aux lighting wiring guage

[Hybrid25XLTAWD]

for some reason, even as a child, I've been fixated on lights, up to and including my ordered '25 mav.....

currently, my plans are to run DD pods for aux backups, ditch & possibly fogs (depends on whether or not they can come up with a fog mounting solution for the '25's) as well as a DD stage series light bar (probable 20", possibly 30").

Planning on running all the backlighting on one circuit, then each set of lights on different, separate circuits (Spod should be delivered today & I went with the wireless version to alleviate having to run ANY wires into the cab).

considering the backlighting on the ss3 pods, even with the max version, only draws .06 amps per pair, even combining 3 sets of pods & a light bar, we're only talking about maybe (and I'm only guessing as there are no specs on the amp draw for any backlighting on the new light bars) 2 or 3 amps total for the backlighting.

maximum amps for the individual lights sets wold be, most likely, in the 10 amp range (this is assuming a 30" bar, which I"m not sure I'll go with that over a 20").

assuming that the highest amp circuit I'll have & that only being maybe a 2 or 3 foot run of wire, will I be safe going with 16 AWG wire, or should I step up to 14awg? considering just throwing in the towel & ordering a spool of 16/3 soow cord to keep all the wiringconsistant & orderly, but ....

for the power nees above, what say y'all? 16 or 14 guage wire?

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[Sig-vicious]

I typically run on the safer side for wire size. But if you're referencing the proper ampacity tables and calculating voltage drops based on length, then it it what it is. Just make sure you use the right table columns for ampacity...wires within cables usually have different capacities than wires in free air.

If you're doing anything in or close to the engine compartment, I would pay close attention to the temperature rating of the cable/wire. I usually default to TXL automotive wire, and then use a flexible split loom with approximate temp rating. They make some decent flexible loom for this, doesn't have to be that stiff, plastic corrugated stuff.

I use a site called Wirebarn for my automotive wire needs. They sell all kinds of automotive wire in different lengths down to 5 feet. They also package them in multiple color packs. It think I bought a pack of 12 or 13 different colors at 25 foot each when I wired up the lights in my wife's Outback. Each light pair was fused at 6 or 7.5 amps and I used 14 Awg to combat some voltage drop on a couple longer runs. Smaller output lamps were only 3 amps a pair but did those in 14 Awg just to be consistent, and if I ever updated the lamp.

 

[Master Blaster]

For a 10-amp draw you will most definitely need 14ga wire right to the heavy-duty relay or switch and then direct to the battery. The vehicle internal wiring is all 16ga, so you don't want to overheat that.
The rear .06A lights can probably just go on the FITS circuits on either side of the bed. Don't go off the trailer connector, or you'll trigger the computer to go into towing mode, disabling your backup camera, etc.

 

[Hybrid25XLTAWD]

For a 10-amp draw you will most definitely need 14ga wire right to the heavy-duty relay or switch and then direct to the battery. The vehicle internal wiring is all 16ga, so you don't want to overheat that.
The rear .06A lights can probably just go on the FITS circuits on either side of the bed. Don't go off the trailer connector, or you'll trigger the computer to go into towing mode, disabling your backup camera, etc.

while I understand where you're coming from, in using the sPODS unit, everything will be run directly to that & with the excpetion of the unit itself, NOTHING will be wired to any of the existing vehicle wiring

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