Mentoring Needed On Electrics - Fuses, LBs, Split-Charge and Solar Panels?

[HilaryRae_is_Away]

So I am brand new to all of this but I really want to have a thorough understanding of whatever system I install on my Bongo.

Is there anyone in the Southampton/ Hampshire area who would be willing to sit down with me and answer all my questions/teach me? My brain struggles with huge chunks of text and abbreviations and I really think my best chance is to walk through it in person with someone. Or maybe even a few video calls? I would pay for your time and knowledge! I dont want this post to sound like I'm penny-pinching by doing the install myself.

I have an unconverted 1995 2.5l Diesel AFT model Bongo, and I want to install a solar LB system so that I can live in the van for a couple of weeks at a time. It doesnt need to be flash or professional, just functional. Thing is, I get really overwhelmed trying to understand the whole electrical system that will need to be installed and have looked at countless diagrams and flowcharts and yet I still have so many questions. I dont just want to pay a huge amount for a specialist to install it and me then not have any understanding of what I have or what I've paid for. If it breaks I want to be able to troubleshoot and resolve it myself.

I appreciate this is a bit embarrassing on my part to have absolutely zero understanding already but I'm a young woman who was never offered any practical subjects at school and then decided to study humanities... so you see my dilemma.

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can offer/ suggest

[g8dhe]

If your van is unconverted then just what electrical requirements do you have?
You don't mention Electrical Hook Up (EHU) where you plug into a socket on a site, so normally in those situations your only talking about some bed time lighting and phone recharging ?

If your serious about wanting to understand and then maintain your vehicle at what ever level then there are still Evening classes available at local colleges etc see https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=night ... outhampton

Trying to talk someone thru verbally really isn't going to get you very far without being able to do some practical things so that you can learn the physical nature of what your trying to achieve as well. Just handling screwdrivers, cutters, crimping tools and using a meter isn't going to be a 5-minute or 5-hour even process

Getting the parts once you know what is needed is not difficult several companies sell kits, which in your position would be by far the best route as your not familiar with all the names of items and the extras that you will need.
two companies come recomended for there kits;
Solar systems - https://www.solarcampersolutions.co.uk/
Leisure battery and wiring bits - https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/bespokeautoe ... ervices_uk
Other additional items of all nature - https://clearcutconversions.co.uk/

[Bob]

Good tips from Geoff.

Just a thought from me - we used ours for six years unconverted an never bothered with a leisure battery or solar.

If you're driving most days that will charge the battery, and I carry a booster pack just in case it should go flat and fail to start Bongy - it never did.

You could consider a hook up lead, with 13 amp sockets and circuit breaker for the kettle, and maybe a heater, if you have access to hook up, but a leisure battery won't run those things anyway.

We just used a camping stove for brews and simple food.

Could save you a lot of money and do the job.

Welcome to the Forum, and hope the ideas help a bit.

[Northern Bongolow]

Might be an idea to go along to one of the local club meets, talk to people there, most are willing to boast/ chat about the set up they have opted for, they all seem to be a little different and personalized. This way you may find you only require the simple and usually cheaper option as bob above suggests

[HilaryRae_is_Away]

Thank you all for the responses so far. I've certainly considered an electrical course at my local college so I will contact one and see how appropriate it is for what I want to achieve.

I should have said, I'm not planning to travel far at a time, nor use regular camping sites so I'm not a fan of the EHU option for me. Though I do have a 240v converter lead so could use them if I really needed to.

I'm planning a big UK tour over 6 months or so, stopping over on people's driveways (by prior agreement!), stealth camping and using the occasional proper campsite so I won't necessarily be driving far enough between stops to fully charge a LB off the split charge relay system (I imagine?) so that's why I am considering the 100w solar panel set up from Solar Camping Solutions.
I'd want to run a small fridge, my interior lights, stereo, blinds and the cigarette lighters off of the LB but I don't understand how you do that? How do you divert the energy source from the starter to the leisure battery for certain fuses?

[g8dhe]

OK on the fridge, and yes that will need to be a compressor fridge then and a solar panel will keep that going, but I would also suggest that you fit a Split Charge Relay to allow charging when moving as your not always able to ensure that your panel will get a good view of the sky especially when on driveways!.

The Swap loom handles the moving of 4 circuits across from the starter battery to the leisure battery giving you the internal lighting, both sets of blinds and radio/sockets/ancillaries. Its achieved by removing the 4 fuses that protect those circuits, then extending the wiring to a new fuse box that is connected to the leisure battery, the 4 fuses are then placed in the new fuse box so that the circuits are powered from the LB.

[Bob]

The Solar Campers Kits are very good.

The owner of the company was a regular on here for a good few years and is well thought of.

Particularly good that no drilling is required to fit the panel.

If stopping over on friend's drives I would at least carry a battery charger so you can top up from mains, even if you don't go for a full hook up arrangement.

Bear in mind the blinds can be operated by hand with no ill effects, just pull/push gently. This can be easier than reaching up for the switch while in bed.

[Roy748]

Hello.
Another option to consider is using a portable solar panel. We used a 60w solar panel to comfortable run our dometic 24ltr cool box as this only pulls approx 0.4amps per hour as opposed to a thermoelectric coolbox pulling 4amps per hour. Being portable you can follow the sun throughout the day to maximise efficiency plus park in the shade if necessary. We ran the charge leads direct to the leisure battery through lifting the bonnet slightly.
When on a campsite with EHU, we used a 3 way extension lead with inbuilt RCD.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maypole-3-Wa ... 635-2958-0
Which was fed through either cab window into the van. We had wind deflectors on the windows which allowed us to lower the window slightly without rain getting in.

[g8dhe]

Be Aware - CAMPING HOOK-UP LEADS AND BOARDS

Whilst on the surface they look a good idea and appear to have all the safety requirements built in these boards are NOT designed for use in vehicles, they are designed for use in tents where there are no large metal surfaces electrically floating unconnected to earth.

In a motorcaravan, you are surrounded by the metal vehicle chassis, which is insulated from earth by 4 rubber wheels (yes they do conduct a little to get rid of static charge, but not enough to trip a Residual Current Detector - RCD).
If you lead develops a fault either before or after the RCD which causes the live conductor to be exposed and touch the chassis of the vehicle then initially nothing will happen at all, if your sat inside you will not feel anything. Its only when someone touches the chassis of the vehicle and earth at the same time that the circuit will be completed - typically getting in or out of the van or someone touching the outside - then their feet will be touching earth and the hand touching 240 V AC, hopefully either the internal RCD or the EHU post RCD will trip, but they will still get a nasty shock, especially for a kid or dog!

These boards can be used safely in a van by arranging for a proper earth connection to the chassis of the vehicle, normally by connecting the incoming earth wire of the block to the vehicle chassis with a strong and ideally permanent connection which can't be tugged loose or easily broken or forgotten. Best to mount the block in a permanent position and bring the earth connection out and bolt it to the chassis.

Also bear in mind that bringing a cable in via a rubber door seal might seem OK until the cable gets tugged and ends up by the door latch which then cuts the insulation open when the door is closed - I've seen it happen on a site, rear door slammed shut followed by a "pop" and a puff of smoke from the door latch before the campsite EHU post tripped the circuit breakers.

[Doone]

Wow those are important points!