Aux Switch, 12V DC2DC and 110V Inverter Install

[haleme]

I finally got around to finishing up the Aux Switch install on my 2500 this week.

My plan for the Aux switches was to use #1 and #2 to switch on power for a DC2DC charger on my travel trailer and an inverter to run a 110V outlet in the bed. Switches #3 and #4 are for rear spot and rear fog lights respectively.


I custom built a wiring harness to send the power to the rear.
Invert is 500 watts (41 amps max) and used 6 AWG wiring. It is wild that the inverter came with 10 AWG direct to battery cables.
DC 2 DC charger is 20 amps and uses 8 AWG wiring.
2 runs of 14 AWG for the rear lights.

I have two big 120 amp relays for the two power points. These relays are controlled by the aux switch relays in the black box to the right.



Everything goes through a 70 AMP fuse mounted on the existing fuse box.


And the wiring from the rear to the front
Started with a harness I made to take power from the relays in the engine compartment to the rear of the truck.

The TRAC connector for the DC2DC charger mounted in the rear bumper.

The wiring harness followed the factory wiring along the frame to the engine bay.


Used an existing hole in the internal bed frame to ground everything out.

I stubbed out the 12V positive for the inverted I will install in a future post.


Finally the rear spot and fog lights are incorporated into an OPT7 60" tailgate light bar. Attached with Neodymium Bar Magnets.



It felt like a lot of work for very little to show, but I know it will be worth the time come our next camping trip.

 

[GTyankee]

Nice clean job with running the wiring

 

[haleme]

Got to complete and test the DC2DC charger this evening. Long story short, it works perfectly!

Need to wrap the cables, but that is a tomorrow job


The DC2DC charger is the blue black box on the bottom right. The box on the back wall with all the wiring has a remote switch I can use to turn the charger on and off from the cab. Going to get this remote synced up to the Home Link button.


And the success, 20 amps from the charger and 5ish amps from the 7 pin connector.

 

[haleme]

Finally got around to install the inverter in the bed of the truck this week. I'm using a Cobra 500 watt unit inside a sealed box mounted behind the left tire.

From the bottom.

And the control unit and 110V outlet in the bed.

It works!

 

[tnctx02]

Awesome write up! Lots of good information and really nice job!
I plan some of these myself and I will use your post as a guide!
Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

[Wild one]

Awesome write up! Lots of good information and really nice job!
I plan some of these myself and I will use your post as a guide!
Thanks for taking the time to do this!

Garden Hose makes a great hose covering,a little better then the convulated covering the OP used.A long piece of wire makes a great fish tape to pull your wiring through the garden hose.

 

[MonkeyoneRambo2]

Wow, glad I stumbled onto this thread, want to do something similar (though prolly not ready to go this big). I have multiple trucks so want to build a portable unit containing Lithium batteries. DC/DC charger and Inverter that I can use in each truck. My first goal is to install the Anderson plugs in the truck. Do you think its realistic to have multiple plug outlets? For example, one in the truck bed if I have portable unit there, one in the rear cab in case I want to have it insider the truck, and lastly maybe one out the back to use for a trailer? Would I need to run 3 wires to the battery or can I run splitters?

 

[Badger 13]

A man after my own heart with the clean wiring job.

 

[haleme]

Wow, glad I stumbled onto this thread, want to do something similar (though prolly not ready to go this big). I have multiple trucks so want to build a portable unit containing Lithium batteries. DC/DC charger and Inverter that I can use in each truck. My first goal is to install the Anderson plugs in the truck. Do you think its realistic to have multiple plug outlets? For example, one in the truck bed if I have portable unit there, one in the rear cab in case I want to have it insider the truck, and lastly maybe one out the back to use for a trailer? Would I need to run 3 wires to the battery or can I run splitters?

If you did multiples at the same time, I would make sure your alternator could handle the load. The other consideration with splitters is the wiring gauge of the main trunk back to the battery and the connectors themselves. Depending on your power requirements and distance from the vehicle battery, you could be getting into some pretty beefy wires. I'm only running a 20 AMP DC-DC charger, but if you were running multiples with a splitter, you would might need 4 or 2 AWG wiring and that starts to get really pricey.

Personally, I'd go with one connector unless you are charging multiple units at the same time. Keep the first iteration simple, but able to expand and see how happy you are with it.

 

[haleme]

A man after my own heart with the clean wiring job.

Thanks. I guess it is better than a garden hose.

 

[Wild one]

Thanks. I guess it is better than a garden hose.

Not even close,in 5 years your convoluted covering is going to be full of dirt/dust etc,and will be brittle as hell. Garden hose will outlive cheap convoluted covering,and will also stay clean inside,especially if you use shrink tubing on the ends to seal it off.
The only way to get any life out of convoluted tubing when run under a chassis,is to completely wrap it with a cloth style tape,like the factory uses,in a pinch hockey tape works good