Adding Rear Seat USB Port

[Deleted member 995608]

A guy would think that if he spends $50k on a pickup in 2016 that it could have at least one USB port for the back seat passengers.........NOPE. If your listening Chrysler, USB ports are about 1/2 a cent.

I grew tired of my kids reaching over the console to plug in so I decided to add a rear USB port to the back seat. Not only would it lower my BP, it will surely extend the lives of my kids and their friends. I have the Painless fuse block already mounted in the engine compartment. This is what will supply power to the port; completely avoiding the Ram electronics.

I plan to mount the port in the (worthless) rear seat A/C duct cover that supposedly cools off the rear seat passengers. If your listening Chrysler, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

So I started by making my wiring harness to supply the voltage to the port. Back in the day, I use to run 12 gauge to any accessory, which in most circumstances was overkill, so this time I stepped down a notch and ran 14 gauge wire. After all, my goal is to accomplish is keeping an iphone or iPad charged so that I don't leave my children at some lonely truck stop.

My plan is to route the wiring underneath the carpet from the dash to the rear seat underneath the center console. Once I was able to figure out how to remove said console, I noticed that my homemade harness would be rubbing against metal, plastics and other stuff so I wrapped my harness in heavy friction tape. Sometimes I use the corrugated wire loom but in this case, the wire loom wouldn't fit. ( tomorrow I'll add more details about removing the center console)

 

[Deleted member 995608]

As I mentioned in post #1, the rear seat HVAC sucks. From some recent reading, I learned that if I slightly choke off the front HVAC ducting, it will force more air to the rear. Apparently, the single fan used to force air into the system isn't quite up to par for rear passenger comfort. Perhaps a secondary fan of some sort for the rear cab would mitigate this problem.

Upon removal of the center console, exposing the duct system, I saw a very flimsy and loose ducting system to the rear seat. I was hoping to find an "Ah Ha" cure all to make it flow better but no joy. In the end, I used some residential HVAC metal tape to seal the duct connections. I doubt it will improve anything but it made me fell better by making an effort.

It grew too dark for my to see so I called it quits for the night. More to follow.....

 

[Cummins12V98]

Simple inexpensive solution.

No need to waste time clicking to see this pic. "FULL IMAGE"

 

[Deleted member 995608]

If I had one of those in the back seat of my Ram.........

 

[Cummins12V98]

If I had one of those in the back seat of my Ram.........

Actually it's not an inexpensive solution as the LongHorn is just a few $$$ more just to get a cig lighter. Dang it, should of had a USB port!

One of the first things I did to my 78 GlasPly Boat was add cig and USB ports.

 

[kthaxton]

No need to waste time clicking to see this pic. "FULL IMAGE"

See? how are we supposed to know when you are joking or when you are seriously complaining.....because you do it a lot.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I got everything buttoned up but I forgot to take pics of the nuts that need to be removed to pull the 60/40/60 center console. It not the worst thing I've removed, however it was more work than I anticipated.

I bet there are other places to mount a charging port in the back seat. This was the only spot I saw the was both easy to access and had a flat surface. I don't like the constant illumination of the port I bought so I'm gonna replace it with one that doesn't stay lit.

 

[Cummins12V98]

See? how are we supposed to know when you are joking or when you are seriously complaining.....because you do it a lot.

I'm showing it's not that damn hard to click the one on the right VS the left. I guess common sense does not equate.

Besides it gives a couple of you something to get stirred up about.

 

[kthaxton]

Wait....who's stirred up?

 

[Cummins12V98]

JHawes, that looks nice!

 

[Cummins2014]

Wait....who's stirred up?

And yet he still wonders why he gets slammed.

To the OP ,All we do is double up the port ,and use a longer cable, not the best ,but solves the problem for the back seat.