Buying a New TC Hauler
I started the process today of replacing my 2010 F450 with a 2016 model. The Ford dealers here in Little Rock hardly ever have them though, and I had resigned myself to probably driving to Dallas in o...
Forum Discussion
After finishing the truck-side wiring this morning, I split the TC umbilical cord into two plugs, and tested the system.
This is the voltage to the TC battery right after starting the truck, 13.9 volts. The amps was about 10.5 and slowly dropping by the time I got back to the Trimetric panel and scanned through the readings. The TC battery was fully charged before I started the truck, so it wasn't needing much juice, and the truck batteries were quickly coming up to fully charged. This was at the truck's normal idle RPM of about 600. I still don't have Battery Charge Protect mode enabled yet. Supposed to get that done Tuesday.
This is the TC battery voltage after a 45 minute drive with the fridge running off the inverter. The fridge had not been pre-cooled at all, so I know the 325 watt AC heating element was on 100% of the time. The voltage at the truck batteries was 13.6.
I think I’ll have to wait and see how this performs on a longer trip. My LED battery gauge that I can see in the side-view mirror was showing the TC battery maintaining a higher state of charge than it was on the old truck. So at this point I’m not sure.
I was using 6 AWG wires on the old truck, and I'm using 4 AWG wires on the new truck. So, maybe I don't care about connecting to that device on the truck after all. It would add extra length to the wires in order to reach it anyway.
Next thing I need to do is install the front hitch so I can carry my toolbox on the front. I have a trip coming up in a couple of weeks though, and I don't think I'm going to have time to get it done before I leave. It's not an easy install, there are bolts that have to be pulled through the frame with a wire, and a hole has to be cut in the air-dam :E for the receiver to stick through. Then there is more wiring to install to get the bumper guides and aux lights to work.
The bumper guides are wired in to the turn signals.
I put a set of auxiliary lights on the front because I discovered the box casts a shadow in the headlights when driving at night.
Later, taters!
:):)
This is the voltage to the TC battery right after starting the truck, 13.9 volts. The amps was about 10.5 and slowly dropping by the time I got back to the Trimetric panel and scanned through the readings. The TC battery was fully charged before I started the truck, so it wasn't needing much juice, and the truck batteries were quickly coming up to fully charged. This was at the truck's normal idle RPM of about 600. I still don't have Battery Charge Protect mode enabled yet. Supposed to get that done Tuesday.
This is the TC battery voltage after a 45 minute drive with the fridge running off the inverter. The fridge had not been pre-cooled at all, so I know the 325 watt AC heating element was on 100% of the time. The voltage at the truck batteries was 13.6.
I think I’ll have to wait and see how this performs on a longer trip. My LED battery gauge that I can see in the side-view mirror was showing the TC battery maintaining a higher state of charge than it was on the old truck. So at this point I’m not sure.
I was using 6 AWG wires on the old truck, and I'm using 4 AWG wires on the new truck. So, maybe I don't care about connecting to that device on the truck after all. It would add extra length to the wires in order to reach it anyway.
Next thing I need to do is install the front hitch so I can carry my toolbox on the front. I have a trip coming up in a couple of weeks though, and I don't think I'm going to have time to get it done before I leave. It's not an easy install, there are bolts that have to be pulled through the frame with a wire, and a hole has to be cut in the air-dam :E for the receiver to stick through. Then there is more wiring to install to get the bumper guides and aux lights to work.
The bumper guides are wired in to the turn signals.
I put a set of auxiliary lights on the front because I discovered the box casts a shadow in the headlights when driving at night.
Later, taters!
:):)
