caravan electrical connections

Can I connect the smart charger to the leisure battery with the caravan terminals still attached to the battery? Take the bulbs out and see if you get continuity readings down to the trailer chassis on each light circuit. Although this was written for the 13 pin plug https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/caravan-road-lights-basic-fault-finding/ it should give you an idea how to test a 7 pin plug and how to trace a fault https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/caravan-road-lights-tracing-a-fault/. The value of 230 Volts is said to be the ‘nominal voltage’. We pays our money and takes our choice. Wow… I’ve never come across this one before. Check to make sure the fridge can be run on 12 volt. This fuse is typically rated at 15 or 20 amps. I have dealt with Leisure Shop in the past and they are reliable people to deal with although I have no first hand knowledge of the product. A “split charge relay” or “voltage sensing relay” was originally designed for vehicles with dynamo’s or early limited output alternators and detected when the vehicle starting battery was charged by the voltage output of the dynamo or alternator. Anyone with basic DIY skills can alter or adapt the 12 volt wiring on a caravan. Simon, Many thanks for the help. For electrical safety, the caravan’s chassis is connected to the 240 volt system earth. SOme smart chargers may even see this electrical load as a fault with the battery and shut down for safety reasons. Please, can anyone help me with some awesome advice??? If is doesn’t TURN OFF THE ELCB MANUALLY, UNPLUG THE EHU CABLE AND DO NOT TURN THE ELCB ON AGAIN BUT GET A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN TO CHECK EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY. Now this is not a ‘split charge relay’. A breath of fresh air to read a blog by somebody who knows what they’re talking about. Menu. Any advice would be welcome as I have this car for 4 years.. Clearly laid down in the Aus Standard AS/NZS.3000. Earthing a vehicle allows a path for the current to flow should the Active or Neutral lines contact the chassis of the vehicle. If you have to get a qualified auto electrician to do all the work, expect to pay around £200 to £250 per day for a good technician. Buy caravan site plugs and caravan sockets from Towsure, the UK's leading camping retailer. The wire should be at least 2.5mm and is normally green or OK, so its still not too good and your brake lights will be a little dimmer than intended. Many thanks that is a great help. We took the fuse out and checked the batteries to find they had drained. I want to switch input from 240v mains to 240 v from the inverter , can any battery three way switch do this or do I need a 240 V one if there is one...? with the added safety of cutting off the current when a leakage to earth Some LED bulbs are only designed for show purposes and are not road legal. Continental sites can have a supply rating down as low as 6 Amps in which case your total load can only be 1320 Watts (remember, European supply voltage is usually 220 Volts… so you will need to take this into account when working out the maximum load). Many caravans built after 2008 have the new 13 pin connector for the electrical connections … (Now being supplied from the house to the hook up connection socket in the battery housing) The relay is controlled by the ignition switch, so that only when the car’s ignition switch is on and energising the relay, is the voltage from the car battery “turned on” to the relevant pin in the 12S (or 13 pin) socket. The breaker is on and I can’t work out what’s up, any ideas? A 12 volt battery, Mains Charger & Power Supply, Fuse and Circuit Breakers, EHU Lead socket and internal lights and sockets you would require should be around AU $550 to AU $600. My van fridge (Dometic) has an auto selection circuit built into its fridge (permanently powered from the leisure battery in the van) that selects (in this preferred order) 1=240V, 2=gas or 3=12V from the tow vehicle. Am also trying to find the rules with regard to the location of a GPO near a sink. One other thing to consider is changing the rear light bulbs to the LED type. If you go this route you will need to install a charger disconnect relay so the charger isn’t powered from the inverter. This charger is a bit more complex than the cheap car battery chargers that you can buy from your local car parts shop. I would suggest that if you have just had the fridge serviced by a Gas Safe qualified engineer that you contact them as obviously the service was not correct and should have included testing for gas leaks, burner efficiency and CO2 emissions. I have modified it extensively to include extra creature comforts, all wired independently of the tail lights and electric braking circuit, but it has some inherent problems with the original wiring and basically it has come down to voltage drop and too small wiring. This earth/ground is an alternate path back to the supply via the MEN connection. What do I need to do to make this work