Member Since: 05 Aug 2020
Location: Sutton Coldfield
Posts: 1205
Roof rack & spot lighting wiring help
Hi All,
I’m going through ordering the parts for a new roof rack on which I’ll fit 6 48 watt led spots (2 front, 2 back, 1 each side) these will all be independently switched.
Sorted the rack
Chosen the lights so they’ll fit nicely between the upper & lower bars
They’ll be run from a digital fused relay panel
Now I’m having fun with the cabling sizing / capacity
I’m looking at using 12N tow bar cable (7 strand) to run round inside the lower box section of the rack pulling out a single strand (+ve) per light and all lights sharing an earth. Cable is rated at 16 / 25 amp so this gives me 6 strands at 16amp and the 25 amp for the earth, does this sound right?
16amp at 13v gives me a max of 208w per live (four times more than I need) and 323w on the “earth” all lights on at once will generate 288w at 22amps, is this too close a tolerance?2008 HSE Stornoway Grey
My Wife thinks the D3 is a hobby, The D3 thinks the wife is 💕
Can you mount the relay panel on the rack and avoid need for long 7-pin trailer cable? Just wire lights straight to the individual wires. I suppose the length of the control cable might be a bit too short.A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
1st Dec 2020 10:23 pm
KevinD3
Member Since: 05 Aug 2020
Location: Sutton Coldfield
Posts: 1205
Hi Navigator, yep, think the control lead is too short for that, and I’ll then have to get the control cable plus the main power feed to the roof, 2 cables instead of 1. I’m looking at mounting a waterproof connector at the roof arial entry to take the 7 pair into the back and mount the fuses in the boot side panel, that way I can unplug when the rack comes off, something like this, right hand part connects through, caps off watertight when the lights are unplugged,
2008 HSE Stornoway Grey
My Wife thinks the D3 is a hobby, The D3 thinks the wife is 💕
How long is the control lead? Photographs suggest it is in two parts and I'm estimating about five feet all in. That would be enough to have panel beside interior light and flat cable through passenger door. Then only one substantial cabe through aeriel.
I use a similar set-up with an RF remote for the switches but both the remotes have gone faulty. Can be embarassing when lights switch on but then won't go off!A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
1st Dec 2020 10:55 pm
PCT3
Member Since: 13 May 2017
Location: Kent
Posts: 144
I use a Bluetooth 8 way relay that’s in an ip65 box fitted to the roof rack, power is then feed via switched fused relay from the auxiliary battery. 4 pin plug behind the top hatch panel, same type as posted earlier, I don’t think that any plug over 4 pin will enable you to use the size of cable that you mentioned. I use the 4 pin so if rack is ‘switched on’ the second 2 pins operate the rear work lights in reverse and the front light bar on main beam.
Having the main power switched enables me to isolate The whole roof rack, if there was a fault so far 3 years of use with no problems, when traveling I also fit a solar panel to manage the fridge and light use when engine is not running, this is run in 4mm Twin cable, to bring this from the boot I drilled an access hole through the light fitting, this keeps all wiring on the ‘exterior’ of the car and any water following the cable drains at the bottom to the outside as well. My biggest problem is the plugging of 4mm cable haven’t found a small enough plug that takes 4mm cable and fits in the area behind the hatches outside the sealsDiscovery 3 HSE 07
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