Connecting wiring to Leisure Battery

[PRW]

I need to connect further wiring for an appliance direct to the Leisure Battery.
The wiring has a ring terminal connector. Does it attach to the LB via the point on the LB clamp (arrowed in the picture) by unscrewing the nut and slotting over the screw thread and re-attaching the nut or is there an additional item required to clamp to the battery to make the connection?

 

[Jake Royd]

That's what I did using a crimped on ring end on the wire.
Don't forget to wire in a suitable in line fuse on the +ve supply side.

 

[pappajohn]

Yes, remove nut and attach ring. Retighten nut.
As Jake royd advised....cut the wire close to the crimp and fit a suitable in-line fuse.

 

[rod_vw]

pappajohn is very right. BUT, and I don't wish to be rude, if you don't understand basic electrics you would be advised to leave the job to someone who does.

One simple error resulting is a short circuit can so easily create enough heat to set your vehicle on fire!

 

[Lenny HB]

While you are doing change that battery connector for a decent solid brass one.

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[PRW]

pappajohn is very right. BUT, and I don't wish to be rude, if you don't understand basic electrics you would be advised to leave the job to someone who does.

One simple error resulting is a short circuit can so easily create enough heat to set your vehicle on fire!

With all due respect I do have a reasonable understanding of basic electrics, but like others I am learning hence the question. I've re-wired in an additional 12V socket in my campervan, I've rewired and put in a new solar controller amongst other things. These are just a few of the things that I'd never done before but I've learnt to do along the way by educating myself and taking the appropriate advice, hence the question as I'm not yet familiar with the battery side. Just to point out that those who are very familiar with electrics or any trade for that matter at one point in time knew nothing, they had to follow the same path of learning and doing. I can assure you that unless a qualified electrician, everyone else on this site who does some electrical work on their unit knew nothing to start with.

 

[mitzimad]

if you think you maybe adding more stuff later a bus bar is convienient

 

[St3v3]

....Wibble....

Just to reiterate what others have said, and you didn't mention in your reply - Everything connected to the battery must have a fuse of the correct rating to protect the cable, as close as possible to the battery (or other source of power.)

Have you done this?

 

[Just smiffy]

If your upgrading and fitting more stuff you might want to upgrade your terminals..

4X Leisure Battery Terminals Connectors Clamps Car Van Caravan Motorhome UK 12V | eBay

Vehicle Type: Car.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[rod_vw]

With all due respect I do have a reasonable understanding of basic electrics, but like others I am learning hence the question. I've re-wired in an additional 12V socket in my campervan, I've rewired and put in a new solar controller amongst other things. These are just a few of the things that I'd never done before but I've learnt to do along the way by educating myself and taking the appropriate advice, hence the question as I'm not yet familiar with the battery side. Just to point out that those who are very familiar with electrics or any trade for that matter at one point in time knew nothing, they had to follow the same path of learning and doing. I can assure you that unless a qualified electrician, everyone else on this site who does some electrical work on their unit knew nothing to start with.

PRW I am sorry if my words struck a cord, I in no way intended to insult. I am just thankful that you do have sufficient knowledge to be ultra careful. Over the years I have seen far too many fire damaged write-offs, many due to inept wiring.
I felt a warning was better than an accident.

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[autorouter]

I need to connect further wiring for an appliance direct to the Leisure Battery.
The wiring has a ring terminal connector. Does it attach to the LB via the point on the LB clamp (arrowed in the picture) by unscrewing the nut and slotting over the screw thread and re-attaching the nut or is there an additional item required to clamp to the battery to make the connection?

That looks like one of these:

Positive Battery Terminal Clamp - Crimp or Ring Termination

Battery terminal clamp for the positive post. Fits up to 25mm² cable which can be crimped or connected with a ring terminal. Made from tin plated brass.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

The metal round the terminal is shaped, and it may be a bit difficult to attach a ring terminal to it. There should be a washer underneath that nut. You could add one or even two extra washers to fill in the U-shaped metal, so that the ring terminal will sit flat and can be clamped by the nut.

