• 5 Posts
  • 37 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 2nd, 2023

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  • I’m very much a RTFM guy myself. So much so that I’m getting a front plate that says RTFM. It always amazes me when people kill good equipment through lack of easy maintenance that is clear in the documentation or can’t solve a simple problem because they didn’t look at the instructions. My career is now based on my ability to implement what the instructions say (thus the plate).

    I don’t always follow the instructions; but I damn well know when I’m violating them, and why, as well as assessing the risks as best I can. That’s why I’m asking: the instructions didn’t make sense to me but I’m not an electrician or automotive engineer.

    I’m real picky about my truck. It has a few dents and paint chips but is pretty cherry. 190k miles. It just got a clean bill of health from a trans shop and I had them add a trans cooler. About to replace plugs, wires. Doing my own hitch install because I don’t trust most shops to drill my frame or torque correctly. Also going to try and find an oil leak. Getting a few drops a day. Hope it’s something simple.

    My truck has only surface rust as it has never been on salted roads. I’ve got a 500watt amp under the seat grounded to the cab and I downgraded the fuse to 30amps because it didn’t need the 50watt or whatever it was the kit came with.

    My gut says that running the ground to the battery and using an auto reset breaker are a bad idea. However, my gut can be wrong and I’ll ground to the battery and use the auto reset breakers.

    Thank you very much for the advice!




  • 7-way kit is ETBC7 from etrailer. Breakers included are Pollak PK54230 and PK54240. These are thermal overload breakers and typical of 12V auto reset breakers. They get hot and a bimetallic strip flips up breaking the circuit.

    These breakers are used instead of a fuse. That’s why I’m thinking of using manual reset.

    I can just see them ticking away if there was an unattended short.

    Edit: Also, the instructions on that ETBC7 kit include grounding directly to the battery. I assume, since so many people suck at electrical, that’s the safest way to ensure there is a proper ground. I’ll be making my own good ground somewhere with bare metal.










  • As best I can figure, the majority on the left are completely unaware of how dangerous things have gotten over the last few years. Unless you’re living in it, most people see it as histrionics.

    We live in the deep south in what used to be an island of relative progressiveness. I have acquaintances that joined the three percenters, know former military spouting Q shit. Lost the only man I ever called brother to the insanity. Things have CHANGED in the last few years.

    Our friend circle has shrunk and we no longer talk to our neighbors.

    We’re moving to the northeast this summer. There’s a very real chance that it won’t be safe for us here much longer.

    Like you, we’re armed and also realize that it likely won’t be enough.

    History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. The smart Jews with means got the fuck out of Germany before things popped off. We can’t afford to leave the country but hopefully we’ll land somewhere safer.

    Hope nothing happens and all the worry has been for nothing. I really want to be wrong.