Looking for Help with Off-road Lighting Circuit Wiring

[SnyperX]

Happy Friday everyone!! I wanted to create a thread requesting help from the community in helping me with the circuit design for the offroad lights I want to add to the truck. I have a 2015 Pro-4X with all the switches in the dash so additional switch space is limited. I am looking at adding the following lights to the truck.

Primary:
2" RC LED Cube Ditch Lights
20" RC LED Grille Light Bar

Optional/Later Date:
Rear Bumper LED Lights (either cubes or a couple of 6" bar lights)


I am looking at using the area next to the microphone in the headliner area to add the switches. Really wanting some community folks to toss some designs together with with needed materials. I feel like the biggest issue is going to be running the wiring cleanly. I want to try and make this look at professional as possible. Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[llamalander]

The area below the steering wheel is going to be much less difficult to wire than the headliner, the area around the shifter likewise.
It is worth looking at what type of switches you want, if they come in a bank, then looking to fit them into a panel you can remove.
Some folks use Blue-Sea switch/breaker panels for a compact, durable array. Others like the "contura" style that ARB uses, and a clean bezel to fit multiple switches can be found. However you choose, making room for extra switches is likely to keep your installation looking orderly and not haphazard as you add additional controls.
Professional wiring is generally thoughtful, orderly and not subject to unnecessary movement or damage. Use something other than the cheapest crimp connectors with a decent crimping tool.
Bump-up the size of your wires so you can minimize voltage drop and heat derating and bundle wires together and anchor them frequently or protect them with split-loom.
Recognize that routing wires throughout your truck is going to be tricky and time consuming, and avoid the temptation to take shortcuts. Everything moves, most everything can get worn down by that, so protect your wires and fuse them properly.
Test the voltage drop or resistance of your connections to confirm that they are properly done. Ground back to the battery (and size your circuit length to include this) and avoid depending on grounding to the chassis.
If your lights are not an excessive amperage, consider powering them through the switches and skipping a relay to keep things simple, just make sure your wire runs can handle the amperage and deliver the required voltage.
Materials and design are up to you. Choose what you want, see what it needs, overbuild to achieve that.

 

[colodak]

If you are a member of Club Frontier.org, there are multiple ideas on there that people have used, including mounting switches in the overhead console by the Bluetooth mic. You could also consider a product like S-Pod or Switch pros. As for your backup lights, mine are wired into a separate circuit that taps off my factory lights via a relay.

 

[bob280zx]

Go here to find more information than you may ever want to know

Electrical

Discuss anything dealing with lights, wiring, alternators, etc.

www.thenewx.org

The Xterra and Frontier are very close and some principles just apply universally

 

[SnyperX]

The area below the steering wheel is going to be much less difficult to wire than the headliner, the area around the shifter likewise.
It is worth looking at what type of switches you want, if they come in a bank, then looking to fit them into a panel you can remove.
Some folks use Blue-Sea switch/breaker panels for a compact, durable array. Others like the "contura" style that ARB uses, and a clean bezel to fit multiple switches can be found. However you choose, making room for extra switches is likely to keep your installation looking orderly and not haphazard as you add additional controls.
Professional wiring is generally thoughtful, orderly and not subject to unnecessary movement or damage. Use something other than the cheapest crimp connectors with a decent crimping tool.
Bump-up the size of your wires so you can minimize voltage drop and heat derating and bundle wires together and anchor them frequently or protect them with split-loom.
Recognize that routing wires throughout your truck is going to be tricky and time consuming, and avoid the temptation to take shortcuts. Everything moves, most everything can get worn down by that, so protect your wires and fuse them properly.
Test the voltage drop or resistance of your connections to confirm that they are properly done. Ground back to the battery (and size your circuit length to include this) and avoid depending on grounding to the chassis.
If your lights are not an excessive amperage, consider powering them through the switches and skipping a relay to keep things simple, just make sure your wire runs can handle the amperage and deliver the required voltage.
Materials and design are up to you. Choose what you want, see what it needs, overbuild to achieve that.

Appreciate the response. I am looking at a 3 switch panel using switch from OTRATTW.net (The Switch Guys). The switches are the Contura V's. Ideally I would like to just use the wiring harnesses that come with the Rough Country lights, but am completely open to purchasing wire and doing my own.

Where are folks purchasing distribution panels from? I like the idea running power from the battery to a distribution panel then running from there to the lights and switches.

 

[bob280zx]

Blue Sea Systems is the standard at least imo

 

[RainGoat]

I understand that SPod & SwitchPros are the MaxTrax of the electric world but why don’t I hear more about other options like this one from Auxbeam (https://www.auxbeam.com/led-light-wirings/qp00219)? It seems to be a similar product but at a rational price.

 

[SnyperX]

Blue Sea Systems is the standard at least imo

I am going this route. I ordered a 6 circuit panel with negative along with switches from OTRATTW. I also have a Rigid SR series light bar and Rigid Dually Flood pods in bound. Will likely be adding the Rigid AR-M backup/reverse lights at a later date. Should have everything by the weekend.