Truck Electrical Rewire/Bed fix Thread

[lockmup68]

Thought I would start a separate thread on my truck electrical rewire and bed fix.

 

The goals:

1. Shore power, genset, and truck alternator all power one inverter for the truck needs

2. Provide power to trailer when needed

3. remove the birdsnests on batt banks and behind refrigerator

4. provide for future mods/adds to system

5. fix bed: a). hitch height, drive over hitch, c) ability to unhook and drive out without having to raise trailer legs even more after kingpin out of hitch, d) 2 inch receiver, e) reposition camera(s)/add cameras for hitching and back of trailer

6. Jackalopee

7. access to air for tools, tires, etc. (air chuck and possible future blue dot for trailer.

 

Here's a start to the diagram of current state:

 

 

 

 

 

[rdickinson]

It won't be easy reaching in over the hitch flipping up or down a hatch cover and reaching in to pull the ramps out. How ae you going to do it? Hop up on the deck. Trailer will need to be disconnected or at least at an angle.

You'll get grease on them and yourself.

 

How do you plan to pull the ramps out? I fastened a loop of shrink wrapped aircraft cable to the nose of the dirt end to pull on. Wiggling ramps side to side tends to pinch fingers. They don't slide well. As D&R said a couple of years ago, they are 'grabby'. do I lined the bottom of the slide compartment with Teflon or some slippery plastic product. Forgot the name.

 

Why not load them sideways under the deck and pull them out from one side or the other?

[lockmup68]

Start on the sleeper/cab side of things.

 

[lockmup68]

It won't be easy reaching in over the hitch flipping up or down a hatch cover and reaching in to pull the ramps out. How ae you going to do it? Hop up on the deck. Trailer will need to be disconnected or at least at an angle.

You'll get grease on them and yourself.

 

How do you plan to pull the ramps out? I fastened a loop of shrink wrapped aircraft cable to the nose of the dirt end to pull on. Wiggling ramps side to side tends to pinch fingers. They don't slide well. As D&R said a couple of years ago, they are 'grabby'. do I lined the bottom of the slide compartment with Teflon or some slippery plastic product. Forgot the name.

 

Why not load them sideways under the deck and pull them out from one side or the other?

 

This is the current setup. I am simply mapping out what is there. The ramps come out over the top of the hitch now. Here is a pic. And I agree with you, pain to get them in and out, especially with a weld busting on some of the expanded metal in there and catching on the ramp as you try to slide it in. Also, when I raise the hitch to the proper height, the ramps probably won't go in and out over the hitch like they do now.

 

[lockmup68]

As a reminder, this is what I'm starting with:

 

House batt bank:

 

Chassis batt bank:

 

Progressive Dynamics PD52 Automatic Transfer Switch:

 

Progressive Dynamics Intellipower PD9280 converter/charger:

 

finally did some reading on this. This is not an inverter. This converts 110v AC to 12v DC. So that is one reason why the truck alt will not power it! This also explains why there is another Sony inverter wired in to power the Microwave and refrigerator. The only thing 12v that this is powering is the TV and DVD player that I can tell, which will come out. So this is basically charging the batteries on both banks from genset and shore power as main job.

 

The add-on Sony inverter, that sounds like a turbine engine when on:

 

It is behind the refirgerator and the Sony inverter that the big birdsest

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

You have good equipment, just need some TLC.... well maybe more than a little...

[lockmup68]

You have good equipment, just need some TLC.... well maybe more than a little...

Agree. I'm going to buy crimpers, wire, and connectors. I might try to tackle this during the ECR, that way I have backup nearby when I need questions answered.

 

At lease now I know how the battery banks are charged from the genset. So the question is do I leave the intellipower in place or do I add to/swap it out with an inverter? I do need some 110v AC in the sleeper for the microwave, refirgerator, and plugs for laptop and monitor/TV and such.

[RandyA]

The PD Intellipower needs to stay. It will keep your batteries fresh (if shore power is plugged in) when parked. I see the gray wire with a telephone jack going to what should be a Charge Wizard pendant for 4-stage charging - put it where you can see it and get to it so you can manually select charging modes as needed. But - you should not connect it to both starting and house batteries without isolation. They will want different charge rates and even finish voltages and do not marry well with just a common charge wire.

 

Mark Bruss has taken the time to put together some good material on battery isolation/charging in the Resource Guide. If you have not read it you should before getting in too deep. Also his comments on crimp connectors and wire types - all good stuff. The simple/cheap approach is a Blue Sea manual A-B switch as long as you remember to switch it as needed.

 

When you clean up your "rats nest" be sure to mark the wires and draw a schematic - you will thank yourself later. If not already in place a central fuse/distribution block is needed. In-line fuse holders scattered all over the place are a PITA and should be avoided.

 

I'm not a great fan of the Cobra Inverters - or as Jack calls them "Truck Stop Inverters". In the 1500 to 2000 watt range pure sine wave inverters (from China) are now fairly inexpensive. That should be all the power you need for the fridge and occasional small electrical do-hickey. Your refrigerator will last longer (cooler running compressor) and preform better. You will also lose the Cobra high speed fan noise.

 

Transfer switch looks nice.

[jeffw]

When you clean up your "rats nest" be sure to mark the wires and draw a schematic - you will thank yourself later. If not already in place a central fuse/distribution block is needed. In-line fuse holders scattered all over the place are a PITA and should be avoided.

