Need help finding an interior wall outlet...
Hi and thanks for reading my post. I have a wall outlet that went bad in my airstream bathroom. It's an odd bird. Looks like this one on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/255001978758?hash=item3...
Forum Discussion
p220sigman wrote:
As was said, just replace with a conventional box/outlet. We had a mobile home that had these and I just replaced them as needed. Not a difficult job as long as the wire has enough slack in it, otherwise it becomes a challenge.
If you just want to replace it with a like outlet, you can find them on Amazon. Search "self contained outlet"
Mobile home and RV are not the "same" as far as wall construction.
Mobile homes have thicker, deeper walls (2x4 or 2x3 construction) which normal outlets in work boxes can be used making the conversion a lot easier to do.
RVs due to being a "mobile" environment to save weight and to maximize usable space are constructed out of 1x2s (1/2" x 1 1/4") giving you a max usable depth of about 1 1/4" at best. This makes changing to normal workboxes and outlets a challenge at best.
Add in the fact that the RV manufacturers are not obligated in any way shape or form to leave any excess wire loop making this change even much more difficult or impossible.
In most cases there will be just enough to pull the speed outlet out of the wall to replace with another speed outlet.. To replace with a standard workbox and outlet you will need at least 6" more per side than what will be there to make even a cobbled up wire nut and pigtail work.
To the OP, do not cut the wire and try regular workbox and outlet unless you are able to pull at least a 12" loop of wire out of the wall.. You need as much wire as possible to make a splice and pigtails with wire nuts or crimps correctly.
The one RV that I had with speed outlets, I had one outlet which barely pulled out of the wall.. If I had cut the wire, there would never been enough existing wire to splice with wire nuts or crimps correctly. My only option was to replace with another speed outlet.
Not saying that will be the case in all RVs, but it is a very real possibility you will run into.
I am not impressed with speed outlets, don't think they are as robust as standard outlets but sometimes you simply do not have a choice and must replace with a new speed outlet if there is not enough existing wire left.
