flat cable behind bedroom tv

[madhat]

2008 350rl - there is a flat cable coiled behind the tv - it has red, blue , white, grey and brown leads. Its not connected to anything just coiled up with a zip tie.. any idea what this is for or what its hooked up to on the other end?
Thanks in advance or any help...

[jsb5717]

A pic would be helpful. But it sounds like an old style, pre HDMI digital TV cable. What's it connected to on the other end?

[DutchmenSport]

What kind of connectors are on the ends of those wires or is there any type of connector on them at all?

It's possible, if there are no end connectors on them, and if a previous owner had the camper sitting at a seasonal site, they could be wires that ran to a motor that turned an outside television antenna attached to a pole.

My second guess is, they ran to an antenna and/or a CB radio set up.

Without knowing what kind of connector is on the end, it's kind of hard to tell. But it sounds like they were added after-market ... not original.

[madhat]

they look like stock wiring coming out of the access hole in the back wall of the tv cabinet in the nose over the fifth wheel. no connectors just a flat wire made up of 5 colored leads.

[jsb5717]

Were you able to see what the other end is connected to? Definitely sounds after market to me. If there are no ends, just bare wire, then, as Dutch said, could have been part of some kind of antenna. Do you currently have a TV there and functioning?

[Mikendebbie]

Those are almost the same colors as a 7-way pigtail connection to plug into the truck...

[madhat]

Tvs work off the standard rv antenna on the roof. Guess I'll have to post a pic that someone might recognize. The way the end is cut so flush it doesn't look like it was ever hooked to anything and its a large loop of cable at least 10ft coiled up and zip tied.

[madhat]

yup, except much lighter gauge and no sheath just flat cable.

[madhat]

No idea, just disappears into the wall. No connectors on the cable.

[jsb5717]

My guess is that the cable does nothing. Previous owner removed the equipment he had installed and just cut off the wires and left them there.

You might remove the wall in the basement to see if they go down there. If it's loose you might just pull it all out. You don't need it.

[DutchmenSport]

OK, I couldn't let this just drop. I had to keep exploring until I came up with something and I think I might have.

I remember about 10 - 15 years ago one those things that RV manufacturers were putting in higher end RV was ..... yep! Telephone connections! This was before cell phone usage absolutely replaced the hard wired LAN line.

We no longer have a LAN telephone line in our house, but we still have the cables. I checked the wiring in the house and the colors match: red, blue , white, grey and brown leads.

Check in your convenience center or inside your front storage compartment. See if you have an old fashioned telephone jack somewhere. It use to be, you could simply run a wire from the jack and plug in to an active phone jack.

I do remember, this was extremely short lived, because people started abandoning the LAN line for the Cell Phone. Manufactures quit installing the telephone connections.

Check it out ... See if that's what it is?

Maybe something like this: Click here.

[Carl n Susan]

I think Dutchmansport is onto it. The early Montanas (2003 to 2009 or later) had an external telephone jack post on the exterior wall near the TV area. I removed mine to add satellite coax connections for my DirecTV box. I don't remember removing telephone wires, but it was a long time ago. I am sure the external jack had to be wired somewhere.

[madhat]

It's definitely an original install, same tie loop as others in cabinet

[Hblick48]

I would check the to see if 12 volts is present in any of the wires (ground lead of meter should be attached to RV metal frame). Don't want to just cut it for fear of blowing a fuse. If you find 12 volts, then disconnect fuses (one at a time) until you don't have 12 volts. At least you'll be able to identify the circuit.

[madhat]

Thks to all. Will check for power as well as the phone connectors on our rig.

[BB_TX]

Looks much too large for a phone connector. Seems like my 2007 had an unused cable like that. But since I no longer own it I can't look to see.

[engdahl]

In my Montana, the remote for the generator was in the wall of the bedroom closet. It was connected with a wire like the one shown to the generator in the front basement.

[madhat]

Thanks, that makes more sense as there's no power on the cable and it doesn't match the exterior phone input. No genny on this rig.

[engdahl]

The generator, when installed, would be in the front passenger side. Check there for the other end of this cable.