12 volt accessories and outlets

ron.dittmer wrote:
suprz,

Boy oh boy, I surely know where you are coming from for I have been where you are. My primary complaint is that both Ford outlets are too close to the gear shift lever. When anything is plugged into either outlet, they stick out so far that they interfere with shifting, especially when I up-shift and down-shift, distracting me from concentrating on the road. Not just a serious irritation, but also a safety matter. Then there is the problem with wires all over the cup holder surface.

I spent some design & installation time to make this little enhancement, and we both "Love" it with all problems solved.

I added one 12V outlet and a dual USB port in the front face of the cup holder seen with the two round rubber covers. The power to them is seen as a vertical gray strip going down from the radio section. When I have to remove the engine cowl, I first detach the cup holder, pull out the connector from under the radio & unplug and remove the thing. Power to my additional outlets is tapped from the cigarette lighter where power amperage is so much greater than the accessory port with rectangular rubber boot.

All things plugged into the new outlets, their wires drape to the floor, not over the cup holder area. The gear shift lever is free and clear to use without interference. When we stop, my wife stuffs everything out of the way, wires and all, inside the cubbie hole just below the two new outlets.

I bought the outlets new from a supplier on Ebay for less than $10. You can read more about the project by CLICKING HERE.