SLIDEOUT ELECTRICAL MYSTERY!!!!!

[joelyn]

I will explain a situation that happened today and see who knows the answer... putting in a new tv in our 04 TT with one slide. cutting a hole w/ a power hole saw through a cabinet to run the cord. went through like butter. went to take the saw off my drill and inside the hole saw was some chewed up wires. OH S.... go and look and i ripped a apart a black and white wire 10 gauge.
Checked all breakers and fuses and NOTHING WAS TRIPPED. no sparks when i cut the wires in 2, NOTHING. turns out that the wires were to my slideout switch since that is the only thing that wasn't working. Wasn't sure if the slide out was run by 12v or 110v so i took out my meter and checked the 4 wires and got no reading for any type of electric, so i assumed that a inline fuse somewhere was burned out.
had to remove some more of the wall and was able to get to the wires and was able to reattach the 4 wires with a small jumper wire and spade connectors.
so i figured that it was now time to start searching for the inline fuse. but for the heck of it i went over to the slideout switch and pushed it and bingo the slide out was working again.
SO MY MYSTERY IS, HOW DID NOTHING BLOW OR ARC WHEN THE 2 WIRES WERE BROKEN AND TOUCHING EACH OTHER AS WELL AS THE METAL SAW. MY METER SHOWED NO READING AT EITHER WIRE END FOR 12V OR 110 AND NO BREAKER OR FUSE BLEW IN MY PANEL? YET WHEN I REATTACHED THE WIRES THE SLIDE NOW WORKS. ANY IDEAS??????????????????/
THE TT IS A 2004 KEYSTONE 30 AMP CORD AND THE TT WAS PLUGGED IN AT THE TIME AND MY A/C WAS RUNNING AND NEVER STOPPED AND ALL OUTLETS WERE STILL ENERGIZED. THANKS

[dougrainer]

Chris Bryant wrote:
https://computers.woot.com/offers/swisstek-endoscopes-your-choice-1

Woot! endoscope. Android, $15, Wifi, $24

I purchased one and kind of neat. From Amazon a few months ago for about $25 for Android. Doug

[Chris_Bryant]

https://computers.woot.com/offers/swisstek-endoscopes-your-choice-1

Woot! endoscope. Android, $15, Wifi, $24

[STBRetired]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Brings up a question...

Those bore scopes. I always wanted one but when I was working the price was incredible. Had to connect to a regular television set.

Picked one of those up to use with a 7" Android tablet. Was only around $20, so I figured 'Why not?'. Was pleasantly surprised by how well it works. Color balance is a bit off, but is close enough. Seems a bit flimsy, but only time will tell if it holds up.

[road-runner]

In my former 5th wheel there was no relay. It used a DPDT polarity-reversing switch wired directly to the slide motor. Current rig does use a relay, so it's done both ways.

[Bobbo]

wa8yxm wrote:
IF they are 10ga they are more likely to the motor than the switch.

Agreed. They probably run from the relay that the switch activates to the motor. Good thing they were AFTER the relay instead of before it where they are hot all the time.

[wa8yxm]

IF they are 10ga they are more likely to the motor than the switch.

[joelyn]

siggyd777 wrote:
You were very lucky that you could get to the cut wires and re-attach them , or you would have been SOL.
Siggy

YES I WAS INDEED. AND LEARNED A GOOD LESSON.

[siggyd777]

You were very lucky that you could get to the cut wires and re-attach them , or you would have been SOL.
Siggy

[MEXICOWANDERER]

"Mmmmmmm possum stew, grits, black-eyed peas, and poon......."

The way possums slaughter chickens for sport down here - wanna bet I wouldn't roto-rooter one between the eyes with a hole saw?"

Brings up a question...

Those bore scopes. I always wanted one but when I was working the price was incredible. Had to connect to a regular television set.

[joelyn]

GUESS I GOT MY ANSWER and glad the switches work that way which saved me a lot of aggravation. Do not know that much about electricity other than some real basic wiring and would have never thought of the answer that u all gave.
At least I learned a couple new things today, how the slide out works and on what voltage and NEVER NEVER use a hole saw again without first checking to see whats behind the panel.
As usual I came to the right place for a answer and thank u all for ur comments.
Have a great weekend.

[RedRocket204]

Would agree with those pointing out the DC voltage for those wires.

The slide motors, or at least my slide motor work by putting 12V on one wire for forward, then 12V on the other wire to reverse. So chances are, as already mentioned, the two wires compromised are not energized until the slide switch is depressed.

[dougrainer]

1. NO slide system uses 120 volts. They are ALL 12 volts
2. When you cut the wires, you assumed they had 12 volts. The wires cut may have been output wires that were NOT powered until the wall switch was activated
3. Some Slide systems use a 12 volt Auto reset circuit breaker. That means IF you did cause a short(12 volt short will rarely ARC a big arc and besides with the drill running you would not hear it), once the wires cut and separated a few minutes later the Auto reset Circuit breaker reset itself. Doug

[DiskDoctr]

Sounds like you got your answer.

But...you attached with spades? Be careful. Out 2005 Keystone Cougar slides are listed up to 40 amps (!), so you might want heavier connectors 😉

Sorry to hear about your luck, hitting wires for such a small hole 😉

[K_Charles]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
"go and look and i ripped a apart a black and white wire 10 gauge"

Could it be...?

The wires play possum...?

Until the switch is thrown...?

If an unwanted possum plays possum you shoot it, you don't drill it with a hole saw.