2001 VLX budget stereo build

[Nitrousbird]

5 hours ago, Roush611 said:

What batteries are you running? I am adding a second battery this winter and need to move the one out of the rear locker too. The group 27 I have is too tall for under the seat. I want to set it up pretty much like yours

Group 34M.  There are other batteries that will work as well on their side in there that would be bigger.

[minnmarker]

On 10/4/2016 at 11:31 PM, Roush611 said:

What batteries are you running? I am adding a second battery this winter and need to move the one out of the rear locker too. The group 27 I have is too tall for under the seat. I want to set it up pretty much like yours

Group 94 batteries are only 7.5" high.  Available in AGM.  Hard to find in deep cycle though.

[mccrackin]

On 4/3/2016 at 0:00 PM, Nitrousbird said:

You need to shop around; I didn't pay anywhere near that for my 1/0.  IIRC, it was around $4/foot or a little less.  I don't recall needing 44' of it either...I think it was around 30-35' total (that's for 2 batteries):

Did you move your switch up near the batteries as well? I currently have 2 batteries in the rear locker along with a perko switch. I'm thinking about moving the batteries (and possibly adding two more) and switch to this location and just running a positive and a ground back. Any reason not to do this? 

Your 30-35 ft estimation includes both the positive and negative wire run, correct?

[Nitrousbird]

16 hours ago, mccrackin said:

Did you move your switch up near the batteries as well? I currently have 2 batteries in the rear locker along with a perko switch. I'm thinking about moving the batteries (and possibly adding two more) and switch to this location and just running a positive and a ground back. Any reason not to do this? 

Your 30-35 ft estimation includes both the positive and negative wire run, correct?

Mine never had a switch before, so I installed it on the amp rack.

My estimate is for both positive and negative wires.  For as much as that wire costs, I recommend running a string for the path you intend to take and getting an exact measurement. 

 

[mccrackin]

3 hours ago, Nitrousbird said:

Mine never had a switch before, so I installed it on the amp rack.

My estimate is for both positive and negative wires.  For as much as that wire costs, I recommend running a string for the path you intend to take and getting an exact measurement. 

 

Did you tie into the wiring for the dash electronics and breaker bus in the rear locker where the original wiring was ran to the batteries previous location? Or did you re-wire this for a shorter route?

I was planning on adding a distribution block in the rear and essentially splicing into the 2/0 going to the starter. Any reason not to do this? My stereo amp is already mounted under the drivers dash and wired the same way, I should be able to tie into it the same way as long as my losses(in the 2/0 wire) from the battery to the distribution block in the rear locker are low enough, correct?

Thanks for the help!

[Nitrousbird]

2 hours ago, mccrackin said:

Did you tie into the wiring for the dash electronics and breaker bus in the rear locker where the original wiring was ran to the batteries previous location? Or did you re-wire this for a shorter route?

I was planning on adding a distribution block in the rear and essentially splicing into the 2/0 going to the starter. Any reason not to do this? My stereo amp is already mounted under the drivers dash and wired the same way, I should be able to tie into it the same way as long as my losses(in the 2/0 wire) from the battery to the distribution block in the rear locker are low enough, correct?

Thanks for the help!

I used the same power/ground wires to the dash but re-routed them to go to power/ground distribution in the observer compartment.  It is a shorter run so I actually trimmed back the wiring as a result (this is where you will learn that there is no reason to purchased tinned wire...Malibu certainly didn't find it to be necessary).

You want all of your ground wires to go to the same location.  I have ground block dedicated for that.  I prefer the distro block near the batteries.  If I recall, the alternator daisy chains to the starter, but it has been a few years since I did this upgrade so I'm not 100% on that.  I basically mimicked the factory setup but with 2/0 and relocated the battery (and added a 2nd).

I personally wouldn't do a amp under the driver's dash.  The wiring for there isn't really setup to be running amps.  Once you have a sub under there, the space starts getting pretty limited too. 

