Vehicle wiring

[RoverXventures]

I live in the Monterey area, and I wondered if anyone had a recommendation for vehicle wiring? I have a regular battery as well as a dual battery setup. In addition, I have a Lithium battery set up with solar and a 2000wt inverter. But all of it seems a mess. I had a local stereo shop do the work, it really seems jankey. Any suggestions?

 

[K12]

What exactly are you looking for? Do you want it cleaned up or do you not know what wires go where and want to figure it out?

If you are looking to add things and dont know what goes where you may have to do some testing or even completely rewire to make it to your liking.

 

[Anak]

Wiring things well is an expensive and time consuming art. Few and far between are those who do it.

You are best off if you are willing to learn to do it yourself.

Post up photos of what you have. Explain what are your goals. You will get advice. Some of it will probably even be good advice. From there decide how to proceed, what tools and materials you will need and how to acquire the skills to do a better job.

 

[Mike W]

Hi @RoverXventures. Anak makes some good points. Would be great to hear a little about the goals, history of the vehicle, etc. Did you have the dual battery system before the LiFePO4 setup was installed? What is running off the dual battery setup vs the lithium setup? What major components are you working with? (DCDC chargers, etc).

I think once we get some more info we can start to make some sense of it. I recently redid my whole system. I removed my second AGM battery and the old split charge system mainly due to weight and complexity. I would rather carry a simple lithium jump pack than carry the weight of a second AGM in the engine bay for redundancy. A good DCDC charger will also allow your start battery to stay fully charged unlike most split charge solenoid systems or anything that ties the batteries directly together for loads.

I do run a winch and some other driving lights off the main battery, but only with the vehicle running. I otherwise try to keep the start battery as stock as possible. I have a 100amp breaker that I can flip which makes the vehicle 100% stock. I then have 6 gauge marine copper to the back of the vehicle where the redarc BCDC 50 amp charger and the rest of the house battery system is in the cab. I then run all my gear off that system.

 

[RoverXventures]

Wiring things well is an expensive and time consuming art. Few and far between are those who do it.

You are best off if you are willing to learn to do it yourself.

Post up photos of what you have. Explain what are your goals. You will get advice. Some of it will probably even be good advice. From there decide how to proceed, what tools and materials you will need and how to acquire the skills to do a better job.

Everything works, I just don’t know if I have any redundancies in there, and I would like to make it more streamlined

 

[RoverXventures]

What exactly are you looking for? Do you want it cleaned up or do you not know what wires go where and want to figure it out?

If you are looking to add things and dont know what goes where you may have to do some testing or even completely rewire to make it to your liking.

Everything works, I just don’t know if I have some redundancies, and could I make it more streamlined,

 

[K12]

Everything works, I just don’t know if I have some redundancies, and could I make it more streamlined,

Only way to really know is to jump in there and trace everything from begining to end. Like other have said good wiring can get expensivr and take quite a bit of time. But if you want it done right do the research and you can definitely do it yourself. (labeling wires always helps to)

If you take pictures how its all setup many people with more knowledge than me would likely be able to help you. If you have diagrams on how they installed everything it would help as well.

 

[RoverXventures]

Everything works, I just don’t know if I have some redundancies, and could I make it more streamlined,

Only way to really know is to jump in there and trace everything from begining to end. Like other have said good wiring can get expensivr and take quite a bit of time. But if you want it done right do the research and you can definitely do it yourself. (labeling wires always helps to)

If you take pictures how its all setup many people with more knowledge than me would likely be able to help you. If you have diagrams on how they installed everything it would help as well.

That’s a great idea, will do!

 

[Boucher]

As previously mentioned it's very time-consuming but gratifying in the end, when able I use marine wire and marine solder seal connections. Invest in a heat gun from harbor freight. I also create how I want it on paper and then put it in vision or PP before I build it

 

[Ubiety]

Invest in a heat gun from harbor freight.