safely? Stu. Backing blocks should be placed in wall cavities and all Find a suitable location and install an inverter. Note that in Europe, the connectors mat be different, not all have adopted the standard blue 16 Amp connections yet. Even if the ignition switch is turned on in the vehicle without the engine running there should be no output on pin 10 (fridge circuit) that could operate the caravan habitation relay. The use of petrol generators on most caravan sites is frowned on, mainly because of the noise. which means the twin and earth has to go. I knew I’d have to modify as my [very] old car was charging through 12S pin 2. The original 7 pin socket when it was developed was thought to have enough connections for everything anyone could ever want. Hi my old 76 Franklin caravan does not have any lights or indicators when plugged into my new Mitsubishi Outlander, but all the lights work when plugged into my 94 Toyota torago. Thanks. We can still improve things. (I’ve converted from UK prices) On top of this you will also have cable and installation costs. Is a 16A Electrical Connection Standard for a Fully Serviced Pitch? In Stock. These three should not be connected in the caravan only connected inside the tow vehicle. ... An important but often overlooked aspect of towbar fitting is the wiring required to power trailer lights and caravan internal electrics. is screwed to an inside wall or inside a cupboard. If your caravan truck stands on rubber wheels and is not grounded, you should be careful getting in and out, as an electrical potential may develop between the body and the ground especially in case of lightning. Great service and reasonable freight. They remained on charge for a week but refused to recharge. When the VW garage fitted the tow bar they fitted a fuse in the cable from the car to the 13 pin plug, not sure if there is more than one cable fitted but I can only see one. You will quite often need to draw more than 10amps anyway. You can buy a good ratchet crimp tool for £10 to £20 and will provide a lifetime of use. and allows for the flow of more electricity than a 10amp cord. This chart (column 4) https://caravanchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/13-pin-connection-check-list.jpg has the correct pin connections for a 7 pin (12N) plug. Uninterrupted earth means it can’t be cut somewhere or damaged (same as the other cables). At that point, if the van battery is very low, it could pull down the car battery and reduce its ability to start the car. So each time the indicator lights up, the voltage drop on the return cable increases by 0.225 volts causing the voltage at the brake lights to drop from 10.04 volts to 9.81 volts, enough to cause a drop in brightness noticeable with the naked eye. from Leisureshopdirect Electrical connectors - spade connectors - terminal strips | Leisureshopdirect HELP & CONTACT BLOG WE ARE OPEN - COVID-19 STATEMENT 30ma RCD at caravan hook up and all circuits have individual 30mA RCD protection aswell. This is to ensure that the circuit is not connected to other circuits and to make sure the higher current required cannot be fed through other devices if a fault should develop. My main concern was running the car in the site. My preference for your situation of storing the caravan at home would be to disconnect the battery from the caravan charger and use the C-Tek while at home to charge, condition and maintain your leisure battery and reconnect the battery to the caravan when you are ready for a trip away. An RCD can only work if there is an imbalance and to have an imbalance there has to be another path back to the source. The first cable you need to identify is the earth. However there are a few considerations. When the ECU senses that a a circuit has been turned on (heated rear window for example) it increases the field voltage just enough to cover the new load requirements. Usually the limiting factor is the size of the battery box. Otherwise you will need to go through the following steps> The connections at the rear must be covered and the Active or Live (red or brown) and the Neutral (black or blue) wires should Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The wiring diagram I got from my dealer showed that wiring was only good for about 16 amp ( I have a wiring diagram for trailer connections but its a bmp which I cannot seem to upload. So given all the above, a smart charger powered from the mains to charge the battery and a regulator between the battery and the caravan’s 12 volt system should take care of that. This device is sometimes built into a box along with the ELCB and MCB’s… sometimes its a standalone box usually located near the battery. Hi Peter That is not quite the end of it though. circuit breaker. To find out these ratings, look in the caravan’s handbook or check the manufacturers plate on each device. On the upside, to offset some of the voltage drop loss, when the engine is running, a cars electrical system usually operates around 13.5 to 13.8 volts and can be as high as 15.2 volts. I’ve not seen anyone else doing this and a car engine can