not pleasant, but the corner where the night light is mounted is also where a lot of the cables from the ceiling come down for the cable TV, outlet, and some other wiring come down. Once I get it done and can post some pix I will explain a bit more. I have yet to find a good way to fish a cable in the ceiling for the light in the bathroom. For now, most of that remains a mystery as it takes a different route than what I have found so far.

As for the Air Conditioning, I was doing some reading in this forum that talks specifically about the 31SQB and some problems with it keeping up due to the size that was installed versus the size of the camper. I took down the main cover for the unit inside and noticed right away that the foil tape job by the manufacturer was VERY sub-par and I can easily see where a lot of my valuable cold air is escaping into the ceiling plenum rather than the "duct work". I put duct work in quotes because the duct work is merely cardboard like duct work. One comes out either side of the unit, one side going to the front two vents and the other to the back two vents. Okay, only 4 vents? The main cover has some slides to open up for more air at that location, but then you take away from the rooms. Anyway, fixing their sub-par tape job should help a little. I did check out as best as I could the air vents themselves and it's really too small to do any real checking. Another hint I learned is to cover up the heat vents to prevent any hot air from coming up from the belly. Worth a shot.

Will keep you posted with pix soon.

SAABDOCTOR · 06-25-2012, 10:32 AM

HI RAPTOR. You are not over simplifying this. just like hank said run the wires down an inside wall it will be much more better!

Festus2 · 06-25-2012, 01:31 PM

happytrails -

You asked, "Who in their right mind would install a light without a switch?" Well, it could be the same person that didn't put a drain in your outdoor kitchen sink and didn't put enough insulation in the underbelly of your RV.

I see that you have had your TT for almost a year now so you shouldn't be surprised by all the "surprises" you are finding. And guess what? There are more surprises that you haven't found yet! But keep looking and poking around and you'll get to them - one by one.

You see the people at Keystone and other manufacturers don't actually go out camping in the RV's they make. They just design and put all the pieces together. Sometimes they fit - sometimes they don't. Eventually, we all hope that someday, they will get it right. But let's not hold our breath in anticipation.

In the meantime, don't pull your hair out in frustration

each time you discover a flaw, something missing, or not working just right. If you do, you'll soon be bald

!

But I like your positive attitude in spite of your disappointing discoveries when I went back and read what you said about your Keystone RV, "I love it. It's been wonderful so far".

Good on ya.

rhagfo · 06-25-2012, 01:51 PM

Festus, I would agree we have had our 05 Copper Canyon for about four months PO missed a bunch!
No smells, but the galley tank vent ends in a cabinet lower than the sink! Won't let that tank get full!
DW needs a stool to turn the kitchen light on or off, no wall switch light is about 7' off the floor!

happytrails · 06-25-2012, 06:12 PM

@Festus2

Point well taken! I got a good laugh at the sink comment!

SAABDOCTOR · 06-26-2012, 05:14 AM

Festus that was a brilliant discription of how our campers are built! I worked for Ferrari for a short time. you want to talk about thoughtless enginerring! omg there was no thought as to how things would come apart for repairs. and the tools they used yikes! compared to that our campers are great!

hankaye · 06-26-2012, 06:42 AM

Howdy All;

Quote:

Originally Posted by Festus2

happytrails -

You asked, "Who in their right mind would install a light without a switch?" Well, it could be the same person that didn't put a drain in your outdoor kitchen sink and didn't put enough insulation in the underbelly of your RV.

I see that you have had your TT for almost a year now so you shouldn't be surprised by all the "surprises" you are finding. And guess what? There are more surprises that you haven't found yet! But keep looking and poking around and you'll get to them - one by one.

You see the people at Keystone and other manufacturers don't actually go out camping in the RV's they make. They just design and put all the pieces together. Sometimes they fit - sometimes they don't. Eventually, we all hope that someday, they will get it right. But let's not hold our breath in anticipation.

In the meantime, don't pull your hair out in frustration

each time you discover a flaw, something missing, or not working just right. If you do, you'll soon be bald

!

