179 Slide Out Wiring Behind Panel

Just wondering if any other 179 owners can help with a relatively minor but nagging issue I have with the wiring under the refrigerator in the slide out.

We just got our 179 earlier this year and I’m doing just  a bit of work on it before we head out for an extended trip to the northeast. We’ve had the trailer out a couple times this year and my wife noticed wires sticking out from behind the panel under the refrigerator in the slide out.

I removed the panel and found the rats nest of wires leading from the slide out to the left hassock. I figured I could clean the wires up and improved the situation by (1) getting rid of as much slack as possible and (2) bundling the wires into flexible cable sheaths.

I pulled the excess to the hassock and sheathed the wires and tried the panel. Two issues: (1) the wires don’t collect on their own into the available hidden area for the wires and (2) the cables, though somewhat hidden, are bulky and put a fair amount of stress on the panel when the slide is open.

 I’m thinking of a couple options: (1) Removing the panel every time we setup and tucking the wires up on the ledge; still a nuisance and I have a concern that eventually the panel will get “sloppy”, (2) Add about a one inch spacer behind the panel to create some space for the cables to fit.

I’m wondering if any other 179 owners have found this an issue and come up with a solution.

BTW, I just did two other mods. First, I added a wire shelf unit to the closet; this was a solution I found looking over mods here on the site. The shelf unit fits like a glove. Second mod was to box and add a false cover over the utilities in the left hassock to provide extra storage. The space looks like it will be perfect for towels. The right hassock is already been purposed as a “hamper” and storage area for laundry items.