Front Cap Wiring - 2350

I had some rattling in the front.  I thought it was the antenna which was a little.  I had already replaced my TV and didn't tear into the front cap area at that time.  Anyway I opened it up today and found all the wiring just laying there bouncing around (I'm sure).  So I got some foam pipe insulation and put all the wiring inside and wire tied it.  Just a couple of pics so you can see the end result.  Disclaimer!!!   I haven't taken it for a drive to see if the rattle is gone yet.  Will follow up after test drive.

Mine had the same mysterious rattle, I did the same trick and it solved the problem...hope it works for you also.
Dougn

I have the same problem and just haven't addressed it so far.   The noise comes and goes.   I also thought it was the crank down antenna but that was tight and OK.  The sound is behind the TV and I assume if you take out the TV (no small task to get my hands in those side compartments to the long screws others have described in posts over the years)  I can get to the wiring and I'll do the same thing:  use the old pipe insulation trick.   

Thanks,

Paul

With our PC, we have not noticed any noise from wiring.

It took me a long time to chase down a different strange banging noise in the front area.  After a few years, I decided to experiment with the roof antenna.  I added thick chair feet felt pads on the antenna feet and wing tips and the irritation went away for good.  I think what was happening was the wing tips would slap the roof when hitting a serious bump.  But it might have been the feet of body of the antenna.

Update!!!   After all that remodeling of the front cap-still got this thumping/rattling sound.  I put the pads on the antenna-very little help.  I thought I located the noise in around the right front cabinet area.  Tore that apart hoping to find some FOD in the area.  Nothing but 1 little piece of wood they cut out for the electrical box.  I will probably put insulation in the cavity that extends under the cabinet just because I can.  Will take for a test drive again.

If you have a rear camera monitor mounted between the visors you might try detaching it and let it hang from its cable while you drive...could be how that cable lays in the cavity.

I also pulled the slack out of the dish and antennae cables into the right front cabinet. Not sure which approach actually fixed my thump/rattle.

Update!!!   After all that remodeling of the front cap-still got this thumping/rattling sound.  I put the pads on the antenna-very little help.  I thought I located the noise in around the right front cabinet area.  Tore that apart hoping to find some FOD in the area.  Nothing but 1 little piece of wood they cut out for the electrical box.  I will probably put insulation in the cavity that extends under the cabinet just because I can.  Will take for a test drive again.

In my post on mounting the TV I show a few of the bolts that needed to be added:

https://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php?topic=3559.msg30570#msg30570

In my 2006, and in Ron D's  2007 the roof of the cutout was not attached to the cabinetry well. Ron D does have a post addressing that.

 On mine, you could see where the original 3/4" zip screws had gone through the Ford sheetmetal, but the threads never engaged into the PC cabinets. This made a spot on the passenger side vibrate and make noise sometimes.

I put (3)   1/4 bolts through each side, with washers on the bottom.
When I put the TV in, I also took out the partition that went across the front, making the 'forward' wall of the two side cabinets open to the backside of the front cap.  Added some room, and made it easier to reach around back. When I did so, i found the 1x2 piece of wood was not fastened correctly: the staples used were two short, and the wood was vibrating up there.  I put 2 bolts through that too... NO more rattles.   

I thought I had some pics of this...    will look.

OK... found a short video i did showing the passenger side problems i found when I pulled the headliner -   https://www.dropbox.com/s/wimk4hnwvc51hh4/PC%20cab%20screws.MOV?dl=0     

Now with carriage bolts holding things together, no more 'creaky ship' sounds when traversing rough terrain, and the highway rattles are gone. 

Found the rattling/thumping. Loose screws that attach to the cab roof.  Drilled 2 holes and used toggle bolts.  Also tightened the original screws. Will have to figure out how to stop the original screws from backing out.   Attached is a pic of the loose screws.

Found the rattling/thumping. Loose screws that attach to the cab roof.  Drilled 2 holes and used toggle bolts.  Also tightened the original screws. Will have to figure out how to stop the original screws from backing out.   Attached is a pic of the loose screws.

Congrats on the discovery! 

Will have to figure out how to stop the original screws from backing out.

I would be interested to see how they back out myself... are you sure they do? IE: you have tightened them once already and now they have backed out? 

I have learned to accept that there is a rather low level of build quality in general with RV's. 'They' know most wont get used to anywhere near their service life, so why bother making them bulletproof?   PC being one of the best, of course, but seeing the manufacturing errors** in mine ( wrong staples holding inner bracing, screws installed incorrectly, LP distribution lines never tightened......)  I no longer take ANYTHING for granted.   Employees can ALWAYS screw up the best corporate plans.


** ASSUMPTION!  I wasn't there when it was made, but know what OEM generally looks like.. I would be willing to testify I was the first person to disassemble all the systems mentioned to the best of my observations.

I am not so sure the screws were tightened from the factory.  As with all the RV's I have owned I do most all of my own work and I find how there is lack of QA.  Therefore I always make sure it is better than the factory.  I bought this used a couple months ago and am still chasing factory oversights.  I'm sure I'll get blasted for saying that, but I refuse to not tell the truth.

I'm a life-long carpenter. If you want something to stay together forever you glue and screw or spline it.  Glue and properly placed staples will do much the same thing, as will just the proper glue in a stable situation (like a guitar.) You generally have to destroy the glued piece to remove it (except with hide glue in good guitars.)

Wood will dry and shrink and then swell back repeatedly over time. Add this to the fact it is in a mass bounding down the road flexing and rebounding for 10 years and it will appear that screws have magically undone themselves. The screw is also a foreign object squeezed into the wood, doesn't really care which way it turns unless it has something to move or hold it.

Even the best RV or boat or airplane or bike or mechanical device will want to be "tightened up" periodically. Especially the wood, plastic, or aluminum parts.