Hey Dave, Rich here. good to hear you got it fixed and are underway. Take care buddy.

Even though the fans and fuel pump are relayed the charging current still has to go through 2 bulkhead connectors and the ammeter, the bulkheads will not take this abuse long term. The easy solution is to run at least a 10 gauge wire and 30 amp fuse from the alternator post to the battery, 6ga and a 60 amp would be better. It would be wise to add another ground from the battery to the alternator or block as well. This takes the heavy charge current off of the old wires and bulkhead connectors. You are having problems with the fuse link and blue wire because they are overloaded, a jumper will solve this. The stock circuit runs a black wire from the alternator to a bulkhead,then to the ammeter, then turns red and tees for the headlights, then red to another bulkhead, then turns blue and end in a fuse link at the starter relay. A simple 10ga wire and 30 amp fuse eliminates the heavy load on all those connections, try it , I have been doing it for 30 years now, might save you a fire.

May be too late, but If you have any loose ends to wrap up on your way to Arlington, you might be coming very close to me on your way through. LMK if you need anything before you disembark. goodysgotacuda@yahoo.com

Guys, thanks a bunch again for all of the help. As everyone said the 30A fuse wasn't enough, and we talked to the guys from Painless and they hooked us up with a maxi fuse holder to replace it with. The hotel we were at in Arlington was great, because there were two entrances with covered driveways and one was under construction. We were able to just use that one as our own personal garage to check everything over. Got the fuse holder changed, and are running a 40A successfully all day today on the ride to Texarkana (what a crappy venue they picked, a dirt field? seriously?). They were saying to start at a 70A, but we figured we can creep up on it if we have issues.

So far so good! Hope to be done doing wiring work for this trip, but somehow I doubt it. I do like the idea of running direct from alternator to the battery. I'm hoping to make this trip home and we'll look at doing that when we get home...

Rich! What's up man!?

Thank you all again,

-Dave