STech switch system

I've been anticipating purchasing a 4 runner of some sort for quite some time as well as all of the mods and what I plan to do with it. A few weeks ago I picked up a 2020 Venture edition. It has all of the things on the interior that I wanted that the SR5 or trail had been missing so I was very happy to find the changes in 2020.
So on to the mods I've started, First thing I've done is install an STech switch/relay system. I probably researched different systems for a few weeks and decided the STech was the best for what I wanted to do. The install took about 3 hours which I probably could have done in much less time but being impatient as I am, I took it outside at 9pm just to see how some of the components would go in and that led me to actually installing everything with drop lights in the dark out in the driveway! I installed everything under the hood with some Power Trays cables and platform as well as some additional components for extra expansion and fusing capabilities if I ever need them. Both companies, STech and Power Trays have been great to deal with. Power Trays actually shorted me a cable and I e-mailed them and they sent it out immediately with apologies and no questions asked. Anyway, the hardest part of the entire process was installing the tray under the hood. There is a new relay box of sorts which blocks one of the anchor points that is needed to install the tray on the driver side where I installed it. It is all very tight in there, but a little effort and patience and I got it done. There is a lot more room on the passenger side to install all of this but it would require moving some factory parts out of the way and I think the bigger issue might be the air intake. I'm sure some people have installed it on that side but I didn't want to move that stuff. Installing on the driver side does block access to some things like a relay box that I think is new in 2020 or at least relocated if not new plus a few other components. If I need access to that stuff it will require dismantling the switch system a bit but there aren't a whole lot of other options for location.
So installing the tray probably took more time than anything else. Power trays make a tray specific for mounting the STech system which is very well thought out and designed pretty specifically for the parts I put on it. Terminal block for negative cables and terminal block for positive cables coming from the switch/relay system. I also installed and additional fuse block for components I might install later. Maybe overkill, but now I don't need to worry about it if I need it.
Bringing the harness through the fire wall was very easy and the cables are plenty long enough. Once through the fire wall the rest of the job is cake. Here is probably the best part of the install that I took upon myself....I was able to install the switches in the middle dash WITHOUT taking any of the dashboard apart. STech provides very good instructions for doing all of this including pictures, one of which depicts where you need to drill holes for the cables to pass through in the little cubby where everyone typically installs the switches. I figured there has to be room there for the harness so I simply drilled it in place. you have to be very careful because there is ducting for the air system back there made of white plastic. I would suggest drilling your hole slightly left of where they show it, but just slightly. Doing it this way is great because it avoided having to dismantle the all of those dash components. Once you start taking them apart, you always get rattles and creaks down the road because they weren't really meant be taken apart. Most people never take their dashboards apart. Anyway, drilling the hole was easy and I simply shined a flash light through the hole from the cup holder area and I could easily see, and snake the cable harness from the engine through the hole. I plugged in the switches which come pre-wired with a quick connect. There is also a small block that all of the switches come mounted in. That fits so snuggly into the cubby that I pushed it in and I can't get it out just from how tightly it fits in the opening. I guess if you were doing some serious off-roading it might come loose but I think a piece of double sided tape on each side of th cubby would suffice. If you take the dash apart as they suggest, there is a template(mine was missing) that they provide for mounting holes to bolt in the switches. The way it fits I don't feel it is necessary for my application.
One thing to note, there is an add on fuse that plugs into the fuse block under the dash. The 2020 fuse block is different than previous years so the location of the fuse they suggest replacing is in a different spot. I believe the fuse that they show replacing from previous years is for the power inverter for the 120v outlet. I just found that fuse on the new block location and it works fine, as well as the inverter.
I would definitely suggest installing this with a breaker for overcurrent protection. Typically this could be mounted under the hood on the PowerTray. The way I set things up I didn't have room, so I got a new battery tie down and mounted the breaker to this. I like this location because it is in your face at the battery, so any work that needs to be done, this would need to be disconnected before the battery could be disconnected. I just felt it was a little failsafe thing to keep someone, mainly me, from getting blasticuted! Under the breaker is a little space(like an 1/8") so what I did was I shaped a piece of aluminum to match the size of the breaker. I then drilled and tapped the breaker tie down and secured the aluminum to it it and then bolted the breaker on to the aluminum piece.

Ive also installed some under hood lights. I have to reterminate the wires with stakons which are also on the way. They are awesome and I highly suggest them regardless of what you do with your car or truck. Everyone needs to pop the hood at night sometime and that one time you would be wishing you had them or thankful you do. KC sells a kit, I think its $80. BTW, the entire switch/relay system with all of the components came to about $580.

Small disclaimer...I haven't hooked up the positive cables from the switch system to the terminal block yet because I'm waiting for some clear heat shrink so I can have visible numbers under neath it. I also plan on making some kind of cover for the positive terminal block. This is also the first time I've ever really boded any of my vehicles so I don't have a lot of experience doing this stuff yet. I hope after all of this Ive done it right, LOL Let me know what you all think. BTW, all of these pics were taken at night, without a flash. under hood lights...yes please!

 

So clean and much less expensive than I would have thought.

LOOKS AWESOME!

 

Ups is supposed to be delivering my stech system tomorrow. I have no idea where or how I’m going to mount the main unit since I have my arb where you put yours and I have my dual battery behind the air box. So it will be an adventure for sure. I like that you said you didn’t dismantle the dash I was really hoping to not have to do that and was going to deploy the use of double sided tape bs screwing it in.