Hiya all!

[Darren]

100 amp battery is probably
100 amp battery is probably fine for 2 days or so. It depends on how much power the cool box and computer use. The lights and phone charger will use very little power.
I would go with the 100 amp and see how you go. It should be fine.

[Darren]

100 amp battery is probably
100 amp battery is probably fine for 2 days or so. It depends on how much power the cool box and computer use. The lights and phone charger will use very little power.
I would go with the 100 amp and see how you go. It should be fine.

[vespafreaka]

Making a start
Hiya all,
We will finally make a start on the van this week. Getting the insulation today. We decided to go for ecoquilt multilayer insulation. Cheapest of its kind, 1 day delivery. Great service ( http://www.ecohome-insulation.com/?i=39714 ). We’ll next get 9mmm ply for the sides and top. Reusing the 10mm floor already there + laminated floor. As for the electrics, thank you Darren for the info, we’ll go for a 100 to 110 amp battery which will be later hooked up to the engine or solar panel. In the meantime, I think we’ll just recharge it with a 12 volt charger. I need to think about the electric along with the ply fitting. We’ll go for these 12v downlights ( something like that: http://www.wickes.co.uk/fire-rated-fixed-downlight/invt/218811/ ) hooked up directly to the battery via a switch + a 12v socket. How should I go about wirring everything up. What cable should I use and in what way? If someone would have the time to go through it step by step, that would be great! I don’t know much about electrics…
Cheers
Vince

[vespafreaka]

Making a start
Hiya all,
We will finally make a start on the van this week. Getting the insulation today. We decided to go for ecoquilt multilayer insulation. Cheapest of its kind, 1 day delivery. Great service ( http://www.ecohome-insulation.com/?i=39714 ). We’ll next get 9mmm ply for the sides and top. Reusing the 10mm floor already there + laminated floor. As for the electrics, thank you Darren for the info, we’ll go for a 100 to 110 amp battery which will be later hooked up to the engine or solar panel. In the meantime, I think we’ll just recharge it with a 12 volt charger. I need to think about the electric along with the ply fitting. We’ll go for these 12v downlights ( something like that: http://www.wickes.co.uk/fire-rated-fixed-downlight/invt/218811/ ) hooked up directly to the battery via a switch + a 12v socket. How should I go about wirring everything up. What cable should I use and in what way? If someone would have the time to go through it step by step, that would be great! I don’t know much about electrics…
Cheers
Vince

[vespafreaka]

Making a start
Hiya all,
We will finally make a start on the van this week. Getting the insulation today. We decided to go for ecoquilt multilayer insulation. Cheapest of its kind, 1 day delivery. Great service ( http://www.ecohome-insulation.com/?i=39714 ). We’ll next get 9mmm ply for the sides and top. Reusing the 10mm floor already there + laminated floor. As for the electrics, thank you Darren for the info, we’ll go for a 100 to 110 amp battery which will be later hooked up to the engine or solar panel. In the meantime, I think we’ll just recharge it with a 12 volt charger. I need to think about the electric along with the ply fitting. We’ll go for these 12v downlights ( something like that: http://www.wickes.co.uk/fire-rated-fixed-downlight/invt/218811/ ) hooked up directly to the battery via a switch + a 12v socket. How should I go about wirring everything up. What cable should I use and in what way? If someone would have the time to go through it step by step, that would be great! I don’t know much about electrics…
Cheers
Vince

[vespafreaka]

Making a start
Hiya all,
We will finally make a start on the van this week. Getting the insulation today. We decided to go for ecoquilt multilayer insulation. Cheapest of its kind, 1 day delivery. Great service ( http://www.ecohome-insulation.com/?i=39714 ). We’ll next get 9mmm ply for the sides and top. Reusing the 10mm floor already there + laminated floor. As for the electrics, thank you Darren for the info, we’ll go for a 100 to 110 amp battery which will be later hooked up to the engine or solar panel. In the meantime, I think we’ll just recharge it with a 12 volt charger. I need to think about the electric along with the ply fitting. We’ll go for these 12v downlights ( something like that: http://www.wickes.co.uk/fire-rated-fixed-downlight/invt/218811/ ) hooked up directly to the battery via a switch + a 12v socket. How should I go about wirring everything up. What cable should I use and in what way? If someone would have the time to go through it step by step, that would be great! I don’t know much about electrics…
Cheers
Vince

[Darren]

Hi Vince
Sounds like a great
Hi Vince

Sounds like a great start. That insulation looks good.
Definitely get a slit charge relay to charge the leisure battery from the engine battery. It will charge much quicker than solar, and is always topped up when driving around. I would recommend installing a 10mm or 16mm cable from the engine battery to where your leisure battery will live. Just tack it back for now, then it is there for when you need it later.

