Custom Fuse-Relay Boxes/Power Distribution/etc.?

In the process of modding my 70 series camper, I want to add a lot of additional electrical things (car PC, GPS, UHF CB and HF radios, computer/video monitors, spot/driving lights, fog lights, work lights, rock lights, under bonnet lights, rear winch, air compressors, electronic diff locks, diesel campervan heater, TV tuner, satellite tuner, stereo system, etc.).

Rather than splicing in each new electrical device into the existing factory wiring, and ending up with a mess, I want to add additional fuse boxes, wired back to the battery.

I am thinking that I will need additional fuse boxes in both the engine bay and the cabin.

Some of these fuse boxes will be wired through a realy so they only get power when the ignition is on, some will have power full time, so there needs to be at least a couple in both the cabin and in the engine bay.

Then I might want to run some things off of different batteries (will have 3 batteries to begin with, maybe more later), so may need to have additional sets of fuse boxes in the cabin and engine bay connected to the various batteries (for example, one battery for cranking/standard accessories, another for the fridge, another for communications/entertainment, etc.)

I have purchased a few Blue Sea blade fuse boxes, but am open to other ideas as well.

If you have custom fuse boxes, power distribution, etc., could you please post up some photos and/or share ideas?

Thanks.
 

preacherman

Explorer
I have been assembling parts and am about to do this as well so I will be watching. If I find anything I will pass it on.
 

Tennmogger

Explorer
Hi Simon,

My choice for auxilliary electrical devices was to install a fused distribution panel using Andersen Power Pole connectors. These connectors are a standard for Ham radio in the US, especially for emergency services.

The picture shows one made by MFJ. I have another made by West Mountain Radio that is better quality.

This panel feeds my HF and VHF radios, and provides power to/from a separate 12 volt AGM battery in the camper. A flip of a switch allows the equipment to run on the 12 v battery or on the 24v to 12v converter to the left of the distribution panel in the picture (the truck is 24v) while float charging the camper battery. The Wilmore converter has an 'enable' line that is controlled by a push button on the dash.

I like the ease of reconfiguration of the distribution panel, and the fusing of each circuit in an easy to reach and see location on the rear cab wall between the seats.

One picture shows the HF/VHF/UHF radio installed at the dash level, but that radio has since been moved to an overhead rack.

Bob

In the process of modding my 70 series camper, I want to add a lot of additional electrical things (car PC, GPS, UHF CB and HF radios, computer/video monitors, spot/driving lights, fog lights, work lights, rock lights, under bonnet lights, rear winch, air compressors, electronic diff locks, diesel campervan heater, TV tuner, satellite tuner, stereo system, etc.).

Rather than splicing in each new electrical device into the existing factory wiring, and ending up with a mess, I want to add additional fuse boxes, wired back to the battery.

I am thinking that I will need additional fuse boxes in both the engine bay and the cabin.

Some of these fuse boxes will be wired through a realy so they only get power when the ignition is on, some will have power full time, so there needs to be at least a couple in both the cabin and in the engine bay.

Then I might want to run some things off of different batteries (will have 3 batteries to begin with, maybe more later), so may need to have additional sets of fuse boxes in the cabin and engine bay connected to the various batteries (for example, one battery for cranking/standard accessories, another for the fridge, another for communications/entertainment, etc.)

I have purchased a few Blue Sea blade fuse boxes, but am open to other ideas as well.

If you have custom fuse boxes, power distribution, etc., could you please post up some photos and/or share ideas?

Thanks.
 

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Thanks for the reply and pics Bob.

I have seen those powerpole fuse/distribution panels, and though they look like a great idea, I don't like the way the powerpole connectors come straight/vertically off of the front panel. For installation in tight spaces, I'd prefer it if the connectors came out of the side panel, rather than the front.

