Skeeter ZX - Trolling Motor wiring fixed or loose?

[78Staff]

So, I was thinking about replacing the TM wiring from bow to bilge in my '16 ZX. It's always annoyed me they cut it so short, so you can barely get your hands on the connector up front, and there's really no slack back at the bilge. Plus they are going on 8 years old now as well. But, when I gently tug on them, they really don't move. It's pretty much just a strait run down the center of the boat from bow to bilge... There is no way Skeeter would have fixed/zip tied them along the way somewhere, completely inaccessible, would they? My original though process was I could just use the existing to pull the new wires through, but if they are attached somewhere, that obviously would not work..

Has anyone replaced them in thier Skeeter, and was able to just pull the old ones out without issue?

[MCIPinkie]

I ran 2 - 8 ga from the battery to the bow for my electronics. I ran mine up the port side. So much easier than battling all the stuff on the starboard. Abandoned the old. Ran another pair to the console for graphs there. My 2020 ZX200 has wire hangers under the gunwale. Hard to reach. Lots of blood shed, but they are there.

See no reason you couldn't pull 2 - 6 or 4 for the TM the same way.

[78Staff]

Well I loosend/unconnected them at both ends - there's definitely something tieing them down. I can't believe Skeeter would fasten them somewhere inacessible, but appears they did. Although they actually did the same with the stock transducer cable that came in the boat, with zip ties between the bilge and cockpit panet that you just cannot get to. I basically wound up cutting out as much wire as I could get to when removing it. :(.

[McQuaig]

You should be able to see or access the troll wires by removing the cockpit floor drain cover also.

[MCIPinkie]

Why mess with the old if you are running new?

Just abandon the stuff.

[78Staff]

Why mess with the old if you are running new?

Just abandon the stuff.

It would just be simpler to use the old to pull the new :). But yeah, can just leave and use a fish tape or sticks...

[78Staff]

So in a bit of mea culpa, looks like the tm wiring is NOT fixed after all. I guess it was hanging up on something when I tried the first time, but recently tried again and am able to pull it forward from the bow. But, appears Skeeter uses 6a anyway, so may not bother with it tbh.