How do I wire a Engle to the back of my ute??

Its far from rocket science `do it whichever way is easiest and will keep the cables best protected. if theres no rubber bung going ito the tray then yea a drill is needed. as for the female end of the plug they are available from engle suppliers and come with fuses although additional fuses close to the battery wouldnt hurt.
Fill the small hole youve drilled with silastic and maybe take the oportunity to also use the wiring for a couple of rear cigg plugs and a fluro light

And if I am going to drill a hole in my styleside I am going to first paint that hole with a zinc paint. Stuff you use after a weld etc or a spray on one, I would cry if I went back in a couple years and could poke my hole through a slowly spreading rust hole. Have seen this happen in home snorkel jobs.

I have a hilux 2001 dueal cab. There is a plug on the right hand rear corner of the cab and I put a hole in it. Then I ran the wires in the channel and out into the inside where the the front door is hinged. Then up under the mat and into the engine bay through another plug. I put a fuse up close to the battery. I dont see the need for more than one fuse.

At the rear I ran the wires straight up and over into the tray between the fibreglass canopy and fitted anderson plugs to take the fridge and supply to the battery and generator. I put a solonoid in the engine bay that is powered from the windscreen wiper and therefore only comes on when the ignition is on. If you want to run power from the cranking battery when stationary then the solonoid is not neccessary.

I need to put some protection around the wires between where they leave the channel and go the the tray but no hurry on that one. It can wait tilll I run an extra pair of wires to ensure plenty of charging current to the aux battery in the tray. I will eventually put a switch on the primary solonoid feed so I dont have to unplug the solonoid when the circuit is not needed.

hope this helps

Owen

Thanks Owen, that's put me on a good track.

I would run in in hard plastic ribbed covering and run it along the chassis rails wouldnt worry about thru the cabin, and you definitely only need one fuse. Make sure that the plug you will wire in has terminals big enough for the 6-8mm cable (I would run 8mm)

Have just checked them out.. BCF have them for $59.00 huge saving!! Thanks a heap Gone Bush :)

You're welcome Jodie.

Don't forget, you can unscrew the tip of the Engel cig plug which will reveal a threaded two pin arrangement. Do this and you will have a secure connection into the socket that you are buying that will not come undone with vibrations. It can only go in one way so there is no chance of cross polarising the connection.

Remove the fuse while doing the installation and put it back into the holder after everything is done.

Put the removed tip in a safe place in case you want to re-use it one day (like in a plastic zip top sandwich bag then in the side pouch of the Engel transit bag if you have it).

cheers.

There is no better socket either!

Shaker & Gone Bush,
The Engel plug is "ok" by my book. Since 1991 when I "saw the light" and changed to an Engel (from a Chescold 3 Way- great fridge, just rotten on 12V), I have used a Hella marine plug - 2 terminal jobbie that has screw up locking collar that prevents disconnection (the pins are different diameters to aviod reverse polarity connections too). The plug and socket costs around $20 from REPCO. It has got us everywhere, including the Cape and NEVER failed. You get what you pay for!
Wiring wise: the KISS principal applies. My Engel has been in 6 different vehicles so far and I have used the same principal every time. That is, Heavy twin core flex from the battery to the fridge, with ONE fuse (10 AMP) wired in line on the positive side, and within 300mm of the battery. There are enough blanked off grommets in cars these days to route cables without the need to drill holes. IF it doesn't have grommets, you'll need to drill your own holes - dont worry - as long as you put in a grommet to protect the wiring from chafing - you'll be right. If the hole is subject to outside weather conditions or road grime-then paint the hole edges before installing the grommet. Matt's tip: SOLDER EVERY WIRE JOIN AND INSULATE IN HEATSHRINK! This almost garantees longevity - Hey, 18 years in the RAAF has taught a thing or two!

Cheers, Matt

Matt, appreciate your suggestion but once the "tip" on the Engel plug is unscrewed it produces exactly what you've described: a 2 pin, anti-polarising, threaded collar plug.

cheers

I disagree shaker if i wiggle mine a bit the fridge gos on and off and has been the cause of dramas. am considering hardwiring it as i suspect it is causing reduced performance

I had heaps of problems before I fitted the Engel socket, been all through the Outback & High Country since with no further problems.

Yea prob a random problem. checked the actual clips and seem fine- cant figure out why there shoulf be a problem

Gone Bush,
Fair point mate, however the Hella item is made of chrome plated brass and designed for marine applications. The Engel plug is made from plastic. That speaks for itself. I, like Davoe, had connectivity issues with the original Engel plug - hence my change. No doubt 17 year's of product R & D has improved the design of the plug - I'd hope! Check Engeland's website for hella marine plugs - they are the $32.70 ones. Can be bought cheaper elsewhere though.
Looking at the times you guys posted replies, you must be night owls! :-)
Cheers, Matt

Hullo Matt,

yeah, the Hella plugs & sockets are great. In WA we also have Arrid plugs & sockets, very similar.

Arrid Plugs & Sockets

Like you, I actually prefer these too but Jodie's original post indicated a preference for an easy solution.

cheers from one of the many night owls on this Forum.

Hi Gone Bush,
I agree Jodie is after an easy solution. Maybe it's my upbringing, but sometimes the easiest solution is not the best. Jodie: hang in there - I'm not trying to baffle you with BS, but having seen vehicles get burnt out due to dodgy wiring - I'd rather not see you be one of them!
OK. THE simplest, cheapest and safest solution for you is possibly this: Purchase a length of heavy duty (rated to handle 20 amps minimum) 12 volt 2 core flex (Dick Smith's or similar) of adequate length. 15 metres of it would be a guide depending on the size of your ute. Also purchase an in line fuse holder and fuse rated at 10 Amps. Run the cable from your battery through to the tray. I'd then cut the 12 volt plug off the supplied Engel lead and join it to the flex you have just run - terminated and insulated appropriately. Add the fuse holder to the battery end (no more than 300mm from the battery) of the positive lead. No other plugs or connectors would be needed.
This is a very simplistic overview, but a competent auto electrician or electrical type person should know this and could assist. The main problems that are encountered with dodgy wiring could include; size of wiring being too small to handle the current load, wire chaffing due to incorrect routing, or inadequate protection of wire when passed through metal panels, and lack of a fuse.
There are many more, but I have the bloomin' lurgy and am heading to bed!

Cheers, Matt