Me either.
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Project 80: Codename Grey Ghost
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Well Chas, when I got the truck it had the remains of an old mobile phone aerial in the roof. When I took that out I could see it had been well done and there was no rust or anything. So I got a nice new weather grommet and fed the cable up through it and made sure it was sealed. At the time I ran two cables. One to power the light for the awning and one to run back from the solar panel. Since then I have arranged the solar power differently so I'd already got a cable spare. I connected the end to the distribution board in the boot and then the other end will be a cigarette socket, but a marine quality one, sealed from the weather. I can either poke my charge cable out of the tent zip or leave some slack and pull the socket into the tent with me. I can put a USB converter plug in there or run things that have the old fag lighter plug on
Thanks for that Chris, I had forgotten I too have a redundant hole from a previous CB aerial, when I removed the aerial I left the base in to keep the weather out, I hadn't thought of using that. I think I will fix a waterproof gland in the bottom of the tent and enter that way.
I'm about to drill my roof at the back to run a lighting feed to a couple of small light bars. I've found some 2 & 3 pin weatherproof plug & sockets, where the sockets have threaded clamps and decent looking rubber glands. I'm thinking drilling, paint and silicone, shouldn't go far wrong...
Where did you get the plug/sockets from Clive?
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My helpful jobber-lad in work found them in an electrical shop locally Chas, I'm stuck in Istanbul all this week, but maybe I can get him to send a photo.
He's also found some weatherproof in-line connectors, so the main feed will be at the rear of roof, it will run up the end roof-rack leg to feed the rear work-light bar, then through the tubing of the rack to the front, for the top front lightbar.
Thats the plan at any rate, the idea being, if I want to remove the rack, it all disconnects to save wires left dangling or exposed.
This is something I've been mulling over for a while, how to discretely fit plugs through the body to feed lights on the roof.
My plan is to fit a socket in the gap above the top tailgate gas strut. I trialled this with a stubby screwdriver yesterday and there's easily 30-35mm of space there, enough for one of these. http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0e9e/0900766b80e9e668.pdf
On one of these. http://m.rs-online.com/h5/mobile/uk...trial-automation-circular-connectors/0351443/
Limited to 4A per pin so not for everything, but pretty discreet. They do weatherproof caps for them too! [emoji4]
My plan is to fit a socket in the gap above the top tailgate gas strut. I trialled this with a stubby screwdriver yesterday and there's easily 30-35mm of space there, enough for one of these. http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0e9e/0900766b80e9e668.pdf
On one of these. http://m.rs-online.com/h5/mobile/uk...trial-automation-circular-connectors/0351443/
Limited to 4A per pin so not for everything, but pretty discreet. They do weatherproof caps for them too! [emoji4]
I already have lights in the JB RTT. They're rechargeable LED and fine for what I need. The extractor fan is solar powered with a battery pack. It's really just for mobile tech. But I don't plan to drill the hull of the tent to do this. I'll just put the cable from outside in the corner of one of the zips. With regard to coming through the roof, there was a good gland in there already and I just made up a couple of bits to replace the actual aerial base so rather than have a connector there, I just have a hole through which I passed the cable and then sealed it. I thought about fancy pin connectors and in the end just went with an 'ole. These are good ...
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/product.php/537/sleeved-grommet
VWP stock some ace stuff and their delivery is very fast. They have some decent 12v sockets and stuff.
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/product.php/537/sleeved-grommet
VWP stock some ace stuff and their delivery is very fast. They have some decent 12v sockets and stuff.
I use the SuperSeal connectors - a bit fiddly to work with but very good.
And the power goes into the tent through a waterproof gland at the bottom left. The cable travels in the tent when in transit and has an Anderson plug on the end that connects to a socket under the rear bumper that has a waterproof cap on it. The cable runs inside the rear tailgate via cable clips when needed. Very clever, Jon
And the power goes into the tent through a waterproof gland at the bottom left. The cable travels in the tent when in transit and has an Anderson plug on the end that connects to a socket under the rear bumper that has a waterproof cap on it. The cable runs inside the rear tailgate via cable clips when needed. Very clever, Jon
Blown80
Well-Known Member
Just a suggestion for those running snorkels and wanting to run power up to a roof rack, we enter the back of the snorkel head and use a grommet to make it neat and sealed as such, and then in the engine bay exit the snorkel and carry on to you switching and/or power source.
The cable sits nice and neatly in the gutter channel to the first rack leg. We have even spliced in one of those connectors so the rack can be removed anytime without cutting the cables.
I can post pix if y want, but I'm sure y get the idea.
Just a thought to save drilling your roof.
Cheers
The cable sits nice and neatly in the gutter channel to the first rack leg. We have even spliced in one of those connectors so the rack can be removed anytime without cutting the cables.
I can post pix if y want, but I'm sure y get the idea.
Just a thought to save drilling your roof.
Cheers
That looks like it will do the job for me, thanks Clive.
stumog
Well-Known Member
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i didnt like the idea of having a hole in the engine bay or the snorkle so i put a small gromet on the wing behind the snorkle. that way you dont risk water getting into the air intake.
where do you exit the cable please chris for future referance.
Stu
I was going to do that but didn't have a snorkel. But the time I had a snorkel I'd run the cable. But the hole was already there. BUT when I put my lightbar up there, I shall be going up the snork.
Gary. I have some MUCH better versions of those connectors. I'll show you when you come down. They are very nice and incredibly cheap. They lock too. I don't mean snap shut, they lock. There is a small snag though. More later....
Gary. I have some MUCH better versions of those connectors. I'll show you when you come down. They are very nice and incredibly cheap. They lock too. I don't mean snap shut, they lock. There is a small snag though. More later....
Blown80
Well-Known Member
Just as soon as it enters the engine bay Stu. But you could choose anywhere that's convenient before the engine side of the filter, even out the side of the filter housing is fine, depends on the vehicle.
Don't be too concerned about a wire and grommet in the back of the snorkel neck, a whole lot more will be drawn in through the ram head before that grommet is ever a concern.
Don't be too concerned about a wire and grommet in the back of the snorkel neck, a whole lot more will be drawn in through the ram head before that grommet is ever a concern.
Just use IP 65 or greater cable glands. Let's face it, you'd have to have a fair slug of water all at once to do any real damage. A little trickle, or at most a drip, would do no harm at all.
So like I said. I moved the RTT forward so that the rack space is now at the back. it works much better. I bought a very sexy holdall from Stan the Man in which you put three Wolf boxes. It's waterproof and dust sealed (as much as you can) so you don't have to hold the boxes down, you just tie the bag down with the boxes in it. It's proper. The RTT ladder now goes up the back of the truck onto the rack luggage rail.
