Wiring, roof rack for a cap

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dienster
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:48 pm
Model Year: 2017
Location: Raleigh, NC

Wiring, roof rack for a cap

Post by dienster » Sat Sep 16, 2017 8:26 am

I picked up a used ARE MX and am trying to wire it up.

I need to tap into the brake lights and also want to run some led strip lights in the back. Eventually I'll run some real wire back there to have 12v power for fridge, etc. but for now I'm only interested in some low amp lighting.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2wgOuaFfyHolx7o83

There is this connector behind the driver tail light which I think would power the ramboxes but I don't have them. Does anyone have a wiring diagram that explains what the 4 wires do? It looks like I could connect wires to the cover they left on there. Has anyone done this?


I'm also looking at a roof rack for the cap and there are ones which connect by through bolts with plastic wing nuts and others which are riveted on. Any thoughts on going either way?
Do rivets work well in fiberglass?

Thanks,
Steve

Ducky's Dad
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Re: Wiring, roof rack for a cap

Post by Ducky's Dad » Sat Sep 16, 2017 10:00 am

Don't know anything about that wire block. My shell is a SnugTop and I mounted Yakima 60" tracks to it, with stainless screws through the shell roof and Yak's plastic wingnuts with stainless inserts on the inside. Sealed the holes and the threads with clear RTV silicone, never a leak on two trucks over almost 20 years. The Yak nuts have a large surface area to distribute the load, so that you can crank them down pretty snug without cracking the shell. Rivets are more of a point load and would be more prone to cracking, even with a fender washer under there to distribute the load. With rivets, they are on of off, but you can adjust the tightness of the Yak nuts until they feel just right. And with nuts, it is easier to remove the tracks if you ever need to. And the plastic wing nuts with the built-in fender washer are slightly flexible so that they can conform to the curvature of the shell without cracking it.

The Yak racks are surprisingly flexible and can carry anything from pipe and lumber to kayaks and jon boats. I have a Con-Ferr basket mounted to mine, flanked by an EZ-Awn Bat 270 awning on one side and a 13-gallon PVC water tank on the the other side, with four MaxTrax at the back of the rack, and plenty of room left in the rack for other bulky/lightweight stuff. I used the Yak heavy duty crossbars on this iteration of the rack because my old 250-pound water tank bent the standard bars on rough roads at high speeds. Replaced with heavier bars and a lighter tank and all is good now.
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