Kimberley Kamper electrics
Submitted: Monday, Jan 23, 2006 at 00:43
ThreadID:
29995
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2
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Martyn (WA)
Forumites,
Bit specific this one, anyone out there with a '99
Kakadu model. I'm not sure exactly how the electrics are supposed to operate. I have the normal fittings in the back with a 240 V breaker a double 240 V outlet a 12v cigarette lighter fitting which is permanently plugged into the battery charger, Oh and the 240 V plug from the battery charger goes into one of the 240 V outlets. I also have two rocker switches one which seems to be the main switch which is the top one, the bottom one switches the water pump on only when the top switch is in the on position. The interior lights also work when the top switch is on. Outside I have a 240 V inlet and outlet plus a cigarette socket.
Right, when charging the battery I have the 240V switch on obviously and I then assume the top rocker switch is on to charge the battery through the cigarette lighter socket. Now when I plug my solar panel into the external cigarette light socket if the top rocker switch is off the green charged light comes on on the battery charger and I don't get any voltage increase at the battery, I then put the top rocker switch into the on position the green light goes out, the yellow charge light comes on and I get an increase in voltage at the battery which indicates a charge is going in.
Is the charge rate at the battery in anyway being regulated by the battery charger charging the battery this way? I suspect not. Is this doing any damage anywhere, should I be taking the battery charger out of the circuit all together?
Add to this I've got quite a newish Delkor deep cycle battery which has been charged via the battery charger for about 48 hrs, the yellow charge light is still on, the green light hasn't come on yet. I'm getting roughly 12.94 to 12.95 volts across the battery standing with nothing coming in or going out, is this right, should it be higher, lower?
Anyone who's got the patience to read this and give me some answers I'm eternally grateful, this has been driving me "nuckin futs" this weekend. I only got this trailer last week, I'm going away for the long weekend, don't want anything to go wrong, I had enough trouble convincing the better half this was a good verging on great idea to change camper trailers.
Thanks in anticipation.
Reply By: Tim@Stratford - Monday, Jan 23, 2006 at 01:07
Monday, Jan 23, 2006 at 01:07
Martin,
I don't know if I'll be too helpful - I have a '04 KK and use 240v power to charge the kamper batteries. I either use 240 mains or generator.
When charging with mains/generator I plug the power into the external 240 inlet, check that the onboard charger is plugged in and turned on (240), check that the charger 2-pin plug is also in and that the breakers are on.
After charging and prior to storing the kamper I disconnect the charger's 2-pin plug and turn the 240 switch off for the charger. I don't know for sure if this has any bearing on
battery power but the batteries do seem to hold voltage for longer. I assume that the charger has some indicators (LED's or lights) that would be powered all the time if left turned on and plugged in.
I have never used solar panels to charge my kamper batteries but the manual states that the panels are plugged in to an 'active' 2-pin plug socket and charging is automatic. Mine has a 'hot' wired plug between kamper and gullwing that is not wired through the main switches. I don't have to turn anything on to charge with solar (per manual).
If you
test all your 2-pin plug sockets with a volt meter and get voltage without turning your master switched on then use this plug for your panels (as long as your panels are fitted with a diode to prevent the panels discharging your batteries if shady etc). If you can't find a plug that has power with out first turning on the power switches then you'll have to have these switches on when your panels are plugged in to charge.
Hope this helps and makes sense (it is 1:06am!!)
Tim Marshall
Stratford, Vic.
'04 KK Platinum.
AnswerID:
150242
Follow Up By: Martyn (WA) - Monday, Jan 23, 2006 at 01:54
Monday, Jan 23, 2006 at 01:54
Tim,
Thanks, the gull wing is slightly different, I had a look at one when I was picking up my '99 model. What you say makes sense, I just think that if someone out there has exactly the same model this"stuff' might be easier to figure out, not sure about the diode but I've purchased a K12 charge controller to help things along, that has got a diode fitted I'm just not going to get time to fit it between now and when I go away on Wednesday.
I submitted a request to
Kimberley Kampers over East for a kamper manual, they've been very helpful, with any luck I should have that before I leave. I was just hopeful that someone may have an exact same model.
Appreciate your help thanks for staying up so long to reply, bit jealous really, nice camper the Platinum.
FollowupID:
403664
Reply By: cruiserboy - Saturday, Feb 18, 2006 at 18:13
Saturday, Feb 18, 2006 at 18:13
Gday Martyn,
I cant really help you with your power problem but I have a question for you. I have a 1998 Kimberly Kamper "
Kakadu Deluxe" model I bought about 6 months ago. It has all the power points you describe of in yours but I have no batteries fitted to it, so its has me stuffed how Im supposed to run power to it off 12 volts. At the moment Im running 1 deepcycle battery, sitting it in the second jerry can holder on the drivers side of the trailer and supplying power to the power points buy a hybrid fitting I made up with an Anderson plug and a 7 pin round utilux trailer plug that I plug into the trailers plug that fits into the car for it's indicators! and hence it suppies power to the 12 volt power points, how I dont know?
So what Im asking is, where do you have your batteries situated in your camper? How are they wired up and where does the wiring go to supply power to your points?
Where is your solar panel and regulator fitted?
I dont seem to have any provision to be able to fit batteries so I was thinking of making a box up to sit on the drawbar to house 2 x 115amp batteries and the solar panel regulator, then run a lead from the solar panel to the regulator to trickle charge them. But Im stumped on how to wire the batteries up to supply power to the power points!!
You sound like you have a very similar model to mine so I was wondering how yours was set up :) Sorry for being so long winded hope you can help me out. You can e mail me at 'al.burton1@bigpond.com' if you like, thanks.
AL BURTON
Cairns, Qld
AnswerID:
155747