Upgrade wire for the caravan lights

deal, I guess you are looking for the wiring information. Although in one place you are talking about going from your battery, in another you are talking about reversing lights. Have a look at the linked page http://www.noboundaries.com.au/Hints%20and%20tips.htm#Trailer%20wiring and see the diagrams and linkages for 5 and 7 pin plugs

As they said in the Meatloaf song "stop right there!"

Don't waste your time running a wire to a 7 pin plug. I had the setup you describe but I still got Voltage drop as the pin cannot take a large enough (diameter and amps) to avoid possible voltage drop.

The only solution is to fit an Anderson plug. Run both your Positive and Negative directly from the battery using 6mm or larger cable if you can get it, to the plug. You can put an inline fuse, mine is 60 amp. I would go to an auto electrician get the wire cut to length, get them to solder/fit the wire to the plug and a fuse. I would also get the other plug also wired up which you the join onto your van wiring.

With the van side a simple solution is to identify the power and negative wires in the 7 core flex. Solder/join that to the + and - cables for the other Anderson plug. Looks a bit messy but works. I had mine like that for 3 years without a single power drama. Always get guaranteed 12-5 - 13 volts at the fridge.

I've now gone the extra step and have completely seperate power and earth direct from the Anderson plug to the power source of the van and fridge. I get 13.5 volts at the fridge! The trailer wiring is competely seperate using a 7 pin large round.

I can provide pictures if need be. Let me know your email address if you do.

Wizard

Do you have just a few LED lights in the Caravan or will you have a couple of 50 watt floodlights outside the van ?

Do you plan to have any other electrical appliances in the fridge in the future ? TV set, Camera charger ?

Mike

Deal

When you say “standard 7 pin plug” are you from south of the Murray River or north? The standard round plug used in Victoria is the larger one and is rated for at least 30A. If so go ahead with your plans. Just remove the black wire in pin-2 of the socket and insulate its free end.

I concur with Wizard that the van fridge wiring may need upgrading – I am yet to see a van with a heavy enough wire to the fridge, I am aware that some do, just have not seen them yet.

You may consider including a relay in the added wire – control it from the ignition switch so that when you stop the motor you switch off the fridge. That saves flat batteries when you stop for lunch – I have seen a fridge flatten a Falcon battery to the point of preventing starting in 20 minutes. A $5 headlight relay is cheaper than a $50 “Fridge Switch” that you mount near your fridge.

Anderson plugs are like sending a man out to do a boys work in this situation. Wizard's simple solution looks messy to me. If your plug/socket is one of the smaller ones, the simpler solution would be to replace the connectors with 12-pin types. The extra pins will carry 30A without burning and the same voltage loss as Anderson plugs. The cost will be the same or less. The new wire is routed through pin 9 (pin 8 is the one usually used for battery charging.) From the plug, continue with a new fridge wire directly as possible to fridge terminal block.

The high current earth is pin 10. Wire this pin in both the plug and socket to good earth points close nearby on the chassis. Since vehicle bodies have been spot welded instead of bolted together there has been no advantage running earth wires right back to the battery – in fact body earth paths are lower in resistance.

PeterD