Looking for help installing a Redarc BCDC Charge Controller

smlobx

Adventurist
As the title says I’m looking for someone to install the Redarc in my Gladiator. I got one quote but it was rediculous.
I’m located in Virginia but willing to travel in the mid Atlantic area if anyone has a recommendation.
Thanks!
 
I would think any automotive electronics shop could handle this. It's wiring and mounting the hardware. Here is Redarc's wiring diagram for a BCDC with a smart isolator and jump start capabilities.

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^^^ No doubt!

One question I have is that since I have a “Smart Alternator” where do I run the blue wire that is suppose to the “vehicle ignition?

ps...where do you live? Nice work.
 
Making it look good is a given. I figure if I'm paying anyone to do work I don't want to do, it better look like a professional did it. You don't necessarily need an overland specific person; some of those car audio guys do really clean installs.

If I were looking for overland specific in the Mid-Atlantic area I'd probably start with OK4WD. They're in NJ. Doesn't Main Line Overland do that kind of work too?
 
^^^ No doubt!

One question I have is that since I have a “Smart Alternator” where do I run the blue wire that is suppose to the “vehicle ignition?

ps...where do you live? Nice work.


Thanks. On an Island in the PNW.

The blue wire can be wired to a unused ignition triggered fuse location on the fuse block.

Or the blue wire leads you down the rabbit hole and the red one returns you to your life as you know it.:rolleyes:
 
Making it look good is a given. I figure if I'm paying anyone to do work I don't want to do, it better look like a professional did it. You don't necessarily need an overland specific person; some of those car audio guys do really clean installs.

If I were looking for overland specific in the Mid-Atlantic area I'd probably start with OK4WD. They're in NJ. Doesn't Main Line Overland do that kind of work too?


Agreed, I started with car stereos in the barracks back in the 80s graduated to L/E cars and SUVs and did my masters in EMS and fire trucks.


Find a car stereo shop that has won some installation awards.
 
Well, Bob's your uncle. Hive mind and all that. The fee is you have to post pics when you get it all buttoned up. I'm interested to see where you decide to mount that on the JT.
 
Now why didn’t think about a car stereo place? One of my former subcontractors who did all of our low voltage wiring in the houses we built is also a high end car audio place and I know they will do a great job.
Thanks!

Where at? I could use some wiring and stuff for my install. I was going to go all the way up to Crutchfield, but if you have a local guy I'd hit them up.
 
I think I’m going to try and install the Redarc myself...

My basic question (please don’t laugh too loudly) is about grounding...

As you can see in Post #2 there are several points that need to be grounded. I have found a great place to run the ground to on the frame under the bed of the gladiator that has a nut welded into it from the factory.

My questions what is the best way to run the grounds? Here are some possible options and I would like those of you with more knowledge on this to please chime in..

OPTION 1
Run a single large ground from the aux battery to the chassis ground and run all the other grounds to the battery’s negative terminal.

OPTION 2
Run a single wire from the chassis ground to a bus bar and connect all the grounds to that including the aux battery.

OPTION 3
Run all the ground wires to the chassis ground separately. This is probably my least favorite option.

OPTION 4
???

Thanks. I want to learn as I do this so I can fix things down the road if/when that happens.
 
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Ideally you want your ground to be as short as possible. So if you're grounding something in the rear/bed/back of the truck just ground to the frame. If you're grounding something in the cab/front of the truck then going to the battery or engine/chassis ground isn't a bad idea.

Also, bus grounds aren't a bad idea either. Just make sure the main ground from the bus-bar to the chassis ground is a heavier gauge wire than the sum of anything grounded to it. Never a bad idea to step up a gauge too. Especially if you want to future-proof yourself.
 
Thanks brother. According to the instruction manual which is pretty thorough the positive wire from the truck battery should be at least 6 AWG due to the possible run but I will be running 4 AWG. The grounds which ever way I run them could easily be 8 AWG but I’ll be running 6 AWG. I will also be using their 60 amp fuses.
 
Sounds good. If you want, now would be a good time to up from fuses to circuit breakers. They are also a good way to temporarily isolate the circuit.
 
If you have a battery management system as part of the factory ECU/CAN then you want to run a cable to the same grounding point as the battery negative cable is connected to. When installing my Redarc I added a bluesea power post as a ground location in the aux battery battery box. This was connected to the black ground wire on the Redarc as well as the ground cable that extends the the body ground connected to the start battery negative cable.
 
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