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My aunt has bought some DVR security cameras to install in her mobile home (Trailer). The house has NO attic, just a tin roof. The house does have a very easily accessible "crawlspace", which is essentially just the gap between the house and the ground because the house is on cinderblocks. The cameras are POE. There is one cable for each camera. There are 4 cameras. These are external mount cameras and are to be mounted OUTSIDE the house.

Questions:

  1. Would it be feasible to just drop the cables down and drill a hole into the floor, pull it out from under the house, then run it to the cameras?
  2. If that is how I should be doing this, how would I seal the hole on the floor to make sure ants or other bugs don't crawl in through there?
  3. If this is how I should do this, should I make 4 separate holes for each camera? Or one big hole for all 4 cameras? The reason I ask is, 4 separate holes will make the holes smaller and easier to seal, but that is just too many holes. One big hole might be cleaner as far as wiring goes, but harder to seal.
  4. Do I need to make sure I conduit the cables UNDER the house as well? Unlike a conventional crawlspace, this crawlspace is just a gaping maw under the house that can be easily accessed by raccoons and opossums, of which we have aplenty. Would they bite the cables?
  5. The only other option I have thought of is to run the cables in the crawlspace, but bring it up INTO the house and run it against the walls INSIDE, then drill into the wall to feed it into the cameras outside. Would this be a better option? The cables will be INSIDE, so no need for conduits (besides just in the crawlspace). It won't be pretty, but I am sure they can live with that. Thoughts on this?
Crazy Cucumber
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You're running CAT 5e/6 cable. They're not very big. Even making room for one pre-terminated cable to pass through a hole with 3 other cables in it (the smallest hole possible - smaller than trying to pass 4 plugs through all at once) it's not a very big hole at all.

I'd make one hole, drop each of the 4 cables through one at a time. Once they're through, I'd seal the the inside with duct seal (a putty similar to plumber's putty, designed for duct work, though) to fill all the gaps between the cables themselves as well as between the cables and the floor. Depending on the thickness of the floor and how much underfloor insulation there is, I'd put some sort of replacement insulation on the outside - spray foam would probably be fine, or you could use some fiberglass insulation if you've got some (though it would probably end up wet and that gets nasty - it may depend on how wet it is under the trailer in the rain & snow). Then, I'd screw up a layer of plywood to protect the insulation.

FreeMan
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Getting anything through a mobile home attic is darn near impossible. Go through the floor. One hole would be preferred. You will (or should) have to puncture the underside insulation which has a heavier outer shield than regular faced batt insulation. Seal up the hole in the floor with putty or expandable sealant and tape up the hole in the insulation. There is special tape for repairing that insulation that can be purchased at mobile home supply stores. Tack the cables up to the frame where you can so they don't lay on the ground. No need to put the cables in conduit. One of the most important issues is to keep the ground under the home clean of debris and dry. You should not have issues with insects or rodents or other creatures if there is nothing for them to eat or make a nest out of. They will go to the neighbor that doesn't take care of their property. Then as another job cover the perimeter to the ground with blocking, or blocks and wire fencing or lattice. There is even "mobile home skirting" if you want to go that route. Then you should be free from pests under the home.

RMDman
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