Electrical sockets

Velgreeno · May 1, 2023

Hey folks. Yes its another electrical question from the leisure battery. Stop face palming

. This time im looking to put some sockets for plugs in the back of my bus. Do i need to get proper motor home sockets or would nice house sockets do ? Im putting them under the rnr bed i think. Im thinking 1 single socket either side. What have you folks got and where have you put your sockets etc and can i see some pics please? Im not going to lie im a bit nosy and want to see how it looks

. Cheers.

sparkywig · May 1, 2023

Do you have an existing mains hookup, or are you fitting it yourself?

Velgreeno · May 1, 2023

sparkywig said:
Do you have an existing mains hookup, or are you fitting it yourself?

Hey @sparkywig it will be run from the fuse box terminal (JKs) on my leisure battery (Halfords) and i will be installing it.

.

sparkywig · May 1, 2023

Then you'd better get some professional advice.
Your leisure battery is 12V, mains sockets are 230V.

Patchwork.Hippie · May 1, 2023

You will need an inverter to bump the voltage from 12v to 240v, Depending on what you want to use the 240v for depends on what size inverter you want.

Velgreeno · May 2, 2023

Patchwork.Hippie said:
You will need an inverter to bump the voltage from 12v to 240v, Depending on what you want to use the 240v for depends on what size inverter you want.

Hey @Patchwork.Hippie Oh right. Any recommendations at all on inverters thats not too expensive and would it be a case of just wiring to the fuse box running off the leisure battery ? Its basically to plug in a phone, tablet, kettle maybe, small fridge in time etc. Just usual things,. Cheers

static · May 2, 2023

A phone and tablet use little, no inverter is really needed, just a USB outlet.

A electric kettle is a whole ‘nuther problem: a typical electric kettle will damn near suck the plug off the wall. I was a Trucker, I used a 1000 watt inverter for my electric kettle and it was barely enough.

A £10 butane stove would be a much better option to heat water, in my opinion.

I no longer am a Trucker but I still have the inverter. It sits on a shelf collecting dust. No more leisure battery in my bus. Too much bother. Keep it simple.

fatgaz · May 2, 2023

Fitted mine abo e my rear speakers, double gang socket with USB chargers in a brushe

d brass/gold colour. Mine are fitters to my 240v though.

Clem · May 2, 2023

To echo some comments above - phone, tablet etc are just small fry that can go via usb/lighter sockets to the battery.
A kettle or fridge will kill a lesiure battery, so use a gas stove for the kettle and maybe a gas fridge, or go the whole hog and install a proper hook up system.

Velgreeno · May 2, 2023

Cheers for the replies folks. It looks like im going to have to get an inverter by the looks. Thinking about it. Il forget the kettle because i got a stove etc and kettle so thats sorted. Still trying to get my head around it all

.

Patchwork.Hippie · May 2, 2023

Velgreeno said:
Hey @Patchwork.Hippie Oh right. Any recommendations at all on inverters thats not too expensive and would it be a case of just wiring to the fuse box running off the leisure battery ? Its basically to plug in a phone, tablet, kettle maybe, small fridge in time etc. Just usual things,. Cheers

Hi Valgreeno,

It all depends on what you're running off it and what size battery you have on your van. Like others have mentioned an electric kettle is a canny size draw on your electrics. A kettle for your hob would be better if you aren't planning on having a massive setup. I've been looking into have a solar setup with inverter and batteries to power an induction hob in the van. Yes it would be safer than gas, but the added price for adding extra batteries and an even bigger inverter is not worth it. I'll opt for a smaller setup and use gas.

If you can get a total power for all the things you're planning on using then you can plan around that. I have 2 12v 100aH AGM batteries at the minute and if I put them in parallel I will have 200aH which is 2400w.

There is lots of websites who help you size up a solar setup. The more you want to add the bigger size is needed etc.

Good luck

Adam1970bay · May 3, 2023

We stripped out our electric hook up and inverter, used it once in first 5 years.
Like most others we have a few 12 sockets, usb, lights and head unit plugged in to the 100ah leisure battery, which has a 10
Watt solar panel topping it up, we don’t have a split charger.

I have played a round with a few different inverters, sone are too cheap and nasty, kettle will take a lot of the battery power in one go.

We borrowed a 12v fridge- freezer a couple years ago for a week took a leisure. Battery for just the fridge and a 30watt solar panel. And kept the temp at 3degrees all week.
Would be worth a think if that an option.

Velgreeno · May 5, 2023

Patchwork.Hippie said:
Hi Valgreeno,

It all depends on what you're running off it and what size battery you have on your van. Like others have mentioned an electric kettle is a canny size draw on your electrics. A kettle for your hob would be better if you aren't planning on having a massive setup. I've been looking into have a solar setup with inverter and batteries to power an induction hob in the van. Yes it would be safer than gas, but the added price for adding extra batteries and an even bigger inverter is not worth it. I'll opt for a smaller setup and use gas.

If you can get a total power for all the things you're planning on using then you can plan around that. I have 2 12v 100aH AGM batteries at the minute and if I put them in parallel I will have 200aH which is 2400w.

There is lots of websites who help you size up a solar setup. The more you want to add the bigger size is needed etc.

