Routing power from battery box to Ex-Box / cabin

[Toxic_Avenger]

Wondering how others are routing power from their battery box to an ex box, or other electrical items within the cabin. 2.2 Puma if it matters.

I've currently got an aftermakret sub/amp package, and the power for this is just squeezed under the metal lid of the battery box. Likely to wear thru over time. I also have an air compressor needing up to 50A, and will be mounting a winch- so I have some wiring I need to deal with. Going dual battery in the future may be on the cards.

I'm looking to either install a grommet or look at some sort of plug/socket for getting power out easily. Looking to get a central power point in the ex box with one of those fuse blocks for the lower current equipment.

How have others managed this?

[BigBlackDog]

I recently did a secondary fuse and switch system. I remade the centre console with a tray underneath to hold the fuses relays etc. bit like your ex box will do presumably?
I took power, positive and negative, from the battery box, out through the same hole the existing lines go, then I drilled a big hole just inboard of the back of the seat rail to bring the power up to. It then splits up, one onto a 'hot' bus bar, the other through a relay switched by the accessories key position onto another bus bar. You can get a through fitting from places like jaycar, that once you feed all your wires through, you can screw down and an orifice closes around them. Sorry I don't have any photos of what I did prior to putting the box on top of it all.
What I would suggest is consider what you might want in the future and make provisions for those things at the same time, easier to do it once rather than graft new bits on down the track.

[Cracka]

I have drilled holes in the side and rear wall of the battery compartment, painted the raw edge and then used grommets that are a tight fit for the cable being used. All my cables run inside split tube.

To access my custom made 'under cubby box' and storage where I have my additional fuse box, I ran 6 B&S cable through the steel plate directly under the cubby box using the same hole and grommet method from the battery compartment.

Mick

[Toxic_Avenger]

cheers, I've noticed the standard grommet on the 'inboard' side of the batt box, but was not sure how to get the power back into the cab from the trans tunnel while still allowing full range of motion the seat rails etc. I'm guessing the top of the trans tunnel (under cubby box) is just riveted or screwed on?

I haven't yet got an ex box, but that kind of functionality is what I'm after.
With all my previous cars, I generally run a length of 6 or 8 core wire between the engine bay and other areas when I have it apart, so that I've got wires ready to go when needed. Making the connections are easy, the biggest time killer is routing a new wire each time (and it often looks messy).

[Cracka]

The plate under the cubby is held with 4 screws. You don't reuse it using the exbox, here is the fitting instructions from Mulgo's site, if that's what your going to use as you mention it in your original post. If not, use some dynamat or similar on the bottom of the tranny cover plate while you have it out.
http://www.expeditioncentre.com.au/product-attachments/fi-exbox-22-lr-1.pdf

Mick

[Grappler]

Unlike earlier Defenders, the cabling on a Puma runs in plastic tubes attached to the outside of the chassis.

Extra cabling circuits can easily be run inside tubing (see split tube in Crackas post), Run the same path as existing cables/tubes to keep it neat.
To get through the battery box I have been using cable glands rather than grommets. This gives much better protection from chaffing through and is water and dustproof (IP66). Dont forget to put a fuse in your new cabling as close to the battery as possible

[AndyG]

Unlike earlier Defenders, the cabling on a Puma runs in plastic tubes attached to the outside of the chassis.

Extra cabling circuits can easily be run inside tubing (see split tube in Crackas post), Run the same path as existing cables/tubes to keep it neat.
To get through the battery box I have been using cable glands rather than grommets. This gives much better protection from chaffing through and is water and dustproof (IP66). Dont forget to put a fuse in your new cabling as close to the battery as possible

Good idea, off to a Marine shop to buy some glands :)
I like marine shops, i think their stuff is slightly better than car shops

[Beckford]

There are spare gromits in the battery box and you can go next to other cables.

There is a spare spot in the large gromit in the bottom of the ex box.

Heat shrinking is a good idea. All my new cabling is in heat shrink and split conduit. Repairs are in electrical tape as a minimum.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Good idea with the heat shrink.
I'll probably extend the winch wires using welding cable- it's relatively cheap, comes in a range of sizes, and is flexible enough. I can heat shrink to make it red/black if I need too also (dodgy level = expert).
As for the ex box, and wiring on the puma, thanks everyone for the advice. I'm strongly of the opinion that a job well done is worth the time and effort. I've seen way too many cars held together with scotch locks, electrical tape and twisted connections, and the end result is generally electrical faults which are a pain to diagnose.