Wiring - Over or Under?

[Spur]

Planning the power system for my Suburban project has been the most time consuming portion so far. I'm not sure where I want to locate some critical components, nor am I clear on where I'm going to run the wire.

There are 4 main areas where wire needs to terminate:

1. engine compartment,
2. dash panel (radio is deleted to allow for accessory switch panel),
3. center Tuffy console (radios and stereo, plus plugs for laptop and gps units)
4. electrical cabinet in custom drawers in cargo area (auxiliary house batteries, fuse distribution panel, network components, etc)

So, there will be fairly good sized bundles of wire running between these points. Running inside the cab is an issue, because the whole cab is getting covered in Second Skin and sprayed with Line-X. There won't be carpet to run the wires under.

I could bundle the wires together, wrap them in some kind of loam and attach it to the floorboard, but I don't like the idea of these bundles in the cab. The other option is to run all the wiring underneath the vehicle. Obviously it would need to be protected very well, either in extremely durable loam or in a flexible conduit.

How have other people solved these issues?

Thanks.

 

[Borrego60]

Under the truck inside a frame rail. offers good protection from road rash. I would run a power distirbution fuse box and fuse it at the battery side. Put the power wire in wire loom and then tape it in a sprial so you can add wire or tap from it. Find out what your amp draw is and figure out the power needs. I did the same thing for my high power radios and ran a 8ga wire for power. Works great and one wire instead 4.

 

[Paul 3]

Ditto with Borrego60. No need to have bundles of wire running the length of the vehicle. For my console I ran a single 8ga. power lead from my power distro. box under the hood to a terminal block that I can then run power to my CB, 2 meter, etc. You could do the same thing for a ground point if you do not have suitable ground point easily accessible. This is an example of the terminal block I used though there are numerous designs out there. I also chose to use fusible links as opposed to standard fuses simply to save a little room and added wiring in the console. And yes there are certainly pros and cons to using fusible links instead of standard fuses (just wanted to add that disclaimer before it becomes a hijack subject :victory.

I highly recommend if you do use a remote terminal inside your console that you either find one that is covered or fabricate a cover for it. Simply leaving the power post exposed, particularly in a console that your reaching in and out of and putting loose items into is a potentially dangerous situation with either shock and/or shorting your electrical system! :yikes:

Cheers,

Paul

 

[spencyg]

90% of my systems wiring is run inside the frame rails of Boomer with no issues. You need to account for any chafe points with proper grommits and sheathing, but for the most part I run the wire tightly bundled but exposed. If ever I need to replace or diagnose a wire, it is much easier to accomplish without having to peel back loom covering. I absolutly wouldn't run wire in any sort of sealed flexible loom, as the thought of adding additional wire, or having the loom fill up with water without your knowing, seems like a recipie for trouble.

Spence

 

[Spur]

Thanks for all the advice. Very helpful.

So, if I were to run exposed wire underneath, what would be the best wire option? Is regular marine-grade wire ok?

 

[ntsqd]

snip.....

Cheers,

Paul

FWIW this particular isolated stud is easily harvested from GM pickup trucks of the early 70's through at least '88. Not easily seen in that picture are the plastic 'fingers' that stick up taller than the stud between each of the wires. There is a smaller version used on 70's era GM passenger cars located on the radiator core support. I have a small stock of these since my now dead local old school wrecker didn't see any value in them.