I like the look of these Cooper Bussmann Series 15300 RTMR fuse/relay panels (400kb PDF)...
http://www.cooperbussmann.com/pdf/e0a886ba-753c-4271-b3fe-d7af1a8b8fc1.pdf

...and another PDF of the same product (600kB PDF)...
http://www.bussmann.com/pdf/36090f1a-b434-4910-98ec-1870f1f2519d.pdf

...though the wires come in from the rear of the panel, not as easy to deal with as the Blue Sea fuse blocks, as it would need access to the rear of the panel, or the panel mounted off of the surface with space behind to route the cables into the rear of the panel, but more professional looking I think.

Possibly also a little more hassle, as I think you need to purchase the fuse terminals seperately from the panel itself.


I also need to work out the distribution, coming off of the battery to a bus bar, then from the bas bar through larger fuses to the fuse blocks/panels (in the engine bar and cabin).

Has anyone used circuit breakers in place of the blade fuses? Do they work well?

Also, is there any specific type/brand/model of automotive electrical wiring that is best, or are they all pretty much the same?


Will possibly also have an on/off switch in the engine bay for one of the panels that feeds the roof rack mounted lights, as they are illegal here on-road unless they can be disconnected while on-road.

And might put on/off switches in the engine bay for front winch and planned rear winch.

Am thinking about large Anderson plugs mounted in the front grill, and possibly on rear bar, for easy external access to the battery power by using tow-truck style jumper cables that have an Anderson plug on one end.
 
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cnynrat

Expedition Leader
Different vehicle, but I've installed a Blue Sea fuse block to provide connections for accessory equipment. I basically followed the approach outlined in the link below. You could make this switched or unswitched by placing a relay in line with the connection from the battery to the fuse panel. In my case my initial needs were for unswitched gear, so I did it that way. In the future I may add a second fuse panel that is switched.

Accessory Fuse Block Install

I did use a circuit breaker instead of a fuse between the battery and the accessory fuse panel. So far I've not had any problems with that approach. I used the breaker pictured below, which I got from www.powerwerx.com, but there are probably other sources. I mounted the breaker on a simple bracket fabbed from sheet metal that I mounted to the top of my fender in the engine compartment. This breaker is available in a range of current ratings from 50 to 150 amps.

mobilefuses_circuitbreaker_lrg.jpg
 

24HOURSOFNEVADA

Expedition Leader
Here's a picture of my Blue Sea's box. I really like how clean the part is and the capacity it allows. I placed a 60 amp Maxi-fuse in between the fuse block and the battery, so if I want to work on the block, I just remove the maxi-fuse and it's without 12 power.

IMG_0336.jpg
 

jbs

Observer
I also went with the Blue Sea fuse boxes. I have one always on and one on with ignition only (used a continuous duty 100A relay here). I have both boxes on a 100A mega fuse. I also have a switch for my winch (I don't like having cables of that gauge live all the time) and a relay box so all my high power accessories have their fuses/relays in the same (labeled) area. In order to fit it in the space constraints of my 2006 4Runner, I built a hinged panel on my battery box to allow my aux fuse panel to sit above the factory fuse box, while still allowing easy access to the factory box:
3484742996_4b6e631782.jpg

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3484743002_3c4bde7eaf.jpg
 
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HJ-45

New member
I used this and liked it a lot. 4 ignition ckts and 3 constant ckts

Painless Wiring Auxiliary 7-Circuit Fuse Block
 

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ETAV8R

Founder of D.E.R.P.
I also went with the Blue Sea fuse boxes. I have one always on and one on with ignition only (used a continuous duty 100A relay here). I have both boxes on a 100A mega fuse. I also have a switch for my winch (I don't like having cables of that gauge live all the time) and a relay box so all my high power accessories have their fuses/relays in the same (labeled) area. In order to fit it in the space constraints of my 2006 4Runner, I built a hinged panel on my battery box to allow my aux fuse panel to sit above the factory fuse box, while still allowing easy access to the factory box:
3484742996_4b6e631782.jpg

3484743020_81fd79a303.jpg

3484743044_76a776fd2d.jpg

3484743002_3c4bde7eaf.jpg

This ^^^^ is very cool.
:26_7_2:
 

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