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2010 Silverado 1500

I have two LED Flood lights mounted to the headache rack of my truck: Alpena TREKTEC MR12 LED Flood/Light Pods, 1,100 Lumens, 2-pk (1 amp & 12 watts per light).

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I plan to use a 12v extension cord to connect the lights directly to the cigarette lighter: Amazon - 26ft 14AWG extension, max.180W with 15A Fuse.

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The idea is it will be a simple and safe way to connect the lights. Most of the time, the lights will be disconnected, and I will need to very intentionally plug them in to use them. I think that will reduce risk of accidentally turning on/leaving the lights on and reduce the risk of fire.

  1. Run the extension cord from the cigarette lighter plug along the floor towards the rear of the cab.
  2. Fit the wire through the cab vent and up towards the back rack.
  3. Cut off the female end of the extension cord and splice in the lights. The lights have a 1-foot lead.
  4. Secure the wires to the back rack via UV-resistant cable ties.

Question:

How should I connect the lights to the extension cord? The connection will be located outside of the truck behind the rack, due to the short leads on the lights.

Last year I tried my hand at some boat wiring in an aluminum boat using butt connectors. But the connections didn't last, possibly because the wires were different gauges.

The truck lights are a similar situation where the extension is 14 gauge wire, and the lights are a narrower gauge, possibly 18 gauge.

So, as an alternative, I'm considering using a technique I saw on an Andrew Camarata YouTube video: Solder the wires together and use shrink wrap to seal them. Is that a recommended technique?

I'm under the impression that marrettes aren't used for exterior automotive or marine wiring because the cap can fill up with water and corrode the wires.

User1974
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2 Answers2

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For an outdoor connection solder and shrink wrap will work great (best in my opinion). The weakness in solder joints is if they are in an environment that allows them to bend back and forth. It doesn't sound like you will have that problem though.

Jupiter
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Solder & shrink wrap for outdoor use. If the wires don't look like perfectly clean copper after stripping the sheath, sand them clean with fine sand paper so they soak up solder better. If the wires are different size, I recommend 3:1 or 4:1 shrink with adhesive liner that helps to seal the connection. Crimp connectors only work until they corrode if not sealed, so are only temporary solutions.

Wallace Boehme
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