samsgoneagain replied:

just change all the stuff to 24v -- bulbs etc

Member - Charlie M (SA) replied:

Asking for trouble, especially if needing to jump-start if you have a flat battery. Radio, Fridges ect either have to be 24v or have reducers installed to go back to 12v.
Cheers
Charlie

Tim HJ61 (WA) replied:

Gerry,

I have a 24v Landcruiser import. There is plenty of sensible information around about what to do, or more partcularly what not to do. Try searching for 24v electrics on this site.

Just briefly, you CAN draw 12v from one of the batteries, but what you must NOT do is not recharge the batteries evenly. You will drain one battery and the batteries will become unbalanced. More charge with go to one and not the other, leading to one boiling dry and expiring and the other going flat.

A Redarc Charge equaliser is a fine piece of equipment and once installed will resolve any 24v/12v issues you have.

If only your car is going to tow the van, swapping the light globes to 24v is an option. You may be able to buy a 24v brake controller - again see Redarc they have a lot of useful stuff for these applicaions- try www.redarc.com.au

You can buy voltage reducers, and may need to for your trailer lights, but they are limited in the current they can draw, whereas with the equaliser you can pull a 50A current from one 12v battery for a while, depending on the battery not the charge equaliser, then when the alternator is charging again, the CE balances the charge between the two batteries at it's maximum Amp capacity for as long as it needs to.

Tim

Ray Bates replied:

Ascfar as lighting for your caravan you can always fit LED lights

revhead307 replied:

What Tim(61) said. I have a GQ Safari 24V import. I run a redarc 10A trailer reducer which powers my 7pin socket.

I only tow small trailers not vans, so 10A suits my needs, you can however get much larger reducers.

I have a 3rd Aux battery, to supply all my large 12v needs, it runs off a 30A 24v - 12v battery charger (same thing as the redarc charge equaliser).

my Safari cranks over way better than my old GQ, personally i love 24V..and have no dramas.

Regards
Jeff

traveller2 replied:

Once you have a 24v 4wd you won't want to go back to a 12v one, far less electrical problems, current is half what is required on 12v so less problems with voltage drops over poor connections. Relays and globes are freely available and thousands of trucks and buses can't be wrong.
Fit a Redarc Charge Equaliser to enable the use of 12v accessories, some of the later Waeco and Autofridge frigs will run on 12 or 24v which is even better.
If you are the only vehicle towing the van then change the globes to 24v or alternatively fit multivolt LED's which work well but are expensive.
If the van has a 12v battery in it then the instructions with the charge equaliser will show you how to wire it up as a third battery on the vehicle.

Joondalupgerry replied:

Thanks for the advice guys...Tinm your wagon/situation appears similar to mine.I'll invest in a REDARC equaliser.
As a Kiwi I have no problems with an import as they are common in the shakey Isles...We do not have Mr Holden and Ford trying sucessfully lobbying the Govt to protect there over priced products.Cheers
Jerry