12v 240v split charge

[birchyman]

ok this is how ive done mine im not saying its the only way but it works for me
this system will still power your stuff when your leisure battery is flat
the mains system will power your stuff even with no batteries
it will charge EITHER battery at the flick of a switch
it will tell you at a glance if your dynamo is charging and also if your leisure battery is charging
see what you think

 

[froggy]

Couldn't really picture it before, but sems a bit clearer now.
What switch are you using, vaguely remember you saying something about a JustKampers switch but cant find anything remotely like this on there site.

 

[birchyman]

part number is j11477 i know what you mean about finding stuff ,JKs new web site is pants
anyway this switch is all you see, ive fitted it next to the bed so i use it as a master switch and can turn everything off when in bed

 

[froggy]

http://www.justkampers.com/shop/type_2_bay/custom-voltage-gauge-with-switch.html
Not as bad as i thought.
I'm begining to fear for the bank balance :wink:
MUST STOP READING THREADS, MUST STOP READING THREADS, MUST STOP BLAH BLAH BLAH :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[dubdubz]

Thanks Birchyman

that is exactly what I hoped - I popped a Q on the other thread but hopefully you can answer it here?

the 3mm output wire does it simply loop from 'item' to 'item'? or do you do as you charger connection suggests - T into the cct?

T's are a pain to insulate though!!

thanks

D

 

[steve92]

looks good to me. a wiring diagram even i can understand!!

 

[AxlFoley]

thats perfect! nice one, a few questions, where is your distribution fuse box for your stereo ect? and where have you fitted your battery charger?

Thanks

Mark

 

[dubdubz]

that's kinda the point - there is no aux fuse box - all items are individually fused anyway - stereo has inline fuse, any cig holder connectors on devices are fused in the connector, the wire is protected by the 30amp fuse, which if you were a cautious person you could drop to say a 20amp

I'd maybe put a fuse on the output wire of the switch, in case that went bad [the next fuse is on the other side of it!!]

this is as BirchyMan says caravans are wired

 

[AxlFoley]

I think I am being stupid here, but how does the battery charger charge the battery?

 

[dubdubz]

I'll reply - hope no one minds?

when you connect to 240v hookup [on campsite or at home] and if the charger is switched on it will be on the 12v 'rail' and therefore charge whichever batt it is connected to via the switch/gauge.

as stated on a similar thread caution should be taken on the ampage of the charger if you intend to 'use' your stuff whilst it's charging...as the load that you are using needs to be taken into account. I saw a smart/leisure type one on ebay last night which will do upto 20a for £35.

hth ?

 

[birchyman]

mines a 70 campmobile the switch is fitted to the wardrobe on the small panel facing the tail gate
the split charger is behind it boxed in, the mains box and charger is fitted under the rear facing buddy seat ive lost hardly any space ive not botherd with another fuse box just a fat wire running back to front so i can pick up 12v anywhere (including in the roof) if the mains is plugged in the battery charger is just on no switches it will run all your stuff
you can then select which battery you want to charge

 

[birchyman]

sorry the connections arnt "t"s they are just solderd to the main wire (or scotchlocked) i used solder and heat shrink easy

 

[froggy]

I must admit that while i understand the reason for the switch (to be able to switch between leisure and start batteries) but i will wire my leisure battery seperately from the main battery (except for self switching spilt charge relay)and all outputs via an auxilary fusebox.
Yes it means that i might use extra wire but i prefer to have all my circuits seperated with the knowledge that if 1 fuse blows i have lost 1 circuit and not the lot (the way the camper itself is wired)
I know you say that caravans are wired 'your' way but going back to the camper itself, all the circuits are individually protected by seperate fuses not just 1 big fuse direct from the battery.

Im not having a go at anyone as if it works for you and your happy with it then its upto you, personally i want know if anything goes wrong before its to late to do anything about it

 

[dubdubz]

all the 'outputs' will be or should be fused at source

stereo should have an inline on the +
the cig plugs have a fuse in them
a fridge normally has an inline fuse on it's + etc

so adding another fusebox won't help - the main advantage is that a particular cct is easier to isolate because the fuse box is normally somewhere handy.....the inline fuse to say the stereo is buried in the dash.

I may actually use a bit of both and have a smaller fuse board handy for the stuff that has fuses hidden....although with a bit of thought the + leads could all be accessible....but say the lights might want it's own point of isolation for maint?

thinking outloud I wonder if the switch could be made via a relay so 'drops' onto the leisure batt side , with ignition switches back, with the ability to manually overide.......you're gonna tell me that one of the Zig units does that now aren't you!!!

Birchyman seems to be getting minor critiscm? it isn't 'his' system it is just copied from caravan manufacturers and adapted for a bus...it works for him and will others

I had asked in another thread for a pic, perhaps I should have done via PM and not 'inflicted' the public with the 'another way?'..........

:lol:

 

[dubdubz]

also in fairness this thread did start..........

ok this is how ive done mine im not saying its the only way but it works for me

 

[robins]

i cant get my head round any of the posts ,but need some sort of power in the van
is there anything wrong with the extension lead type hook up reels :?


rich

 

[steve92]

extension type will be fine as long as it has rcd inbuilt. consumer unit method just makes a neat job.

 

[birchyman]

i can understand you using a extra fuse box or fusing the main fuse at 20 or even 15 amp thats the beauty of this hobby ,everyones van is a little bit different and we are all better for it, why not instead of different fuses for lights radio etc use separate fuses for front, back top and bottom,you wont then have to bring your wires all to one place, just have 3 or 4 main cables might be easier just a thought

 

[froggy]

why not instead of different fuses for lights radio etc use separate fuses for front, back top and bottom,you wont then have to bring your wires all to one place, just have 3 or 4 main cables might be easier just a thought

Not a bad idea, i was looking at a 4 (maybe 6) way fuse box so just running 1 wire to the front for stereo and Cigarette lighter (mobile phone charger / sat nav) and then say 1 wire for lights, 1 wire for rear cigarette sockets, then maybe the last 1 for a little 12 - 240 invertor (for when not anywhere with hook up).
If i go for a 6 way box this gives me 2 spare for anything else i decide on at a later date (fridge or coolbox, amps for the stereo etc).
Less wiring but still the added security (?) of the seperate circuits fed from a fuse box 8)
Think this will work for what i want :wink:

 

[birchyman]

cool, be careful with the inverter some suck loads of power and need wiring directly to a battery
also the self switching relay has a output for a fridge/coolbox already built in