I'm thinking of installing a high-amp DC plug near my receiver hitch
#1
12-23-2018, 06:15 PM
I'm thinking of installing a high-amp DC plug near my receiver hitch
So I watched this video, where at 4:10 he shows an install of a twist lock plug for his VIAIR 450 on his fifth wheel, and had an idea that I'd like to install that same plug on my receiver hitch mount at the back of my truck.
I'm thinking I use upfitter switch 6, and run thick wire to the back of the truck.
I wanted to ask here if anyone knows how thick it needs to be in order to avoid too much loss for that long run. Using the calculator at this link all the losses look pretty negligible to me (and even 2 AWG is cheap (if not easy to work with). Is this as simple as finding the upfitter wire and running it to the back of the truck?
Any electricians who know what is the thinnest wire I can use (the pump draws 23A) that will be safe and deliver enough voltage?
Anything to look out for or any reason not to do this?
I'm thinking I use upfitter switch 6, and run thick wire to the back of the truck.
I wanted to ask here if anyone knows how thick it needs to be in order to avoid too much loss for that long run. Using the calculator at this link all the losses look pretty negligible to me (and even 2 AWG is cheap (if not easy to work with). Is this as simple as finding the upfitter wire and running it to the back of the truck?
Any electricians who know what is the thinnest wire I can use (the pump draws 23A) that will be safe and deliver enough voltage?
Anything to look out for or any reason not to do this?
#2
12-23-2018, 07:18 PM
More Turbo
There is no way around using the correct AWG or you risk a fire hazard.
I came up with a #6 awg.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/a...uge-d_730.html
Maybe someone that has wired something heavy duty like a wench, whoops meant winch, (lol) can chime in.
Because I am not familiar with amperage rating of the up fitter switches. Would strongly recommend using a separate switch rated for 25 or 30 amp along with a 30 amp fuse tied directly to the battery. Using the up fitters may introduce electrical anomalies when drawing high current and electronic components in the interior may be affected by it. I got this from a ham radio site about high current in modern vehicles.
But a 20 foot run looks reasonable running straight from battery to a 30 amp fuse then switch and then back towards the mounted plug.
If you look for a welding supply house you may be able to find the correct gauge and it will be very flexible.
Here is a #6 flexible welding cable.
https://weldingcable.us/FLEX-6-AWG-B...le-_p_126.html
The #6 handles 30 amps which a safety margin of not blowing a fuse and reduce voltage drop. It is a 23% margin for overloads. 23/30=0.76666
1.0-0.7666= 0.233333 or about 23% reserve capacity.
Anyways, hope this helps a tad.
I came up with a #6 awg.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/a...uge-d_730.html
Maybe someone that has wired something heavy duty like a wench, whoops meant winch, (lol) can chime in.
Because I am not familiar with amperage rating of the up fitter switches. Would strongly recommend using a separate switch rated for 25 or 30 amp along with a 30 amp fuse tied directly to the battery. Using the up fitters may introduce electrical anomalies when drawing high current and electronic components in the interior may be affected by it. I got this from a ham radio site about high current in modern vehicles.
But a 20 foot run looks reasonable running straight from battery to a 30 amp fuse then switch and then back towards the mounted plug.
If you look for a welding supply house you may be able to find the correct gauge and it will be very flexible.
Here is a #6 flexible welding cable.
https://weldingcable.us/FLEX-6-AWG-B...le-_p_126.html
The #6 handles 30 amps which a safety margin of not blowing a fuse and reduce voltage drop. It is a 23% margin for overloads. 23/30=0.76666
1.0-0.7666= 0.233333 or about 23% reserve capacity.
Anyways, hope this helps a tad.
#3
12-23-2018, 08:43 PM
If you are going to run a higher armp charge circuit to the very rear of the truck I would simply do a 100a one. Run #2 cooper (welding cable works great and is quite flexible). Come directly off one of the batteries and run the positive wire through a 100a manual reset marine circuit breaker (you can downrate the breaker further to protect the compressor at 40, 50, or 60 amp if you want). Then run the positive wire through a DC solenoid that is controled by the upfitter switch of your chosing. Select a contactor/solenoid rated for more than 100a. I used a 300a electric forklift contactor designed for continuous duty usage. From there run to the rear of the truck and terminate the cables with a Phillips 100a liftgate plug (female end). Then put a male end on your compressor.
I use a 100a circuit like this for charging my Lance camper as I go down the road.
#4
12-23-2018, 08:50 PM
If you are going to run a higher armp charge circuit to the very rear of the truck I would simply do a 100a one. Run #2 cooper (welding cable works great and is quite flexible). Come directly off one of the batteries and run the positive wire through a 100a manual reset marine circuit breaker (you can downrate the breaker further to protect the compressor at 40, 50, or 60 amp if you want). Then run the positive wire through a DC solenoid that is controled by the upfitter switch of your chosing. Select a contactor/solenoid rated for more than 100a. I used a 300a electric forklift contactor designed for continuous duty usage. From there run to the rear of the truck and terminate the cables with a Phillips 100a liftgate plug (female end). Then put a male end on your compressor.