I think "invest" and "Harbor Freight" is an oxymoron but I digress ;) Have one of these and an "unusual" use that I put mine to is to start lump charcoal for the smoker - no starter chemicals bathing my dinner ;)

 

[reaver]

I think "invest" and "Harbor Freight" is an oxymoron but I digress ;) Have one of these and an "unusual" use that I put mine to is to start lump charcoal for the smoker - no starter chemicals bathing my dinner ;)

Some things from harbor freight are actually pretty good. I have one of their cheap heat guns, and it works really well.

I can't recommend solder seal connections enough. That being said, I'd also recommend using quality plugs when plugs are required. I recently started using jready dt and dtp connectors. These are high quality, waterproof connectors that make hooking things up a breeze.

 

[Ubiety]

I have one of their cheap heat guns, and it works really well.

So do I and agree that it is a great tool!

 

[K12]

I have one of their cheap heat guns, and it works really well.

So do I and agree that it is a great tool!

Harbor frieght stuff is just the same chinese stuff as big box stores just rebranded and sold for a lot less (power tools will not compete with milwalkee or dewalt). I have has some wire strippers from habor freight for 15+ years, and just used the again this morning. Good for hobbyists, probably not for heavy daily use.

 

[reaver]

Harbor frieght stuff is just the same chinese stuff as big box stores just rebranded and sold for a lot less (power tools will not compete with milwalkee or dewalt). I have has some wire strippers from habor freight for 15+ years, and just used the again this morning. Good for hobbyists, probably not for heavy daily use.

You're not wrong. For example, I needed to buy a corded skil type saw not that long ago. I won't use it a ton, and didn't want to pay a bunch of money for one. So I bought the HF saw. For as much as I'll use it, it'll do just fine. I have dewalt and black and decker cordless tools. HF angle grinders last just as long as the more expensive ones (or so I've been told), so in some instances, it makes sense to spend the money on the big boy tools, and sometimes, to save some cash.

Less cash on tools means more money for mods.

 

[OTH Overland]

Wiring is something i take seriously as it is likely the main thing that can burn a rig to the ground if done incorrectly and a short occurs in a unprotected circuit in a worse case scenario. on the annoying level is when a connection fails or is intermitant causing outages or failed equipment. chasing elecrical gremlins out in teh woods can be a pain in the behind. Good quality connectors are critical, the cheap crimp on wire connectors can corrode, are made of substandard materials that will not hold a crimp. just as importantly is using the correct crimping tool for the connector of choice. Deutch connectors, butt splices and anderson plugs all require a different profile on the crimper, use the wrong one and the wire may be loose or the connector damaged. for standard crimp on connectors, I like the ones with heat shrink with heat activated sealant. for most connections I have switched to the deutch DT style as they are waterproof and disconnectable. Big debate on solder connections for mobile use, therory is solder wicks into the stranded wire creating a hard area where constant flexing can cause the strands to fail over time, and todays crimped and sealed connections do as good or better of a job. Above all make sure to protect all wiring where it goes thru a hole or over a sharp edge, use grommets, or sections of rubber hose to protect. Zip ties are cheap and a great way to secure wires out of harms way. found some ties that have built in 'Christmas Trees' that allow them to be inserted into a 1/4" hole and then around a cable bundle.

I agree that HF stuff comes from the same place as most anything on Amazon just at a cheaper cost and better ability to return. I do use them for some items with low risk factor, have been happy with the Icon line from them, but avoid anything hydraulic asI have had really bad luck in that department. Just had a 9 dollar angle grinder of thiers die after only 8 years of hard use...not a bad investment on that one.

 

[Ubiety]

I like the ones with heat shrink with heat activated sealant.
Above all make sure to protect all wiring where it goes thru a hole or over a sharp edge, use grommets, or sections of rubber hose to protect. Zip ties are cheap and a great way to secure wires out of harms way.

Totally agree on the epoxy (or whatever) heat shrink; lends some support and keeps the moisture out.
I have some old extra-thick bicycle inner tube that I used to wrap wires that run past abrasive areas where a grommet won't work. If you cut it extra wide then wire movement over time won't be an issue.

