No wiring diagram

The metal front panel for the distribution box was marked up last night and I went on to drill holes in each of the cut-outs for the jigsaw blade before finishing for the day.  This is what it looked like.

 

This morning the cut-outs were all made before giving the panel three coats of galvanized primer followed by four coats of Hammertone Dark Grey.

Test fit

I have a problem with the fake Carling type toggle switches.  As you will be aware I’m trying to do everything on the cheap and I bought the five switches from China for less than the price of one genuine Carling switch (Albeit Carling probably make their switches in the same Chinese factory)

Each switch has an LED that illuminates when the switch is in the ON position.  My problem is the reverse of the switches.

Four terminals and NO wiring diagram.  This is going to be a trial and error part of the project. 

Much of the remainder of the day was spent making up some of the wiring loom.  I don’t want to buy cable so I’m scrounging it from various old cables in the garage. 

By 3pm I’d decided to make a start on the tailgate hinge modifications.  At the moment the hinge mounts only allow the tailgate to open 90deg.  But I want it to open 180deg.  so some modifications to the mounting brackets were required.  The trusty Aldi angle grinder proved to be very useful.

The back was cut out of each mounting bracket (red arrow).  This obviously weakens the bracket so I’m going to weld a small triangular strengthening gusset above and below the mount.    You might notice the round combined indicator and brake light in the above photo.  It needs to be moved otherwise the tailgate door will strike it when open.  Actually I made a start on that until the flies drove me inside. 

Mike if I wanted to be a conspiracy theorist I'd think there was something suspicious about appointing two Brexiteers as the Brexit secretary and then undermining both by having the real negotiations conducted by a Remainer behind the scenes.

I suspect the Conservatives are the party of "Big Business" and the majority of "Big Business" wants to remain a member of the EU. The government then wastes valuable time resulting in an awful deal and now no time to negotiate anything else.

The Irish border was a good negotiating strategy from the EU perspective resulting in the UK going on the defensive. My negotiating strategy would have been to tell the EU the UK isn't going to have a hard border and from the UK side the status quote will remain. That would force the EU (and Irish government) to decide whether they were going to have a hard border (and take the heat if they went down that route).

Actually I'd have taken the Canada FTA and replaced Canada with UK in the document adding a small supplement for the additional issues. But then neither the EU nor the Remainers wanted a simple solution. Meanwhile many of the Brexiteers went along with the situation hoping the UK would crash out.

Jim I agree the UK did have a good deal with the EU. It just wasn't good enough for the majority of the voters in the referendum. IMHO Partially because the EU isn't very democratic and partially because for years UK politicians have always blamed the EU when it suited them.

You say "In today's interconnected world no country, especially a small offshore island, can ever be in charge of its own destiny". Yet I can immediately think of one small island nation who had its EU style economy severed by the larger partner. It suffered for several years whilst the nation adapted created new markets and alternative free trade agreements. Today it is thriving... It's my country of birth, New Zealand. Cut off by the UK when the latter joined the Common Market. 

Mick I doubt there will be an early general election. The Conservatives may change their PM but they won't want to place their control of the government at risk. A new PM is likely to be more pro-Brexit, so a 2nd referendum is unlikely.  I can't see the current deal passing parliament.  Leaving without a deal is the more likely occurrence. One would hope Liam Fox has had his skates on during the last 18 months and there are plenty of free trade agreements waiting to be signed. As for live-aboard narrowboats. Well you won't have to worry about the EU rules on red diesel . It might actually get cheaper should the government decides to encourage the nation to be more self sufficient and innovative in food production.  NZ is mountainous so any narrowboat would need to be capable of white water navigation!