Best route for wires from interior to roof for lights, antennas, etc?

[Retired Tanker]

Title says it all: what's the best path to route all of those cables for driving lights, CB antennas, GPS antennas, etc?


Hole in the roof or around a door seal?


Thanks.

 

[chet6.7]

If you have an auto trans there will be a hole in the firewall for vehicles that got the manual trans.

 

[rayra]

Anything already on the roof or penetrating it?
What will the lights be mounted to?
Vehicle type or those other details would help determine a best path.

If it's a pickup with a full interior trim and an exterior rear cargo light, I'd route the wire out thru that existing penetration and out the side or bottom of the light lens frame and up on the roof to the lights or whatever.
Try to find a spot that's concealed or sheltered and NOT in a rain gutter, to make the penetration


I'm planning to penetrate my roof under and thru one of the feet of my roof rack, to run power wires for various things. That way the hole thru the roof skin will be somewhat protected and silicone sealants should take care of the rest.

 

[Hnoroian]

Through the firewall is,where all of mine go. Use a grommet and good insulation and secure the wires along the way.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I ran mine in behind the hatch through a grommet and used RTV to seal it up. So far, after 4 years give or take it has worked excellent.



Before the RTV



It really depends on the vehicle. I looked at a bunch of options and this was the least crappy looking option I could find. I also should mention I have a remote power/relay/fuse panel in the rear of the XJ for all my accessories (lights, fridge, etc). So from the grommet to the box is only about 3 feet.

 

[Retired Tanker]

Through the firewall is,where all of mine go. Use a grommet and good insulation and secure the wires along the way.

So, how do you go from the engine compartment to the roof?

 

[Retired Tanker]

I appreciate the replies.

The roof rack feet is an interesting place to look.

I also like the rear hatch door jamb with grommets, etc. I just don't want to run the length of the car from a dash switch and then back to the front of the roof for lights.

I'm also not keen on a 1" hole for a CB cable, although I could cut it and then solder in a splice.

Thanks again for the ideas!

 

[Burb One]

I've got solar panels and lights on my roof. Those wires go up along the front door seam/seal and are ziptied into the cargo rails to wherever they are going on the roof. The large solar panel and thule make it easy to hide the wires when going across.

 

[Sabre]

My cables run from under the dash up the A pillar. The trim is easy to remove.

For my amateur radio antenna I used a standard NMO mount, which requires a 3/4 hole. It was really a very straightforward installation. You could also use a mag mount for your antenna if you want it on the roof. Of course, lots of other options exist: hood lip, front bumper, roof rack, roof rack folding, rear door, etc.

 

[Hnoroian]

I've got a rack that has access for the back, but the front I have run up the windshield pillar tucked next to the glass with silicone adhesive with black cables to blend in. I wish I still had pictures but it worked very well and repayable if needed. Is it going on your Sequoia? Make sure you run a solenoid for the lights too.

 

[thebigblue]

If you got a roof access latter you can route internally through this.... my latter have the holes already pre drilled:

 

[Lajning]

I've got a rack that has access for the back, but the front I have run up the windshield pillar tucked next to the glass with silicone adhesive with black cables to blend in. I wish I still had pictures but it worked very well and repayable if needed. Is it going on your Sequoia? Make sure you run a solenoid for the lights too.

We do this to all our work cars who have lights and antennas on the roof. By far the best soloution in my opinion. No need to cut holes. No need to worry about leakages and you can remove it without leaving a trace.

 

[WUzombies]

Running coax through door jams is asking for an internal short. Note that you shouldn't run the commo coax with the high amp wiring for external lighting or you'll end up RF'ing your radios when the lights are on.

I cut holes in my roof, installed grommets and sealed them, but I'm ok with cutting the body of my rig.