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Topic ClosedHow to wire in a voltmeter
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headcold View Drop Down
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Posts: 125 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: How to wire in a voltmeter
    Posted: 11 Jan 2015 at 2:37pm
LOL
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2015 at 12:01pm
Yes it should be accessible behind the converter.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2015 at 8:01am
Doug,
The only thing I couldn't remember was the exact location and appearance of the chassis ground bus. Perhaps you can clarify for Headcold.


Headcold,
Those old 78s could do that to you. Now days everything runs on a battery, fits in you shirt pocket, was made in China, and can't be repaired anyway. I could tell of similar "learning" experiences, but won't. Good luck with your project.
Charlie
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 10:42pm
An event that still needles you to this day, and set a new record for unpleasantness.

Any open questions I can help with?  I only skimmed the thread, getting ready to go to bed.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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headcold View Drop Down
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Posts: 125 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 5:41pm
Good information, folks.  Thanks so much.

During this exchange, I keep harking back to my unfortunate initiation into electricity, when - at about age seven or eight - I decided to disassemble my phonograph while it was still plugged into the wall socket.  Needless to say, you probably can guess what happened.
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 4:00pm
Yes.. thank you Charlie.. PARALLEL.. I had another chat window open in the FB group helping someone add dual 6v's.. Luckily I didn't tell them parallel.. as they were at the battery box at that moment..

We effectively did the same thing, just not in a all-in-one housing like that. We switched out 1 120v outlet for one that includes two 2.1 amp USB ports, added two lighter socket style 12v plugs, and I made up a custom panel for my $2 voltage monitor.
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 2:26pm
Originally posted by headcold



 to what do you attach your ground wire? 
 


It's been a while since I made mods to my Pod and I don't have the Pod anymore so I'm going from memory. There should be a grounding bus behind the panel. The bus is just a long piece of bar stock with a bunch of holes with screws and wires in them. There are actually two so find the one with bare copper wires, not the one with white wires. The one with bare wires is connected to the battery negative and the trailer frame the same as on your auto.

Perhaps Techntrek can jump in here with more specific info.
Charlie
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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headcold View Drop Down
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Posts: 125 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 11:23am
Thanks, Charlie.  I'll have to get into the fuse/breaker box when it gets a little warmer (like March) to see exactly what I am dealing with.  Your explanation clear except for one item: to what do you attach your ground wire?  That might become evident when I start poking around in the fuse/breaker panel of the pod to see how other stuff is wired in.

Part of the problem is that the extent of my electrical know-how is limited to changing out light fixtures and switch boxes in my home.  When I replace them, the ground wire goes somewhere, but I have no idea where or to what.  In the truck, stuff is grounded out on the engine block or frame.  In my home, I haven't had the courage to change out defective breakers in my breaker box, leaving that to electricians. So, I approach even 12v wiring with some apprehension.   
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headcold View Drop Down
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Posts: 125 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2015 at 11:22am
Thanks, Charlie.  I'll have to get into the fuse/breaker box when it gets a little warmer (like March) to see exactly what I am dealing with.  Your explanation clear except for one item: to what do you attach your ground wire?  That might become evident when I start poking around in the fuse/breaker panel of the pod to see how other stuff is wired in.

Part of the problem is that the extent of my electrical know-how is limited to changing out light fixtures and switch boxes in my home.  When I replace them, the ground wire goes somewhere, but I have no idea where or to what.  In the truck, stuff is grounded out on the engine block or frame.  In my home, I haven't had the courage to change out defective breakers in my breaker box, leaving that to electricians. So, I approach even 12v wiring with some apprehension.   
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2015 at 10:54pm
I'll toss my 2 cents worth in here and try to help. First, the three panel items should be wired in PARALLEL, not series. That is the positive from the fuse panel should connect to the positive terminals of the voltmeter, 12 socket, and the USB charger. Three connections to the positive wire. The same for the negative or ground: three connections, one from each item, to the ground wire. If you're only going a foot or so #14 AWG wire is OK, but any further and I would use #12 wire.  With a 12 volt system every tenth of a volt drop counts. You're also going to want to use that voltmeter to get an idea of battery level so you need to minimize voltage drop if you have anything else plugged to the panel. The power panel in your pod should have two extra unused fuse spots. Use one with a 15A fuse and you're good to go. Use red for positive and black for negative just to conform to convention.
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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