[mccrackin]

23 hours ago, Nitrousbird said:

I used the same power/ground wires to the dash but re-routed them to go to power/ground distribution in the observer compartment.  It is a shorter run so I actually trimmed back the wiring as a result (this is where you will learn that there is no reason to purchased tinned wire...Malibu certainly didn't find it to be necessary).

You want all of your ground wires to go to the same location.  I have ground block dedicated for that.  I prefer the distro block near the batteries.  If I recall, the alternator daisy chains to the starter, but it has been a few years since I did this upgrade so I'm not 100% on that.  I basically mimicked the factory setup but with 2/0 and relocated the battery (and added a 2nd).

I personally wouldn't do a amp under the driver's dash.  The wiring for there isn't really setup to be running amps.  Once you have a sub under there, the space starts getting pretty limited too. 

Did you go through the ski locker(MLS) when re-routing your dash power/ground to the observer compartment? Any concerns about the MLS leaking and causing issues? I haven't been in my boat since this past summer, there may be an alternative route around the MLS?

Unfortunately the amp, sub, and tower speaker wiring is all already installed on the drivers side. Although I do believe there is currently a separate power wire ran for the amp to the battery. I will look into the feasibility of moving it in a couple weeks when I get the time to start my project.

Thanks again for the help!

[Nitrousbird]

2 minutes ago, mccrackin said:

Did you go through the ski locker(MLS) when re-routing your dash power/ground to the observer compartment? Any concerns about the MLS leaking and causing issues? I haven't been in my boat since this past summer, there may be an alternative route around the MLS?

Unfortunately the amp, sub, and tower speaker wiring is all already installed on the drivers side. Although I do believe there is currently a separate power wire ran for the amp to the battery. I will look into the feasibility of moving it in a couple weeks when I get the time to start my project.

Thanks again for the help!

Dash goes under the gunnel through the bow.  I did run other power wires under the gunnel on the port locker - there is already a pile of wiring there anyway, so just zip-typing to it won't matter.  I run Fly High 1100lb bags in each locker and fill them up tight -  no issues whatsoever with the wiring.

[mccrackin]

On 1/24/2017 at 11:11 AM, Nitrousbird said:

Dash goes under the gunnel through the bow.  I did run other power wires under the gunnel on the port locker - there is already a pile of wiring there anyway, so just zip-typing to it won't matter.  I run Fly High 1100lb bags in each locker and fill them up tight -  no issues whatsoever with the wiring.

Project is under way, and a few questions came up.

When going through the bow,  did you use the existing PVC pipe that goes through the very nose of the boat(under the bow light)? Does this PVC pipe run all the way through or is it split to allow wiring to the light? I figured I should ask before I start shoving wires through..

Also, did you just zip tie to existing wires or did you find a good way connect to the carpet/fiberglass?

Thanks again for all the help! I will post pictures when I'm done.

[Chatty21VLX]

I'm not sure if my boat has a pvc wire way around the bow. I just fished the cables around and zip tied them to some existing cables, and out of the way. You can't see them under normal seating conditions, so i'm pleased.

In some places I used some gorilla glue to fasten zip tie bases to the fiberglass. This works well if you use the proper glue - regular super glue doesn't work well. Liquid nails and gorilla glue seem to hold up well.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Chatty21VLX
Added stuff

[mccrackin]

2 hours ago, Chatty21VLX said:

I'm not sure if my boat has a pvc wire way around the bow. I just fished the cables around and zip tied them to some existing cables, and out of the way. You can't see them under normal seating conditions, so i'm pleased.

In some places I used some gorilla glue to fasten zip tie bases to the fiberglass. This works well if you use the proper glue - regular super glue doesn't work well. Liquid nails and gorilla glue seem to hold up well.

Thanks, I will definitely look into some gorilla glue.

As for going through the bow, I am only concerned at the very front of the bow where the wire basically had to make a U turn. The under the gunnel lighting wiring goes through a plastic pipe. I assume this was built into the fiber glass for wiring purposes. I don't know if there's room to make the turn without using this plastic tube. I'll try to get some pictures up next weekend.

