Blue Sea Systems 12v Power Panel install in ORP Hybrid

[vready]

I installed a 12v power access panel in the cargo area of my TRD Off-Road Premium iForce MAX hybrid this morning.

It's the Blue Sea Systems 4366 Water-resistant Accessory Panel which includes a toggle switch (to disable the power ports and prevent any phantom draw on the battery), a standard 12v power port, dual USB-A charging ports, and a voltmeter with an OLED display that shows the battery voltage.

I didn't take a lot of photos of the install process, but it was pretty straight-forward. Blue Sea provides a template for marking the hole you need to cut in the side panel, and where you need to drill holes for the mounting screws. The kit came with basic screws, but I got some black anodized M4 bolts (with phillips head) and some fender washers and nuts to ensure a secure attachment. There's also a foam gasket included in the kit, and using these bolts/nuts allowed me to get a very solid seal between the power panel and the side panel.

The accessory panel is solidly built and designed for marine applications, so I have confidence it's going to work well and be reliable. This particular install location (on the left side of the cargo area just in front of the battery compartment) is recessed, so the panel is protected and there's room for protruding power plugs — even when there's other cargo loaded in the back. It's very close to the main battery, so was easy to wire up using the basic wiring harness that Blue Sea provided,which has an inline fuse.

It took about 45 minutes to install, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

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[Vincenzo]

WTH! That’s a storage compartment? I have a Sport Premium and it has absolutely no storage in the back.

 

[Shmody]

WTH! That’s a storage compartment? I have a Sport Premium and it has absolutely no storage in the back.

I believe that is a battery compartment. OP mentioned it's location relative to the power panel.

Sweet set up OP!

 

[vready]

Yeah, on the hybrid models, the 12v battery is in the compartment to the left of the panel, and there's plenty of clearance behind the area where I mounted the accessory panel to reach in and tighten the nuts, connect the wiring, etc.

I wish I'd taken a few pictures to show it when it was all open. I also removed the storage tray that is above the panel, which gave me top-down access to this area as well...

You can see the battery compartment open in this photo:

 

[Vincenzo]

The SR5 uses the space commonly used for the woofer, to place the first aid kit. Why couldn’t that be used for storage on other models?

 

[mars001]

USB-A is so obsolete. I don't have anything that's USB-A anymore. Do they make one for USB-C?

 

[vready]

They use a standard 1 1/8” diameter socket so you could just swap in a newer one with USB-C PD and QC 3.0 fast charging.

For example:

https://amzn.to/3ZeY8Yv

 

[mars001]

They probably tried to use up all their old stock of USB-A ?.

 

[Roach011]

So do you just run a hot w/ inline fuse to the battery? Thats it?

 

[vready]

So do you just run a hot w/ inline fuse to the battery? Thats it?

Yup. And there is a spot behind the plastic panel where you can connect the negative ground to the chassis using an existing bolt (with another ground wire).

 

[Roach011]

Yup. And there is a spot behind the plastic panel where you can connect the negative ground to the chassis using an existing bolt (with another ground wire).

Well this just made my short list for a quick, awesome mod.

 

[outdoorCO]

What size fuse? Link?

 

[Farzad_k]

I installed a 12v power access panel in the cargo area of my TRD Off-Road Premium iForce MAX hybrid this morning.

It's the Blue Sea Systems 4366 Water-resistant Accessory Panel which includes a toggle switch (to disable the power ports and prevent any phantom draw on the battery), a standard 12v power port, dual USB-A charging ports, and a voltmeter with an OLED display that shows the battery voltage.

I didn't take a lot of photos of the install process, but it was pretty straight-forward. Blue Sea provides a template for marking the hole you need to cut in the side panel, and where you need to drill holes for the mounting screws. The kit came with basic screws, but I got some black anodized M4 bolts (with phillips head) and some fender washers and nuts to ensure a secure attachment. There's also a foam gasket included in the kit, and using these bolts/nuts allowed me to get a very solid seal between the power panel and the side panel.

The accessory panel is solidly built and designed for marine applications, so I have confidence it's going to work well and be reliable. This particular install location (on the left side of the cargo area just in front of the battery compartment) is recessed, so the panel is protected and there's room for protruding power plugs — even when there's other cargo loaded in the back. It's very close to the main battery, so was easy to wire up using the basic wiring harness that Blue Sea provided,which has an inline fuse.

It took about 45 minutes to install, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Wow - that is really classy. What tool did you use to cut the opening?

 

[vready]

What tool did you use to cut the opening?

Just a compact handheld jigsaw. I drilled a hole to start the first corner and then cut out the rest from there based on the included template.

 

[Archer]

Good quick mod, there's a ton of options.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CKQJQD...c427d&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

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