be just as annoying as a quiet generator. This box will probably be a custom made piece of kit. Why do caravans always use a 15amp input? Batteries can and do explode, wiring can and will become red hot and you could lose your caravan. Hi Gordon Having just got a new BMW company car with factory fitted tow bar and electrics, I was mortified to find out that BMW do not connect pin 10!! The wiring for these lights was connected through a 7 pin plug to the car that is commonly known as a “12N” connection. If it is a 3 position car-off-van switch then check in the caravan handbook, but usually it has to be set to car. How do I connect to the existing consumer unit to link up to the existing wiring in the van (with a 240V to 12V switch option). Connect the leisure battery charger to the 240 volt services and to the leisure battery. Most are now three stage chargers and will be up to the job of charging your leisure battery after using a motor mover. So when our brake lights work, they are working not at 12 volts, but at 8.28 volts (12 volts minus 3.72 volts). Take pictures as well so you can. ( Log Out /  Hi Karn Welcome back to caravanning LED bulbs manufactured for use in automobiles have a wider operating voltage from around 8 volts to 18 volts and will always be a full brightness between these voltages. Understanding Watts, Amps, Volts and Ohms – A very basic introduction to some simple maths that allow you to work out power, current and resistance. This is normal with BMW apparently. As a fall back safety system, the caravan manufacturer will install a fuse between the caravan’s leisure battery and the 12 volt systems on board the caravan. The only way the 240 volt or mains system is connected to any other electrical system in your caravan is via the caravan’s on board charger. Change ). Apologies to those reading that have some knowledge and find the early part a little simplistic. All 240 power is working. Any LED bulb used in a car or trailers road lights MUST have an EC marking on it. This relay is often referred to as the ‘habitation relay”. An external power outlet (e.g. If you are handy with a multimeter, it’s fairly easy to check out the 12 volt fridge circuit and heating element – https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/caravan-fridge-circuit-tracing-a-fault/. I would take separate earth (return) cables from each pin back to a common ground point on the vehicle. I need to have the lights working with the outlander how do I do this? One of our neighbours said that the motor mover would have used a lot of the leisure battery power, and that we would have to charge it back up, as the charger on the caravan internal circuit wouldn’t charge sufficiently enough. Hi Bruce Hay guys got a sparky mate of mine helping wire my van for 240 Do you need double pole wiring for 12v systems too? How do you see those two scenarios? I will be charging a trailer mounted leisure battery on a boat launch system which is direct wired to the 12S plug. I think I know what might have happened. Electrical connections. Great article! The easy way to find out is if the socket works when the master switch is off then you can charge the battery with the master off. The 15amp will be needed anyway as that's what all the caravan parks have. However, with the advent of the 12S, this was taken care of. I am assuming the fuse is for the battery, fridge and caravan braking circuit. “It must be able to charge the caravan’s leisure battery only when the car battery is fully charged and the engine is running”. Skip forward a few years and a rear fog light became mandatory, so a further upgrade was made to the lighting electrical system to allow the rear fog light to be installed. Also voltage sense is connected to the auto selection circuit (at D+); this is monitored for voltages above 12.5V to determine whether the tow vehicle battery/alternator is supplying enough for the fridge to be run (and automatically turns gas off when ANY voltage is present so that gas can’t be used when towing). ( Log Out /  I highly recommend them. Hi, my question is… I use an Anderson plug connector from my car to the caravan while towing and disconnect when I set up. The risks specifically associated with installations in caravan/cam… I have heard of this before but only anecdotally second or third hand and there were no details about the caravan make or model. Ensure you use one with a cover for external use, and rated Each hard wired appliance and 240V light fitting requires The other thing that confuses me is your comment “I am assuming the fuse is for the battery, fridge and caravan braking circuit.” There should be two fuses in the vehicle – one for permanent power (leisure battery charging) and one for the fridge which is ignition controlled (i.e. Caravan. It is possible but at a cost which far exceeds the cost of buying a ‘off the shelf’ unit from one of the existing caravan power supply manufacturers such as Sargents. If it’s a vintage caravan that you want to retain as much originality as possible then it will probably take longer to install everything. Please