ARB Compressor Fender Well Mount for Hybrid

Just curious. What's under the hood where the battery is in a NON HV?

 

Yes, I think #1. I thought only the HV battery was under the seat. Didn't know the starter battery was under there too.

 

Yes, I only ran the positive to the engine compartment and grounded to the frame back near the compressor.

For a winch, I’m uncertain about doing the same. I’ve done some internet sleuthing and keep coming up with needing to run a dedicated ground due the high amperage needed for the duration of a pull.

I just think about how much grief I’d get on here if I burned down my $75K truck due to a poor ground ;-)

 

As long as you have good connections, your frame can pass more current for a winch.

 

I cannot see how it could as long as you route the wiring up out of the way. For me, there’s nothing near the shocks or air bags other than the ground wire running to a brake line bracket bolt.

 

This is above my skill level too! I love it though. If you ever make it to NC, look me up if you would like to earn a few bucks! That idea is worthy of it's own patent!

 

Great info. I am a little confused on what the compressor is holding on to. Is the bolt going from the bed in to the rivnut in to the QuickDraw mount?

 

Thank you. There’s no rivnut, just the two large bolts for the QuickDraw bracket. The bracket is bolted to compressor using four smaller bolts per end.

So, it goes: drill hole in bed, insert bolt with fender washer, add the rubber isolator, then the bracket attached to the compressor, and then lock nut.

I flipped the bolt so that the lock nut is inside to fender, but it would have been much easier to have it on the outside.

 

ah! I misread the post, looks like the rivnut is for the switch/coupling bracket. Thanks for the info!

 

Might have a line on a brand new twin compressor for cheap and want to follow this instal (without removing my decker system). Wondering if powering it off my switch pros will cut down on needing to run wires to the engine bay?

 

I remember you running power from the battery through the floor grommet. Is that for the switch pros? Curious what gauge wire you ran. It’s all about the amps and not burning down the truck

 

Switch pros controller is mounted on the dash, everything else is under the rear seat. I t tapped wires in a harness back there so no need for anything to be ran to the engine bay.

my winch has 2/0 cables going from up front to the battery in the backseat, that was cheap….. not. No switch/ breaker/ etc on the winch but haven’t used it more than 2x since installing it (classic)

 

Awesome work.

 

So you just installed an air compressor in the bed of your truck for whenever you need it? God I love smart people. This is genious!!!

 

Wow, this is amazing. I too have a 50A + compressor and am not planning to mount it. But there is a car seat on the rear seat, and I am wondering is there any other heavy duty connection where I can pull 50A+ instead of from under the seat. Removing the car seat and refitting it every time I air down is going to be too much!
Till I install a dual battery system on the bed, I don't really have a solution!
Any tips?

 

Thank you very much. I don't know of an existing high-amperage 12V power connection, and so I ran power to the engine compartment from the battery. It sounds like you would benefit from this so that you could simply connect your compressor there instead of at the battery.

That would include running a large conductor similar to my 1/0 wire from the positive battery terminal. You could then just ground somewhere in the engine compartment. That gives you what I think you're looking for.

More questions are welcome.

 

Thanks, I found a jump starting positive terminal in the engine bay, but not sure if its like a direct conductor or something else too. Am going to install a power station in the bed DIY style or hybrid, so will use that

 

Thanks for the writeup. I'm about to mount mine the same way. Is there anything you would have done differently with mounting the compressor or switch? And how did you get those rubber isolation grommets through the hole in the Quickdraw mount?

 

It’s been a year since the install and everything still works without any issue or adjustment necessary. The location is great for me when airing up trailer tires.

The grommets “slide” onto the bolt and between the mount and bed. It takes some effort to get the bolt through and I think I may have had to screw it to get it to go over the bolt threads.

The order of operations I choose was to drill hole in bed, install bolt with washer from the outside, then grommet, mount, and finally locknut with washer. It would be easier to go in reverse order but the locknut would be on the outside and sunlight tends eat up the white plastic in those things.

Note that I gained access to the fender cavity by removing the left taillight.

 

I really appreciate the inspiration for this build. I added two 4 pin relays (one for each motor) so I can have control inside the cab for power in addition to the bed.

