Dr J.,
Youll have no success pulling wire in that manner.
Most all the wire is pulled through the ribs inside the wall using a very
tight plastic grommet. Although you may pull a few wires through, you will
most likely not know which direction the grommet was inserted and as you
pull out the wire, you'll pull the gromet as well. Once this happens ther is
no mechanical protection for the wire. When I rewired my 66 Trade Wind I had
all the interior skin off and it was still a PIA. From front to back there
must be 10 or 12 grommeted ribs. I realize your Caravel is 7 feet shorter
so there may only be6 or 7 ribs. Still too many to pull IMO. Sorry I can't
sugeest an alternate. Coach wiring below the floor is not recommended but
you could in a pinch.
WAM
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Multiple recipients of VACList" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 11:30 AM
Subject: [VAC] Re: Water & electric
> I'm hoping that I can connect the end of a new romex to the old wire and
> pull. If the romex has been anchored within 12" of the box per current
> NEC rules, I'll not succeed that way. Then I may have to get out the
> fish tape to push a path through the insulation and floor spars or up
> over the top parallel to wall studs. The main outlet I'm interested in
> replacing is the one on the kitchen counter. My dad tapped in there to
> run a wire to his electric water heater modification. I want to add an
> outlet under the dinette table and plan to make that a GFCI receptacle
> and feed the rest of the outlets from there. If I can't get the aluminum
> wire replaced, there are receptacles made for aluminum wire. They cost
> several times what the standard outlets cost, but can be found. I
> already own a couple for that contingency. There is a grease filled with
> zinc crystals that also helps aluminum connections but not enough to
> allow connecting aluminum to receptacles not rated for aluminum. There
> are only two duplex receptacles in the Caravel, one at the sink, the
> other in the shower by the toilet.
>
> I think the aluminum wire is a significant problem. Connections are
> easily damaged by overloads leading to local heating or worse, loss of
> safety ground. There is evidence that normal loads are enough to cause
> connection problems. As a consulting electrical engineer, aluminum
> wiring problems have made me a buck or two and exposed me to deaths
> directly caused by those wiring failures. Bad connections from aluminum
> wire to outlets are blamed as sources of many house and mobile home
> fires. Mobile homes burn so well its extremely difficult to determine
> the ignition source. So I don't like to use aluminum branch circuit
> wires where I might get hurt.
>
> The last time I had the Caravel out in cool weather, I dropped a heavy
> duty outlet strip into the cabinet under the left from dinette seat, and
> ran its cord to the compartment on the left side where the main panel is
> and then when I needed shore power for heat, I hooked a heavy duty
> extension cord to the outlet strip plug, totally ignoring the
> Airstream's wiring. I used 12 volts for lights (there aren't any 120
> volt lights) from the battery charged by the truck when towing. I was
> camping mostly dry so didn't use any more hot water than I could heat on
> the stove.
>
> Gerald J.
>
>
>
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