Leisure Battery Help needed!

brenchk · Mar 31, 2008

You've never let me down with my many issues...

I will be installing a coolbox and 12v sink pump in the next week to my 1970 Bay Dormobile... A few questions...

1) I've never installed an electrical cable before from a leisure battery. I presume I need to take a live (red) and neutral (black) connection from the battery and then connect.solder to a 12v plug so the coolbox can be plug into that.
2) Presume I split the cable so that the 12v sink pump is powered.
3) I want to add in a meter to check the battery charge. Again I presume I just add the black & red cable to the back of the meter
4) Finally.... where do I buy the back & red cable from? B&Q?

Thanks,

Clarkson46 · Mar 31, 2008

Strap the earth of your leisure battery the the chassis then all you need to do is earth whatever at a suitable place nearby. This saves a miles of black wire.

Fit a suitable fuse box so that each appliance is separately fused.

Don't waste your time and money on a meter it will tell you nothing useful. At best you will get paranoiac about volts which are meaningless anyway

And get your supplies from

http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/

or

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/home/homepage.php

halfpint_fighter · Mar 31, 2008

I fitted a leisure battery in our Danbury.

Got the thick positive wire from the local caravan shop where the battery came from.
Then i got a 4 fuse box, battery earth cable, ZIG 2 battery voltmeter and split charge relay from Justkampers.
Finally an inline fuse holder, battery clamp, battery cut off switch and various other wire from halfords.

I drilled a hole in the left hand 'battery tray' to attach the earth strap (there was already one hole but that is for drainage)
Then got the battery clamp and attached the single fuse holder followed by a cut off switch. I then ran a single length of thick wire through the hole where all the wires go (right of the engine) and routed it through the wire conduit under the van and followed the other wires up into the bottom of the cab. All tie wrapped once i was happy with length and route.
I attached the 4 fuse box to under the left of the dash. The one thick wire has a bridging piece to supply power to all 4 fuses.
With the help of a wiring diagram i took the power feed for rear interior light off the main fuse box and put it onto the leisure battery. The 12 volt socket also comes off there along with the stereo. The 4 one goes to the voltmeter which is in the dash stereo hole. (stereo is under dash)

The split charge relay was simply enough to wire up with one wire going to the main battery, one to the dynamo and one to the leisure battery. (i don't think it has any other wires!)

Now we can have music, light and whatever with no fear of not starting the bus

Guest · Mar 31, 2008

bluebird.co.uk do the cheapest split charge kit ive seen. much cheaper than those on fleabay.

halfpint_fighter · Mar 31, 2008

Oh and we have a solar panel that supplies a trickle charge back to the leisure battery when it's sunny!

If we are at a campsite with hook up we have a lead that has 3 sockets

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=81

like the pic on there.

No need to install 240V sockets in the van and it can be used in the awning. Then we also take a battery charger so we can charge the leisure battery off that if we don't move for a few days.

brenchk · Apr 1, 2008

Thanks for the response and great advice.

So would I be right in saying that you would not need a Live and a Neutral lead from the battery and only a red cable is required to hook into the fuse box and then to power the various gadgets. The Neutral is earthed to the camper body? My basic thoughts were originally that I would need a live and neutral to insert into each gadget? if i am barking please ignore or let me know of a book that I could buy that might help. Happy to rewire 240w plugs and do basic electrical work in my house but am presently in the dark about car electrics.

Thanks,

Kevan

froggy · Apr 1, 2008

As the battery negative is strapped to the body, any neutral can also be strapped to the body, thats why you only need a red live wire to your equipment, the neutral is just earthed at a clean point.