Radiator Fan For Cooling...

[blakegober]

Here is what I am thinking;

I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma that has the TRD package. With this package there is an electrical outlet in the bed of the truck. I think it can push 400 Watts while in park or neutral. The engine does not have to be running to power the outlet. This said, I have a friend that owns a radiator repair shop. He said he would give me a radiator fan to use in cooling the dog off. I am sure I am not the first person to think of this idea. I am not particularly electrical or mechanical in nature so I need some help. What would it take to convert the radiator fan (which I assume is 12v or 5 v) into a fan that could run off the outlet in the bed of the truck? Could someone explain how to do this, or if it can be done? It may be that it can be done but it too much trouble. I can easily use zip ties to hold it to the kennel door by using the mounting holes already in the fan housing/shroud. Any ideas? Has anyone else done this, or something similar? I think it would be really good for the Spring/Sommer HT circuit I have been running. Thanks a bunch. If anyone has done this pictures of the setup would be good.

[jefflab5]

From what you describe in the bed of the truck there is an inverter outlet. I would look around and just see how many watts a standard electric fans pulls and find one that would work. On another note, be careful when using without the truck running, at that point you are just running off your battery / batteries if so equipped. I don't imagine it would take much to pull the battery down low enough make you dead in the water when you go to start your rig.

[Paul "Happy" Gilmore]

If you have the TRD package, I would expect you will have a trailer towing package. You could use the trailer wiring and not mess with converting the fan for use with 110...

You could use a third battery, wire the battery to the trailer wiring so it will charge while the truck is running. Then, you will never worry about running down your truck's main battery. Run the fan off the back-up battery. I have been considering setting up my truck this way. I have a canopy and need to install some vents and fans. Another place I have gotten some good ideas was from the camper/RV stores. They have all sorts of fans and vents which are designed to run on 12V. Good luck. Paul

[duckdawg27]

You should be able to run 1 with no trouble on the 12vdc trailer connection you already have. It is gonna be a matter of how long and how big your battery is to whether you need to watch the charge.
I run 4 such fans (10" elec radiator fans) but my truck has dual batteries. Normally during the course of a day I will crank the truck just to move to another location and recharge the batts as a result. I did however 1 time run them down enough that I needed a jump so it is a good idea to isolate your fan battery(s)

[blakegober]

I do have a trailer connector. This probably shows my mechanical apptitude but which trailer wire do I splice to run the battery? I know how to find the trailer wires coming into the fixed harness on the hitch but what wire do I splice into?

If I run it off a seperate battery where would I put this battery? In the truck bed? Or under the hood somewhere?

[DrCharlesBortellPhD]

I had a camper van about 10 yrs ago. The aux battery system used a 12v deep-cycle battery (advantage is the voltage can drop very low and still function plus it recharges quickly). There was two electrical boxes inbetween the battery and truck battery (limiters & such). The entire set-up is about $100 to $150 complete. Any RV/Camping distributor or sales dept will be able to offer assistance on set-up. Also they have cooling fans that have built in thermostats that will turn on & off automatically for $30-$60. Alot of possibilities. Also this set-up prevents any short from harming the vehicle battery, thus preventing you from becomming stranded. Best Regards Charlie

[Chris Meyer]

The outlet on the back of the truck cannot be used for a radiator fan. The radiator fans in cars are built to run from 5v to 12v. The plug on the back of your truck is meant for household items that run off of 120v. The radiator fan would fry if plugged into this directly without a voltage regulator. If you want to hook up the fan you would need to hook it up from a 12v supply wire. The best and easiest way to do it is to run it directly from your positive side terminal on your battery to a toggle switch you can find at walmart for $2.00. Then run the positive wire from that switch to your radiator fan. Run a ground from the switch to a solid ground anywhere on the truck and one from the radiator fan to a solid ground. This allows you to turn it on and off remotely without have to have the vehicle on or have it constantly running. Any questions, PM me.

[duckdawg27]

Blake
I'm not sure about your truck but some have room under the hood for the extra Batt.
If not you could mount a Batt Box in the bed. I would not just place one back there because of the possibility of spilling Acid.
If you use a mating plug to your trailer connector you wont have to splice anything.
You may have to make sure that at least your "parking lights are on to power the plug. Again, Depending on your truck and trailer connector.
Look me up at the test this weekend and I'll show you how I did mine. It may give you some ideas.

Kenneth Farris

[Paul "Happy" Gilmore]

I do have a trailer connector. This probably shows my mechanical apptitude but which trailer wire do I splice to run the battery? I know how to find the trailer wires coming into the fixed harness on the hitch but what wire do I splice into?

If I run it off a seperate battery where would I put this battery? In the truck bed? Or under the hood somewhere?

Buy a cheap voltage tester at Walmart. I like the kind that look like a screwdriver with a lightbulb in the handle. The biggest thing to remember is to get a good ground. 12V accessories will not work unless they have a good ground.

Check your owners manual too, it may have a trailer wiring schematic. Last resort, go to a local trailer hitch installer and just have them set it up. It would probably only take them about 30minutes to tap you a few wires and energize your new battery to the motor.

I have seen solar powered 12V deep cycle battery chargers for boaters, that might be a cool option too....continually charges the battery when the sun is out. Probably the same time your fans will be running...Paul

[Chris Meyer]

You could try to hook it into your trailer lights, but here's your problem: It will not only diminish the power going to your trailer lights and possibly make them dimmer, but the fan will run only when your lights are on or when you press the brake, turn the blinker on, etc. Also, the fuse to your trailer lights can only take so much.