Replacing wiring from truck to camper

[fatmab]

I have a few questions for those of you that have upgraded the wiring from truck to camper.

What gauge cable did you use?

Fuses?

What type of connector(s) did you use?

For the ground, is it necessary to run a long length back to engine compartment or is a shorter run to a chassis ground ok?

Thanks a bunch,
Matt

 

[PaulT]

YMMV but copper wire has lower resistance & less voltage drop than steel frame members. If you connect ground to a wire near the end of the truck, be sure that you know the size of the wire back to the battery because that affects the voltage drop. In other words do the work to understand the return path of the camper charging current if you do not run a separate wire.

Paul

 

[fatmab]

YMMV but copper wire has lower resistance & less voltage drop than steel frame members. If you connect ground to a wire near the end of the truck, be sure that you know the size of the wire back to the battery because that affects the voltage drop. In other words do the work to understand the return path of the camper charging current if you do not run a separate wire.

Paul

So, are you saying that a direct run to the neg battery terminal is the best option?

 

[ntsqd]

Pos to pos, neg to neg. is what I did in Anchor 6 ga. duplex wire from West Marine. Not the least expensive option, but I'm pretty sure I'll never need to replace it. I used 80A breakers at both ends of the positive cable. I used an Anderson SB120 connector with the truck side bolted to the bed wall.

 

[fatmab]

Pos to pos, neg to neg. is what I did in Anchor 6 ga. duplex wire from West Marine. Not the least expensive option, but I'm pretty sure I'll never need to replace it. I used 80A breakers at both ends of the positive cable. I used an Anderson SB120 connector with the truck side bolted to the bed wall.

Did you use the environmental boots on the anderson plugs for when the camper is not on the truck or do you not find it necessary?
http://www.andersonpower.com/us/en/products/sb-sb-boots/sb-boots.aspx

 

[Squatch]

I just bought the parts to do this for my "Moon Truck" project. Wire is 6 gauge duplex marine wiring.
http://www.bestboatwire.com/6-2-awg-marine-grade-wire-tinned-boat-cable-flat-blk-red-by-the-ft

This will be run on the frame inside of black split wire loom. The Camper already has a circuit breaker near the Isolator. I'll add another and a marine battery switch under the hood on the Positive wire. All wiring will be home run battery to isolator. I don't believe in frame grounds. I have a couple of option for the bed connection. I did buy aderson power poles with boots for this. But I also have this Cole Hersey commercial connector I may use.

 

[ntsqd]

Did you use the environmental boots on the anderson plugs for when the camper is not on the truck or do you not find it necessary?
http://www.andersonpower.com/us/en/products/sb-sb-boots/sb-boots.aspx

I *think* I used some thin adhesive lined heat-shrink to bridge from the wire's insulation to the contact barrels. If it's not there (not a lot of room in there) I at least tried to.

The camper has only been part-way off once since we got it and the connector is oriented with the wires top and bottom so that it drains any water that might get in there. I've not felt the need for any of the various seals offered.

The breakers that I chose are manual reset with a test button and I uses those buttons to make the breakers work as disconnects.

 

[fatmab]

Thanks for the replies

I'm going to try and get this done in the next couple of weeks...

 

[Ronanmd1]

Hey guys - another quick question. When I upgraded the wires from my truck to camper to 4 gauge, I left the original FWC 30 amp breakers in place. I also have a Trimetric solar charger and monitor system installed. The trimetric system is wired with a 30 amp manual reset circuit breaker in place (presumably to protect the solar wiring set up).

If I replace the two factory FWC breakers in my truck to camper system with 50 or 80 amp breakers, will there be any risk of that current getting into the solar wiring system or would those systems be completely separate? It looks like the wires from the truck run to the Surefire then directly to the battery (through the FWC 30 amp breaker).

Thanks,

Jason

 

[ntsqd]

How much current can the Surefire handle?

 

[Ronanmd1]

Thom - 100 Amps

 

[ntsqd]

Good, it can handle most any load or charge running thru it. Tracing the camper battery's positive wire backwards from the battery which comes first, the circuit breaker or the Surefire?

If the Surefire is first, reroute the wiring so that the breaker comes first. Bring all loads and charging sources to the breaker's non-battery terminal. Only exception would be if you want or have the solar system on it's own breaker or fuse. Then it can connect direct to the battery or the breaker's battery terminal. I try to keep the number of connections at the battery terminals to a minimum and use an appropriate gauge wire from the battery to some distribution point like the studs on a breaker. I just think its tidier to do it that way.

 

[Ronanmd1]

Tracing back from the camper battery - it goes breaker then Surefire. The solar solar system looks like it is on its own wiring, with a 30 amp manual reset fuse between the charge controller and the battery terminal.

Jason

 

[fatmab]

I *think* I used some thin adhesive lined heat-shrink to bridge from the wire's insulation to the contact barrels. If it's not there (not a lot of room in there) I at least tried to.

The camper has only been part-way off once since we got it and the connector is oriented with the wires top and bottom so that it drains any water that might get in there. I've not felt the need for any of the various seals offered.

The breakers that I chose are manual reset with a test button and I uses those buttons to make the breakers work as disconnects.

Just curious, do you or anybody else know why it's recommended to put a breaker at both ends of the +? I bought 2 but it seems like a single breaker would do the trick...

 

[rando]

Just curious, do you or anybody else know why it's recommended to put a breaker at both ends of the +? I bought 2 but it seems like a single breaker would do the trick...

Because you have a battery at both ends of the wire, either (or both) of which could provide current to the wires in the case of a short.

 

[Squatch]

My intention is a switchable breaker at each end close to the batteries. being able to turn off the circuit with disconnecting battery cables is great for many reasons. A fuse on each solar lead into the controller. All loads in the camper go through the fuse box. Circuit protection is your friend!

A shorted battery cable can be an amazing thing to behold. Think ARC welder! Our campers work at pretty low amp levels. But the batteries have the potential for high amperage. If a battery cable got nicked and shorted to the frame it wouldn't be pretty. You can stick weld with a couple of batteries and some jumper cables.

Just my .02. Most folks are afraid of and hate electrical stuff. Especially when it's not working right. Never cheap out on your electrical work. Use good components and install them properly. Insulate anything that can touch or be touched. Liquid electrical tape is great stuff. You'll be glad over the long haul. Reliability and safety on the road and off the beaten path are wonderful things.

 

[wuck]

I have a 40 or 50 amp fuse on my battery, everything runs through it so no second breaker/fuse on my truck charge line. A second breaker would be redundant, add more connections/resistance, and another thing to go wrong.

 

[Squatch]

My camper will not be on full time. Fair length of cable underneath the truck and camper from both batteries to the connector. It's semi exposed to the elements and road debris. I want to be able to disconnect the cabling when the truck is on the road but not carrying the camper. This way both electrical systems are protected. when together or separate.

 

[wuck]

Don't take my response wrong squatch, fuses are necessary! My truck charge line is protected at the truck battery with the standard 30 amp breaker, but not at the separator end because the camper battery is fused within a few inches of it. All loads/sources connect to that fuse, nothing is left unprotected camper on or off.

A disconnect at each end is nice, probably unnecessary, but if it makes your day go for it!!

 

[Squatch]

Not at all. I was just explaining to make clearer. Your set up is really not that different. Just different parts. In my shell the 30 amp breaker is inside the camper next to the separator. So there would be no protection on the truck part to battery. I'm starting from scratch on the truck wiring so going whole hog. Then hopefully I can forget about it for a long time.