Can I just say that the crimp holding the main red wire to the terminal clamp doesn't look very good. It looks like it needs crimping a lot more firmly, preferably with a proper crimp tool. If you are adding extras onto battery wiring, a crimp tool is very useful.

For example, a lot of the fuse holders and fuseboxes take wires with ring terminals. The wires can be cut to length and ring terminals crimped on. You can get wire, ring terminals, fuse holders and fuses from the supplier in the link above. Or Ebay if you know what you want.

 

[St3v3]

Paging PRW ....

 

[pappajohn]

Can I just say that the crimp holding the main red wire to the terminal clamp doesn't look very good. It looks like it needs crimping a lot more firmly

If you look closer the cable is soldered to the open crimp.
Superior connection than any crimp device.

 

[autorouter]

If you look closer the cable is soldered to the open crimp.
Superior connection than any crimp device.

A good crimp connection is just as good as a good soldered connection. It's possible to make a bad solder connection just as it's possible to make a bad crimp connection. However the long-term reliability of a crimp connection in a vibration-prone environment is very much better than a solder connection. That's why solder connections are never used in aircraft wiring, and are also rarely used in automotive wiring.

 

[Jake Royd]

A good crimp connection is just as good as a good soldered connection. It's possible to make a bad solder connection just as it's possible to make a bad crimp connection. However the long-term reliability of a crimp connection in a vibration-prone environment is very much better than a solder connection. That's why solder connections are never used in aircraft wiring, and are also rarely used in automotive wiring.

Been making some crimps recently, I have a device and a pack of crimps from eBay.
I found i was making very poor crimps, despite a good tool and lots of care.
The joint looked OK until you pull tested it, it then failed.
It took me some time and many crimps to get some good joints.
On one I had to crimp it with the next size down to get a good joint.

I dismissed crimped joints as cr*p

I then fitted a Maxxair fan which has in it's kit some crimped connectors for the supply.
OK , only 4 joints but they all crimped first time and were all good.

It was then I cam eto the conclusion that my eBay crimping pliers are good (3 positions for different cable sizes) it's the pack of crimped joints that are rubbish.

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[PRW]

PRW I am sorry if my words struck a cord, I in no way intended to insult. I am just thankful that you do have sufficient knowledge to be ultra careful. Over the years I have seen far too many fire damaged write-offs, many due to inept wiring.
I felt a warning was better than an accident.

No offence taken. I appreciate that your post was of best intentions from a safety perspective, but perhaps could have been written in a different way. No matter, we're all part of the site to help each other in whatever way we can.

 

[PRW]

That looks like one of these:

Positive Battery Terminal Clamp - Crimp or Ring Termination

Battery terminal clamp for the positive post. Fits up to 25mm² cable which can be crimped or connected with a ring terminal. Made from tin plated brass.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

The metal round the terminal is shaped, and it may be a bit difficult to attach a ring terminal to it. There should be a washer underneath that nut. You could add one or even two extra washers to fill in the U-shaped metal, so that the ring terminal will sit flat and can be clamped by the nut.

Can I just say that the crimp holding the main red wire to the terminal clamp doesn't look very good. It looks like it needs crimping a lot more firmly, preferably with a proper crimp tool. If you are adding extras onto battery wiring, a crimp tool is very useful.

For example, a lot of the fuse holders and fuseboxes take wires with ring terminals. The wires can be cut to length and ring terminals crimped on. You can get wire, ring terminals, fuse holders and fuses from the supplier in the link above. Or Ebay if you know what you want.

Yes, thanks I've seen another similar post mention that where the person had to add another washer before attaching a ring terminal.

I've just purchased a crimp tool so something I need to start using. Ironically, I'm already in an e-mail discussion with 12voltplanet. They do supply an existing pre-built battery harness with inline fuse. However, the wiring is only 4mm2 and I think I need 6mm2. I've asked them whether they can do custom harness builds.