 

 

For labeling, spend $60 and get a label printer that can print on heat shrink tubes, like: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MR516Y/

 

It will make your life so much easier.

[lockmup68]

label printer on the way. Thanks.

Spent some time trying to map out the schematic for the rewire. As a reminder, the shore power/genset -->transfer switch-->converter/charger and to 120v outlets works fine. Both battery banks charge on shore power and genset, and I believe both charge on alternator power as well. Not sure how the battery banks are isolated until I get to ripping everything out, but there are solenoids by each battery bank. 

Electrical problems that I'm trying to address:

1. rats nest of wires behind refrigerator
2. no wired in inverter to power plugs when genset is not running and not on shorepower. 
3. trailer brake activating when left turn signal is on
4. no fuse panel for accessories

Plans:

1. rewire both house and chassis battery banks
2. clean up rats nest of wires
3. install 12 circuit bluesea fuse panel (on chassis or house bank?)
4. install jackalopee
5. install Magnum CSW1012 inverter, remote panel, and transfer switch (needed if Intellipower is charging bank from shore/genset? don't think so) to run refrigerator and 700w microwave. 
6. USB charge hub
7. mount camera closer to hitch, maybe on magnetic pole

Here's a start to a wiring diagram. I do not have alternator charging both battery banks represented. Need help on how it should be wired and isolated.

Thanks and have a great day,

Shannon

[jkennell]

Guys:  I know paper works just fine.  But..for those of you who like to draw schematics up on the computer, I recommend a freeware program called TinyCad.   I have Autocad, Inventor, Proteus, etc, and I still prefer TinyCad for wiring diagrams.  Its "optimized" for easy wiring schematics, and stuff like the above.  Its really easy to draw up new symbols, etc. Downside:  I would not use it for drawing up anything with real measurements, like house plans or HDT hauler beds!   

I've used Tinycad for everything from a trucks lights diagram to a complete 1 MegaWatt Multi-generator powerhouse control system.   And its FREE.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/tinycad/

[lockmup68]

Thanks. I tried out a couple of free wiring schematic things and they were taking more time than it took to draw it out. Looks like Tinycad is windows only? Or can you point me to an OSX version? 

 

Thanks,

Shannon

[jkennell]

Windows only, sorry.

[Scrap]

There are a few options for the alternator:

Option A: Pull out one battery and insert an Engine Start Module (ultracap) with associated starter/cab wiring.    Your remaining 7 batteries tie all together and the alternator stays as-is.  The ESM does the starter work and the batts do just the house and truck loads.  Your house usage can draw all 7 of them down to 9-ish volts before the truck won't start.  Pretty simple but expensive.  Extra credit: get a 24V ESM and install a 24V starter.  Engine doesn't know what hit it.

Option B:  Put your alternator and truck loads over to the 'house' batts and leave the other four just to the starter.  Use a Sure Power/Eaton 12-12 charger (w/ ignition interlock) from the 'house' batts to charge the starting batts.  You can draw down your house batts without any worry of not starting.  Downsides: It isn't the most efficient and you have to drive long enough to recharge the starter usage at only 20-50A.  Upsides:  Keeps starting batts that are far away at top charging volts.  Cheaper than an ESM, and cranks a truck that is a rough starter much better.  Rough starting trucks are a major PITA with an ESM.

Option C:  Sure Power/Eaton Battery Separator.  Leave the truck side as it is and add house side.  Relay separates the banks at low voltage so house can draw down lower than starting.  Upside: Cheap, pretty simple, works and has come a long way from the old ones.  Downside:  Annoying clunk under the truck all the time.  Can get confused when running draw between the two sides is very different.  Can get confused with an extra shore power charging.  Only 200A and you've got a lot of battery.  Littlefuse combiner might work better?

Option D:  Littelfuse/Cole Hersee FlexMod isolator:  It is brand new but adds a brain box to their combiner or any other TerraPower/Blue Sea relay.  Wire the same as C with alternator on chassis side.  Upside: it is kind of an aftermarket thing like what is being done OEM now.  Downside: I've seen it but never played with it yet!  Looks to be worth a try though.

For a battery box PDM use something like a Littelfuse LTX.  I'd probably put the Jakalopee (23A?) and the trailer charge (30A?) on the MIDI fuses.  Then Megafuses for the 12V panel (100A?), inverter (150A?), and AC unit (1XXA?).

For connections:  This the RV part that isn't my forte' so y'all may have to correct me here.  Can the Intellipower be connected across both battery banks?  I'm kinda thinking something is going to eat it if there is a big load imbalance between the two banks in that case.  Using only one battery box PDM you can stack it's termanal on the input terminal of the PDM.  Or I suppose it could be connected to the 4th Megafuse?  I'm still undecided about putting the chassis add-ons in the one PDM on the house side or having two PDM's.  I'll have to think about that one some....

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

To charge both house and truck batteries off 1 alternator I use an isolator like https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-IGD140HP-140-Battery-Isolator/dp/B001DKRF2M

I do lose 1/2 volt or so this way, but its cheap and effective.  The way I arrange the system is the alternator cable goes to the input terminal, the outputs go to "House"- Bank 1, 

and Truck- Bank 2.

The alternator cable originally ran to the starter with another cable from the starter to batteries.  I rearranged the setup so the alternator went directly to batteries and the starter pulled directly from the batteries.