We'll be replacing the couch in our 2006 SunSeeker 3100 Class C. The slide-out forms a six-inch high platform inside the cabin, upon which is mounted the couch and the table. In looking under this platform I found a coily-cable laying on the floor near the wall. Closer inspection revealed that it is attached to a wire coming up out of the floor, as shown in the smaller picture. The larger picture shows what's at the other end of the coily-cable. It comes up through a hole in the platform, where the red arrow is. The wire laying on the floor disappears into a fitting in the wall where the blue arrow is, presumably to go up to the overhead reading lights. Does this seem right, or am I off the mark? Or, should I be asking in a different section of the forum? Reason I'm asking is that the recliners are electric, and this is the only wire I've found so far in the slide-out. K-R.
This is where you need a multimeter to measure the voltage, if any, on the wire. HF has inexpensive yet adequately functional multimeters for around $10. Sometimes they're free. If the multimeter's probes show a lot of bare metal what I do is wrap electricians tape around the probes so just the tips are exposed. What you don't want to do is accidentally create a short circuit with the handling of the probes. So if working with electricity is something you are not comfortable doing then by all means don't do this.
What are the possibilities? My 3 best estimates are this: It could be 110 VAC on that wire. It could be a steady 12 VDC on that wire. Or it could be a wire meant for a missing speaker.
Turn off all your appliances. Check across the black and white wiring first for AC voltage using the highest voltage setting, then check for DC voltage starting with the highest DC voltage settings on the multimeter. If no measurable reading then select smaller voltage settings and remeasure until you get a reading. I would be truly surprised if that wire was energized with 110 AC but you never know. If you measure a steady 12 volts DC then that's a potential power source. If no voltage is measured then turn on the coach radio and tune in to a local station and check for voltage once again. My suspicions are that the wiring in question comes out of your coach radio for a base speaker but don't just take my word for it.
If it's AC there should be a circuit breaker you can throw to isolate that circuit leg.
If it's DC then there should be a spade fuse you can pull to isolate that DC circuit.
If it's a speaker wire then the radio on/off switch is what isolates the speaker circuit. Sound like a plan?
Based on the wire's presumed destination (the slide-out's wall), I figured it was used to power the overhead reading lights. These lights use 12 volts and are the only electrical gadgets on the slide-out. I presume the motor(s) are attached to the SunSeeker's frame.
Using the multimeter we keep in the cabin, I poked the test leads into the connectors and measured 12 volts. When the co-owner threw the master power switch the voltage went to zero.
We checked the slide-out operation by trying to move it with the master power off. The motor(s) came on, so I felt fairly sure that the coily-cable really is just powering the overhead lights.
We'll have to verify this by pulling the appropriate fuse at the power panel. I could also use the ohms function, and some long test leads to verify the connection. Wish I'd have thought of it at the time.
Linear Mode
