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Old 08-21-2020, 09:13 AM   #1
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can you overload your tow vehicle's battery with accessories?

We have a Ford F-150 half ton tow vehicle. We have a back-up camera, a phone, and a trailer brake hooked up when we are traveling. I want to add a dash camera. Will this be too much overload on the truck's battery?
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:17 AM   #2
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No, that should not overload it. You should be able to add GPS, TPMS, and some other small loads with no problem as long as the battery and charging system are in good condition.
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:39 AM   #3
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What you are talking about is a couple of amps. That's pretty much a tiny percent of the alternator's capacity.
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:51 AM   #4
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FWIW, my dash cam company offered a setup to "permanently" power the cam. It cam with an 8' power lead that I ran down the passenger side of my truck and put in one of the "add a fuse" deals and plugged it into thee fuse box located behind the glove box. So the cam is on it's own fuse. Wire is hidden inside the trim along the side of the windshield. You can only see the wire for about 2" between the door and where I routed it into the fuse box. Took under an hour to install.
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Old 08-21-2020, 09:58 AM   #5
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You don't say what year your F150 is or what size of alternator is on it, it is possible to overload an alternator, will you with adding what you want to add probably not. alternators for the F150 range from 65 amps to 130 amps, you may want to find out what alternator you have just in case you decide to add more features to your truck. AMPs go fast when you are adding stuff, if you have a 65 amp alternator you may want to look at upgrading to a higher capacity alternator.
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Old 08-21-2020, 10:05 AM   #6
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Just adding "electronics" like dash cam, GPS, etc won't add much load.

Adding huge lights or high wattage stereos can add enough load to tax the alternator.
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Old 08-21-2020, 10:42 AM   #7
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Quote:
Just adding "electronics" like dash cam, GPS, etc won't add much load.

Adding huge lights or high wattage stereos can add enough load to tax the alternator.
YES... typical dash electronics like cams and video screens sip power and are very low load... no trouble adding to any system
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Old 08-21-2020, 11:18 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by wildcatter View Post
You don't say what year your F150 is or what size of alternator is on it, it is possible to overload an alternator, will you with adding what you want to add probably not. alternators for the F150 range from 65 amps to 130 amps, you may want to find out what alternator you have just in case you decide to add more features to your truck. AMPs go fast when you are adding stuff, if you have a 65 amp alternator you may want to look at upgrading to a higher capacity alternator.
Even higher than that. The new F-150s are 210A to 250A
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Old 08-21-2020, 03:54 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SailorSam20500 View Post
FWIW, my dash cam company offered a setup to "permanently" power the cam. It cam with an 8' power lead that I ran down the passenger side of my truck and put in one of the "add a fuse" deals and plugged it into thee fuse box located behind the glove box. So the cam is on it's own fuse. Wire is hidden inside the trim along the side of the windshield. You can only see the wire for about 2" between the door and where I routed it into the fuse box. Took under an hour to install.
What was the brand of dash cam you used? I am looking for a new one.
Thanks
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Old 08-21-2020, 10:27 PM   #10
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What was the brand of dash cam you used? I am looking for a new one.
Thanks
I have a Viofo A119S (front cam only - their A129 is front and rear view). I ordered it thru Walmart because they had a better price for it than Amazon or direct from the manufacturer. I also ordered the HK3 hardwire kit and the GPS module for the cam. Lots of sources for the fuse tap. Cam was purchase in Sept 2018 and is still working perfectly.
The pic below is clipped out of one AVI recorded on the cam. We were in a Custer SD to visit Mt. Rushmore.
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Old 08-22-2020, 12:07 AM   #11
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Even higher than that. The new F-150s are 210A to 250A
That makes more sense. My Silverado has a 220 amp alternator. With all of today's electronics there is no way a 65 or 130 amp alternator could keep up.
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Old 08-22-2020, 12:13 AM   #12
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That makes more sense. My Silverado has a 220 amp alternator. With all of today's electronics there is no way a 65 or 130 amp alternator could keep up.
Heated seats, heated steering wheel, inverters, electric power assist steering...just to name a few
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Old 08-22-2020, 07:11 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by SailorSam20500 View Post
I have a Viofo A119S (front cam only - their A129 is front and rear view). I ordered it thru Walmart because they had a better price for it than Amazon or direct from the manufacturer. I also ordered the HK3 hardwire kit and the GPS module for the cam. Lots of sources for the fuse tap. Cam was purchase in Sept 2018 and is still working perfectly.
The pic below is clipped out of one AVI recorded on the cam. We were in a Custer SD to visit Mt. Rushmore.
Thank you very much
John
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Old 08-22-2020, 06:06 PM   #14
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In theory, yes, batteries/alternators can be overloaded. If you were running 6 halogen 130W KC Daylighters (blast from the past, anyone?) and a 1,000W amp driving two 12” subs, then you’ll have power concerns!

Common electronics, though, are nothing. Enjoy your gadgets!
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