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wyrfel Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2018
TOTAL POSTS: 10
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Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


Hi,

new here and still finding my way around, but right in the middle of transforming my X-Trail into a mini-camper or camping assistant, rather.

My X-Trail is a Series II T30 Ti (2006).
I'm planning to mount a solar panel on top, underneath the cross-bars. The panel will be mounted on a primitive slide-out mechanism, so i could connect and disconnect the panel every time i deploy the panel, but i'd much rather have it permanently plugged in up there.

Looking for general ways to run a 12v cable to the roof with minimal impact i came up with basically three options:

1) The radio antenna mount seems a candidate to feed in an additional wire, but i don't want to take off the whole head lining and i'm not sure where i could run the cable from there. Haven't investigated this option much.

2) Run a conduit alongside the outer edge of the windscreen with the cable inside, into the gap underneath the bonnet. Could connect to a plug mounted there. Not sure how to secure the conduit, though, without drilling into the A-column panelling.

3) This seems to be the best option so far: run the wire out the back through the same grommet that run the rear light wiring to the outside. Then run it up behind the lights (there's heaps of space) and out through a little gap at the top of the light unit and into a little gap under the spoiler (either gap might have to be widened, probably). Then i would like to run the wire through the spoiler mount into the roof rail cover and along the inside of it until just behind the back cross-bar mount, at which point i'd be happy to drill a hole into the side of the rail cover to expose the wire and connect it to the panel.

Having a quick look into the spoiler mount opening, some pictures around the web and the service manual, i notice that there seems to be a vertical wall at the front end of the spoiler extrusion and the screw socket seems to occupy a lot of the inner space in the spoiler as well. I'd be happy to drill a little hole through either one of those.

But i also noticed the clip mounts within the rail coverings and wonder if i could get the (2x4mm) wire past those.

Has anyone disassembled/replaced their rail covers and can give me a bit of an indication of how much space there is in there and if the clip mounts actually block the whole channel or are just horizontals at the bottom?

Has anyone tried anything similar?

Thank you,
Andre.
17/Jul/2018, 11:05 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
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Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


Hi Andre,

You don't say where you want the other end of the wires to terminate, engine bay, inside cabin, etc or what amperage they may have to carry which determines size. This could have an impact on the best route to run the wiring.

---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
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18/Jul/2018, 9:42 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
wyrfel Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2018
TOTAL POSTS: 10
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Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


Hi Kev,

where the wires will terminate depends on how/where i can best feed them up there. They will connect to a DCDC charger (Projecta). The charger will either go in the back right hand side (where the accessory port is) or under the bonnet (there seem to be some spare mounting holes on the left side near the battery).

The cable i'm going to use is twin 12GA cable, so 2 strands of about 4mm overall diameter.

I also have heaps of 8GA cable left, but i'm feeling that's a bit too heavy for the purpose.

Andre.
18/Jul/2018, 10:20 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
Reply | QUOTE
Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


12GA wire might be a bit small depending on the length of run you have.
See the table for current capacity @ 12V by length and guage
Image on Flickr

---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
My Blog
My CarPC Worklog
19/Jul/2018, 10:20 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
wyrfel Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2018
TOTAL POSTS: 10
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Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


It would only be 2m - but i'm actually thinking about using the 8GA cable, after all.
Think i'll go with out the back and instead of feeding it through the spoiler foot i might just go along the inside of it.

Figured i can either got through the rear light wiring harness grommet or through the rear door wiring/wiper hose grommet. Not sure, yet, which one is better.
20/Jul/2018, 10:57 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
wyrfel Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2018
TOTAL POSTS: 10
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Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


Sorted it out. Went with the double strand 8GA cable. Fed it through the rear light harness grommet, underneath the light casing, out the top and then along the inside of the roof railing.

Pictures:
feeding through top of rear light unit
drilling light harness grommet
feed through grommet
taped up
rear lights reassembled
inside
27/Jul/2018, 10:45 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
XTRAILBLAZER Profile
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Date Registered: 05-2015
Location: Rio de Janeiro
TOTAL POSTS: 42
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Re: Feeding wire through T30 spoiler mounts and roof rails?


As I live in Rio where the summer is very hot and my Exy is black, I'm seeking help. I've thought of simply having the roof painted white. Another solution might be to tie white canvas with eyelets and strong chord to the 2 basic roof rails. Perhaps better would be to fit an upper aluminium roof, about 2cm above, like many traditional Land Rovers. The sun would be kept off the original roof and air would blow through the space. As on the Land Rovers mentioned it'd be important to have the leading edge sloping slightly down so that wind would not tear it off. Have you ever done or seen something like this?
6/Oct/2018, 1:05 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 


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