Best Way to Make Secure Connections when Splitting

[Rustic313]

I am working on running wiring for a cargo trailer conversion. I want to make a 12v circuit for the rear of the cargo trailer with a few lights and fans and such on it. Of course everything needs to be in parallel.

My plan is to run a 10 gauge wire from the battery and main circuit breaker panel (front of trailer) to the items in the rear. I was then going to split it and run 12 or 14 gauge wire to each individual light fixture/fan. I figure doing 90% of the run with the larger gauge wire will cut down any voltage drops.

What is the best way to split the #10 wire wire? I was thinking of using terminal blocks (wire just wrapped around screws), bus bars (ring terminals crimped onto wire), or power posts (ring terminals crimped onto wire), but wanted to see if there's a "better" way. The circuit will be up in my ceiling and somewhat hard to access once complete so I want to do it right the first time! Anything involving ring terminals I was planning on crimping, putting some liquid electrical tape into, then shrink heat wrapping.

[grantstew8]

I'm really interested in the responses to this as I'm about to start wiring.

The idea at this point I don't want any joins in the wire if it's going to be difficult to get to.
My plan was to use spade connectors and heatshrink wraps as the connecting methods but will be accessible if I need to change/amend at a later stage.
I've some 1.5mm (15 gauge) and 2.5mm (10 gauge) 240v wire that I'll used to get from one part of the TD to the other. When I get close, (read accessable) I can then use the connectors and split out the wires to each device/plug.

[CarlLaFong]

In 50+ years of tinkering with stuff, solder has never failed me

[woodywrkng]

I have a few connections in my ceiling I can't access without hacking a hole, and I used quality wirenuts covering a soldered connection. If yours will be somewhat accessible, and you can envision someday changing something, I would use a terminal strip with crimped and soldered ring connectors. I agree with Mr. LaFong on soldering.

[bobhenry]

Here is Joanne's pictorial again. Look at the red (hot/positive) side the delivery wire is fused right at the battery and a disconnect then it traveles to a fuse block where it is downsized and routed to its final destination with each circuit fuse protected seperatly. A little hint I placed 4 fuses and each serves a different wall so if one is blown I know if its the right side the left side the front nose wall or in the galley wall.



OH ! here is a second vote for electronic's rosin core solder


Here is the rather cheap and dirty 12 volt wiring on Chubby. The round black thing to the far left is a circuit breaker and manual shutoff in one ( Advance auto about $9.00) You see a 10 gage red enterin the bottom and out the top to the fuse block where it is distributed to the 4 circuits thru the glass fuses and out to the 4 walls of 12 volt demand. The negative from the battery run to the grounding block on the left and 4 return circuit legs match up with the 4 delivery circuts to return the circuit to the battery.

[Rustic313]

BobHenry,

Thanks for posting the diagram again... What I was getting at is, "How do you split the one wire coming out of the fuse block to go to, say, the lights into two (or more!) wires to run each light?"

Sounds like wirenuts are a good way to go!

[grantstew8]

Thanks chaps. Solder it is! Makes sense and I've used it for years on Db 9 and db25 serial cable connectors in the early years of connecting pcs together. Cat5 and USB is now so much easier.....

[bobhenry]

Here is what you are having trouble seeing in the picture I split the single feed wire into 4 circuits. the silver is a soldered joint. You can make multiple hookups on each of those 4 circuits by simply continuing the feed wire to all points needed. I simply removed a bit of the insulation and soldered a bell type splice (wrap a feed wire around the bared spot on the continuious feed wire and solder on a short feed wire and insulate) and took that short feed wire where needed.



found a pic of a tee style splice

[H.A.]

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[RandyG]

You can also put 2wires in one side of a butt connector. Never failed me.

[aggie79]

For your situation I would use either a junction block or terminal strips.