Bongo Fury

Hi,
We're about to get our Bongo converted and have just been told it's not advisable to connect the leisure battery to any of the Bongo's original electrics such as interior lights, blinds, stereo and inbuilt 12v sockets.

This seems very odd to me as the leisure battery would only power the new 12v fridge and water pump and we would be in a situation we can't even use the interior lights without draining the main battery!

Surely that's not usual?

Thanks in advance.

All conversions are unique but it is "normal" to switch the internal lights, blinds, 12v sockets and radio over to the leisure battery. The easiest way to achieve this is to use "piggy back" fuses or spade connectors into the original fuse box and take these connections back via a new fuse box (or inline fuses) to the leisure battery. There are several suppliers of circuit swap looms and kits which make this easy

Thanks for a quick reply. That's I'd always assumed otherwise it kind of defeats the point of having one.

Are there any reasons hooking up the lights etc to the leisure battery would be described as "not advisable" ?

Could be as simple as someone doesn't want to do the work.

Bob wrote:Could be as simple as someone doesn't want to do the work.

Eeek, I hope not as that doesn't fill me with confidence for the rest of the conversion!
If it's fairly simple and the conversion includes a zig and leisure battery I can't see that being the case really. I'll go back and talk to him I guess and see what he says, I just wanted to check I wasn't missing something. But it's clear I DO need the lights etc connecting up, there's no point having a nice new conversion and going to bed as soon as it gets dark with a torch!

so what is he going to hook up?

wonkanoby wrote:so what is he going to hook up?

That's what I thought... presumably the new fridge and sink water pump... but that's all.

I reckon it's lazy converters wanting to do less for more cash ..

The 12 volt leckies in my conversion where the fridge .. water pump and one £1.50 spot light over the sink ..

I bought a conversion wiring kit and did a swapsy job myself ...

Very .. very simple to do .. I swapped the radio .. interior lights .. electric blinds and the ciggy lighter over to the leisure battery ...job done in less than half an hour ...

You must be sure the amperage of the 'piggy back' fuses .. and the wiring is OK for what you intend to use .. ie: things like cool boxes realy need heavier cable than the Bongos loom ..

mikeWalsall wrote:Very .. very simple to do ..

Famous last words
Thanks everyone... much food for thought...

It should be part of the conversion .. they should do what you want .. not what they want to .. get the converter to do it ..

mikeWalsall wrote:It should be part of the conversion .. they should do what you want .. not what they want to .. get the converter to do it ..

Absolutely. If us DIYers can fit one of the standard VSR/fuse switching kits and without a background in auto electrics then a converter should be able to with nae bother. Its a little unsettling that they should say it was a bad idea.

As the others have said I'd ask them to do it as part of the requirements of doing the job.


Mine was converted at the same place (before I owned it) and only the coolbox and the 12v tap ran off the leisure battery. I moved everything else I could over to it.


The only negative reason I can think of is that if the leisure battery goes flat or is taken out then you get an ECU warning as part of that must be connected to one of the circuits I moved over. So you get a flashing glowplug symbol (IIRC) on the dash. It soon goes away once the leisure battery is sorted though.

Easy to follow tutorial .. (note the Willington kit is no longer made .. but there are several similar ones available) ..

http://www.g8dhe.net/bongo_images/Willinton_relay.pdf

All very helpful, thank you so much