# Wiring Question. Looking For A Live Wire.



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I'm planning on adding an LED light strip to the rear storage compartment on my 2013 250RS. To do so I need to get 12V power there. My first thought was to somehow tap into the line in the wall that supplies power to the light in the rear slide. The problem is that until I start digging into it I won't know if there is any slack in that line to pull out and get some tap connectors attached. The other easy option is to tie into a line under the sofa where the water pump, water heater and furnace are. I'm looking for a live line that I wouldn't have to turn on any switches other than the main battery shutoff to use. I don't think any of the lines to the water pump or water heater are constantly live but I'm curious if anyone knows if the main power line to the furnace is live. Looking at some wiring diagrams I found on-line, it appears the line to the blower is always live. The LED strip I am going to use is only 15 watts so I am not too worried about the added load on the circuit.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

As long as the fuse is installed for the furnace the control board and fan has power available. The only time it is powered down is when the thermostat is turned off but the feed to the furnace should still be live. I say go for it.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

robertized said:


> Buddy while working in our trailer I have removed several of the light fixtures and other outlets to gain access into the ceiling or the walls and have found that most times there is an excess of slack in the wiring, in your case a good thing. I have one question for you, how is the 12V line used to power the light in the slide connected to the trailer and the slide? On the slides in our trailer there is a flexible holder underneath to support the wiring while the slide is moving in and out. The 12V line is accessible at the frame rail in a junction box on the trailer, and on the slide where it enters the slide wall. I had to splice into this wiring to make a connection for a light in the storage area under the bed in out slide out queen. I used these line splices that you can find most anywhere. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Trailer-Wire-Harness-Adapter-Tow-Vehicle/_/R-BK_7551530_0006462383 . Good Luck.


If you use ScotchLok Wiring Connectors where they are exposed to road spray or weather they must be weather proofed. If not they will corrode and cause trouble. The blade and the wire are not of the same metal and the joint will result in bimetallic electrolysis (Galvanic corrosion), which will oxidize the wire at the joint. If you keep them dry or sealed they are fine and should last a long time.

Just a bit of fair warning if you go this route.


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## cdawrld (Jul 31, 2011)

I was able to pull out the 12v outlet for the slide light. Mine had 3" of slack just enough to splice into. Then drilled a hole next to it and ran the wire into the storage area. Made a small junction box out of a soap container on the storage ceiling. Installed a light for storage area and ran a second wire out to a pair of back up lights mounted under the bumper. The back area is now well illuminated.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

The power to the rear slide light comes out of the wall as a two pin connector at the lower right corner of the slide out (as viewed when looking into the slide out), which screws to the wall. When you extend the slide out, there is a pigtail with the other half of the two pin connector that hangs out of the corner of the slide out. My concern is that even if there is slack that I would need to fish my new wire through the wall and the hole in the wall that the current connector uses doesn't look to be big enough to shove a pair of scotchlock connectors through even if I stagger them. If I could find the same two pin connector set, I could make and extension with the tap for the new line in it and have it plugged into the wall connection permanently.



With the exception of the furnace also being under my sofa, the under sofa area in the 250RS is similar to the under sofa area shown in this post My link This is why I thought that just drilling a hole through the rear side of the under sofa area would be the easiest.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I don't suppose that anyone knows where I can get the same set of plugs used for the rear slide light power?


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