When do I need to upgrade to a 10-way fuse box?
Most of our full wiring kits come with a standard 6 way automotive blade fuse box and all of the wiring. However for larger set ups, we would recommend upgrading to the 10 way fuse box. In some cases, people might like to upgrade to the larger fuse box even before it's necessary to give more future potential for system expansion.
We will calculate how many fuses and what rating you need when making the wiring kit up, but when purchasing the kit, it helps to know which fuse box is best for you so you don't need to change the order after purchase.
In this article, I will outline the number of fuses that will be used and for what, so you know how many you would need and whether you'd like to upgrade before the purchase.
| Item | Number of fuses required | Typical fuse rating |
|---|---|---|
| 12V 6 switch control panel | 3 | 10A |
| Fridge | 1 | 15A |
| Diesel heater | 1 | 15A (dependant on manufacturers recommendations) |
| Reading lights (up to 4 per fuse, wired into a single loom) | 1 | 10A |
| Extra light switch and cabling (both single and double switches would run from a single fuse as they have a common input) | 1 | 10A |
| CBE dimmer switch | 1 | 10A |
| Extra USBs (up to 4 dual USB units per fuse, wired into a single loom) | 1 | 10A |
| Extra 12V socket (6A socket) | 1 | 10A |
| Extra 12V socket (6A socket) and dual USB in a double surround | 1 | 10A |
| Component switched roof fans | 1 | 10A (dependant on unit) |
| Battery charger extension (because the consumer unit isn't near the leisure battery) | 1 | 10A/20A |
A typical camper set up for a smaller van such as a T5 may have, a control panel, with the lights, water pump and TV wired off the switches and then a direct wired 12V fridge, so this would use 3 fuses for the control panel and one for the fridge. Leaving you with two spare slots for future expansion.
A larger vehicle with a control panel, 2 extra reading lights and 2 extra USBs along with a fridge. This would use 3 fuses for the control pane, 1 for the reading lights and one for the USBs, so a 6 way fuse box would be full, but sufficient for the job. In this case it's up to the customer if they would like upgrade for potential future system expansion.
If you have any questions regarding this, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Thanks for reading.