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Gerbing power cord thru' 1 pce rainsuit?

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Vitamin K
Does anyone have a suggestion how to run the cord for a Gerbing jacket thru' the BMW 1 piece ProRain 2 rain suit?

I like to stretch my riding season as much as possible but often in the spring and fall when it's raining it can also be cold so I like to wear heated gear under the rainwear. It seems strange to me that BMW hasn't allowed for this set up when they created the 1 piece suit....or did I miss something?

I would prefer not to have to cut it unless there is such a thing a stick on valve to run the cord thru' that would help maintain the 'waterproofness' of the suit.

Any ideas are appreciated!
 
Marilyn - check this LINK out.

It pertains specifically for a tank bag but the idea would be similar - you can "mount it" onto your rainsuit.

the other thing i was thinking about is taking your suit to a tailor or other sewing professional and have them install a waterproof zipper in a pocket so as to minimize any water that may come in.

The other thing you could do which I just thought about is buying a gerbing extension cord (or two) and just run it inside the suit by routing it either up the leg, or arm or down the neck and this would let you get the power into the vest without cutting anything but may be bothersome while you ride.

Luis
 
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The Powerlet product Semper Fi suggests would work, but if your Gerbings is a newer one, it'll require an SAE-to-coax adapter on each end.

My first thought was I'd buy a short male-to-female coax line, run it through a hole in the rainsuit, and make a small compression fitting to surround the hole, using a thin piece of rubber (from a bicycle inner tube, say) underneath a fender washer (the hardware store) on each side, and two small bolt-and-nut combos to hold the whole thing together. Use silicon goop to seal around the cable and bolt holes.

The problem is that if the holes in the fender washers are large enough to pass the coax connectors, then the holes are big enough to be hard to seal. However, the hole in the rubber can be much smaller, as it can stretch over the connector. With a smaller hole, I think a fillet of goop around the cable and over the rubber and washer would achieve a good seal.
 
When I do this kind of thing I frequently find the area I would like the cord-wire-whatever to pass through then-I reinforce the area with a material similar to the original. It can even be reinforced on the inside for cosmetics. It can be more than 1 layer. Then I pass the wire/cord through. If it's a permanent pass through it can be sealed, if not the pass through can be made on the higher side of the suit where water will be less likely to puddle. On rubberized material a typical inner tube patch works great for a reinforcement. For others a piece of material stuck to the original with Shoe Goo-available at any hardware store. Shoe goo is a clear adhesive that will stick many things together. It's better than stock shoe adhesive. Good luck and this topic reminds me of 2 sayings. Rain suits are a great to place to catch and trap water and once you've gone a mile in the rain on a bike you're not going to get any wetter.:laugh
 
http://www.douglaselectrical.com/html/catalog/sealed_connectors/bulk_head.html

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...1&storeId=11151&partNumber=11115201&langId=-1

http://www.alliedelec.com/Images/Products/Datasheets/BM/POWELL_ELECTRONICS/233-0029.PDF has lots of minature "MIL-SPEC"...for hostile environment..

It depends upon what you want to achieve exactly... connecting at your waist side, etc..

However, for me, I would suggest running it up your back and out at neck... long enough to reach behind your back to 'plug' in the cords. It will be out of the wind, unplug quickly without damaging your outfit...

I even ran mine out my pant leg.... and had velcro loops around the leg to hold the wire close to the leg and not tangle up... usually.

If none of those are options, decide where you want the wire to pass... then, "vulcanize" a piece of innertube on the inside and outside but leave an area from the center to bottom unglued in the shape of an inverted V. you can then cut a small slot inside to pass the wire thru...it would take a LOT of rain to move vertically up these vulcanized patches into your suit.

You could use something like a bathtub non-skid decal of flower or butterfly if you die not want to be so utilitarian...
 
Gaffers tape and exacto knife, or if you wanna get fancy, tire patch and exacto knife.
 
Does anyone have a suggestion how to run the cord for a Gerbing jacket thru' the BMW 1 piece ProRain 2 rain suit? Any ideas are appreciated!

Get a grommet kit and pop one in a pocket.
No pocket? Make a storm flap w/ velcro.

grommet12.jpg
 
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