Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

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Bongolia
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by Bongolia » Sun Jan 29, 2017 11:49 pm

OK,thanks.
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by vanvliet » Mon Jan 30, 2017 11:03 am

g8dhe wrote:Yes if you connect the incoming Earth to a suitable point on the chassis, direct from the block not via a socket, then that makes a substantial improvement. However it does also mean opening up the block and running an earth wire back out, keep the length of earth wire as short as possible and make sure that it can't be broken / disconnected by being pulled etc. best to have the block screwed down firmly.
How does the RCD figure in this. Is it a good idea to also have an inline RCD fitted to the site cable?
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by g8dhe » Mon Jan 30, 2017 11:22 am

I have one installed in my cable as in my opinion its the most likely part to be damaged and its my property and hence I am responsible, and I can't vouch for the one installed in the EHU post. I also selected an RCD with a more sensitive trip current the the standard is 30mA the one I have is 10mA, but they are difficult to locate especially in-line ones that you can add yourself.
Just found this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kitchen ... s=RCD+10mA not sure why its termed a Differential switch maybe translation ? It appears to be a standard RCD.
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by vanvliet » Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:13 pm

g8dhe wrote:I have one installed in my cable as in my opinion its the most likely part to be damaged and its my property and hence I am responsible, and I can't vouch for the one installed in the EHU post. I also selected an RCD with a more sensitive trip current the the standard is 30mA the one I have is 10mA, but they are difficult to locate especially in-line ones that you can add yourself.
Just found this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kitchen ... s=RCD+10mA not sure why its termed a Differential switch maybe translation ? It appears to be a standard RCD.
I had an RCD installed just behind the post plug as site standards vary (!) . I encased it in a waterproof box that looked like a small elongated red rugby ball!
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by Bongoloid » Tue Jan 31, 2017 10:04 am

Lots of useful information thank you all, but Ive decided to buy the parts as posted by mikeonb4c and forget about internal plug sockets for the time being. We can live without electrics for a few days and anything longer I will use the EHU in the awning. Now a bit of googling on how to wire it up :?
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Re: Leisure Batery - unconverted Bongo

Post by mikexgough » Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:38 pm

mikeonb4c wrote:
Bongoloid wrote:Dear all

We would like to have a leisure battery and electric hookup fitted to our unconverted bongo. We are not interested in a conversion as we have an awning / erde trailer / camping equipment and kids.
Can anyone recommend anywhere in the Kent area as we like to have nights away in the bongo without putting up the awning so would be nice to have internal electrics or not worry about the radio / fridge etc.. ?

Thank you

P.s. I am useless at anything diy so that's not really an option
These guys know their Bongos and sell a battery tray:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332088765274

And this guy gets v good reports for the leisure battery wiring kits he sells (though this is an extra item for moving Bongo ancillaries across to LB power)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282309319412

You could send him a message to ask if he has any kits.

Once you've got the bits DIY is pretty simple (though i note you're not up for that!) or you could google for a local autoelectrician.
Had a couple of those VSR's fail on local Bongo's...... swapped out with pukka Durite VSR and they have been sorted.......
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by Bongoloid » Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:47 am

Hi all

We have fitted the leisure battery in the tray without issues.
We also purchased http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282309319412 and the instructions do not mention earthing the leisure battery but the blinds/interior lights etc.. do not work unless the battery is earthed. Also I assume I need something else to charge the leisure battery.

Cheers
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Re: Leisure Batery - unconverted Bongo

Post by mikeonb4c » Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:10 am

mikexgough wrote:
Had a couple of those VSR's fail on local Bongo's...... swapped out with pukka Durite VSR and they have been sorted.......
What's your advice Mike? What brand are those VSRs? Have you or the unhappy customers contacted the product vendor to suggest they use a different VSR? Do we know the Durite VSR doesn't suffer failures (I recall reading somewhere that VSRs generally can become faulty over time)?
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by mikeonb4c » Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:18 am

Bongoloid wrote:Hi all

We have fitted the leisure battery in the tray without issues.
We also purchased http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282309319412 and the instructions do not mention earthing the leisure battery but the blinds/interior lights etc.. do not work unless the battery is earthed. Also I assume I need something else to charge the leisure battery.

Cheers
I'd suggest contacting the vendor (he pops up on facebook). Did you buy his LB VSR split charging kit as well and is that already installed?

The original DIY LB Bongo kit was produced by a guy called Willinton (ebay vendor name) after i emailed him the suggestion many years ago that it would be worth offering one to market. Sadly i think he stopped producing a few years ago. But his kit included the jumpers for swapping over blinds etc in one loom - its a puzzle why its now being done with two products :roll:
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by g8dhe » Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:57 am

Sounds like you only bought a swap loom, you will need the Split Charge Relay part as well. And yes the battery must have the -ve terminal earthed! The loom instructions will have assumed you have already had a LB fitted and that would normally include connecting the -ve terminal to earth.
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by Bongoloid » Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:14 pm

Ahh that will explain it then. Any recommendations on split charge relays ?
As I said before I'm not very mechanically minded :oops:
Thank you all
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Re: Leisure Battery - unconverted Bongo

Post by g8dhe » Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:16 pm

Rooster (Karl Chadwick) who you bought the swap loom from also does the SCR's as well, contact him on ebay or facebook.
Geoff
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