Electrical Does anyone know how to get behind the panel above the fridge?

[Macca_75]

I have a 2016 model 20.64.1 and want to run another pair of cables from the little cupboard above the fridge (has had Hot water switch, solar regulator, sphere remote units, etc) down to the battery.

As best as I can tell I need to run it up alongside the fridge from under the slide out, but I don't know how I can draw the wire from the top of that cavity to the front of the board.

Bloody annoying how the vans are built from the inside out....

 

[jazzeddie1234]

The cavity beside the fridge in my 19' starcraft was just visible when I removed the radio so I used a length of stiff, small diameter retic pipe to feed down (several attempts) until it appeared at the bottom - pretty frustrating effort but eventually successful. Then poked a thin wire down the pipe until it appeared and removed the pipe. Used that wire to pull through the necessary wire (plus a trace wire that I can use next time I need to run one)

 

[Macca_75]

Has anyone actually removed the white deflector above the fridge (behind be the top vent?)

It is sealed around it with silicon so I don't want to cut it away now (I am not near a town) but I am wondering it this would expose the back wiring.

 

[Drover]

Wiring should've behind the lower vent, the deflector behind the top vent is just covering empty space usually. Wiring to front panel is fed thru a conduit at top of fridge from the area behind lower vent.

 

[Boots in Action]

Has anyone actually removed the white deflector above the fridge (behind be the top vent?)

It is sealed around it with silicon so I don't want to cut it away now (I am not near a town) but I am wondering it this would expose the back wiring.

@Macca_75 , the white plastic deflector above the fridge and behind/just below the top vent is important in directing the flow of hot air from the cooling fins on the fridge condenser towards the outside air. Normally, it sits at the top of fridge and fits behind the condenser fins and slopes towards the outlet for top vent. If done properly, it should also block off any space behind it and above the fridge, stopping the accumulation of hot stale air from collecting there, hence the sealing off with silicon. If you have a copy of the fridge installation instructions, that will show how the manufacturer says it is (or should be!!!) fitted for maximum efficiency for fridge operation. But being fitted by Jayco, it is rarely done properly - just ask @Drover! Leave it and look around through the bottom vent with torch shining upwards and you just might see the wiring you want. Otherwise @jazzeddie1234's way looks good even if slow and frustrating. Good luck!

 

[jazzeddie1234]

the little cupboard above the fridge (has had Hot water switch, solar regulator, sphere remote units, etc)

In mine the panel with all the stuff on was fixed from the back. After some levering I was able to twist it sideways (removed a sphere controller and used the hole for grip). One side was stapled from the back and the other used a couple of plastic corners which (due to jayco quality) pulled out. This gave me access to all the cables down the side of the fridge - this was after I had used the awkward retic pipe idea... I then refitted the panel using plastic corners on the front side so it looks factory but left some screwed on the sides behind so the panel was pressed up against something.

 

[MDS69]

Has anyone actually removed the white deflector above the fridge (behind be the top vent?)

It is sealed around it with silicon so I don't want to cut it away now (I am not near a town) but I am wondering it this would expose the back wiring.

If it is like my one there is a small tab that retains the grill into the surround. Flick the tab and remove the grill leaving the surround in place.

 

[Macca_75]

@Macca_75 , the white plastic deflector above the fridge and behind/just below the top vent is important in directing the flow of hot air from the cooling fins on the fridge condenser towards the outside air. Normally, it sits at the top of fridge and fits behind the condenser fins and slopes towards the outlet for top vent. If done properly, it should also block off any space behind it and above the fridge, stopping the accumulation of hot stale air from collecting there, hence the sealing off with silicon. If you have a copy of the fridge installation instructions, that will show how the manufacturer says it is (or should be!!!) fitted for maximum efficiency for fridge operation. But being fitted by Jayco, it is rarely done properly - just ask @Drover! Leave it and look around through the bottom vent with torch shining upwards and you just might see the wiring you want. Otherwise @jazzeddie1234's way looks good even if slow and frustrating. Good luck!

It's definitely put in correctly - sealed and everything which is why I have been hesitant to pull it off.

 

[Macca_75]

In mine the panel with all the stuff on was fixed from the back. After some levering I was able to twist it sideways (removed a sphere controller and used the hole for grip). One side was stapled from the back and the other used a couple of plastic corners which (due to jayco quality) pulled out. This gave me access to all the cables down the side of the fridge - this was after I had used the awkward retic pipe idea... I then refitted the panel using plastic corners on the front side so it looks factory but left some screwed on the sides behind so the panel was pressed up against something.

@jazzeddie1234 - when you had the panel off was there another panel behind it or was it just the angled white deflector (ie. if I pull the deflector off will it expose the wiring or just another panel of wood?)

Once I can get to the rear of the panel I will pun the wiring down the side of the fridge with all the other wiring - it just about how to bring the wire from the top of the conduit through the front of the panel.

