Roof rack lights wiring - where to fit cable?

Hi All, New member so hopefully I have not broken any rules with this new thread. But I have a question that I have searched for and it seems no one else has had the same problem or I am failing at google.
I have a 2014 Navara D22 with an ARB canopy and Delux ARB roof racks fitted to it. I have some LED lights (4 X27W) that I want to mount to the roof rack (some at front and some at back). I have the way I want to wire them all sorted and will have a few switches in the cab as well as a remote switch/dimmer in the line somewhere. So I was planning to take the wires from the roof rack to the engine bay to the cab.

Issue – Where to run cable from the roof rack to the engine bay/cab. Most people I have asked have said come down between the cabin and the canopy/tub – but there is extremely limited room there and I’m not confident I can get a cable through there (tightest part being at the meeting point of the canopy/tub and the cabin. I have thought about flat trailer wire, but still not convinced it will fit or if it did it would get pinched over rough terrain.

At the moment it’s looking like from the roof rack – drill hole in canopy – into cabin – out near tail light – underneath to engine bay – then through the impossible grommet under drivers side wheel flare (have front spots through there ATM so I know that struggle).

Drilling into the canopy just does not seem like the best option.

Any suggestions or Experience – Obviously I want to keep them hidden and enclosed in conduit and as neat and inconspicuous as possible.

Have you got any pics of how close the canopy is to the passenger cabin? Here is a couple of pics of how I ran my wiring. I don't have canopy roof racks, only on the cab. I used 5 core trailer wire. I only have 2 lights on the roof though, the other wires were for relay triggers to go into the tub. I just need to make a cover for the wiring in the wheel well. The wiring inside that split tubing is 50a twin core for the roof light bar, the 5 core trailer wire isn't very large diameter...

You can kinda see in the photos. There is a bit more room on one side, on the other you can see the rubber seal has even rubbed some pain of the back of the cabin. Might try some 5 core flat down the side that has a bit more room, after all that cable is usually squeezed under a boot door when used for a trailer.

I ran wires from the roof rack on canopy into gap between canopy lifting rear window and canopy through the hinge space and down the canopy side , into tub . tHis was for my roof mounted solar panel. It works for me and only a couple of inches of exposed wire, wrapped in split tube.

Wandering Wally said:

You can kinda see in the photos. There is a bit more room on one side, on the other you can see the rubber seal has even rubbed some pain of the back of the cabin. Might try some 5 core flat down the side that has a bit more room, after all that cable is usually squeezed under a boot door when used for a trailer.

Click to expand...

Ah ok, I see. Arb has a different design on the canopy. Mine is a flexiglass, just the basic one, so has a kinda recessed front window. Which also means it doesn't have anything across the front of it close to the cab. I'd go with the flat cable, like you said it goes through boot lid seals... worst case, the tub only has 6 bolts holding it so you could always loosen them a bit and adjust the tub slightly.

Thanks all - I think i am going to go with the flat cable - Which turns out is harder to buy than a dinosaur egg, could only find 2m of it on ebay with the trailer socket attached so will be cutting that straight off. Looked in a whole bunch of stores and rang a few autoelec places as well as trailer places - no one had just flat cable to sell me. Will report back once done.

See if you can source a hollow bolt like on the bottom of the spring fitting on. CB antenna, and replace one of the roof rack bolts with it That way you get the cable into the tub off the roof.

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?im...d=0ahUKEwjgiLqFiLrJAhUCpJQKHaRUBGcQMwggKAUwBQ
Like this

Well after a lot of swearing and cut hands, it’s done. I was too late to see the post on hollow bolts (news to me and will absolutely use for a few other things). I ran all the cables around the roof rack in split conduit down the right hand side (where the larger gap was) using flat trailer wire. Then along the side step under the car into the right wheel flare and into the engine bay – then the switch wire continues around into the left wheel flare into the cabin.

All looks pretty neat and tidy so happy with the result – was fairly relieved when the lights came on as I had so many joins and connections.

4 27W LED lights in total, 2 facing forward to assist with the halogens on a 3 position switch that is wired into the high beam and to the battery so I can run off both depending on use driving/camping. 2 rear facing on an on/off switch that I put a remote dimmer on, just because it’s fun to have a remote for lights! Not wired into the reverse lights (not sure on the argument on whether they need to be or not – but mine won’t be either way).

Having no grommet through the firewall and having to go through the wheel flare has killed my hands.