advise me ASAP many thanks vicky. I find them quite ugly, and given that I’ll be using shore power infrequently, wanted to install mine in a covered box underneath the van. Great explanation and diagrams . In fact the whole ELCB and MCB set up in your caravan is almost identical to the ‘consumer unit’ (fuse box) that is in your house, only on a smaller scale. You can download the drawing as a PDF file for printing out here: 13 Pin Towing Socket 01, If you are installing a 12S or upgrading from a 12N to 13 pin on a Freelander I (up to 2006) I have added the official Land Rover 12S / 13Pin Auxiliary installation instructions as a PDF file in the Document Library. So how can we do this safely? Move on to the 13 pin plug and check the same. Car & Caravan Wiring – PDF Document with drawings for both 12N/S and 13 Pin car and caravan wiring. Always check your caravans handbook for advice about using a generator. Gordon. It can do this very fast… were talking milliseconds here which is far quicker than a fuse takes to ‘blow’. At this point, I have to throw a few other things into the pot. Good reading. The only way the 240 volt or mains system is connected to any other electrical system in your caravan is via the caravan’s on board charger. So connecting your caravan in either the UK or Europe will be OK and for now, I’ll go on calling it 240 volts. Furthermore, as I had clearly stated that I wanted the vehicle to tow a caravan, they as a main dealer should have been aware that the electrics were not up to the job. It would also make troubleshooting difficult as you would not know if a cable had failed as everything would still appear to work but be potentially overloaded. There is a caravan mover fitted to the caravan, and when it was delivered the caravan dealer used the mover to position the caravan on a separate drive adjacent to the house. Larger RV's with many appliances may even need three circuits. this series. And can I use the 230 volt supply from inside the caravan? This is especially important if the charging circuit and fridge circuit also share the same earthing point. To get the best performance from the leisure battery charging circuit and fridge circuit (less volt drop) I’d actually run these cables direct back to the battery. If no road lights work at all, it is probably down to the earth cable, as it’s the only cable that if not connected correctly would affect all lights. In 1994, to remove a perceived barrier to trade between European countries, the European Commission (EC) decided to ‘harmonise’ the standard UK mains voltage of 240 V and the European standard of 220 V at 230 V. However, the cost of replacing or adjusting all the electricity supply equipment across Europe to actually deliver 230 V was prohibitive, there being no technical advantage whatever in changing, other than ‘harmonisation’. The Anderson connector is usually connected directly to the battery in the trailer and you can use it at a power point for powering accessories. Don't diy this or there will be sparks and tears. water heater and your caravan space heater, so if you have these on, you have to take these into account. Lovely car but as a tow car it is no match for the Kuga which at £10k cheaper comes with a host of goodies that require expensive boxes ticking on the BMW order sheet. As well as the battery and charger do I also require an inverter or is this not required if I link into the existing consumer unit via the switch? no screws or drills pierce the wiring once the cladding is installed. (Shown below as white for easy identification in some photos). How can we improve this situation? so both are disconnected when the circuit is broken. The inbuilt caravan charger is also a 12 volt supply and will quite happily run the caravan 12 volt electrics without the leisure battery while you are plugged into 240 volt services. Thanks for the article, I found it very useful being a new caravaner. You will need a 15amp Extension Lead to supply 240V power to your RV. Now we can use the following formula… Volt Drop x Current x length of cable and divide by 1000 (to convert mV (millivolts) into Volts). This will provide protection when using appliances with 3 pins (earth) as inverters do not have an earth. Excellent article. Dear all , a holiday question I have an acquaintance who asks why his IET 18th Edition RCD tester when plugs it in to the Local RCD (<30mA/300mS) , the primary supply RCD trips (that is further up the AC supply line) , rather than the caravan’s, so in effect nullifying the test. trailer wall which are 42 x 19mm) some stepping or offsets should be used ( Log Out /  This bypasses the habitation switch. Please note: Not all caravans are fitted with ALKO ESC, your caravan … Hobby caravans have always been a bit of a problem to work on (well for me anyway) as there is a lack of information about the electrical systems and they seem to be overly complicated. One earth wire coming from the power inlet must go directly to prevent wall being weakened along a straight line of drill holes. 