Something for Jayco MV29/Odyssey 29V owners

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

Something for my fellow 29V owners and I guess anyone whose rig has the kitchen sink behind the outside TV.

We removed our outside TV and put it in the house. We’re not sit outside and watch TV kind of people. I use the space for storing my fold up stepstool that I use to reach the kitchen stove vent. I also store two pieces of foam pipe insulation that I use for windshield wiper blades covers when we’re parked long term and an additional piece of foam pipe insulation that fits over the front awning arm so my door doesn’t get dinged up when we open the awning.

Anyway, I recall reading a year ago how someone had a leak in their kitchen that shorted out an electrical outlet they didn’t know was under the sink. This past winter I put some pieces of foam insulation board inside the TV compartment as it’s just the door and the plastic liner between the cold and the plumbing under the sink. It took up a lot of space so it was on my to-do list to remedy. I got to it today and moved the insulation behind the plastic compartment liner. It’s not pretty but at least it’s better insulated than the factory provided. While poking around in there I discovered that Jayco left me a surprise, a 120v duplex outlet screwed to the back of the kitchen cabinet directly under the pex to flex hose connections for the kitchen sink . Obviously no bueno. I did two things. I lifted the hot and cold pex lines enough to get them over the top of the rear panel under the sink. I figured I can now check them for possible leaks by opening the cabinet door as opposed to waiting for water to start running out on the floor because of a hidden connection leak. Then I moved the electrical outlet a few inches further away and facing the opposite direction. The way they had it installed it was totally useless - I didn’t even know it was there. At least now I can access the outlet to use it. So, if you have a 29V or other model with the sink right over the outside TV compartment you may want to take a look to see if you have a potential problem area.

 

[Johnynorthland]

That’s weird!

 

[CW5AVRet]

Great tip thanks

How did you get behind the TV to remove it? I can't find any sort of release latch or other mechanism even to pull it out. The clearance is so tight, I can't get fingers, flashlights or anything back there

Thanks!

 

[JACsHawk]

Had same issue with our inability to remove TV from the TV mount to access TV input ports. Only solution we had was to unbolt the TV mount (four lag type screws) from back of compartment and lift TV out still attached to the mount. On our model 29MVP, there was no latch to release the TV, it was attached to the tv mount with two bolts.

 

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

Great tip thanks

How did you get behind the TV to remove it? I can't find any sort of release latch or other mechanism even to pull it out. The clearance is so tight, I can't get fingers, flashlights or anything back there

Thanks!

The TV brackets are held on by a couple screws. I just removed the screws, took the TV out and unbolted the bracket from the back of the TV.

 

[Ozzie D Odyssey]

Here's an update for something that I did with the plug behind the TV.
It wasn't useful in that location so I moved it 180 degrees so at least I could access it....albeit through the back of the TV cabinet.

I started thinking about it and determined that the outlet was on the circuit for the inverter. Rather than having a useless outlet buried in the back of an outside cabinet I decided to move it. I picked a spot on the cabinet wall at the end of my kitchen counter and after painstakingly measuring to make sure I wouldn't interfere with the kitchen drawers or any other wiring, I cut a hole. Here's a tip - if you do the same thing, save the cutout piece of 1/4" plywood, you'll hear more about it later. I used an "old work box" for the electrical box in the cabinet. It's the type with the ears on each end that swing out and grab the rear of the wall surface where you install it if you can't nail a regular box in place. Installed the box and discovered that the ears only tighten down to 3/8". Quick remedy was to take the cutout piece of plywood then cut it in half. A piece of carpet tape on the back of each piece and I put them inside the cabinet where the ears on the electrical box swing out. This gave me a 1/2" thick surface and everything tightened as it was supposed to. As the outlet is near the door and at the end of the kitchen counter I got a 15 amp GFI outlet and installed that. Ran some 14g wire through the inside of the cabinet, securing it in a couple places and to where the outside outlet was located.

At this point - VERY IMPORTANT - unplug from shore power so you don't light up your life. I pulled the outside outlet out of the cabinet and was surprised when I opened it up. The wires are not secured with screws inside of it like a normal household outlet. They're held in place by brass V shaped pieces that slice through the insulation on the wire when it's pushed into the outlet. Cheap, cheap, cheap...but I guess it's quicker for the manufacturers to use these rather than taking the time and expense to use proper household style outlets. I added a small metal workbox where the outlet had been located then connected all the wires inside it securing it to the framing and with a cover. Plugged the shore power cord back in and my new GFI plug works as it's supposed to and as a bonus I now have a 120v outlet that works on the inverter other than the two behind the televisions and next to the bed in the bedroom.

Lessons learned by doing this....I'm going to replace all the outlets in my rig with real outlets that secure the wiring properly. Those pressed in outlets remind me of those chap 3M Scotchlok wiring connectors that they give you with trailer light kits. I want something that's going to be secure and not have to worry about the possibility of the wiring working it's way out of the brass jaws in these outlets and burning up my rig.

 

[jyh818]

Nice job. Upgrading all the outlets in the RV can be a challenge. Some areas you won't have enough room behind the paneling for a standard electrical box. Your outlet then would stick out of the wall. You may have to surface mount it.

 

[pconroy]

The wires are not secured with screws inside of it like a normal household outlet. They're held in place by brass V shaped pieces that slice through the insulation on the wire when it's pushed into the outlet. Cheap, cheap, cheap...but I guess it's quicker for the manufacturers to use these rather than taking the time and expense to use proper household style outlets.

I believe they're called Speedwire outlets. And I think they're very, very common in RVs.