CRAP, PO caused me another safety problem!!!

[niles500]

14 gauge may be perfectly OK depending on the length of the run, how far from the junction box to the panel?

[thomasinnv]

14 gauge wire is rated for 15 amps. My 13.5 ac units will pull 15 amps on a hot day setting in the sun. Problem is...breakers are sized to deliver 80 % of the rating. 15 amp breaker will trip continually, 20 amp breaker will exceed the wire rating. Not a good situation.

[Gary LaBombard]

Really a lot of great suggestions here which I appreciate.  I want to think the 14ga will work but in my mine I will never stop worrying, that is one of my down falls.  Look, how many guys DOUBLE Frame their bus like I did for instance?

I am sure the wire is run every which way and not in a straight line, Each 13,500 btu coleman Air Conditioner is about 15-20 ft. from the control panel.  They each have heaters in them which I would never use anyhow.  I am especially worried as the one hole I do see the wire pass through has burred and ragged edges that the PO just put extra tape on to protect them.  I have not physically tried to pull any on the wires yet, was too pissed to think straight yesterday.  Today a different day.  Hopefully I can feel the wire start to pull through after disconnecting and then pull a fish tape through as I do to pull the new #12ga wire through. 

I will probably take a day or so to do other projects before starting to pull on the wires but  am not very optimistic at all. This has been quite a journey that is quickly now getting very very old just like me. 

Thanks again for the suggestions, I will keep you posted on my final find and results.  I just do not believe I would ever be comfortable thinking about the 14 ga wire though.  I am a pissar.

[Jon]

Pulling the correct gauge wire and having the correct breaker is a wise choice.

Even if the AC draws 13 amps, that does not reflect the initial surge which is well over 25 amps. But if you are on poor quality shore power your 13 amps at 120Volts is going to be higher as voltage drops.

[luvrbus]

Dometic says 12 gauge wire minimum for a run of up to 24 ft,roof tops will draw 15 to 18 amps here on 1 of our mild summer days of 117*,all the roof top manufactures amp draw are based on 85* both Coleman and Dometic have told me that

[buswarrior]

The much bigger issue here is unprotected/poorly installed cabling through ragged metal holes in the framing.

The way many busnuts do not understand, or choose to ignore, neutral-ground bonding, if the right wire is cut through to contact the frame, the coach goes live, and nothing trips...

And electrocutes the co-pilot as she grabs the door from outside one rainy day...

Doubt you will find neutral-ground done correctly, if the PO couldn't install a cable properly...

Good for you, dig into it and make it right!

An idea, thinking out of the box... if the pulling fails, which I fear it will, you could run new cables up on the roof (suitable conduit blah blah blah)  and drop them through to the inside somewhere convenient, if you don't want to carve into the ceiling... somewhat guerilla tactic, but could be done perfectly safely and in a timely fashion.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Lin]

I do not know your complete setup but would think that running wire along the wall good be hidden relatively easily.  That would mean the most visible surface route would be from the unit to the wall across the ceiling.  Even for that, there could be a creative decorative way to hide it.  In the long run, you might want to do something else, but for the immediate future you could go with what is easiest so the issue is non-threatening.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Or you can do it like the phone company used to do and just run the wires along outside the bus and tack them down every 8".  That way they will also stay cool when the bus is moving. 

[DoubleEagle]

I will probably take a day or so to do other projects before starting to pull on the wires but  am not very optimistic at all. This has been quite a journey that is quickly now getting very very old just like me. 

Hey, we are the same age, and I have many miles left in me. We will both live longer if we both make real sure our wiring is safe. For kicks, stick a ground lead from a voltage tester into moist soil, and then touch the bus (when it is plugged in) with the other lead to see if you read anything. Do that after any electrical changes, and every so often in case something is chafing through. I have been surprised at the results on previous RV's, but not my buses, yet.

[DoubleEagle]

Or you can do it like the phone company used to do and just run the wires along outside the bus and tack them down every 8".  That way they will also stay cool when the bus is moving. 

That must be where the expression "It looks tacky" comes from!