 

[reaver]

Wiring is something i take seriously as it is likely the main thing that can burn a rig to the ground if done incorrectly and a short occurs in a unprotected circuit in a worse case scenario. on the annoying level is when a connection fails or is intermitant causing outages or failed equipment. chasing elecrical gremlins out in teh woods can be a pain in the behind. Good quality connectors are critical, the cheap crimp on wire connectors can corrode, are made of substandard materials that will not hold a crimp. just as importantly is using the correct crimping tool for the connector of choice. Deutch connectors, butt splices and anderson plugs all require a different profile on the crimper, use the wrong one and the wire may be loose or the connector damaged. for standard crimp on connectors, I like the ones with heat shrink with heat activated sealant. for most connections I have switched to the deutch DT style as they are waterproof and disconnectable. Big debate on solder connections for mobile use, therory is solder wicks into the stranded wire creating a hard area where constant flexing can cause the strands to fail over time, and todays crimped and sealed connections do as good or better of a job. Above all make sure to protect all wiring where it goes thru a hole or over a sharp edge, use grommets, or sections of rubber hose to protect. Zip ties are cheap and a great way to secure wires out of harms way. found some ties that have built in 'Christmas Trees' that allow them to be inserted into a 1/4" hole and then around a cable bundle.

I agree that HF stuff comes from the same place as most anything on Amazon just at a cheaper cost and better ability to return. I do use them for some items with low risk factor, have been happy with the Icon line from them, but avoid anything hydraulic asI have had really bad luck in that department. Just had a 9 dollar angle grinder of thiers die after only 8 years of hard use...not a bad investment on that one.

Precisely. I've heard both camps on soldering Ian's high vibration environments. Jury's still out over here as to which is better, but I tend to lean more towards marine grade crimp connectors over solder seal, unless dealing with very small wire.

When using crimp butt and spade connectors, I like the marine grade connectors with the waterproof adhesive.

Same with heat shrink tubing. Buy the good stuff with the adhesive in it.

 

[smritte]

Big debate on solder connections for mobile use, theory is solder wicks into the stranded wire creating a hard area where constant flexing can cause the strands to fail over time, and todays crimped and sealed connections do as good or better of a job.

I need to correct part of this. Its not a theory. What he says here is exactly what "will" happen if the soldering is not done correctly. Too much heat and too much solder will wick down the wiring and cause a brittle spot. In other words, not proper soldering. Factory harnesses will have solder joints but their moved up into an area of the loom where their secured. The average wire loom will have as few solder splices as possible due to the joint cracking.
Improper crimping will case the same thing (brittle spot) without the wicking. Each crimp connector must match the wire size and have the proper tension.

In all wiring, one must also install some kind of "strain relief". Look at a power cord and you see a thick area by the plug. Strain relief. All wiring, repair, crimp, solder....must have this done. The simplest way is shrink tubing, the best shrink tubing is the adhesive type. If you solder or splice correctly, you can still have breakage if the connection does not properly strain relief.


Doing this professionally for several decades I have seen failed crimps from too loose to too tight, broken solder joints, corroded terminals, liquids wicking along wiring and coming out a computer plug, just to name a few. Almost all of these were done by home builders and some by poorly trained "professionals".

 

[LostWoods]

100%. I used to do a lot of repair work on trail rigs when I was turning wrenches and the #1 reason for a broken circuit was too much solder in the joints. Your average solder joint in a factory harness is labeled as a splice in the manual with a description exactly where it is because they too are susceptible to breaking. To mitigate, it's common to have them shrink wrapped 3" on ether side of the splice and even double wrapping with a lot of harness tape to reinforce.

I'm a big fan of heat-shrink crimp connections over solder where possible and the best investment anyone will make is a proper set of crimpers (also strippers). These ratcheting crimpers from Ancor are excellent at making a crimp with the proper pressure to prevent issues. I've had them for about 20 years now and they have crimped literally thousands of connections without skipping a beat.

General rule of thumb, if you need crimping tools, buy a solid marine brand. The nautical world does not mess around with electrical standards so their tools are generally top notch.