Those Wickes downlighters areOK, but you can find cheaper on eBay, and more important you can get some LED ones, they will use much less power than the Halogen ones from Wickes.

For wiring:
– From the leisure battery run the positive to a fuse box like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-STANDARD-BLADE-FUSE-BOX-WATERPROOF-COVER-12V-/270705674229?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0750c7f5#ht_2240wt_1129

Then, for each appliance that you want to run from the leisure battery, add a fuse to the fuse box and connect the wire of the appliance to the fuse box. This will mean that every appliance has a fuse, and it’s really easy to add more appliances.
Run the negative of the battery to this common block:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-METAL-EARTH-BLOCK-CONNECTION-BAR-/390420561162?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item5ae6e0fd0a#ht_790wt_895

Then add the negative of each appliance to it.

Use 2.5mm cable for lights and low power items like cigarette sockets. Battery to battery should be 16mm cable, but 10mm can be OK.

Hope this helps

[Darren]

Hi Vince
Sounds like a great
Hi Vince

Sounds like a great start. That insulation looks good.
Definitely get a slit charge relay to charge the leisure battery from the engine battery. It will charge much quicker than solar, and is always topped up when driving around. I would recommend installing a 10mm or 16mm cable from the engine battery to where your leisure battery will live. Just tack it back for now, then it is there for when you need it later.

Those Wickes downlighters areOK, but you can find cheaper on eBay, and more important you can get some LED ones, they will use much less power than the Halogen ones from Wickes.

For wiring:
– From the leisure battery run the positive to a fuse box like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-STANDARD-BLADE-FUSE-BOX-WATERPROOF-COVER-12V-/270705674229?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0750c7f5#ht_2240wt_1129

Then, for each appliance that you want to run from the leisure battery, add a fuse to the fuse box and connect the wire of the appliance to the fuse box. This will mean that every appliance has a fuse, and it’s really easy to add more appliances.
Run the negative of the battery to this common block:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-METAL-EARTH-BLOCK-CONNECTION-BAR-/390420561162?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item5ae6e0fd0a#ht_790wt_895

Then add the negative of each appliance to it.

Use 2.5mm cable for lights and low power items like cigarette sockets. Battery to battery should be 16mm cable, but 10mm can be OK.

Hope this helps

[Darren]

Hi Vince
Sounds like a great
Hi Vince

Sounds like a great start. That insulation looks good.
Definitely get a slit charge relay to charge the leisure battery from the engine battery. It will charge much quicker than solar, and is always topped up when driving around. I would recommend installing a 10mm or 16mm cable from the engine battery to where your leisure battery will live. Just tack it back for now, then it is there for when you need it later.

Those Wickes downlighters areOK, but you can find cheaper on eBay, and more important you can get some LED ones, they will use much less power than the Halogen ones from Wickes.

For wiring:
– From the leisure battery run the positive to a fuse box like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-STANDARD-BLADE-FUSE-BOX-WATERPROOF-COVER-12V-/270705674229?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0750c7f5#ht_2240wt_1129

Then, for each appliance that you want to run from the leisure battery, add a fuse to the fuse box and connect the wire of the appliance to the fuse box. This will mean that every appliance has a fuse, and it’s really easy to add more appliances.
Run the negative of the battery to this common block:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-METAL-EARTH-BLOCK-CONNECTION-BAR-/390420561162?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item5ae6e0fd0a#ht_790wt_895

Then add the negative of each appliance to it.

Use 2.5mm cable for lights and low power items like cigarette sockets. Battery to battery should be 16mm cable, but 10mm can be OK.