I wonder if I pull the existing plates off (such as sphere remote, etc would I be able to use a coat hanger the grab the wire and pull it through).

The plan was to cut the exiting solar wires from the roof (behind the panel) and splice another wire into it, drop the wire down the side of the fridge and out the bottom and terminate with a SB50 Anderson. I could then connect an unregulated portable panel to the Anderson connector and through to the regulator as a parallel panel to the fixed one (I have replace with Jayco one with a 20A Victron MPPT) - I would only throw the portable panel out in overcast days).

 

[jazzeddie1234]

My cupboard was to the side of the fridge but I could see the deflector. Nothing behind the radio/drifter but a back on the cupboard

There is a drawer under the fridge so easy access to cables there. the RHS of the fridge cavity is a false wall - a couple of spacers and a very thin sheet of ply - which covers the cables running down the side

If you want access to the solar cable then I have a couple of suggestions. Can you add a cable at the controller end? I simply used a hole in the floor under the bed (for the existing breakaway cables) where the controller is and ran a cable out to the side chassis rail. Otherwise I would have drilled one.

Also my solar cable runs down the fridge side, along the lower cabinets, past the setec, around the fake skirting board, and under the bed. The solar cable has a joiner near the setec so I could use that to add another cable in.

 

[Boots in Action]

My cupboard was to the side of the fridge but I could see the deflector. Nothing behind the radio/drifter but a back on the cupboardView attachment 66980
There is a drawer under the fridge so easy access to cables there. the RHS of the fridge cavity is a false wall - a couple of spacers and a very thin sheet of ply - which covers the cables running down the side

If you want access to the solar cable then I have a couple of suggestions. Can you add a cable at the controller end? I simply used a hole in the floor under the bed (for the existing breakaway cables) where the controller is and ran a cable out to the side chassis rail. Otherwise I would have drilled one.

Also my solar cable runs down the fridge side, along the lower cabinets, past the setec, around the fake skirting board, and under the bed. The solar cable has a joiner near the setec so I could use that to add another cable in.

@Macca_75, @jazzeddie1234's idea is the better way to go. An Anderson plug connected to chassis in an easily accessible place for connecting extra solar with a fused line to the MPPT solar input terminals and come up from underneath . Much tidier and what a lot of others have done.

 

[Macca_75]

@Macca_75, @jazzeddie1234's idea is the better way to go. An Anderson plug connected to chassis in an easily accessible place for connecting extra solar with a fused line to the MPPT solar input terminals and come up from underneath . Much tidier and what a lot of others have done.

Thats what I am trying to do - just trying to figure out how to get the wiring from underneath to the back of the panel where the MPPT regulator is mounted )while hiding the wires).

Because the van is built from the inside out I can't just remove the panel to get to the back of it :-(

Thanks

 

[jazzeddie1234]

Sorry. Didn't realise the controller is also up high. Another suggestion then is to buy or repurpose a cheap ($20-30) pwm controller and mount near the floor so you can run a cable to the battery and an external anderson plug.

 

[Drover]

Some pics of the front of your fridge and area would help @Macca_75 so we could possibly view the lay out.......

Your idea of removing the sphere panel sounds feasable, gets you a look of the area behind it and give an idea of running a cable from back of fridge, you could then lift a corner of the deflector panel and feed your cable to the sphere (or is my idea what its like wrong?)....... You could then bring your portable cable up the back of the fridge.

The cable from my roof panels to the controller I cut it and fitted an Anderson in line, this anderson can then have the cable from my external anderson for the portable plugged into it, this makes for a better junction and give's it flexibility of function...........

 

[Macca_75]

Sorry. Didn't realise the controller is also up high. Another suggestion then is to buy or repurpose a cheap ($20-30) pwm controller and mount near the floor so you can run a cable to the battery and an external anderson plug.

Nah - want to rid rid of the crap PWM regulators. I do have a spare 75/15 Victron PPT with me (but want to keep it portable). I have a 20A on Victron in the van with a 160W panel so it only ever sees 10A anyway - thats what I want to add the extra feed onto.

Another guy on FB replied with the same model layout as mine - he confirmed that if I remove the deflector it will give me access to a panel that already has a hole in it (with wires coming out from the front board and down the cavity) - so it now seems doable to run the cable where I want.

The only bit to figure out are how to run a wire down the cavity and how to crimp both wires AND fit them into the regulator.

I am thinking maybe a pair of power poles and terminating all 3 wires (2 solar feeds and 1 out to the regulator) with ring crimp plugs. then screwing all 3 (for positive and 3 for negative) into the panel (poor mans power pole).

I'm on the road so limited tools and such. Running the wire down the side of the fridge is the hardest bit.

So far it's been about 3 weeks since I have had the battery at 10% SOC (nearly got there yesterday). If I can get this feed into the MPPT mounted in the van and buy another portable panel we can get there - just in time to head North and get a higher arcing sun and more of it so I won't need all this

Will also be at a powered site in a few days so that will help