Chevy Roadtrek power cords

[booster]

The Chevy Roadtreks come with a permanently attached shore power cord, that the want you to fish out through a mousehole in the wheelwell when in use so the side storage cabinet can be closed to prevent rodents, bugs, etc getting into it. The setup basically is not worth the effort so everybody leaves the storage door unlocked and semi closed. Very early on I converted out mouse hole to a standard twist lock connection and a normal power cord with plug. Much easier to use and store. I just cut off the cord and wired it to the socket and didn't alter the wiring into the van.

As our plug and socket were starting to get loose and run warmer, I decided to try a Smart Plug instead of the twist lock when I ran across a good price for a full kit of outlet and a 25' extra flex cord with the ends already attached. We were going to get a 25' extra flex cord anyway as the Roadtrek one got too stiff in cold weather.

As it turned out, the cable from the van was really inconvenient to wire as it was a bit too short to give enough room, so I tried to pull a bit more out of the van as there were a few inches slack in the bolster where the cable went. Wouldn't move, even with the clamp at the storage area loose. Went inside and tried to pull that way, still no moving or maybe a little that sprung back when released. The cord just comes through the floor into the bolster and they then ran it behind the wall panel to go over the water heater, and it seemed to be a bit loose in the wall but wouldn't move.

Since the cable was too big to come out from under the wall over the heater, I cut a couple of pieces out of the way so I could pull the wall panel out a few inches by removing a couple of screws and an outlet. Still not enough room to get out, but die get the furthest in end out of the wall a bit, and found it had loom on it like the rest of the cord down to the floor, and it was taped to the cable. Question then plainly answered. The loom is attached to the cord, and then the loom is attached to floor and bolster by all the spray foam they put in to seal it all. No way it was going anywhere.

I managed to get the tape off and then was able to pull the mangled loom out from around the cable and under the wall, so all that was left in the wall was cable. The cable then with enough force came out from under the wall and I easily pulled it up and out of the remaining non taped loom.

I replaced the cable with a long chunk of our old power cord long enough to wire the socket easily and with a loop in the bolster so it could be pulled back to get the excess out of the way in the storage pod. It is not now behind the wall at all so moves easily.

Plugs in in the access for the water inlet and shower in front of the right rear wheel.





Socket feeds through into the storage and the cable comes off it up through the van floor into the bolster.





Inside the bolster it loops a ways and then goes to the power protector.





Where it comes up from the floor with the remnants of loom where it got cut off when I pulled it out of the wall.

[k1hog]

Looks very good.

[booster]

Separate from the loose cord desire, I think this points out a big issue for anyone who needs to replace their power cord in a Chevy 190 and maybe other Roadtreks. To get it out you need to disassemble a big bunch of stuff, and if you take the whole wall panel loose, the bed and such have to come out. No wonder there have been some stories of high costs to change at dealers.


Those that didn't incur the big costs, probably had a smart tech that just cut off the cord where it goes into and comes out of the wall, and then installed a new cord the way we did. That certainly seems like the way to go to me.


This would also explain why out old cord was only 20' long when the replacement cords seem to be 25' for the most part. Roadtrek has 5' of it inside so wasted. Having the extra 5' will be handy sometimes, I think.