Wire loom management

[Kampereen]

This isn't exactly an electrical circuit question, it is about managing wiring runs to panels that move. In my next camper build, the opening will be at the rear of the box, which puts the tail light assemblies in motion when the panel is dropped down 90 degrees. I was wondering if anyone else here had built anything with wire looms that were subject to motion and how you handled it.

I have considered designs where the lights are side mounted or mounted underneath to avoid movement. In the case of the first, I am trying to keep the overall width to 44" for safe towing behind a two wheeler and don't want the added width. I did look at some brackets that would allow me to mount oval lights on the underside of the box, but I feel like that light location is too low. Following the design of an enclosed trailer I suppose I could narrow the opening slightly leaving fixed "posts" to the right and left and mount the lights there. But that would make tent fitment more complicated and affect the usability of the interior space.

It's not like the loom is going to move constantly, it's moving once at opening and once at closing, so over the course of a camping season that might be 20 to 30 opens/closes. If it were an issue I suppose I could use fine stranded wire as opposed to the more common stranded.

But I was just curious if anyone here had done anything like that and what your experiences were. Thanks.

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[Tom&Shelly]

Our lights are on the hatch of our tear. I ran a 6 wire cable (16 gauge stranded) and put a loom over the short section that bends when the hatch is opened, as much for looks as anything, but also to protect the cable. No problems.

Tom

[gDeN]

It's all about the radius of curvature (how tight the bend is). Generally, as long as you don't introduce a hard bend and you anchor the cable on each side of the bend you will be ok. Be aware of abrasion points. If you use expandable sleeving over the wires, leave it a little loose in that area.

[JasenC]

Just leave a bit of extra wire and offset where it comes from the camper to the hatch this reduces some of the bending into some rotation, the greater the distance the lower the stress. This is how its done in the automotive industry, look at the wire looms going to your doors, trunk, hood. This is how I ran the camera wires to the tailgate on my truck 6 years ago, still no issues.

Can't find a pic of my work but here's the wring to one of the back doors.