DIY Anderson SB-50 Aux Connector

[TeCKis300]

I'm not the first one to do this, and I've seen it mentioned here and there on various threads. I think this deserves its own thread for the utility it offers. There's multiple ways to do this and perhaps others can also document their own strategies in this dedicated thread for future reference.

Why - An external high power auxiliary power connector. I have at least a couple uses but the possibilities are endless. I intend for it to support high current charging of my lithium batts on my travel trailer. Will also use it for chase lights when offroading.

What - Added an Anderson SB50 auxiliary power connector to the rear of my LX570. It's stacked behind an aftermarket Hopkins 4 and 7-pin trailer harness receiver, that is well protected from off-road hits by the spare tire. The SB50 is powered and switched by the high current 30A output of my SwitchPros that allows it to be programmable and switched off with ignition. I doubt I will ever need it, but it could also be switched by a high current relay if I ever needed a full 50A output. There also scaled up Anderson connector solutions to support more power.

 

[Artie]

Charging your camper while towing is something I thought was standard until we got our camper and was told to install the wiring for it from the seller. It’s not difficult to do and the gains are massive.

I never considered a switch for ours. We’re on our second tow vehicle and both have just had the Anderson plug at the hitch. If it’s running double duty for the lights it makes sense.

 

[skrypj]

Charging your camper while towing is something I thought was standard until we got our camper and was told to install the wiring for it from the seller. It’s not difficult to do and the gains are massive.

I never considered a switch for ours. We’re on our second tow vehicle and both have just had the Anderson plug at the hitch. If it’s running double duty for the lights it makes sense.

It’s kind of standard if you had lead acid batteries as they would be charged off the 7 pin at a semi slow rate, but with LiFePO4’s you need a dc-dc charger

I still don’t have a DC-DC yet though. I haven’t seen a need.

 

[TeCKis300]

The factory 7-pin can charge a trailer just fine. With lithium's in trailers, it's recommended to have a DC-DC charger for isolation and to bring the voltage up high enough that chemistry. Though DC-DC chargers can be beneficial for all battery chemistries really, to compensate for voltage drop and push about 10A on the 7-pin.

I currently have exactly that on my 7-pin, along with 400W solar, charging 500Ah, and it has covered 90% of my use cases fine.

For more challenging trips with cloudy weather, short drives, or extended stays, I wanted to have an additional Anderson circuit to push another 20A with an additional DC-DC charger.

 

[DirtNap]

Kudos! I've thought about doing something similar up front (through the grill) to make it easier to connect my air compressor or to jump start somebody. Might be an application for connecting portable solar too (although probably connected to the MPPT, not the starting battery).

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I did the same thing for my own trailer w/ the Renogy 40a DC/DC charger. Here is where I secured my Anderson connector:

Mine is always powered, so I do have to physically disconnect the cable when the vehicle is not running. Haven't found that to be an issue so far.

 

[TeCKis300]

I did the same thing for my own trailer w/ the Renogy 40a DC/DC charger. Here is where I secured my Anderson connector:

Mine is always powered, so I do have to physically disconnect the cable when the vehicle is not running. Haven't found that to be an issue so far.

I like how you have it tucked in there. Also the trailer 4 and 7-pin installed in the bumper.

I have the same Renogy 40A DC-DC. It is throttled down to 20A as I didn't want to overtax the alternator with all the other loads going on.

Good to hear it's working well for you.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I like how you have it tucked in there. Also the trailer 4 and 7-pin installed in the bumper.

I have the same Renogy 40A DC-DC. It is throttled down to 20A as I didn't want to overtax the alternator with all the other loads going on.

Good to hear it's working well for you.

To be honest, I've come to regret the trailer connector in the bumper. It is 10x more convenient (and I do tow lots), but I hate the look of it and wouldn't do that again. I wish we had OEM plugs next the license plate like the Tundra, Sequoia, etc.

The Anderson connector is working out well - easy to reach, and stays out of the way when not needed.

I use the LX as a sort of generator when in camp. When my 200ah lithium batteries get to sub-50%, I idle the LX for ~2.5hours to recharge to full. So far I've done this 4-5 times, and it has worked very well. The last time, on a hot, summer day I did open my hood to help the hot air escape.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Nice installation while keeping the OEM alternator intact.