Wiring through fridge vent September 02, 2014, 07:00:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 148396Hi All, We have a 2004 26.5' mid-bath. We're trying to put an antenna on the roof to help us improve our WiFi connection. My understanding is that the fridge vent is a reasonable way to get cables onto the roof (ethernet in this case). We've looked at the fridge cabinet, popped off the vent, but are still a little perplexed as to where exactly the cable should run, and where we should drill our holes on the interior of the coach. Our intent is to run the cable along the ceiling (or the floor) up to the cabinet above the dinette.Has anyone done this before? Any tips?Thanks & regards, Linnéa & Chris
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #1 – September 02, 2014, 07:20:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 148397Linnéa, I faced a similar situation when I brought the cable from a rear-view video camera into my 2003 midbath via the fridge vent. What I did was drill a 1/2" hole in the paneling at the foot of the bed, on the side adjacent to the fridge, about four inches down from the ceiling and four inches in from the side wall.An assistant dropped the cable down the vent from the roof while I poked a piece of coat hanger wire with the end bent into a small hook through the hole. After some fishing around, I was able to snag the cable and pull it through the hole into the interior. From there I routed it to where it needed to go... and of course sealed up the hole it passed through.In your case, since you want the cable to end up in the cabinet over the dinette table, I'd suggest running it alongside the track that holds the curtain that partitions off the overcab bed. Done right, this will completely conceal it in its path across the ceiling... and once on on the other side, you can run it into the cabinet over the dinette. Make sense?Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #2 – September 03, 2014, 12:20:01 am Yahoo Message Number: 148418Linnéa,I'd take a different approach on this, though I've run several wires up through the fridge vent.Since what you are installing wants to be over the dinette, and since it's quite easy to remove the false (inside) bottom of the cabinet, and there's a handy source of 12 volt power there too (from the lighting fixture), I'd do it this way:Remove cabinet floor and front inside wall to access 12 volt power. The WiFi amp might be mounted on the forward, end of the cabinet.Drill a small pilot hole through the side of the RV, just above the awning box and below the top edge cap, and into the cabinet. Enlarge this hole for the WiFi cable. Later, seal this hole with caulk, butyle rubber etc. Since it's a small hole, caulked, and not on the roof, leakage will not be an issue.Locate your WiFi antenna being mindful that things on the right side tend to bonk trees and signposts more than in other areas.Mounting the directional WiFi antenna on the manual TV antenna might be doable, that way you can aim it from inside when not watching off-air TV.Plan B. From that cabinet above the dinette, it's possible to drill through to the ledge above the door and run wires aft along there, then into the wardrobe, and then all the way back or even around the back and forward on the driver side, by routing the wire inside the cabinets.BTW, when routing the wires down the backside of the fridge, you might first want to remove the back and left side wall of the cabinet below the fridge, that way you can get to where the wire will be going when you drill through the bottom floor of the outside fridge container. Use lots of caution not to drill into things that will require fixing. To see examples of some of this, look in the Yonder solar album.bumper
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #3 – September 10, 2014, 12:01:46 am Yahoo Message Number: 148578Hi Andy and Bumper Our apologies for our late reply, we were staying at the Jedediah Smith Redwoods SP and have been without internet. (On a side note, it was a beautiful park and we warmly recommend it.)- Thank you so much for your input, we really appreciate it! We think we'll try and do it by the fridge, as you suggested Andy, and run it behind the curtain rail. How (with what) did you seal the hole?Best, Linnea
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #4 – September 10, 2014, 11:47:26 am Yahoo Message Number: 148583"How (with what) did you seal the hole?"Honestly, I forget. Any good sealant that doesn't run (i.e., not "self-leveling") should work.Andy BairdTravels with Andy
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #5 – September 10, 2014, 06:21:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 148586Ok, great thanks!/Linnea (& Chris)
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #6 – September 11, 2014, 05:54:47 pm Yahoo Message Number: 148598A good all-around sealant that is easy to use, doesn't harden, and sticks to itself, is butyl rubber tape. It can be formed like modeling clay and pushed in place to seal openings, wires, etc. Waterproof, and reasonably resistant to weather, and inexpensive. Handy too. I've even used it to make a gasket for low pressure (60 psi) water.Dicor (BT-1834-1) 1/8" x 3/4" x 30' Butyl Seal Tapebumper As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Wiring through fridge vent Reply #7 – September 11, 2014, 06:45:41 pm Yahoo Message Number: 148600Great, thanks!/Linnea
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