Leisure battery wiring

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:11 pm

Hi Majorbloodnock
If you're having a leisure battery installed, get them to do it - shouldn't add more than half an hour to their time.
If not, come to one of our weekend camping meets and I'll happily do it for you. I've got to do it for tigs as well

Majorbloodnock · Post by **Majorbloodnock** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:18 pm

francophile1947 wrote:Hi Majorbloodnock
If you're having a leisure battery installed, get them to do it - shouldn't add more than half an hour to their time.
If not, come to one of our weekend camping meets and I'll happily do it for you. I've got to do it for tigs as well

Hi

I have the battery situated on the van (my dad gave me a spare LB that he didn't need). I had a tray made up at a local engineering company. I just need to get it wired up. Quote so far is £180 including relays, wiring etc - I think that's a little steep to be honest, especially considering you make it sound so easy - hence the "I would rather pay you comment"

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:21 pm

Aha - I've never fitted a leisure battery charging circuit - I thought you just meant the fuse box mod

Majorbloodnock · Post by **Majorbloodnock** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:22 pm

francophile1947 wrote:Aha - I've never fitted a leisure battery charging circuit - I thought you just meant the fuse box mod

I don't know what I mean to be honest

My bad, I thought it sounded easy!

Aethelric · Post by **Aethelric** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:24 pm

stringman wrote:Regarding the radio I have wired mine using 2 x 5pin relays and a seperate switch. You need two relays as the radio needs a permanent and an ignition feed. Both need to be taken from whichever battery is being used. Wire the normally closed side of the relays to the standard vehicle wiring so with the seperate switch in the off position the radio will work normally (switching on and off with the ignition). Use the switch to energise both relays so that when you flick the switch both feeds to the radio come via the relays from the leisure battery.
This means that in normal use you do not need to remember to switch the radio off when parked up. When camping you just flick a switch and the radio works using leisure battery with ignition switched off.
Sorry if this sounds complicated but it only actually took me about 10 minutes to wire up.

I much prefer the situation where the radio does NOT switch off when you turn off the ignition. A modern radio takes very litle current and would take weeks to flatten the battery, and anyway you can probably hear it. It means you can leave the radio running so that your passengers can listen to it when you leave the car.
I would just hook up the radio to the leisure battery.

jackstringer · Post by **jackstringer** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:29 pm

Third Option,

Take the Blue Wire with White stripe (check first) that is on the ignition switch. Cut it and wire it direct (via Fuse) to the Leisure battery. That wire is the switched wire for the accessories (Stereo, Blinds, 12v Sockets). I left some wire on the ignition so if I want I can just remove the wire from the leisure battery and put it back to normal.

stringman · Post by **stringman** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:18 pm

The ignition wire to most stereos is only a switching wire so if you wire this to the leisure battery the radio will stay on but the actual power will still be coming from the main (starter) battery. To power the radio fully from the leisure battery both feeds need to be taken to the leisure battery.