What kind of wire for lighting & power accessories?

It looks like there’s more posts in here about wiring than the lighting section.


Looking for brands, cable type and sources you have used to feed aux lights (ditch, bars, bed, etc) and also to feed aux bed power (12vdc/usb).


I’m thinking that two or four conductor cable would be ideal to get multiple circuits from the blue sea fuse box to the bed…..and avoid using the frame as a ground.

I’m just wondering what cable you guys used and anything to avoid?



I have a boatload of little projects that have been sidelined forever and I’d like to get them installed already!

Ditch and a light bar, blue sea bed power, power tray, blue sea fuse box, mrcb, ground bar and a voswitch that have been in limbo for a long time and want to finish.

I have #2 welding cable to feed the mrcb & fuse, a hydraulic press for the heavy duty lugs and wire cover & heat shrink for protection.


Thanks!

 

A good old fashioned DC gauge chart has never steered me wrong.

 

I’ve done residential electrical work for many years, so wire size has never been an issue for me but that is good to have, thanks!

I’m really looking for brands and types of cable people use to power up accessories.

 

I bought a couple hundred feet red(power), black(ground) and yellow(other) of gxl auto wire from wire barn a few years ago and am still using it up. I went with gxl because an old friend used it for making custom wiring harnesses for old BMW engine/trans swaps at his shop. I know gxl is over kill for use not in the engine comp but I figure its easier to only have gxl instead of both txl and gxl.

 

I've never really stuck to a brand. Just any generic copper strand with a decent jacket works great. I tend to avoid aluminium strand (it makes a mess when you clip and splice), but that's just me.

 

Yep, wire is wire for me also (AWG-size and it being pure copper (as opposed to copper-clad AL) being the most important considerations). I have used everything from #00 welding cable, to the stuff O'Reilly's & AutoZone sells (comes in various colors & sizes), to "unzipped" lamp cord wire (and everything else in between lol).
I have however found that the insulation on some welding cables is softer/more rubber-like and tends to abrade or wear away easier than the (PVC?) insulation on more-ordinary type wires, so be aware of that when you route them/secure them (I had to wrap my #00 with electrical tape in a few key areas to provide a barrier against it wearing from vibration because of this).

Unless you're running #000 or bigger (or pulling very high amps... such as a winch), the frame will be a much better conductor than a separate ground wire. This is because the sheer mass of it's cross-section compared to a small wire more than makes up for the poorer conductivity of the steel.

 

So you ran all single conductor and I’d guess in split loom or something for management & protection?


At work they use a lot of multi conductor xlp, I was kind of leaning towards that. One run of 4c10 to the bed in split loom would be two circuits.

 

Gotcha, I’d never use aluminum ever.

What type was it….single or multi conductor?

 

For the vast majority of applications I run single. When wattage is low and space is tight I have run multi core. The only one that springs to mind is when I relocated some switches from lower dash to overhead console. I made the extension wire out of a small gauge 6-core.

 

Agree on all of that and that’s why I mentioned protecting the welding cable with that nylon wrap, shrink tubing and split loom.
There’s probably a better choice than welding cable but I don’t know it offhand.
Also I think crimping with those small strands can be a problem too.


I’m planning to mount the BSS mrcb on a piece of aluminum attached to the battery hold down to minimize unfused lengths.

 

That’s all essentially inside wiring, so you can get away with a lot less protection.
I curious what people did to run to the back of the bed.

***HOW’D you get the lower switch panel out????
I have had a meso lsp7 for years that I’d like to install and afraid to cut the dash in place!!

 

How many applications are you planning in the bed? If you are considering more than one, I'd run a single power wire along the frame rail and then install a second fuse panel in the bed. You can then branch out from the fuse panel with smaller gauge runs to your relays/appliances. Your relay triggers can of course be small and multi-core.

 

I haven't had projects that require more then 4 different wires max so I just run the wires with wire loom.
As for running wire to the bed I added a small lightbar under the bumper, I went from the firewall grommet down along the brake hard line, to the parking brake cable, to the trailer light harness. For ground I just grind the paint/rust where a bolt goes and put a O ring terminal on the bolt. No problem for a year or so. If I was running a heavy wiring like for a winch I would run it differently.

 

Sorry, the wife just had to deliver the gossip and news report of the day and I pressed send early.

There are tutorials on pulling the lower dash. In summary, EVERYTHING has to come out first. Upper dash, side panels, glove box, climate controls, and all of the center console. Everything. I personally reused the stock panel (which is why I choose to relocate the old stock switches upstairs - this gave me room to install two switches in their place.)

To install the Meso panel you basically have to melt out some plastic rivets and then replace.

 

I don’t want multiple aux-fuse panels, just the one under the hood.

I need to run a switch leg to the gecko bed lights (I bought years ago!) and power to a blue sea usb/power port in the bed…..will be adding rear facing lights later on.

 

There might be some good choices available among power cables marketed for high-power automotive audio amps. Welding cable is nice to work with though because it doesn't fight you at every turn, so to speak.
As for crimping, there's no problem with that in regards to the strand size, although I prefer to solder my ends on.

 

Ha all good!!

I’ve seen some vids but I don’t think anything getting to that lower……I don’t see how the upper dash would have to come out for that.

From his instructions the oem has to be cut out, some used a utility knife…..I can see that turning into a shit show. I do have a multi tool but I don’t think it’s precise enough…….another two year or older mod sitting in limbo!!

 

https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Size-Calculator_ep_41.html

 

I’d like to see someone solder #2 welding cable….pretty sure you need a very large iron or a pot.


I used to be a solder snob but in many control systems nothing is soldered, it’s all crimped with high end tools; so are the connections in cars.

 

“Primary wire” is what you’re looking for typically. In whatever size/color you need. I get it from del city a lot. As well as crimp terminals.