24v Terrova wiring ?

I am going to be installing a Terrova 24v 80lb thrust and the manual calls for a 60 amp circuit breaker & 6 gauge wire.. question
1) My boat has 10 gauge wire. How necessary is it to put 6 gauge in? What are the ramifications?
2) If I left a smaller guage wire in, would it be smart to put in, say a 50 amp breaker instead (at least until I put the bigger wire in) to avoid a problem? Specs say it draws a max of 56 amps. In what cases (only max speed or very close to it while turning?)would it draw over 50 amps to break the circuit breaker (if a 50 was used)?

Thanks in advance

Carefuly said, don’t be

You WILL regret it. You will burn 10ga up, Literally smoke the insulation off it.

Do you really want to risk a fire or shorting out the motor and or battery.

Don’t ever skimp on wireing. -Mark

Good to see you changed your reply Chuckler…..

6 gauge wire is VERY CHEAP insurance,if the manual calls for it, then YES I would do it.

JMHO…

Depending on the length of the wires from the batteries to the TM, you could have a fair amount of voltage loss at the TM. If you do decide to keep the 10 gauge for a while, I’d use no larger than a 30 amp manual-reset breaker or fuse. You don’t want the breaker to keep re-setting itself before the wire gets a chance to cool down. If you need a good source for marine wiring, look here: http://genuinedealz.com/ they’ll add whatever terminals at either end you need.
In the end, get the 6awg wire, 1 less thing to worry about.
HRG

X5 get the 6 awg wire and make sure it is marine grade. Automotive does not compare to marine grade. It will have thicker more abrasion resistance insulation than automotive grade. Like Chucker said anything less and you might find yourself up a creek.

Tell you how necessary it is! It burnt my house down because the company that installed it used 10 gauge wire!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Serious stuff don’t wish it upon anyone

I wired my 80# 24v Terrova with 4 ga stranded copper, and Minnkota’s “made for it” 60 amp circuit breaker. Do it right…this is cheap insurance for a sizeable investment you’ve already made. Take our word for it..don’t use anything lighter than what Minnkota asks for. Heavier is OK, but not lighter.

I just bought the wire/breaker for the same motor from Fleet Farm in Rochester. 1-25′ roll of 6ga red and 1-25′ roll 6ga black “trolling motor” wire from their auto dept = just over $50 and the minnkota circuit breaker $40. Peace of mind = (you know it’s coming) PRICELESS!

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I just bought the wire/breaker for the same motor from Fleet Farm in Rochester. 1-25′ roll of 6ga red and 1-25′ roll 6ga black “trolling motor” wire from their auto dept = just over $50 and the minnkota circuit breaker $40. Peace of mind = (you know it’s coming) PRICELESS!

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Will you need a receptacle that accomodates that 6 gauge
wire or are you hard wiring from TM to battery?

delete, sorry wrong thread

Using a recepticle as I want to be able to remove the motor from the boat. Although there are others out there this is what I have ConnectPro

Thanks for the advice everyone!

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Using a recepticle as I want to be able to remove the motor from the boat. Although there are others out there this is what I have ConnectPro

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Were you able to use the Connect Pro with 6 gauge wire?

It says it will accept up to 8 gauge.

Anyone know who stocks the MinnKota brand receptacle?

Thanks!!

Look at the last item in your link, It accepts 6 gauge.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat21380&id=0000967015230a&navCount=2&podId=0000967&parentId=cat21380&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat21380&hasJS=true

Thanks Denny!!

I need to be sure the receptacle will accept

6 gauge. The plug will go on the end of the trolling motor

wiring which I believe is 10 gauge.

Does the recepatacle work with 6 gauge?

Thanks!

I found this which answered my question. I originally thought the adaptor

was for going into the front of the receptacle with 6

gauge wiring. My mistake.

Thanks!!

Connect pro adapter worked fine for the 6 gauge (gets a little spendy though by the time you get buy new wire, new receptacle, new plug, new adapter). By the way, be careful when loosening the screws on the adapter so you don’t loosen them too much. I cracked the plastic casing a bit by doing so. Does it seem strange to anyone else that it calls for 6 gauge, yet uses a smaller gauge wire on the trolling motor itself?

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Does it seem strange to anyone else that it calls for 6 gauge, yet uses a smaller gauge wire on the trolling motor itself?

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I think the 6ga is used because of the voltage drop that occurs over the length of the cable from the batteries to the trolling motor plug if a smaller gauge is used.

Yep. Bigger gauge wire is for voltage drop. the terrova protects itself from undervoltage by shutting down when load goes up and voltage drops. I found this out the hard way when last fall on a trip to Lake of the Woods mine would only run at 50% and then for only part of the day due to a cell that was failing in one of my batteries. Best advice in the thread is to follow or exceed (use bigger wire) the manufacturers instructions. After all, by the time you spend $1300 – 1400 on your trolling motor, I-Pilot, etc, it would be a shame to damage it or not have it work the way it is intended on the water due to a poor installation.