Putting electric in back of van (1 Viewer)

[Paul in Portsmouth]

Hi all , I've got a vito that am converting and thinking about putting some form of electric in there as am completely new to this just got a few questions ..... Will I b better getting a leasure battery with invertor , split charge system for when no hook up is available and just get the lead with the rcd for when at campsite to hook up OR would I b better getting a zig unit and installing that ???? If I do the zig unit can I connect the spare battery up to that so that powers the sockets etc when not hooked up at campsite or will i still need an invertor for that and will this charge the spare battery also when hooked up or will i still need the relay system ???? I think the battery with invertor easiest then get a hook up cable when on site , not going to be using it that often just wondering what people's opinions and experiences are , any input most welcome , Paul

 

[scotjimland]

Hi Paul.. welcome to the forum

There are two distinct systems ... 230v mains .. and 12v DC which have to be considered and installed..

Fist question .. how good is your electrical knowledge .. on a scale 1 -5 ?

be honest, if less than 5 then I suggest you seek professional advice and have someone guide you during the planning and installation .. especially the 230v mains .. do not DIY this if in anyway unsure..

If you understand the attached drawing then you should be able to tackle the installation.. if it's double dutch.. let someone else help you who knows what they are doing..

It is only an example.. NOT a blueprint for every install .. there are several features that not all vans have ..

 

[Paul in Portsmouth]

Hi and thanks , I reckon I could get on with that , but reckon the battery , charger and invertor , plus just get a cable for when hook up would b the easiest option as is only an occasional thing .

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[scotjimland]

Hi and thanks , I reckon I could get on with that , but reckon the battery , charger and invertor , plus just get a cable for when hook up would b the easiest option as is only an occasional thing .

Hi .. if you don't plan on using 230v then concentrate on the 12v .. and keep it simple.. no need for a 230v charger .. you can add that at a later date

install the battery, split charge relay, wiring for lights, fridge, water pump etc .. and a small inverter.. but bear in mind the loading, divide inverter watts by 12 to get current in amps.. so even a small inverter , say 150w is pulling 13A on full load..

If you are planning off site camping then a solar panel would be useful .

 

[Paul in Portsmouth]

Sorry didn't mean a 230 charger meant the split relay to charge the leasure battery , think I do leasure battery with split charge system running of main battery , then just connect it to say a 600w invertor ,( is it the sine wave ones are best ) then that'll do for 1 set up as only gonna be using small tv for an hour or so at night maybe hook the radio up to that aswell, then just gonna invest in the lead with rcd for hook up when on site Etc. , thanks for your input anyway helped clear a few things up , Paul

 

[scotjimland]

Sorry didn't mean a 230 charger meant the split relay to charge the leasure battery , think I do leasure battery with split charge system running of main battery , then just connect it to say a 600w invertor ,( is it the sine wave ones are best ) then that'll do for 1 set up as only gonna be using small tv for an hour or so at night maybe hook the radio up to that aswell, then just gonna invest in the lead with rcd for hook up when on site Etc. , thanks for your input anyway helped clear a few things up , Paul

Sine wave are better, but most stuff will work fine on a quasi sine wave .. as to size.. buy the size you need + about 20% ..

the reason being , inverters use power to convert from 12vdc to 230vac ... , the bigger they are the more they use, so if you buy a 600 watt but are only using it to power say 100watt it is inefficient, so wasting energy .. A 150 watt will be adequate for a small TV and radio .. this is one example where bigger is not always better

there are plenty of members on here who will help and guide you with this and other aspects of your self build.. It's well worth the subs of £10, it will soon be recouped by all the valuable information ..

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[Paul in Portsmouth]

Cool :0) and thanks , have got most of it covered , ie insulated the panels , bed , storage etc just wasn't to sure about the electric side of things and just needed someone to run it by , thanks .