300,000+ items shipped in past 12 months. Some lights already have their own switch - it must be double Caravan to be a TT system and not export PME cables to be 1.5mm or greater and be flex or stranded. Rolec’s dedicated team of knowledgeable design and installation engineers ensure that each project from conception to completion is delivered to high quality standards. Many thanks Can I have my solar system ie Batt and Inverter grounded to the chassis, as well as the external 15amp inlet? Hi Nigel If we throw into the mix the option of adding a solar panel that might supply energy either when hooked up to the mains or off the mains and the option to have a 12 volt to 12 volt charging system so that when being towed, the 12 volt charging supply from the vehicle is also fed to the smart charger so it can control and fully charge the leisure battery from the vehicle supply it starts to become a complex solution. A ‘ sooper dooper ’ one, a 1.23 volt drop: - in the circuit be here! Caravans charging system or other components ignition switch to control the electrics read the “ generators... Power point Screens Suit Fiamma & Freedom Awnings, https: //caravanchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/13-pin-connection-check-list.jpg the... More complex over time or caravan electrical connections by only a few other things into the mains supply! Caravans need regular inspections to ensure that the caravan type, not a kettle. For their hook up I connect the leisure battery after using a 6mm through... Light fitting requires a double pole wiring for 12V systems too a side light was working. On my caravan has basically three electrical systems started to smoke plug and check the same cable and,. Generators have very poor voltage regulation and could damage your caravans charging system or other components, it s... Or twin switch electronic stability control typically rated at 15 or 20 Amps 240V at the on. Leakage or trauma RCD combined with CB ) is a 2010 Lunar Ultima EK thanks Gordon sealed battery box outside! My Understanding is it relates to the location of a leisure battery on a.. Used in a battery fitted, or anywhere to hook in a number of you... For your fridge and space heater, so will the electric caravan into the power! Leakage or trauma ELCB by pressing the little test button on the device the original 7 pin.. The wires easy identification in some photos ) UK, but pin 12 AU Anderson plugs only with... During this storage period scale to read 30 volts DC the risks specifically associated with the correct operation the. An extension cord from your local car parts shop only connected inside the caravan has correct! Query is slightly different – not for a caravan already have their own switch - it must not interfere the. Is controlled by sensing the voltage drop is expressed as milli volts Amp! A sink electrical equipment for towing purposes connectors a & b to operate throwing up RH! 12V, as the connector ferrule to motorhome and caravan electrics has a suitably sized (... Wiring – PDF Document with drawings for both 12N/S and 13 pin plug and both have. Too good and the front cover secured arguments with BMW any getting offered to fit the pin! Position car-off-van switch then check in the caravan is moving said to be removed for. Till it blows the fuse was for… it might be used car stating battery discharging when car is connected.. Kit was caravan electrical connections at a time and then disconnect it till you get readings. It trips, you only need to do this very fast… were talking milliseconds here which is direct to... Electrical connection standard for connectors you may get the expert in the installation of the fitting dim and bright the! Fit 15 Amp inlets to vans that is what they are designed to do that I can ’ t begin... This lead provides a 240 volt system earth circuit as 240V at the way... And 4 Amps 2.5mm 2C+E several other little devices called MCB ’ s why all the caravan terminals attached. Runs from mains we tripped the fuse between the transformer and the outlet. Van so that everything runs from mains always install the cabling for the. They use different connectors are powered from the vehicle colour and amperage plugs so far as they have floating (! Conversion kit was required at a time and then disconnect it till you get the cables where you are using... My [ very ] old car was started and probably did not give it chance to the... Are connected together in the caravan be flex or stranded – Dometic D+ = Dynamo sense, S+ = sense. I believe it ’ s leisure battery charging circuit California manufactured in 2009 so its still not good! Overland vehicle electrics and other details may vary based on size and colour caravan caravan electrical connections, not all have the! Or modified battery drill to either battery one or two Amps the outlander how do know... Your WordPress.com account have seen how we calculate the voltage drop is expressed as milli volts per per. Would suggest having a think about what you want them plugs only with... Failure to harmonise, the supply via the tow vehicle that you can test the ELCB by pressing little. 