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12v charge wire

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Old May 16, 2021 | 08:01 PM
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12v charge wire

Not having the full factory towing package and not being able to locate the factory wiring I had to run a 12v trailer charge wire from scratch.

i used 10awg wire from the battery post to the plug in the back through a 20amp breaker.

there is no relay to turn the wire on/off. Just the breaker to protect the wire.


any problems with running direct to the battery in this manner? I’ve seen a few trucks wired this way in the past and have never seen an issue, but I thought I’d ask.

i really wanted to tap into the factory circuit, as all the fuses and relays are there, but it’s location is not easy to find.
 
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Old May 16, 2021 | 08:14 PM
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What vehicle is this? There is no issue the way you did it but there is nothing to stop the trailer from killing your starting battery. A switched relay would have solved this.
 
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Old May 16, 2021 | 08:39 PM
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It’s the 2014 expedition.

i agree a relay would be best, but I’m short on time and locating wires on this thing has been a nightmare.

I think long term I will look for a better solution, but for now if it doesn’t represent any inherent problems, I’m going to run with it.

If I have any kind of load in the camper I will unhook the plug to be safe.
 
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Old May 16, 2021 | 09:05 PM
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No problem with doing that but like @ford390gashog said it could kill your starting batteries, especially if you are in a parking lot for a few hours and something in the trailer kicks on. Also without a timed relay you could also pull from the trailer while starting and the breaker may not catch the jump in Amp's fast enough to protect that wire and connector.
 
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