Does this look factory? Why is it there? - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

Frankie · 06-24-2018, 09:58 PM

From the day I first saw my hi-Lo I was puzzled about this heavy wire coming from the upper cabinet. I asked the dealer selling it “what’s this?” And of course he had no idea. I did later determine that it is plugged into a GFCI and it is the power source to the AC unit. The cover it comes through is clearly RV style stuff (even held in with the square head screws). I just can’t imagine why the factory would not hide it better than that. Any ideas or comments? Does anyone else have that wire coming out of the upper cabinet in the bedroom?

piperjim · 06-24-2018, 10:59 PM

Frankie:

Yep, looks just like mine. It's out of the way and gets power to the a/c....works for me! I won't pretend to have any insight into why the factory wouldn't hide it better, but would guess cost might have something to do with that decision.

Frankie · 06-24-2018, 11:07 PM

Thanks Jim, at least I know it’s supposed to be there. I think I will have my wife sew some sort of a sleeve like the ones covering the vent pipe and wiring in the bathroom to make it “blend in” a little.

retiredcamper47 · 06-24-2018, 11:31 PM

My 2001 HiLo had the a/c wire coming out of the bottom of a o/h bedroom cabinet. The gfi outlet was mounted near the floor on the bathroom wall.

Bob

RichR · 06-25-2018, 08:29 AM

In case you haven't tried, the cord will retract back into the wall just like the shore power cord does outside.

Frankie · 06-25-2018, 08:40 AM

Maybe Rich is onto something-its like that so in the winter it can be put away..?? Maybe it was just easier to put it there..? I think it could have been closer to the wall so it doesn’t hang out like it does. It’s no big deal , it’s just not the best choice of location IMO.

jjorgensen · 06-25-2018, 09:15 AM

It could always be worse, on our 1982 it is all setup outside and you have a cord running from the power box to an outlet on the top half

r67northern · 06-25-2018, 09:46 AM

So on this arrangement (original posting) do you have to unplug it to raise/lower? I've always been told that on my 2000 great disaster would befall anyone who lowered the top with the a/c unit plugged in.

JackandJanet · 06-25-2018, 10:01 AM

Northern, I THINK the way the cord is placed allows you to raise/lower the top without unplugging. About the only thing you would need to check is that it is not caught on something as the top starts to move.

In my trailer, that cord is in the bathroom with the other wire bundle and it cannot be unplugged like Frankie's setup seems to allow. So it is always "connected".

I had to run the wiring from my solar panel controller to the battery in much the same way - down the wall in the main living area. And, it cannot be attached to the wall in any way. So, it kind of "coils up" when the top is down. I can't see that there would be any other way to get wiring from the top to the bottom when the distance between them changes.

Treeclimber · 06-25-2018, 10:06 AM

on my '02 27'er, A/C power cable comes out of the upper cabinet to a GFI outlet on the wall just below. I leave it plugged in all the time. Seems what ever was faster for the builder at the time, close to 5pm, corners were cut.

r67northern · 06-25-2018, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Treeclimber

on my '02 27'er, A/C power cable comes out of the upper cabinet to a GFI outlet on the wall just below. I leave it plugged in all the time. Seems what ever was faster for the builder at the time, close to 5pm, corners were cut.

That’s interesting- I will carefully check this out and lower it to see what happens with it’s plugged in like yours.

retiredcamper47 · 06-25-2018, 03:16 PM

I always left mine plugged in. Did not have any problems raising or lowering with it plugged in.

Bob