[patrol28]

Ok guys time for your opinions. I'm in the process of setting up my aux battery in the cargo area, I have the battery box mounted and the battery ready to go but just wanna know where I should run the wiring from the start battery back to the aux.

1. Should I run it through the firewall and inside the cabin to the back cargo area, or

2. Should I run it down the chassis rail to the back of the vehicle and enter the cabin at one of those plugs in the floor somewhere?

Any other advice greatly appreciated also.

 

[mikegq]

personally i prefere to run through a rubber gromit in the fire wall and threw the cabin, that way the live wire isnt prone to stone chips and moving parts
good luck

 

[geordie4x4]

Inside.

If you have an auto. Do you still have the metal plate where the clutch would be in a manual. I found that is an ideal place to run wires. I fitted a big rubber flange cover (from hardware shop called a Decktite for house roof vent pipes) so I can add as many new wires as needed without having to cut into a factory rubber boot and have leaking problems.

 

[jimako]

I would probably run it down the chassis rail , plenty of space down there to keep the cable safe, more of a direct route and you dont need to cram such a thick cable through firewall under the dash and under the trimmings to the back of the car, and much easier to run a thicker cable.

Theres many other cables and hoses underneath the car that are also prone to stones and what not.
If your worried you could run it through a piece of flexible conduite, and it will obviously be fused.

Just my personal opinion.

 

[NOZ69R]

I've run mine down the chassis with the positive through some Garden Hose for extra protection. Just found it easier.

Cheers

 

[patrol28]

Hhhmmmm 2 for cabin and 2 for chassis rail, your not making this easy guys.

 

[jeffs5]

Hhhmmmm 2 for cabin and 2 for chassis rail, your not making this easy guys.

In the roof gutter LOL. Either way sounds good as long as its got conduit around it! Chassis rail probably easier!

 

[Graham99]

Hi there,

I ran inside the cabin, took the foot guard plastic pieces out, the hardest bit was getting all the way to the back. I ran two sets of lines in one go and then closed everything back up. I now have a panel in the LH side panel slot, and a 6 way fuse box under the rear seat at the moment, which will end up on the cargo barrier.

 

[jimako]

The time it would take you to remove all the plastic trim parts where you need to get the cable through + cursing, and then put them all back on could be used for drinking beer.

So time saved by using the chassies method = Drinking Beer

 

[Almost Dun]

If done along the chassi , where abouts do you get into the cargo area ??

 

[DannyG]

If done along the chassi , where abouts do you get into the cargo area ??

There is a hole that goes into the little panel area on the left hand side.

I ran my 6 and 8 b&s cable along the chassis for my anderson plugs.

 

[Heddgehog]

What size cable you running? 8mm twin is easy to run in the cabin. mmmm, but jimako has a point...

 

[NOZ69R]

What size cable you running? 8mm twin is easy to run in the cabin. mmmm, but jimako has a point...

I used 8 Gauge OFC High Current Power Cable from Jaycar $3.30/m for both "+" & "-" and have no voltage drop from battery to rear of car.

Cheers

 

[jeffs5]

Ok guys time for your opinions. I'm in the process of setting up my aux battery in the cargo area, I have the battery box mounted and the battery ready to go but just wanna know where I should run the wiring from the start battery back to the aux.

1. Should I run it through the firewall and inside the cabin to the back cargo area, or

2. Should I run it down the chassis rail to the back of the vehicle and enter the cabin at one of those plugs in the floor somewhere?

Any other advice greatly appreciated also.

For the long run Id'e be using At-least 4B&S Cable to rule out voltage drop! Done mine again in 0B&S (batt. Cable)

 

[patrol28]

What size cable you running? 8mm twin is easy to run in the cabin. mmmm, but jimako has a point...

Not sure yet, I was under the impression that 8mm was too small though, its a 120 a/hr agm ill be running. I was considering 10 mm or 6 b+s as I don't expect to be starting of it.

 

[Heddgehog]

IMHO it seems like a bit of overkill for a second battery patrol28. 6mm ( wire size) twin handles 100amps which is more than what the alternator can supply while it is charging and running everything else.
I look at the size of the wire that runs from the alternator to the battery, anything bigger to me is a waste of time.

Each to their own :wink:

 

[Squalo]

6mm is enough but there's no harm in going bigger if you wish.

I ran mine along the chassis because I wanted to go to Fraser and there were heaps of other things to do that soaked up all the free time I had... you can easily get it up out of the way and cover it with the corrugated tubing. However I do plan to run it inside the car when I get around to it, simply because I expect to have my car in ten years so might as well look after all of it.

When I do I plan to run dual 6mm cables to the rear... one dedicated to the fridge plug, the other to the 300w inverter and additional sockets for lighting etc. I'd been told that fridges were fairly sensitive to voltage drop and I experienced it while on Fraser, so the fridge gets its own wiring.

 

[DannyG]

I would be using 8 B&S wire (7.92mm2) over a 5 metre run otherwise you will get voltage drop.

I know some heavy duty twin core cable from your local electronics shop will be rated to handle the amps but its to do with voltage drop over a long run of cable.

Check out some of these diagrams. And If in doubt as to how to do it properly give the gentleman on that website a ring. I have delt with him in the past and he knows his stuff. My dual battery/caravan/fridge etc etc setup is how Traxide suggested it should be and it all works perfect.

SC80PCWK_Info

 

[patrol28]

Ok so where getting a few conflicting stories here regarding wire size. I already have a length of 8mm (which is 8 b+s as I understand it) that is long enough to go from front to rear of vehicle, it was part of my old dual battery setup before I went with the duramax and it was used to go from the aux battery in the engine bay to the back of the vehicle with an anderson plug to charge the camper. I no longer need to charge the camper battery cause I have a generator and 25 amp charger and hardly use the camper battery anyway.

Now I wasn't going to use this because I was told it is too small for that long of run, it will charge it but will take a lot longer was said. So what do I do? It's one of those things that I want done properly you know I don't want the car burning to the ground cause I used small wire (is that an issue?) I really don't have any idea.

Thanks for all your input guys keep it coming.

 

[jimako]

You cant go wrong if you use the thicker cable, and no need to run it twice, ie one for the fridge and one for the other stuff. Just run one thick cable once and it will be enough to run whatever you want without any chance of voltage drop.