Adding lighting to my topper....

Hey TW, im going to add some of @mattgecko leds to my shell, and when I hooked my topper up I added this fuse holder, with a 10, 5, and 1 amp fuses already installed. I have an open port available to connect to this fuse box
Id like to have interior lights hooked up to my dome light switch that is already connected to the shell. Then I would like my windoors and rear to have a separate switch.

....if anyone has some kick ass ideas, im all ears....

How do I utilize this type of connector?
I'm an electrician by day....so this sorta ashames me, but I need some help on the automotive side. Gimme a building and 120-480 volts and I know what im doing....dc current and 12 volts, I need a little help....

Let's hear your thoughts on how you'd do this

 

Can anyone tell me how to utilize this set up in my bed? Thos is going to be the first of many electrical projects and I could use some guidance on what to look for.

 

What kind of power draw are you looking at for the lights?

 

Thats a good question. Im planning on getting lights from @mattgecko, both his topper lights for the interior, and for the 3 doors

https://mattgeckoleds.com/shop/ols/...-led-camper-light-kit-with-bed-mounted-switch

https://mattgeckoleds.com/shop/ols/products/win-door-light-stirps

There aren't any specs on what his leds draw, but maybe tagging him in this post will help find that out.

I cant imagine it draws much. Currently I have a dome light and a 12v power port coming off of this little fuse box.

 

1 - 2 amps for both sets of lights.

 

If you want one light triggered by your dome switch and its 1 amp or less, you could probably just use a t-tap. Personally i would probably try and solder a wire to the dome switch terminal or something like that. For the rest of the lights you could just trigger them with most switches off Amazon. No need for a relay if they are an amp or two. Check the switch rating to be sure.

 

Remove the dome bulb and wire the light strip to this:

$8 uxcell 20 Pcs 39mm BA9S Festoon Dome Adapter T10 Bulb Socket Connector for Car Light

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Festoon-Adapter-Socket-Connector/dp/B01F39DDOM

 

Well that looks handy. Nice find

 

I'll be damned thats crazy.

Edit:
Hmm I dont think that will work for mine....wire goes directly to this led board. Can you tell me more about that t-tap option?

 

For your door and windoors you can hook them up to a plunger switch (aka limit switch). If you want to get real fancy you can also wire in a DPDT switch to give you the option of it coming on with the plunger switch or being on all the time. The panel for the switch here was kind of crude and I made improvements later but you can get as fancy or ugly as you want to get with it.

 

I actually think I saw this post, or something really similar. I do want to leave the option open to do something like that. If you see my OP, I have this box with 3 fuses in it I wanna know how to utilize them appropriately. Cuz I've got a 1a, 5a and a 10a fuse in there that I had installed when I purchased my topper. So I've got power back there I just need to figure out how to utilize it and what kinda connectors to get. I haven't pulled it apart yet

 

It looks like the box came with an SAE style plug so you know what you need to use there for connectors. Beyond that you can use 1/4" blade connectors which crimp on or SAE connectors which would need to be soldered on. Again, it all depends on how fancy or ugly you want to go.

Your lights only use 2a and you don't want your fuse too far oversized. There may be 1a, 5a, and a 10a fuse in there now but the actual fuse box is likely rated for higher than that. I'd start by finding out what the actual fuse box is rated for. Typically it will be phrased in terms of amperage per fuse and total overall amperage for the box. If you have 4 lights you could probably put all of them on one fuse and use the 10a fuse.

 

I used LED strips from Amazon

 

How do they switch?

 

Cut up an, otherwise, useless spot for a second pair sunglasses:

 

Dammit that's sick. So how do you route the wiring thru the roof?

Can I use something like this and just tap into the red wire of the led strip, then bring the negative from the led to the black to my dome light?
TICONN 240PCS T-Tap Wire Connectors, Self-Stripping Quick Splice Electrical Wire Terminals, Insulated Male Quick Disconnect Spade Terminals Assortment Kit with Storage Case (240)

$13 TICONN 240Pcs T Tap Wire Connectors, T Wire Quick Splice Connector, T Connectors for Wiring with Storage Case (240Pcs)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MLPBPW5

 

Fuse panel under the hood through the firewall, up the a-pillar and tucked behind the headliner near the top of the windshield.

 

Ok! I've got it figured out how I wanna do this! So I just hooked it up and connected it in series on the same circuit as my dome light, and it works! But its dim....I put in a higher fuse, still dim. I put it on its own switch, its bright and ready to go. Still tapped into the same circuit with a 5a fuse...so the difference is because I'm running it in parallel instead of series...any way to solve this? Thanks for the tips

 

FYI definitely don't want to run lights in series in a 12v system. I learned that lesson the hard way.

 

Do tell! Not enough supply and too much resistance is my guess?