This could have also been titled: “Why You Shouldn’t Hide A Connection Behind A Wall (Or Ceiling)”
I had to use my Bluetooth endoscope on my TC today to find a 12v wiring problem. I bought this a year or so back for use at home. It came in pretty handy today.
The three light fixtures above the cab-over bed had been intermittently not working, and since they were all not working concurrently, simultaneously, and at the same time, I figured they must be daisy-chained together. This had been going on for a couple of years, and used to be very intermittent, but had become more frequent lately. Of course, by the time we’d get home it was working again and I’d forget about it until we took the camper out again. I decided to pull all the fixtures down and have a look when I noticed they weren’t working at home for a change.
The problem seemed to be associated with the fixture on the left, because at times just touching the switch on it would make all the lights turn on. I figured this one must be the first in the string of lights. When I pulled it down though, there were two white wires (neg) and one black wire (pos). The center light had two whites and two blacks, and the right fixture had one white and one black. Wut?!?!?
There must be another black connection somewhere. I started pulling on the wires to the left fixture and discovered that if I twisted the black wire in just the right way, I could get the other two lights to flash sometimes. It didn’t seem like the mystery connection was very far away from the fixture, but I of course couldn’t stick my head into that shallow ceiling to see what was up.
I got out my scope, and stuck it where the wires were going, and a few inches away found this:
That figures! A dang Scotchlok, and it looks like it’s not squished all the way, and it’s not snapped closed. And I can’t get to it, either. There’s no slack in the wires that I can pull towards the fixture. Oh well, get out the hole saw. I was able to cut a hole through the ceiling panel and bead board insulation directly under the Scotchlok so I could take it apart.
Once I got it apart, I found that the black wire from the converter was run directly to the fixture (long black wire in the next picture), and there was still no slack to be pulled. The black wire going to the next fixture had been spliced to it, but I could now pull a few inches of slack in it and get it out of the hole I just cut. I pulled the black wire that had been connected to the fixture back to this hole as well.
Now it was just a matter of splicing these two wires back together with a better crimp type connector, and then pulling the wire back to the fixture hole.
The spot on the long black wire where the Scotchlok had cut the insulation was still up in the ceiling too far for me to get to, so the best I could do was slide a piece of shrink tubing over the wire before I crimped it. I used my heat gun to shrink it, and only melted the styrofoam insulation a little bit.
Now they all work again. I’m making a patch for the hole I cut out of a scrap of some white FRP. It won’t match the ceiling, but it won’t be ugly either.
I just wanted to show the usefulness of these inexpensive BT endoscopes, because without it I most likely would have cut the ceiling up more than I did.
Next week, I’ll show you how to save some money on your next colonoscopy.
DIY! :B
:):)
I had to use my Bluetooth endoscope on my TC today to find a 12v wiring problem. I bought this a year or so back for use at home. It came in pretty handy today.
The three light fixtures above the cab-over bed had been intermittently not working, and since they were all not working concurrently, simultaneously, and at the same time, I figured they must be daisy-chained together. This had been going on for a couple of years, and used to be very intermittent, but had become more frequent lately. Of course, by the time we’d get home it was working again and I’d forget about it until we took the camper out again. I decided to pull all the fixtures down and have a look when I noticed they weren’t working at home for a change.
The problem seemed to be associated with the fixture on the left, because at times just touching the switch on it would make all the lights turn on. I figured this one must be the first in the string of lights. When I pulled it down though, there were two white wires (neg) and one black wire (pos). The center light had two whites and two blacks, and the right fixture had one white and one black. Wut?!?!?
There must be another black connection somewhere. I started pulling on the wires to the left fixture and discovered that if I twisted the black wire in just the right way, I could get the other two lights to flash sometimes. It didn’t seem like the mystery connection was very far away from the fixture, but I of course couldn’t stick my head into that shallow ceiling to see what was up.
I got out my scope, and stuck it where the wires were going, and a few inches away found this:
That figures! A dang Scotchlok, and it looks like it’s not squished all the way, and it’s not snapped closed. And I can’t get to it, either. There’s no slack in the wires that I can pull towards the fixture. Oh well, get out the hole saw. I was able to cut a hole through the ceiling panel and bead board insulation directly under the Scotchlok so I could take it apart.
Once I got it apart, I found that the black wire from the converter was run directly to the fixture (long black wire in the next picture), and there was still no slack to be pulled. The black wire going to the next fixture had been spliced to it, but I could now pull a few inches of slack in it and get it out of the hole I just cut. I pulled the black wire that had been connected to the fixture back to this hole as well.
Now it was just a matter of splicing these two wires back together with a better crimp type connector, and then pulling the wire back to the fixture hole.
The spot on the long black wire where the Scotchlok had cut the insulation was still up in the ceiling too far for me to get to, so the best I could do was slide a piece of shrink tubing over the wire before I crimped it. I used my heat gun to shrink it, and only melted the styrofoam insulation a little bit.
Now they all work again. I’m making a patch for the hole I cut out of a scrap of some white FRP. It won’t match the ceiling, but it won’t be ugly either.
I just wanted to show the usefulness of these inexpensive BT endoscopes, because without it I most likely would have cut the ceiling up more than I did.
Next week, I’ll show you how to save some money on your next colonoscopy.
DIY! :B
:):)
Yeah, I’ve already made my patch. I considered buying a plastic or metal plug from Lowe’s, but decided to just use some material I already have since I wasn’t going to be able to find a perfect match anyway.
Turned out pretty good if I do say so. I always say stuff like this isn’t a blemish on the old camper, it adds character to it! :W
The lights are recessed into the ceiling about 1/2”. It’s always interesting to see how they used scrap materials building the camper. The recessed hole has a “donut” made of counter top material (with the Formica still on it) surrounding it, and a scrap of wall paneling with the vinyl covering visible on top of that. The void between the ceiling and the roof is at least an inch thick, which is of course filled with styrofoam insulation. I think this construction would have been typical of the wood framed TC’s Lance was building at the time (2001).
:):)
Turned out pretty good if I do say so. I always say stuff like this isn’t a blemish on the old camper, it adds character to it! :W
The lights are recessed into the ceiling about 1/2”. It’s always interesting to see how they used scrap materials building the camper. The recessed hole has a “donut” made of counter top material (with the Formica still on it) surrounding it, and a scrap of wall paneling with the vinyl covering visible on top of that. The void between the ceiling and the roof is at least an inch thick, which is of course filled with styrofoam insulation. I think this construction would have been typical of the wood framed TC’s Lance was building at the time (2001).
:):)
