Long Travel BS Thread

dude what size/purpose is that wire(s)?

 

4/0. Main run from 270 amp alt to battery. It was for when the truck had a winch.

 

damn whered you relo your battery to?
I've been trying to brainstorm on installing a deep cycle LiFePo4 or AGM battery under the bed and some LI lightweight high output in or near the OE location specifically to avoid long runs of massive wire, but it doesn't seem like a very common setup.

 

I’m behind my 3rd seat. It’s a 15’ run said and done. Which technically does call for 4/0 for 270 amps regardless.

Even though it will likely never pull the full 270, the potential does exist.

No matter what, power and ground cables should always be overkilled to some extent. You will even notice by doing a “big 3” upgrade that your truck starts and runs cleaner.

 

So many people are running undersized electrical wiring. When you do the math and actually factor in distance from the alternator/battery, it's rare that a winch would ever run what's sent out by the manufacturer. I had to run 4/0 to my 13k rear winch. Heavy and expensive stuff, but worth it to not burn down your truck.

Coiled up when I was sorting some out some routing


It, next to what comes with most winches.

 

not attacking your solution at all, just conversationally since I'm laying out my own electrical in my 1g... in this scenario why not just run a rear battery too? a 100a breaker and smaller wire to charge the "local" power hub, allows you to run smaller wire in a shorter run to the rear winch and would be similar cost and weight?

 

There isn’t an electrical component out there AC or DC that won’t thank you for minimal heat and voltage drop. However most don’t want the expense of a proper electrical setup, so corners are cut.

 

Because the winch would discharge the rear battery faster than the battery could take a charge because of the smaller wire.

 

maybe if he is winching for several minutes continuously at a time... but the alternator isn't going to keep up with that either

 

Not a maybe at all. Not only that, the battery would have a short life. And the alternator would be taxed harder.

 

A little bit of what Cory said, but mostly because I don't want to run a second battery. Weight and space reasons.

As far as relocating a single battery, it comes out in a wash. If I toss the single battery in the back, sure I get to downsize the wiring to the rear winch, but then I have to upsize all of the wiring going back up to the front of the truck for the alternator, starter, front winch, etc. the cost and total volume of copper remains about the same, but now I also created more work for myself.

There isn't really a right or wrong answer for battery location or adding a second. Just have to don whate meshes with your priorities, and then do the math on proper cable sizing.

 

My wife dropped the cap to medicine bottle last night and couldn't find it...she did not understand this concept. I found it in 5 seconds this morning...

 

Mechanics gift. Second to “these fingers can do things you’ve never dreamed of”

 

Finished it this afternoon. Curving and keeping it tight to the seats took some doing to make sure rear passengers still have legroom without compromising strength. Putting it in tomorrow, and then onto the roof and a-pillar/windshield.

 

That's hot

 

How's your tire clearancing coming?

 

I live 2.5 hours away from the shop that I share with some buddies. I haven't been there for like 2 weeks, but I'll be going back this weekend hopefully. Gonna wrap up the tub job

 

Next time your up this way let me know, I'd love to drink a beer or 6 and check out this thing.

 

Wow, that's commitment! I have a hard time walking 30 steps to the shop sometimes. Super impressed with how fast you're working on it given the commute.

We usually take the wife's SUV up when we visit the Wilmington family, but I'll see if I can plead a case to drive the truck. Last time I was up your way with the truck was because we towed the boat up for 4th of July a couple years ago.

If you're up for it, twice a year, the Overland South event is only 15 minutes from my place. There's one every fall and spring, and the spring one is coming up next weekend. Historically it's been more about the camping and outdoorsy stuff. Beautiful property it's on and a lake everyone camps around for 2-3 days. They've really been stepping up the off road portion of it the last two events though. Last fall they built a mile long "challenge course", and they've been working on the one for next weekend really hard. There's also like 30 miles of "trails" on the property. Most of them are tame, but I'm hoping to find one with some whoops or something that resembles a jump.

 

I keep seeing ads for it, I'll look more into it and see what my schedule looks like