Show off your aux fuse panels.

Thanks for posting this. Great info.

 

Love my switch pro. It’s a little pricy but a great investment. Once you get it hooked up adding accessories is so easy, no confusion, no disconnecting battery, and best part, no more wiring through the firewall! Have a few more accessories on it than pictured now. glad I found this thread cool to see what you all are coming up with!

 

Reworking my setup. Added a LMTV rally and fuse block. I need to fabricate a new, aluminum mount for the SP8100 and Blue Sea Systems dually buss and wire the whole thing up. SP8100 will run to six of the inputs of the LMTV to operate relays. Also plan to relocate the ARB breather.

Next plan is to make a simple switch box as a backup to the SP8100. I will be able to simply unplug the SP8100, plug in the backup and drape the cable out the cowl and through the window.
All ideas and feedback welcome!

 

Hey Everyone, Fantastic Thread and Resource! But I have questions, maybe someone could answer....

1. I'm not certain If I missed it, or if I really did read correctly....Are NONE of you using a switched 12v accessory to power your aux Fuse block? Are all your devices run to constant power?
--> I'm the idiot that would leave his stuff on, and I'm not envisioning having any add-ons I need to use while the Truck isn't running.

--> Would anyone have a suggested idea to power a Blue Sea Aux Fuse Block with a Switched 12v? IF I wanted to use 4guage wire battery to Break to Block?

2. How's the Blue Sea, mounted to a @paranoid56 3rd gen plate, for water penetration/dirt/corrosion? I hunt and fish in Northern Ontario Canada, but live in the Toronto area.
--> Salt/Snow/Rain/Sand/Forest...no water crossings, no rock crawling (for now)

3. Is there a switched 12v acc available on the fuse/relay/breaker block in the engine compartment I could potentially use as a switch point? (Got any pics?) (2016 TDR Sport DCLB)

Thanks all! I just got the truck, and I need to make it mine!

 

When I had my Blue Seas setup, I was running it behind a 100 amp relay, through a breaker and into the fuse block.
I do not intend to do this with my new relay block but the my SP8100 will have most outputs set for ignition on.

 

Thanks for that Steve. I don't feel I'm going to go the route of the SwitchPro, as I really really like the look and feel of the stock style rocker switches.

But after a little while researching 100amp Relays, I said to myself, why not use a Solenoid, designed to be triggered by a low amp 12v, and use it to pass high amp 12v from the battery to the breaker?
Anyone have opinion one way or the other?

 

Interesting idea. Post it up if you do it!

 

You'd need to fuse the high amp solenoid cable as well as the low amp side but yes, that would work.

 

Here is my vision of what I'm going to do @PNW/TRD Steve . I just need the forum's help in deciding where to pull the 12v ACC to trigger the solenoid.

@bagleboy : I might use an Add-a-Fuse off the engine fuse panel...that ought to work, yes?
Would you hazard a guess at the amperage required to trigger a 100amp solenoid, and what I should be doing for a fuse?

 

Nothing fancy got some aluminum scrap from work. Anyone see an issue please let me know.
Wired up my OBA and works fine.

 

I wish I could remember which one I tapped with my old set up.

 

Me Too @PNW/TRD Steve ! Hah. I'm currently trying to research if (and I stress IF), I can find a walk through to add a circuit to one of the blade or box fuse locations....I mean, that would be the cleanest connection, Factory OEM Style...then I can protect the trigger circuit like @bagleboy suggested. I'm a huge fan of clean, factory style installs...huge!

 

The solenoid should have a "coil resistance" spec. Divide this by 12v and it should give the energizing current but you want to be comfortably above that. For example 15.5 ohms coil resistance gives ~1.3A. If you used 18 awg for your fuse tap wire you could use a 5 - 7.5A fuse. Remember, the fuse is for the wire, not the device. If you use an "auxiliary power" switch it should also match or exceed the wire capacity. The small center console push switches are only rated for 3A while the taller left side switches can be 20A.

 

Sorry I can't provide a specific link but I read lots of build threads mining for just such knowledge and watch those that are particularly rich in ore. A fuse tap in the engine bay fuse box would work (pick a fuse that is lightly used to limit the total current through the initial fuse connections and one that is on with ignition) or if you want switched control tap the in cab fuse panel(again choose a low amp ignition on fuse) for your tap location. Not much to walk through with a fuse tap, other than orientation there's not much to get wrong. Installed correctly the tap puts the fuses in parallel, backwards and they are in series. The reason for this is the tap blades are connected to each of the original fuse blades but only one of the add-on fuse blades (other add-on fuse blade goes to out wire) so the original fuse would still function normally (not polarized and so don't care) but the add a fuse would then draw it's power not from the buss but from the output end of the original fuse. It should still work but the original fuse would be failure prone since it now carries both loads.

 

fantastic advice and details @bagleboy. I'm having a heck of a time getting specs and details from Grote or Cole Hersee....I may need to get it in my hands before I'll know for sure what the current required for the control circuit. I had made a best guess at 5amp..so was thinking 7.5amp fuse on a 16guage trigger wire would do the trick...

Thanks again for all you time and everyone's guidance here!

 

@bagleboy : can I infer by your reply, you don't think any of the fuses, or open positions in the engine bay fuse panel are switched 12v ?

I had hoped to use the engine bay block, as other posts and my own observations, indicate that once I've added a fuse to the dash block, I can't re-install the cover and make look factory....

can you or anyone confirm?

 

Custom fuse cover can be bought here on TW.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/custom-fuse-cover-extended-height.519448/

 

sold out for the moment...sub'd for next batch....just had a lightbulb moment....I don't have a sunroof....I'll take a closer look @ what's there (or not)....

thanks for the advice.

 

I don't know if the engine bay fuses are ignition on or not though I would think at least some are. I simply meant that using a switch to control it would be easier using the dash panel.

 

Most are switched, some are not