Wiring mess

[xcnick]

I was in the 12 volt fuse box and found it installed upside down but wired right side up. So what is labeled one is actually six etc. Yea I figured it out, but really? Was this built on a Friday? How bad can the rest of it be?

So I crawled under the thing and traced the wiring looms. The wire from the isolator to the coach battery was too close to the header and the protection melted off.

All the Starcool wiring had the same problem. Not cool, pun intended. The harness protection melted down and the insulation of the individual wires crispy and discolored. Considering both the plumbing and wiring the Starcool is really a rats nest, but only near the header was there a problem.

Then there are the after market electricians. The brake controller guy opened up the Ford harness near the header, the worst place possible. Now a perfectly good harness has the wires exposed to heat. The brake wire he used has crispy discolored insulation.

I haven't forgotten the alarm guy. Mount a metal plate over the two positive terminals of the isolator's circuit breaker and put electrical tape between the plate and poles for insulation. Good thing a Ford doesn't vibrate.

The Ford harness is heat protected. The main problem is everyone else following this with radio shack protection and tape.

Solution is just lots of time, trips to the store and a bunch of zip ties. Oh, speaking of zip ties, even the ones not exposed to heat were brittle. I have a 1996.

[BrianW]

I have a 98 Indiana built van. As I've been reworking things I've been surprised by the wiring, too. Not terrible, but not what I would call good, either. Lots of wires spliced and just covered with electrical tape, etc. I guess it's just the way they are built. And, it's been ok for 15 years, so I guess it's not that bad. The anal-retentive side of me updates everything I see, though.

I probably should take a closer look at the wiring in the engine compartment, after your comments. Where was your van built?

[xcnick]

Originally Posted by BrianW

I probably should take a closer look at the wiring in the engine compartment, after your comments. Where was your van built?

It was built in the West. No twisted wire with tape. My melt down is seen from under the van, driver side by the exhaust header.