Inline fuse holder for Truck to house battery

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

I wondered if there is collective wisdom on this inline fuse holder for the 4 ga I will route from truck to house battery separator.



Tsunami FBW701-AGU 4 / 8 AWG Boat AGU Fuse Holder

DavidGraves

 

[BILL98388]

David:

I used one of these, requires terminals on the wire ends and more expensive...works well.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/blue-sea-systems--terminal-fuse-blocks--P009_273_004_507?recordNum=19

Bill

 

[craig333]

Haven't seen that before but it should work fine. Non standard fuses so be sure to have a few spares.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hi Craig

It is funny that you say they are non standard fuses.... They are the only style auto fuse I was familiar with in my youth.....
certainly a good idea to carry extras....they come in several amp ratings....going with 30 amp in my case.

DavidGraves

 

[ntsqd]

Looks to me like it is made for stereo installs. Which in my mind makes its quality suspect as parts made for that tend to be more flash than substance.

Don't forget that you need a fuse or breaker at both ends of the connection between the truck and the camper.

 

[kmcintyre]

David,

​I used these; one in the engine compartment, one near the camper battery.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-MAXI-Block/dp/B000THTBZO

They take these giant fuses so pick some of those up. When I first re-wired my truck to camper and used wire similar to you, I put 20A fuses in it. I couldn't figure out why by camper battery wasn't charged. Blew it pretty quickly. I think I'm running 30A now and no issues.

Kevin

 

[BILL98388]

I had tried a similar one like the Ebay tsunami model on a travel trailer battery set-up, I didn't like it. The one I had took fuses are larger in diameter and length than the glass tube automotive type common in cars prior to 1981 and they were more expensive too (type AGU I believe).

I like the one Kevin pointed out, that is what I would use next time.

Bill

 

[Beach]

I used a breaker on my install. Easy to reset, even in the dark, no spare fuse to carry. Plus you can use it as a switch to shut down the circuit. https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/14/29/Circuit_Breakers/A-Series?Actuator_Style=Toggle

 

[craig333]

Hi Craig

It is funny that you say they are non standard fuses.... They are the only style auto fuse I was familiar with in my youth.....
certainly a good idea to carry extras....they come in several amp ratings....going with 30 amp in my case.

DavidGraves

I made an assumption they are larger than standard automotive fuses. I could be wrong. I was once

 

[DavidGraves]

Craig

Yup...they are BIG versions of the typical auto fuse.

I was pleased to have all the imput .

I live pretty rural so it is hard to just drop in and shop.

We have auto parts stores but they have lesser inventory than in the big cities.

DavidGraves

 

[Vic Harder]

I used two of these - https://www.westmarine.com/buy/blue-sea-systems--285-series-thermal-circuit-breakers-surface-mount--P011975596

30 amp may not be enough, given that your alternator may try to push more than that through the wires.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hey Vic

I am almost afraid to hear the answer but what is to be expected with my truck having a lead acid battery and my camper having an AGM ?

DavidGraves

 

[kmcintyre]

Hey Vic

I am almost afraid to hear the answer but what is to be expected with my truck having a lead acid battery and my camper having an AGM ?

DavidGraves

David,

I suspect that most people have that situation because not many people change out their truck battery and the AGM really is for a different "use model" than your typical battery.

 

[BFH4N]

Standard ANL fuses work well for this. You can buy inexpensive holders for them from lots of sources on Ebay, or from Amazon. Get the kind with setscrew connections so you don't have to install lugs on the wires. The fuses are readily available in sizes 50 Amps and up.

- Bernard

 

[ntsqd]

I used two of the same breakers that Vic linked. I chose 80 amp versions because Ii have more than just the camper on the circuit. The On-Board Air runs off of it as well as a couple planned future mods.

 

[Vic Harder]

Hey Vic

I am almost afraid to hear the answer but what is to be expected with my truck having a lead acid battery and my camper having an AGM ?

DavidGraves

What to expect? Somewhat less than perfection. And we can't get that anyway, at least not without spending more $$.

Seriously, just optimize the system for your camper batteries. In my case, those are worth many more $ than the truck starting battery.
Besides, it is unlikely that the alternator is really optimized for whatever battery you have in your camper, never mind in the truck!