Hope this helps

[Darren]

Hi Vince
Sounds like a great
Hi Vince

Sounds like a great start. That insulation looks good.
Definitely get a slit charge relay to charge the leisure battery from the engine battery. It will charge much quicker than solar, and is always topped up when driving around. I would recommend installing a 10mm or 16mm cable from the engine battery to where your leisure battery will live. Just tack it back for now, then it is there for when you need it later.

Those Wickes downlighters areOK, but you can find cheaper on eBay, and more important you can get some LED ones, they will use much less power than the Halogen ones from Wickes.

For wiring:
– From the leisure battery run the positive to a fuse box like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-STANDARD-BLADE-FUSE-BOX-WATERPROOF-COVER-12V-/270705674229?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0750c7f5#ht_2240wt_1129

Then, for each appliance that you want to run from the leisure battery, add a fuse to the fuse box and connect the wire of the appliance to the fuse box. This will mean that every appliance has a fuse, and it’s really easy to add more appliances.
Run the negative of the battery to this common block:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-WAY-METAL-EARTH-BLOCK-CONNECTION-BAR-/390420561162?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Electrical_Fittings_MJ&hash=item5ae6e0fd0a#ht_790wt_895

Then add the negative of each appliance to it.

Use 2.5mm cable for lights and low power items like cigarette sockets. Battery to battery should be 16mm cable, but 10mm can be OK.

Hope this helps

[vespafreaka]

Thanks Darren!! A lot of
Thanks Darren!! A lot of useful info, thanks for taking the time to send me all this. Conversion is slow but all the electric is ready to go thanks to you, learned a lot about electric in the process…I already had the halogen lights so we’ll keep them but might change for LED later. Still no leisure battery but we’ll go for 16mm cable. We got 9mm ply wood and I will need to make a vent somewhere as we’ll be using gas for cooking, simple 2 burners campingas connected to a gas bottle, the most universal one. I’m not too keen on making holes on the side of the van. How should I go about the air vent? What are the options out there? Any adevice on that would be great. Cheers. Vince

[vespafreaka]

Thanks Darren!! A lot of
Thanks Darren!! A lot of useful info, thanks for taking the time to send me all this. Conversion is slow but all the electric is ready to go thanks to you, learned a lot about electric in the process…I already had the halogen lights so we’ll keep them but might change for LED later. Still no leisure battery but we’ll go for 16mm cable. We got 9mm ply wood and I will need to make a vent somewhere as we’ll be using gas for cooking, simple 2 burners campingas connected to a gas bottle, the most universal one. I’m not too keen on making holes on the side of the van. How should I go about the air vent? What are the options out there? Any adevice on that would be great. Cheers. Vince

[vespafreaka]

Thanks Darren!! A lot of
Thanks Darren!! A lot of useful info, thanks for taking the time to send me all this. Conversion is slow but all the electric is ready to go thanks to you, learned a lot about electric in the process…I already had the halogen lights so we’ll keep them but might change for LED later. Still no leisure battery but we’ll go for 16mm cable. We got 9mm ply wood and I will need to make a vent somewhere as we’ll be using gas for cooking, simple 2 burners campingas connected to a gas bottle, the most universal one. I’m not too keen on making holes on the side of the van. How should I go about the air vent? What are the options out there? Any adevice on that would be great. Cheers. Vince

[vespafreaka]

Thanks Darren!! A lot of
Thanks Darren!! A lot of useful info, thanks for taking the time to send me all this. Conversion is slow but all the electric is ready to go thanks to you, learned a lot about electric in the process…I already had the halogen lights so we’ll keep them but might change for LED later. Still no leisure battery but we’ll go for 16mm cable. We got 9mm ply wood and I will need to make a vent somewhere as we’ll be using gas for cooking, simple 2 burners campingas connected to a gas bottle, the most universal one. I’m not too keen on making holes on the side of the van. How should I go about the air vent? What are the options out there? Any adevice on that would be great. Cheers. Vince

[mgroadster]

You need to make a small vent
You need to make a small vent in the floor near the gas bottle, as gas is heavier than air. You can actually get small tube vents to drill out the floor and insert.
I also put a vent in the side of the van where the porta loo cabin is. Only a small cut out and a vent bonded in place.

[Author]

Posts