Fishing Wires

[Cate&Rob]

How do you fish wires through an outside (in this case, slide top) insulated wall ?
Is the insulation foamed or glued in place ? Or is just sitting in there loose ?

Specifically, I would like to install reading lights under the cabinets over the recliners in my Reflection 303RLS. There is a hollow bottom to these cabinets, so I can work with that, but how do I get the 12V feed across from the slide ceiling light to the cabinet ??

Rob

 

[Dave and Monica]

Rob I think it will be difficult to fish a wire over to the cabinets through the slide room roof which is laminated. Don't you have a ceiling light fixture now in front of the cabinets? I have a project in mind to replace that std fixture with a 2 LED fixture like we have over the dining table. I'll need to get two LED lights, a switch and a piece to wood to shape similar to the one over the table...and some time to do it!

Dave

 

[TucsonJim]

Rob. Those walls are a pressure fitted sandwich product. That's why GD doesn't run wires in them for exterior light switches.

 

[Cate&Rob]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the quick replays . . . but unfortunately not what I wanted to hear.
I've thought about exactly what Dave is thinking, but it would be ideal to get "reading lights" back behind your head.
You have to wonder why GD would put these kind of lights over the couch, but not over the "natural" reading seats.
It's only about a foot from the existing fixture to the cabinet . . . there has to be a way . . .

Rob

 

[TENN22]

I use these guys in a lot of places that I need extra light. I purchased the Heavy Duty velcro at Lowes and stick one side to the light and the other to the surface. This way when it comes time to swap the batteries, which is not often, all I have to do is unvelcro them. These might be too bright for what you are looking for, but maybe there are smaller ones? just a thought.

http://www.harborfreight.com/27-led-portable-worklight-flashlight-67227.html

 

[Mark&Lisa]

I might be ordering these to hang in a couple of the dark corners.


http://solutions.blair.com/p/batter...&intl=n&q=battery+light&keyword=battery+light

For in the cabinet I bought the pucks, very bright and they swivel

http://m.lampsplus.com/products/under-cabinet-lights/type_battery-operated/

 

[james quinn]

Rob. Those walls are a pressure fitted sandwich product. That's why GD doesn't run wires in them for exterior light switches.

It is a sandwich sorta process but at the factory they leave grooves in the insulation when building the panels for any wiring that GD needs to run. Not really concussive to pulling wire after the fact. The ceiling is batt insulation so you might have more luck in that area if that works for you

 

[notsosan]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the quick replays . . . but unfortunately not what I wanted to hear.
I've thought about exactly what Dave is thinking, but it would be ideal to get "reading lights" back behind your head.
You have to wonder why GD would put these kind of lights over the couch, but not over the "natural" reading seats.
It's only about a foot from the existing fixture to the cabinet . . . there has to be a way . . .

Rob

The logic escapes me as well and I have wondered about doing the same thing.

 

[james quinn]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the quick replays . . . but unfortunately not what I wanted to hear.
I've thought about exactly what Dave is thinking, but it would be ideal to get "reading lights" back behind your head.
You have to wonder why GD would put these kind of lights over the couch, but not over the "natural" reading seats.
It's only about a foot from the existing fixture to the cabinet . . . there has to be a way . . .

Rob

Rob,

Looking at pictures of your trailer on the GD site, I would think that you could remove the light in front of the cabinet and push a coat hanger (straightened of course) towards the cabinet; in a straight line and close to bottom (assuming no aluminum framing runs parallel to cabinet in this area). Inside cabinet ceiling drill an access hole carefully (in case other wires there) and once coat hanger makes it here, tape a smaller wire to end and pull back, gradually increasing size of wire pulled thru until you actually pull the low voltage one. Not sure if the power at your light(in front of cabinet) is switched there or elsewhere so you may wind up with new lights on only when the other one is on. Just a suggestion.

 

[Canyonlight]

Hey Rob--time for some fun--these are "theater seating" seats not "reading seating" seats......you know, a five gallon bucket of over buttered (overpriced) popcorn, 420 ounce soda, no lites, and Caddyshack on the silk screen !!!

Dan

 

[Cate&Rob]

Hey James,
Forcing a coat hanger through the foam is exactly what I had in mind also.
It would be great if GD could advise on whether or not this is a viable approach.
The near-by light is not switched elsewhere, so would be a perfect source for power.

Hey Dan,
To add to your point, Cate has reminded me that the only way I ever read a book anymore is on my iPad . . . which doesn't need an overhead light.

It is the "principle of the thing" LOL . . . it just looks like that's where the lights should be .

Rob

 

[Sirsea]

It's next to impossible to fish a wire thru the sandwiched ceiling, our dealer tried for an hour without success. We ended up running the wires thru a section of "Panduit" mounted to the underside of the ceiling; actually looked OK.

 

[Cate&Rob]

Sirsea,

THANKS !!!
Now that's the first hand "experience" that makes forums like this so valuable.
Not the answer that I wanted, but the information that I needed.

Rob

 

[james quinn]

It's next to impossible to fish a wire thru the sandwiched ceiling, our dealer tried for an hour without success. We ended up running the wires thru a section of "Panduit" mounted to the underside of the ceiling; actually looked OK.

I still think the "next to impossible" is possible is possible; might take an hour an five minutes though. But on second thought, apiece oaf suspended ceiling hanger wire might be better than coat hanger straightened

 

[offtohavasu]

I don't know how much room you have to get access to the ceiling, but maybe a small d'versibit would work. http://www.greenlee.com/products/BI...7-X-54%40.00-%40andquot%3bA%40andquot%3b.html

We use 3/8" for pulling alarm wires. Home Depot has several different sizes.

BTW, the rods flex, so you can bend them in to the area you need to get access.

 

[colorver]

If remove the light fixture above the theater seats not just the lenses you will see a wiring chase that goes to the right that should intercept the front right corner of the overhead cabinet. This is where it gets kind of lucky mine came in at the inside corner . Drill a hole from that upper right inside corner of that cabinet into the ceiling and toward that chase and you should intercept the chase.wiring can be fished thru the chase from the light to the cabinet.I used plastic communication wire mould down a cross the cabinet inside face to drop thru the bottom of the cabinet to mount dimmable aircraft seating led lights. They are similar to those on a cosmetic as l flight

 

[MichiganMarty]

Rob. Those walls are a pressure fitted sandwich product. That's why GD doesn't run wires in them for exterior light switches.

Well, actually, Grand Design does wire them slide out walls. My 367BHS had a switch in the dinette slide-out side wall to operate the awning on that slide. It also had a switch below the awning switch to operate the light above the table. They are finding a way to do it, so it must be able to be done. Maybe the wiring tunnels were molded into the styro-foam?