Good luck

Hey @Patchwork.Hippie. Things i would be mostly using off the smaller Halfords leisure battery is my tablet, phone,, maybe a tiny tv but not certain and a hand vacuum cleaner. Ideally a fridge too but il have to get more power etc by the looks. As for the electric kettle, i will ditch that idea because i do have a stove , kettle etc already so an electric one i wont need to be honest. It was only a thought. Im also looking at solar to boost too. It seems to me the only thing that will need the big boost is the fridge but ahh just dont know. Il have to look into that.

.

Graham L · May 5, 2023

Velgreeno said:
Hey @Patchwork.Hippie. Things i would be mostly using off the smaller Halfords leisure battery is my tablet, phone,, maybe a tiny tv but not certain and a hand vacuum cleaner. Ideally a fridge too but il have to get more power etc by the looks. As for the electric kettle, i will ditch that idea because i do have a stove , kettle etc already so an electric one i wont need to be honest. It was only a thought. Im also looking at solar to boost too. It seems to me the only thing that will need the big boost is the fridge but ahh just dont know. Il have to look into that. .

A modern compressor fridge will happily run for 2-3 days off a leisure battery on 12V, look for a Waeco/Dometic 50, thats what we've had fitted in both our vans. They run off 12v or 240v (mains) and auto switch depending whats connected, so if you dont have a 240v mains hook up you can connect it at home overnight with an extension lead to get the fridge cold in the first place. The mains adapter is an extra £80 but well worth it, if you eventually get mains hook up and go to a site with mains then the fridge will auto switch to the mains supply saving your battery.

Hope that helps

creationblue · May 5, 2023

Hi, the problem with fitting sockets to the interior of your bus is that someone will try to plug a heater or kettle in to it at some point. I would recommend putting a small inverter in a cupboard out the way. Ive had mine for years now under the sink in the Westy, it has one 13a socket and a USB and is used solely for charging tablets and phones.

The one double socket that is on display is purely hooked up to the mains circuit via a ZIG distribution unit, kids still plug their phones into it on journeys expecting it to work even after all these years

Velgreeno · May 6, 2023

Graham L said:
A modern compressor fridge will happily run for 2-3 days off a leisure battery on 12V, look for a Waeco/Dometic 50, thats what we've had fitted in both our vans. They run off 12v or 240v (mains) and auto switch depending whats connected, so if you dont have a 240v mains hook up you can connect it at home overnight with an extension lead to get the fridge cold in the first place. The mains adapter is an extra £80 but well worth it, if you eventually get mains hook up and go to a site with mains then the fridge will auto switch to the mains supply saving your battery.

Hope that helps

Hey @Graham L. Cheers for this. Thats cool. I've been looking at those Dometic fridges. I need to save up for one definitely, a bit pricey for me right now

. Something that has occurred to me today strangely is i do actually have a cable to plug in to campsites with the round plug on the end. i remember someone gave it to me years ago because they gave up motorhoming but i dont have the part that plugs into the bus itself from the mains if that makes sense and i have to look into getting the other socket and figuring out how to connect it all together. Im going to have to think also where its going to go. Im definately not going to cut a hole in her body work thats for sure . Ahh another thing to think about grr ha.

.

Velgreeno · May 7, 2023

creationblue said:
Hi, the problem with fitting sockets to the interior of your bus is that someone will try to plug a heater or kettle in to it at some point. I would recommend putting a small inverter in a cupboard out the way. Ive had mine for years now under the sink in the Westy, it has one 13a socket and a USB and is used solely for charging tablets and phones.

The one double socket that is on display is purely hooked up to the mains circuit via a ZIG distribution unit, kids still plug their phones into it on journeys expecting it to work even after all these years

Hey @creationblue. Ahh there is no chance of that happening because i dont have family or anything and there is only me in my life and i wont be plugging those in

. Im looking into an inverter but a little lost at the moment as theres alot on the market ha. That sounds good with ghose socket. What socket you got ? Ahh right haha.

gagvanman · May 7, 2023

I have fitted an EHU under the van which feeds an ECB in a cupboard, this feeds 2 x 240v sockets and a trickle charger for the leisure battery. Obviously the 240 sockets only work when connected to mains. Leisure battery feeds internal 12v LED lights water pump and USB sockets.

roobug67 · May 7, 2023

Make sure you use the right size cable and its properly fused, etc.

I've fitted a full system to my 68 Westfalia, so it's a full split charge, EHU system with 230v sockets, its a CBE PC210 system. I haven't bothered with an inverter as I have a 12v system for charging phones, etc whilst we aren't on hookup.

I do want to fit a fridge at some point in place of the Westy coolbox, it's just finding one that will allow me to retain the stock look of the cabinet.

Dizzy T2 · May 7, 2023

gagvanman said:
I have fitted an EHU under the van which feeds an ECB in a cupboard, this feeds 2 x 240v sockets and a trickle charger for the leisure battery. Obviously the 240 sockets only work when connected to mains. Leisure battery feeds internal 12v LED lights water pump and USB sockets.

Maybe a silly question how do you feed the trickle charge to the leisure battery and can you switch the lights from main to leisure battery

Electrical sockets

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