Heavy gauge charge wire to trailer - advice?

I am getting ready tun a heavy gauge charge wire from the battery of my 2015 DC SB OR back to the battery of my travel trailer. I'm planning to NOT run the wire(s) through the 7-pin trailer connector, but instead through an Anderson connector mounted alongside it.

8 gauge wire coming off the positive battery post, through a 60 amp bolt-down MIDI fuse, then through a continuous duty 150 amp isolation solenoid. Anderson disconnect at truck's rear bumper, through the trailer's frame to the battery at the rear of the trailer. Another 60 amp MIDI fuse at that end. About a 30 foot run altogether.

Two questions:

Where can I pick up switched 12v positive (without using an add-a-circuit fuse tap) to trigger the isolation relay? Other vehicles that I've had in the past had a post at, or near, the fuse block that would work. I've poked around, but not finding anything like this on the Taco? Or, up under the dash, by chance?

I am planning to run this whole circuit with 8 gauge marine duplex wire, hot and ground. Any pros or cons to doing it this way instead of using the truck/trailer frames as the path to ground? It would only save about $20 to run a single 8ga primary wire for the hot side, and tie the ground wire to the frame(s) at both ends.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

If you are really against an add a fuse tap then you could start with a ring terminal and attach it to the battery clamp, i personally have no problem with add a fuse if you only do one or two and put the right fuse in the right place. For your ground wire question i personally would just let the frame be ground, theres no negitive effect of running a ground wire other then its another wire you have to install and that could over time have a open/short/other problem, the saying "ground is ground is ground" is a saying for a reason and thus i use the frame as ground.

 

I wouldn't install an 8 gauge wire on 60 amp fuse. You need to go with #6 cu depending on temp rating of wire insulation.

 

You may be able to reach up under the dash and find the trailer brake controller pigtail if you have the tow package.

It has a ign hot source, and a brake pedal applied hot source

 

You can use the frame of the truck to a wired connection in the area of the hitch.

Remember to run a new ground wire to the frame from the battery at the front it works much better for a good ground at the rear of the vehicle .

I ran into to many problems keeping a good ground through the hitch over the years

 

You're right about that, I misread the chart. 30 or 40 amp fuses would be much better and plenty big enough.

 

How’d you make out with your wiring? I’m doing the same thing to keep my dump trailer battery charged. 25’ run, Anderson powerole connectors, 4ga wire, 50a CB and a 100a solonoid instead of an Isolator to connect the batteries.

 

Worked out fine so far, as far as I know. Have only taken a few trips with the camper since I completed the project. Definitely arrive at destination with battery fully charged. The real test will be trying to run the fridge on DC while driving, which I haven’t done yet.

I’m eventually thinking of putting in a Redarc DC to DC charger which will definitely bump the voltage/amps up high enough to run the fridge

 

Here are a couple pics of what I did. They show the bracket that I made to hold the SB50 connector. It bolts to the hitch crossmember next to the 7-way. The 8 gauge wire runs parallel (but separate) to the trailer's factory charge wire, all the way back to the battery compartment, where you can see the fuse and the SB50 that serves as a battery disconnect

 

I posted this in another thread but here’s my set-up, basically the same as he OP.... 4ga wire, both +and- from trailer to truck, continuous duty solonoid activated by an ignition powered circuit and switch in cab. I have a 50a self resetting CB at the trailer end and a fuse at the truck end. When I run the dump trailer it pops the CB after 10-15 seconds but once done it resets itself. I’ve been dumping lots lately with no flat battery like previously. I figured I may have to put in a proper Dc-dc charger and likely should to properly charge the battery but it’s working fine for now