I also added a 1 gallon tank just below the compressor.

https://youtube.com/shorts/QxHed8jg_fE?si=pRCLUSbvbdARUKkq

https://youtube.com/shorts/HwkyeeS7FQI?si=8l-mh9Ew2Q6-W-gT

https://youtube.com/shorts/sVw5XH1ib0k?si=FFK5wy4esf3sla3G

 

Looks like Rave OR has a kit now that is real similar……..

 

Someone shoot me down on this idea. Instead of running a build-in, parts kit integral with the truck, perhaps a mobile kit from VIAIR or the case flate that uses battery clamps. Leave it in a tool box in the back and simply run a heavy gauge wiring from the battery in the engine bay, along the frame, and back up along the truck bed to an Anderson port near the truck bed. Maybe even a quick connect mounted on the tool box so you just open the lid of the tool box, plug in the power, run your hose to the tire and connect to the external quick connect and turn the unit on at it's organic switch. Basically just making the battery clamps portion a little smoother. The compressor will pull a lot of amps and normally you'd want something coming off the battery fused or using a circuit breaker, but all things being generally equal it shouldn't be any different than how these mobile, stand alone compressors are designed to be used minus having to take it out of the tool box, carry it around to the engine bay, open the hood, connect it. Very similar but you're just plugging it in at the bed and you don't have to retrieve it and put it away.

What thinks the group?

 

Your idea makes sense to me. It’ll be easy to replace the compressor when it craps out. However, it will consume storage space, whereas the fender location doesn’t.

For me, just plugging in the air hose and flipping a switch is what I needed for my trailers, ATVs, tractors, etc. I’ve done the compressor-in-a-bag and it was just a PITA to get everything sit up and then put back up.

To each their own. Weigh the costs and then decide.

 

Looking at the dual compressor install kits they're all pretty expensive and the installs are invasive and take quite a bit of time. Most of the dual ARB kits run about $1200 with the compressor. Require permanent modifications to the trucks. When you sell the truck, you're loath to remove the compressor and components because of the complexity and the gaping mod left to the truck. I had an ARB single compressor under the hood in my Gen 2. Traded the truck in and the compressor went with it. You're also limited to using that compressor with just one vehicle. And then when you shop for compressors, the classic ARB dual compressor isn't even the best buy or best performer. The upside to the portable compressors is they have a lot of the "kit'age" already built into them. Instead of having to wire in an on switch and chuck two inches from the compressor on a kit install, it's already done in just about the same place on a portable model. The downside to the portable models, as you pointed out, is having to drag it out, open the hood, and connect the power before connecting your air hose and getting to work. Hence why I'm wondering if there's a middle of the road option where a mobile compressor can be semi-installed so that it's 1) less invasive and time consuming, 2) future adaptable and repairable since it's not hard installed in a difficult location 3) doesn't have to be dragged out of it's storage location to use 4) and allows one to take advantage of the built in power and air chuck to minimize install accessories and parts expenses.

Edit to add: I think hard wiring a compressor to operate airbags and lockers makes a lot more sense. When you NEED the power switch in the cab, and the air lines need to be hard wired into a vehicle component. I think there's a lot of perceptions that installing a compressor that's used solely for airing up tires is done the same way.

https://youtu.be/8Ogm4Lx4O9g?si=jHIfeRu7sKhTl51i

 

@graf_von_tundra did you run power to the engine bay for future add ons ? I was looking into the SDHQ power solution kit for my hybrid but that seems way out of my budget right now.

 

Yes, but the main deciding factor was running the power cable through the firewall instead of the floor to avoid any water intrusion issues.

 

Very delayed, but great install

 

@graf_von_tundra ohhh I see.Yeah that makes sense! I’m planning to do the same install as yours except I’ll be managing the switch controls with my switch pro. Was it difficult running wires from your compressor to the battery?

 

4 ga from the battery in the back seat to the bus bars from the ARB kit off Rave Offroad (yes, expensive) but I was in a time crunch before my neck surgery. 2 x 8 ga 12v and ground to the rear where the ARB twin is mounted, along with the 2 gallon air tank and Hornblasters Shocker XL horns mounted in the passenger side fender well.

 

Nice install