But I like your positive attitude in spite of your disappointing discoveries when I went back and read what you said about your Keystone RV, "I love it. It's been wonderful so far".

Good on ya.

All I can say to the above is ... Blame it on the 'Stolfutz kid' ...
Keystone is located in the heart of Indiania's Amish country...
They don't know electric, or a lot of what we take for granted.
When the 'kid' hangs a light, that's it. No need for wires, fill it
with lamp oil... (place the 'rolleyes' critter here, I'm not allowed to as
Festus2 used up all 4 that are allowed. place 'frown' critter here)

hankaye

richf28 · 06-27-2012, 02:04 AM

I think the RV manufacturers do this stuff on purpose. That way while we are sitting around enjoying the life it gives us guys something to think about and fiddle with. Then we can brag to each other about our mods and accomplishments.

SAABDOCTOR · 06-27-2012, 05:15 AM

The sink self empties on the bumpy road going home!!!

happytrails · 06-27-2012, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAABDOCTOR

The sink self empties on the bumpy road going home!!!

And it doesn't make a mess either because the laminate partical board counter top absorbs it all. It just makes it a bit harder to get the shelf out next time due to all the bloat and distortion.

You just wait, I will have that drain in there....someday.

happytrails · 06-28-2012, 02:38 PM

Okay, I finished up the job today of adding a light switch and a power feed for my future fan in the bunk room. The reason for the Mod is one of my kids is a bit short and cannot reach the light switch on the ceiling so I wanted to give him a way to turn the light on and off.

Picture 1: Light fixture removed and fish string run to bathroom where cables from roof come down in a void behind the toilet.

Picture 2: This is in the bunk room, outlets removed to expose wire routing from void into bunk room. I ran a pull wire from this side of the wall into the void and up to the top of the ceiling where the cables come down. I also put a 1/2" hole in the wall where I wanted the switch located and then realized this also had another piece of thin wood for separating this area (you can see it behind the outlets and the wall I put the switch on is the same) from the same type of area in the bathroom. So I also had to cut that piece as well. Once I did this I could fish a wire from the switch up to where these outlets are. You can see in that picture that there is sort of a double wall. They cut the hole for the outlet and then cut another hole in the thin board behind that which is essentially what I did.

Picture 3: This is where the void is behind the toilet in the bathroom. I had to remove the small trim piece at the top to expose this. I found this completely by accident when I was pushing on things to see where "studs" were located and trying to figure out how to fish wires through the ceiling and into walls. I used a fish wire to get from here over to the light and from here to where the outlets are in the bunk room.

Picture 4: Here I'm just showing how I made my connection to the light fixture from the switch. I, sorry the DW, decided to interrupt the main power to the fixture and keep both switches in use which can be confusing, but DW wanted that way. I was going to interrupt the main power and go to the switched side of the fixture so just the wall switch would be used. DW wins again!

I have a picture of the actual switch itself, but that's just even more boring than these. I posted this here because it was a wiring topic directly related to a switch and light. This will give other posters and maybe the OP an idea of things to look for especially if they own a 31SQB or similar unit. My guess is that many units are similar. I could not find a good method like this to add a switch in the bathroom though. I looked for other areas where cables come down. I took the skylight, light fixture, and fan/vent apart and tried fishing but no luck. I can likely do what another poster did in his photos but I'm not sure I want to go there yet.

One thing I did note in my TT is that I have these metal rafters? in the ceiling void which I assume is the support for the roof and ceiling. I was able to see and feel that they have oval shaped through-holes in them for running cabling/wiring so if you are poking around with a fish tape keep trying because you may eventually find that hole and get to the next space between two of them and that may be just where you want to go. I can say that this was a two-person job fishing wires and A LOT of patience especially since my helper was my older teen son.

I hope this helps someone out or gives them an idea that may help. I have an album open to the public where these pictures are and a few others where I fished a wire from another fixture over to a vent that does not have a fan, yet. I'm getting ready for it though.

You may also like: