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07-12-2021, 12:34 AM #1
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23bhe, Accessing area behind entertainment/control panel
Hi everyone,
I plan on adding another switch for the ceiling lights in my 2020 Imagine XLS 23bhe. The existing switch is on the control panel and behind the doors of the cabinet next to the entrance door, which kind of enjoys is... I have the switch (same that is used in the bedroom) on the way, and just wanted to wire it in parallel to the existing switch. Location should be on the side of that cabinet, next to the bedroom's sliding door.
I haven't found a way to access the area inside the cabinet, and to take off the wooden panel with the entertainment system and control panel. The parts above and below it seem to be stapled in place, no screws visible. Anyone ever accessed that area? My backup plan is to remove the entertainment system and control panel and try to work through the openings...
Thanks
Matt2020 Imagine XLS 23bhe with a cold bedroom
2018 F150 STX 5.0
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07-18-2021, 12:07 AM #2
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@PDXDale any luck finding a way to access? I have the same question but for a different project.
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07-18-2021, 01:03 AM #3
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Yes, i actually installed the additional switch today. Basically I took out the entertainment system (4 screws), then pushed the wooden plate above the control panels up from inside, slowly going around. It's stapled in place, I will remount it with screws now. Will provide a detailed report with pictures in the next days, I think that additional switch is a great addition to models where the control panel is behind cabinet doors.
Matt
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07-18-2021, 05:48 AM #4
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07-20-2021, 10:14 AM #5
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Hi everyone,
a little report about accessing the area and the wiring behind the entertainment system and control panel in a 23bhe, as well as adding an additional switch for the ceiling lights that is accessible without opening the cabinet doors. We were always annoyed that the only switch for the ceiling lights is behind the cabinet doors, so during a trip last year the idea of adding an additional one in a more accessible location grew in my head.
First, you will want to remove the shelf just above that area. To do this, remove the four screws on the frame of the entertainment system, and pull it out. Pull out the antenna connector, the Audio and the Video connector, and the main harness connector (this one has a lock tab). In my trailer, the white audio connector (it think it's labeled "Audio R") was not connected, as "Audio L" seems to be connected to both ceiling speakers. With the small distance between the two speakers, I guess there is no real use of having them set up as two separate channels. Would be interesting to hear if this is the case with other 23bhe, too.
Ok, Entertainment system is out. Reach into the hole and push the shelf up around the edges. It is stapled from above, so do it slow and right at the edges, not in the middle! Do this all around until the whole shelf comes off. Then take it out of the cabinet, you'll need to angle it to do this.
You now see the whole glory of cobbled together wiring, leftover sawdust, and maybe some crooked staples, like in my case Please note that I took the picture below after finishing, so the entertainment system is back in place already. If you are adding the switch, leave it out until the end to have more space.
As a german, I was delighted to see that Grand Design uses Wago connectors That made my switch addition easier. Don't know how many Tens of Thousands of those I used during my apprenticeship as an Electrician years ago...
On the left you see the area where the wires go into the double wall. There used to be two circular cutouts, i removed the are between it to make an oval opening, to have more space. In the end it wasn't really necessary, so skip that step if you want.
Now starts the switch part. If you are accessing that area for another reason, skip to re-assembly.
I bought the same switch that GD used in the bedroom for the ceiling lights. It's available on Amazon etc for ~$10. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078MR97Z3
I chose to mount the new switch just around the corner of the cabinet doors, facing the kitchen and TV. The wall is rather thin. The switch needs a rectangular cutout to be mounted flush to the wall. I just marked the area roughly, drilled a few 6mm (1/4) holes around the inside of the cutout, and took the rest out with a knife. The picture below shows the mounted switch from the inside (for orientation, the black part on the left (actually down, as the picture is roratetd...) is the back of the Entertainment system mounted back in it's place).
Wiring the additional switch is pretty straight forward. I just connected it in parallel to the current one. That means that as soon as one of the two switches is used, the ceiling lights are on. This doesn't give you a two-way function, like in long hallways, where whenever you actuate one of the switches, the lamp changes state. This would require other switch configurations, and it's a limitation we can easily live with.
You will see three wires going to the current switch. Brown, which I guess goes to the ceilin lamps. A thick red or pink one (14 AWG, I think), which is power. And a thinner red one, that takes care of the LED inside the switch. Basically, the switch connects the thick red one to the brown one, and that's what the new switch needs to do in parallel. If you follow the red one from the switch, it ends in a 3way Wago connector. I didn't have 5way Wago's at hand, so I added another 3way, and created a little bridge (grey wire) to connect the two together. In the picture below, the right Wago is what was in the trailer, and the thick red one in the left Wago used to go into the right Wago together with the two pink ones. You can see the grey bridge wire, and the blue wire on the left that goes to the new switch. I have 5way Wago's on the way right now, and will replace the 2 3ways with one 5way, just because I like clean designs
The brown wire needs to be cut to get the new switch into the circuit. Cut it open, add a connector of your joice, I can really recommend the Wago 221 connectors, it's just so convenient... and then a wire to the other contact of the new switch (grey in my case).
Last edited by PDXDale; 07-20-2021 at 10:28 AM.
2020 Imagine XLS 23bhe with a cold bedroom
2018 F150 STX 5.0
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07-20-2021, 10:16 AM #6
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Now your new switch should be functional. Make sure that everything still works, and that all wire connections are solid.
To make access easier for the future, I removed all the staples and screwed the shelf in place with two little screws on the sides. Drill some small holes in the shelf before you do this to avoid cracking, as it is so closed to the edges.
The new switch is a great addition and we are looking forward to use it on our 3 week trip through Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington State starting Friday. Hope this helps people in either accessing to area for whatever you wanna do, or maybe even do the same thing regarding the switch.
Matt
Edit: Sorry, somehow I can't get the portrait photos to show up correctly....
Last edited by PDXDale; 07-20-2021 at 10:29 AM.
2020 Imagine XLS 23bhe with a cold bedroom
2018 F150 STX 5.0
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07-24-2021, 11:24 PM #7
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Thanks for responding. I read and looked at the photos and I think my 22MLE is quite a bit different than your trailer. I wish I could remove my control panel by taking out some screws. But I don't see any screws to remove. I am afraid of trying to pry the face off it since it is made of plastic. I don't see how I can remove the radio/DVD player either.
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07-25-2021, 10:04 PM #8
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Wiring a Dinette Light on 2021 Imagine 22MLE
I finally figured out the bottom of the radio/cd player/bluetooth plaver snaps off. After that removing only 4 screws allowed me to remove the player and pull out its wiring harness. So, all I had to do was splice into the wires providing power to the player, run those wires behind the TV, then run them through a hole I'd drilled in the cabinet over the dinette.
Last edited by Imagine-r-Joe; 07-25-2021 at 10:10 PM. Reason: Adding Photos
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07-25-2021, 10:11 PM #9
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Not sure why photos2&3 were rotated 90 degrees (they looked fine in the folder).
Re-pack bearings necessary?
Today, 09:25 AM in Axles, Brakes, and Suspension