Well... I feel like I may be overthinking things, but I feel like there has to be a limit to the number of accessories that can be wired off a 12v battery. I have a lot of lights, strobes, horn, etc all switched seperately. Is it ok to keepin addding? Can I just run one main power line and one ground with a heavy guage wire into the cab and tap off that with individual fused power for each accessory?

 

The battery would be more if you run the stuff when the truck is off. If you run it while on, I'd be more concerned with the alternator.

At least that's what I think. What's the amp draw on each of the things (rough estimate?)

 

ELVATO's absolutely correct here. Everything you power in your truck is connected to the battery circuit, which is energized by the alternator when the engine is running. It wouldn't matter what new things you connected to the battery (and a heavy gauge "buss" is not a bad idea), the buss itself is still energized by the alternator. If the alternator drops off line, the battery picks up the entire load.

Besides being a backup power source though, the battery serves a very important purpose. It dampens out voltage spikes from the alternator that could damage electronic equipment. It's possible, but foolish to try to remove the battery from the system with the engine running.

- Jack

 

They make some really neat fuse blocks that do exactly that. Run 1 hot and 1 ground from the battery and add as many as you want (they have them that go all the way up to 12-14 fused taps of off 1 block. The thing you need to remember is the "system" needs to be "engineered". Meaning, you need to know what the output of the alternator is, if you have a large enough cable from the alt. to the battery to carry all the load you'll put on at one time. And how many amps are you intending to pull through the fuse block at any one time. I am a FIRM believer in KNOWING that what you've engineered will stand up to the test without any strain on it. That means you "amp clamp" everything and record it so you know the circuit and the wires are ALL heavy enough handle all you're asking of them without any strain. NO GUESSING ALLOWED!!! CHART IT OUT!!!

I have power strips all throughout the house (mounted near each outlet). I have a lot of stuff plugged into them because of SOOO many things that are rechargeable and electronic these days, but I have ENOUGH sense not to put a load on the circuit at any one time that equals OR EXCEEDS the capacity of the circuit. Thy are primarily for convenience, to avoid plugging and unplugging the numerous things that need to be used from time to time. I know what ALL the values are and never violate them. You can do the same in your truck, as long as you DO THE SAME!