Show off your aux fuse panels.

man I love this

 

After trying to figure out the answer for majority of the night, I’m just going to ask- what is the difference between 187 series and 285 series breakers?
The switch is manual flip to turn off/on on 187.
The switch to turn off 285 is the red push button and press lever up for on.
The rubber caps on 285
Different mounting holes.

is there a reason to use one over the other?

I’ll have a follow up post/question’s regarding my current work in progress on my setup in the bed for my frig and misc. when I can take some pictures to better help explain. Thanks

 

187 series is more "heavy duty" than the 285 series. Larger studs. Whether you actually need that or not is up to you. I'm using 285 series in my current panel and they work fine.

 

Alright, I appreciate that. 285 will be fine then

 

Here's another one, this one for the 96 Tacoma. Mounting plate by @paranoid56

 

OK, question for all of you wiring ninjas. I am in the process of finishing my Bussman RMTR build out and I've come to a spot in the build where I'd love some opinions. I want to configure the circuits for my existing accessories to be ignition switched but that may not be the case for future accessories that I may want to add. So, I'm struggling with two different build options:

1. I add a 80A relay to the main 12V power (after the breaker) to the fuse block and connect that relay to a switched ignition source from the main fuse panel in the engine compartment. That will effectively make the entire fuse block switched so any future circuits I engage will also be switched. But, it does mean that the fuse block will have no power when the ignition is off (safer?).
2. I power each individual dashboard switch with an ignition switched or constant power 12V source to allow me to choose which switches are effectively able to send a signal to the attached relay when the ignition is on/off. I assume that this configuration will mean that the fuse block will have constant power even when the ignition is off.

Any advantages or best practices to decide which of these methods is best? Any suggestions/opinions are welcome.

Thanks in advance!

 

My Bussman is always hot which is no different from the main fuse box. In addition I have a 40A fuse feeding a 10awg wire that goes to a fuse panel under the center console as an in-cab always hot source for switches and the 12v power ports I converted to always hot. The former ignition hot port supply I repurposed as an ignition hot source to a fuse panel for switch power. With mechanical relays triggered by mechanical switches there is no leakage current to worry about so for me it was more about deciding when I’d be using a particular accessory in order to decide how to power it or any associated switches.

 

@bagelboy, what you described is where I'm leaning. My major concern was parasitic draw but that doesn't seem to be an issue. I also LOVE your idea of always hot power in the cab...I may need to build that into my plan.

Thanks for the info!

 

On my truck there’s a grommet under the driver's seat just inside the frame rail. I used that to bring the heavier wire from the engine bay into the cab. The exterior accessory dash switches still go to the Bussman through the firewall grommet. Actually I ran 4-#10’s underneath, 1 for the fuse panel, 1 to a ground buss, 1 serves a pressure switch since my OBA manifold is also under the console, and a spare for possibly 110v rectifier.
Instead of one panel for always hot and another for ignition hot I took an 8-way fuse panel and split the buss so I have 4 fuse slots for each. Most accessories are still ignition hot due to switch control even if relay power is always hot. The exception is the power port which I relocated and made always hot. I cut out the part of the dash with 4 small switches & 2 ports and made a new panel for 7 small switch slots:
2 seat heater switches
2 camera switches
Aux/USB input(stock port)
12v meter/dual USB charger(ignition hot)
1 spare
The relocated always hot 12v port faces the passenger footwell and mostly charges my phone that mounts under the center right dash vent.

 

Finally finished my install:

I also have a OE bracket, Bluesea 6 circuit panel and some other parts for sale that I couldn't seem to post in the Buy/Sell area. PM me and I'll share more details.

 

Nice setup. What gauge/thickness is the stainless bracket and doesn't it have any flex without the extra support down to the wheel well?

 

@Foushee , I used a Pelfreybuilt bracket from Bay Area Fabrication (currently on sale for $20: https://www.bayareametalfab.com/Pelfreybilt-Bussman-Mounted-Plate-AUTO-Trans_p_133.html). It's pretty thick, around 1/8" aluminum, so it's pretty sturdy as long as you torque the mounting bolts appropriately. There is also some additional rigidity crated by the wire harnesses once they're connected.

As a side note, the way the panel is fabricated, it's a HUGE pain to thread & tighten the bolts. It took me about 30 min. with a ratcheting spanner to mount & torque the panel, one click at time.

 

Thanks for the info and the link to their bracket. Your final install looks great, and I really like the way you mounted the plugs facing the battery.

I'm still working on the fabrication of mine given the different components I'm using, and that's about the thickness of the sheet I'm using so your experience helps put my mind at ease about adding an extra support or not. And I can relate to the mounting difficulty when the bolts are on the bottom. My early 3D printed test pieces were a pain to bolt in place with the components installed.

 

You can also drop a leg down to the screw that anchors the stock fuse panel on that side. Install the leg first with a rivnut at the top to attach the upper end to the panel.

 

You got it. One note, I did a bunch of research on which connectors to use and landed on Deutsch products due to their compact size, weather sealing & availability of mounting brackets. The grey ones are wired to the constant circuits with DT series connectors (rated @ 13A I believe). I also used a 6pin DT connector to run the switch harness to the cab.

The red ones, are DTP series which are rated at 25A. I used those for the relay'd circuits since they'd likely be running higher current accessories. I got them all at 'BuyDeutsch.com'. If you go that route be sure to order all the parts you'll need (male plug, female receptacle, plug wedgelock, receptacle wedgelock, male + female pins). Ask me how I know...

 

Here’s another source for many of the different brands of connectors.
https://www.customconnectorkits.com/product-listing/all-hdp20-connectors

 

That's an awesome resource @bagleboy ...thanks for sharing! Kit's are definitely the way to go!

 

This is great, thanks for sharing! I have the same Pelfreyjunk panel and been considering switching to DTP connectors but couldn't figure out how to do it, but your idea is very clean and I may borrow it lol.

I agree the Pelfrey tray sucks to fasten on the fender. I bought a 2nd panel with the intention of hacking off the mount side to make a shelf that monts to the fender, and then cutting the original tray to just be the top panel. Would fasten from top down using some rivnuts, similar to that tray a few pages back (sorry can't link right now on mobile, idea is a two part tray/mount).

Appreciate all the ideas here, this thread is always a gold mine.

 

@wi_taco , I totally agree. After struggling with that install, now I have 'did I tighten all my wire connections' anxiety cuz I might lose it if I have to remove & reinstall that bracket again. I was thinking about a hinged version but your idea is so much simpler . I may have to steal it!

 

Cheers but I can't take credit - look back a page to the post by @d0ugh0ck , basically borrowing that idea by canibalizing two Pelfrey trays.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/show-off-your-aux-fuse-panels.308677/page-91#post-29515242