<span class="highlight">Wiring</span>

Bought a new camper the other day, pick up Monday. I have a wiring question with this already.

Apparently the included battery is wired to be powered from the car via the 7pin plug. Pin 2. Looking at my car plug, it turns out i'm already wired. Or I should say, half wired. I thieved some of that wire not long after I first got it for something that now escapes me.

Is this practical? A search on the internet indicated that this use to be the standard way of wiring a van.

Was looking at andersons, but if this is pratical saves me doing a new wiring job.

On another note,

Another caravan sales assistant told me today, that you do not run 3way fridges off the house battery when camped. Use gas. Or 240 if available. Goes through battery power quick. He commented that unless you rewire the fridge, it will not work..... Is that correct?? Does not sound like it with all these people buying solar to run their fridges..Or are they doing different fridges?

Any idea how long a 9kg bottle will last if only using that on a fridge?

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Reply By: didjabringabeer - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:38

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:38
Hi. I think I get around 3 weeks in the cooler months J/J/A when camper out. Have a camper.
AnswerID: 498294

Reply By: ABR - SIDEWINDER - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:44

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:44
Hi SDG

You need thicker wire to charge the camper battery than is fitted into a 7 pin plug.

Use 50A Anderson plugs and 6 B&S wire via an isolator mounted under the bonnet.

Regards

Derek from ABR

AnswerID: 498295

Follow Up By: ABR - SIDEWINDER - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:50

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 18:50
If you are not in a hurry our new IP65 plugs will be ready soon. We had a delay in the patent office here and in China but all is now registered.


Regards

Derek from ABR

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FollowupID: 774262

Follow Up By: SDG - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 20:07

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 20:07
I was going to get the plugs/wire off you when I was ready. I'm already using one of your isolators.

What is 6B&S wire? I've heard mention of 8mm. Is that what this is?
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FollowupID: 774264

Follow Up By: ABR - SIDEWINDER - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 20:53

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 20:53
8mm2 is 8 B&S and 13.3mm2 is 6 B&S, the biggest cable that fits 50A plugs is 6 B&S.

Just a note that our 8 B&S is made for us and is 10mm2.

Regards

Derek
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FollowupID: 774265

Reply By: richard b12 - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 19:19

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 19:19
W e run our 2way[12v 240v]80lt Engel plus camp from 210ah AGMbattery powered up by two 12year old 42w unisolar panels for months at a time without plugging in to grid or alternator even when traveling. Batteries are mostly on float level. My previous house batteries lasted 10 years. The panels are removeable if we camp in the shade. Go solar you'll keep the peace. cheers richard.
AnswerID: 498298

Reply By: SDG - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 21:08

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 21:08
Thanks for the replies.

Just found info on the consumption rate of the fitted fridge. Can any body explain these figures?
Thanks

Consumption 240V* 2.7 kWh/24 h
Consumption 12V* 2.7 kWh/24 h
Consumption Gas* 12.0 gr/h
Could not find the note that the asterix is supposedly for.

A 100amp battery is what is currently supplied as well as a nine kilo bottle.
AnswerID: 498304

Follow Up By: Member - Peter L (VIC) - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 21:35

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 21:35
3 way fridges have relatively heavy energy consumption and would be a heavy load for a stationary vehicle hence the preference for the compressor style fridge such Engel and similar. The 3 way fridge uses heat from one of its 3 styles of elements to produce the cooling effect (as per the old kero fridge). It is relatively inefficient but cheap to manufacture. If using a 3 way fridge with 240v, 12v and LPG use 12v while underway, 240v when it is available and LPG if the other options are not available. Be aware that as the process generates significant heat, you should ensure any ventilation installed in not impeded. Would recommend that any 12v line from car to trailer is extra heavy duty and passes from car to trailer via an Anderson plug or equivalent as per previous recommendations. The lighting socket will not do!

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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 23:55

Saturday, Nov 10, 2012 at 23:55
SDG, The asterisk probably refers to an expression that these figures relate to a condition of nominal ambient temperature, probably 25c.

The "2.7 kWh/24 h" indicates that the fridge will consume 2.7 kilowatts over a 24 hour period. This means then that the fridge is drawing 112.5 watts continuously as an average. (2700/24=112.5)

If on 12vdc supply, with the fridge drawing 112.5 watts this means it will be pulling 9.375 amps from the battery. (112.5/12) At this rate a good 100ah battery will be essentially flat in about 5 hours, probably less if the battery is aged.

Cheers
Allan

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Reply By: Member - Toyocrusa (NSW) - Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 08:59

Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 08:59
Hi. I have a similar set up in a caravan. I use a 12 pin flat plug. The 5 larger pins are rated to 30 amp and in over 5000km of towing have been more than adequate. They are all in the one plug then and are very convenient when hookinh up.
With the 12 pin you can run heavy enough wire to run your fridge while travelling( I have a relay that is connected through the car ign. It only allows power to the fridge when the car is running so stops the flat battery problem) You can also run another separate wire to charge the van(camper) battery whilst driving. Make sure you have the same size earth wire as the positive wires from the camper back to the car battery and fuse the power wires. My 9kg gas bottle lasts around a month with the fridge on 4 and also being used for cooking and the hot water heater. We only turn the hot water on 15 mins before we require it though. Cheers,Bob
AnswerID: 498326

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 09:17

Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 09:17
The caravan sales assistant was quite correct in his statement.

People that buy solar panels "to run their fridges", actually use solar to help maintain a charge in the batteries that the fridge runs off.
The fridges in these cases are compressor type fridges that use much less 12 volt power than a three way fridge.

Derek's advice is also quite sound.
You need heavy duty cable to limit voltage drop when supplying power to remote batteries and other devices in a camper or caravan.
This can really only be achieved by a dedicated twin cable run from the starting battery, where the negative cable returns to the battery terminal rather than simply earthed to the camper or vehicle chassis.
An isolator should also be used to protect the starting battery from over discharge and the circuit protected by a fuse or breaker.

Wiring through the "trailer plug" is not good enough and anyone who supplies this kind of solution to a customer should be avoided.
Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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AnswerID: 498328

Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 11:55

Sunday, Nov 11, 2012 at 11:55
Depends on the trailer plug – the Narva 30 amp 7pin plugs are a very robust unit.
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FollowupID: 774303

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