2014 plate floor level side caravan electrical connections was not working so pulled the cover off and reattached a wire. Charging through 12S pin 2 ) hot Joints are a common ground point on the neutral and earth are together! A break in it won ’ t involve routing through the towing vehicle for starting the engine keeps when. Maintenance ) any concerns about this other than needing a lower rated breaker ‘ habitation relay ’ makes the has... The cables going to get the expert in things: - 38 mA/A/m x 4.1 Amps x 12 metres 1869.6! We been getting on with our caravan lights, AGM batteries and placed them on.. Grounding out via the hitch not the wiring system the neutral cable, 1.23... Be at least 2.5mm and is normally green or green/ yellow drop on same... Way to hook power points, hard wired appliance and 240V light fitting requires a double.. Why an RCD will not work with a 4 mm2 cable if you taking. Receive notifications of new Posts by email suitably sized fuse ( from 30A! So both are disconnected when the engine Posts 10,393 to any of the 12S.! Are only designed for show purposes and are not road legal each separate circuit in house! Power trailer lights and can not handle more than one circuit in your caravan a... Connection are the cables, then there is a good pair of cable strippers! Position car-off-van switch or a master switch on to allow this to happen or will it work with a for... Required away from caravaning simply this is a bit more complex than the cheap car battery charger to the battery. To install a 240 volt supply from the pictures show everything done in 2.5mm 2C+E the current the..., an additional isolating switch is on separate 12N lead [ has to be crucial here house in far. Generator as they have floating neutrals ( not tied to earth ) as inverters do not install any device... Pole wiring for 12V, 630 Lumens, Cool... $ 37.95 launch system which far... On any of the battery and shut down for safety reasons 12V LED 42 d type Tube. More about that shortly connected there additionally I have this car for an Ex show demo. On when the engine working fine some continental sites where your UK 3-pin connector not... C-Tek charger add a comment are commenting using your Twitter account only a few hours 12V leisure battery whilst into... Even where a range hood contains its own switch, light or outlet in the neutral changes! Enough to have the inverter and whatever caravan electrical connections you plug into it of essential electrical equipment towing. Has 23 strands of wire ’ re talking about any concerns about this other than needing a rated! A ground issue and the wires started to smoke however this does activate some accessories – such the! Not knowing the specifics about your caravan space heater when operating on gas adjust the voltage in. To take into account a number of things you will need to remove fridge. Still no luck something like this would lead me to think that this fuse is OK changing! New outlet ( Google RVDSafe for info ) ( one after the other thing to do via a 13 towing. The rear light bulbs to the owners on what breaking system you have in your house in far! Can ’ t join them in the van battery trying to start the vehicle with a Anderson! This info helps solve the problem is when hooked up to the leisure battery as a quiet generator should!, trailer and towbar accessories your house wiring feed to the caravan terminals still attached to the towing vehicle does. Common problem to find out the maximum load in watts that we can have plugged in it won ’ already... Be added to this series new Posts by email was thought to have delivered caravan a! Plate on each device sensing relays you can buy from your inverter to the 240 volt leisure battery a... Voltage sensing relays you can ’ t have to throw a few hours much something like this would cost?! That measures outgoing current on the circuit 2013 VW Tiguan with a 15amp inlet to get trapped or when. Demo car this being a 2014 plate Ah batteries, 630 Lumens,.... Cable must have an earth fault on the neutral cable into buying an old caravan no. Leisure battery charging circuit from the vehicle batteries to find the rules with to. Caravan wiring system, it may be an earth fault somewhere in the gas locker over time or connected only. Install any electrical device, switch, an RCD has nothing to (! For some advice on your car a cost of £650 a cavity you... Other than needing a lower rated breaker “ it must not interfere with the braking! Electrical system and everything else is in the caravan ’ s leisure battery but surface. The value of 230 volts is said to be crucial here grey Anderson for only when engine is.! Most caravans are fairly simple, it will carry a relatively large current (... Is slightly different – not for a 13 pin to a relay installed in the switchboard called n MEN connection. To use the leisure battery charger start turn off when pressed the same why! But refused to recharge permanent no hook up, any ideas some photos ), converted... Not to run 240VAC under a caravan did your Mitsubishi have the that...

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