Thanks again!

[Chatty21VLX]

I have some molded fiberglass sleeves for the interior lighting wires and the factory stereo wires. I'm not sure if there is anything where the bow light goes. My new wiring was too big to fit in the sleeves anyway, so I fished it around, tied it up best I could, and called it good.

[Nitrousbird]

On 2/11/2017 at 6:56 PM, mccrackin said:

Project is under way, and a few questions came up.

When going through the bow,  did you use the existing PVC pipe that goes through the very nose of the boat(under the bow light)? Does this PVC pipe run all the way through or is it split to allow wiring to the light? I figured I should ask before I start shoving wires through..

Also, did you just zip tie to existing wires or did you find a good way connect to the carpet/fiberglass?

Thanks again for all the help! I will post pictures when I'm done.

I don't recall a PVC tube up there.  If there was, I didn't use it.  Just zip-tied to existing wiring (I ran LED's too, so those were zip-tied at the bottom of the wiring bundle).  

[Roush611]

@Nitrousbird I assume the above is just your house bank?  What did you do about relocating your starting battery? Where did that wind up?

[Nitrousbird]

1 hour ago, Roush611 said:

@Nitrousbird I assume the above is just your house bank?  What did you do about relocating your starting battery? Where did that wind up?

Starting battery runs everything except the stereo.  Both the starting and stereo batteries are next to each other under the observer seat.  If I ever needed additional power for the stereo, I could simply add a 3rd battery under there; everything was designed where it would be relatively easy to make that type of change.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Nitrousbird

[Roush611]

3 hours ago, Nitrousbird said:

Starting battery runs everything except the stereo.  Both the starting and stereo batteries are next to each other under the observer seat.  If I ever needed additional power for the stereo, I could simply add a 3rd battery under there; everything was designed where it would be relatively easy to make that type of change.

Do you by chance have a diagram of how you wired everything?  I am just about to do basically the exact set up you have, second battery will be strictly for the stereo.  I will be using the blue seas add a battery, not sure what set up you are using for that.  

[Nitrousbird]

11 hours ago, Roush611 said:

Do you by chance have a diagram of how you wired everything?  I am just about to do basically the exact set up you have, second battery will be strictly for the stereo.  I will be using the blue seas add a battery, not sure what set up you are using for that.  

I used the same add-a-battery kit.  I don't have a diagram, but I used the same basic wiring scheme @shawndoggy has posted multiple times, which he modified from Blue Sea's diagram.  It is basically one battery one one side of the switch which feeds the stereo bank, the other side of the switch feed the rest.  Only other wire on the voltage sensing switch is the ground wire, which I disconnect when charging with my onboard charger (as mine is a dual bank and I don't want the batteries to combine during charging).  There are ways around not needing to pull the ground wire during charging, I just never bothered to do it.    

[shawndoggy]

[mccrackin]

@Roush611 I haven't completed my project, but this is what I'm looking at doing. I already have the Perko switch and I'm going to a 3 battery set up. *I will probably go with a 150 amp fuse on item 4, based on wire capacity.

http://imgur.com/a/x6OSW

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by mccrackin

[MLA]

48 minutes ago, mccrackin said:

*I will probably go with a 150 amp fuse on item 4,

FYI, a v8 starter can peak at 300A and level off at 200+A. 

[mccrackin]

45 minutes ago, MLA said:

FYI, a v8 starter can peak at 300A and level off at 200+A. 

Thanks, good to know. In that case I will go bigger on that fuse.

[MLA]

Actually, skip the fuse. 

[mccrackin]

@MLA why? <$15 to protect 20 feet of high capacity wire.

[mccrackin]

Re-routed the stock 6 AWG boat power supply and 4 AWG amp power supply through the bow, still need to do some buttoning up.

http://imgur.com/a/ml5z6

In the bow I found it easier to run a wire from either side down into the area under the front seat and tie them together, rather than trying to fish the entire U turn.