I use a 100a circuit like this for charging my Lance camper as I go down the road.
I use a 100a circuit like this for charging my Lance camper as I go down the road.
Questions:
1. If I’m going off the battery does it matter which one?
2. Going off the battery— why even involve an up fitter switch?
3. Highest rated switches are 5&6 and they are only 40.
4. I’ve been wanting to get a lot of power to my trailer. What goes on the trailer side to accept up to 100a and play nice with the charging system?
thanks!
#5
12-23-2018, 09:03 PM
I like it!
Questions:
1. If I’m going off the battery does it matter which one?
2. Going off the battery— why even involve an up fitter switch?
3. Highest rated switches are 5&6 and they are only 40.
4. I’ve been wanting to get a lot of power to my trailer. What goes on the trailer side to accept up to 100a and play nice with the charging system?
thanks!
1) technically either battery is fine as they are connected together. I used the passenger side one.
2) only reason to use an upfitter is if you want to be able to manually control when the circuit is hot and when it is not. Otherwise just get power to the trigger wire for the solenoid/contactor from a circuit that is only hot when the engine is running. Otherwise you risk draining your truck batteries to the point that you wont be able to start the engine.
3) the trigger wire for the contactor/solenoid only needs 2-3 amps.
4) on the trailer side, install another female Phillips plug and then use a spiral cable to connect the truck and trailer. Here is a pic of mine (Tectron 100a and 15 feet long). You can leave the exisitng 7pin charge witing in place to the trailer. The two will work in parallel.
I have a truck camper so I mounted the Phillips plug in the front right side of the bed. I put a Ford OEM in-bed 7pin plug in the front left side of the bed. When I have the camper refer in DC mode and the camper battery is working, I see the truck pushing about 75 amps back to the camper.
#7
12-23-2018, 09:15 PM
You would want to go from the rear of the plug toward the trailer battery with both pos and neg #2 welding wire. Just before you reach the trailer battery, install another 100a manual reset marine circuit breaker. This protect the trailer battery in case of a short or other over amoerage condition. Connect the pos wire to the breaker and then a short jumper (2-4 feet) to the pos battery terminal on the trailer. Run the ground wire straight to the trailer batt neg terminal.
I used this type of breaker.
I used this type of breaker.
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#8
12-23-2018, 09:18 PM
#9
12-23-2018, 09:50 PM
no problem. This is what I used. Quality item. Trombetta?s Bear DC Contactor, With 225 Amps Continuous Duty and 300 Amps Intermittent Duty Current Carrying Capability, Provides an Economical Solution to High Current Switching Applications
The biggest challenge you will have is finding a place to mount the breaker and contactor under the hood of the truck. I ended up mounting both on the front lower side of the firewall on the passenger side of the truck. Both are basically behind the inner fender liner (I have a 2016 F350). If you are lying on the ground behind the passenger side front tire, look up at the space between the firewall and the back side of the inner fender liner. Thats where I mounted both items. I can reach up with a 6” flat blade screw driver and trip or reset the breaker if needed. I coukd not find anywhere to mount both items from the top side of the engine compartment.
#11
12-24-2018, 07:08 AM
Another option for the DC contactor. https://www.mechanicsurplus.com/prod...yABEgLt_PD_BwE
#13
12-24-2018, 07:57 AM
#14
12-24-2018, 08:06 AM
http://www.phillipsqwiktechtips.com/...ips_July16.pdf
Dual Pole - Liftgate Charging Cables - Electrical Assemblies
Straight - Dual Pole - Liftgate Charging Cables - Electrical Assemblies
I went with this one. http://www.tectran.com/catalog.asp?m...coil_dual_pole
Merry Christmas
#15
12-24-2018, 08:10 AM
Using the chassis as a return, a 10 gauge wire will be more than adequate to supply 30 amps to the back of the truck. An 8 gauge wire can supply 50 amps on a 30 foot run no problem (again, using the chassis for the return).
Keep in mind also that if you are feeding a battery from this connector, use should also have circuit protection on that end of the circuit as well.
I have a 100 amp in the bed of my truck (to run my RV fridge of the truck while driving). It required a 4 gauge wire for a 30 foot run, probably would have been fine with a 6 gauge since the actual length of the run was only 24 feet including the 2 foot run from the connector (an SB 50 Anderson plug) to the frame of the truck.
The best connector to use is an Anderson Power Products connector. The small SB 50 can handle 120 amps (50 amps hot swapping).
As stated above, welding cable is the best wire to use.