How's this electrical setup? (1 Viewer)

[pappajohn]

Ti

Could the OP possibly use one of these "bus Bars" to connect all his negatives onto which would be ofc connected to his negative terminal on his battery using suitable gauged cable like 16mm , as well as looking tidier it would save his cables being joined that way.

Tidier, but still extended wires.
It could be said if the cables were fully wrapped as a harness that too would be tidier.

 

[pyro]

One of the issues I can see is that any self build is going to be subject to a higher level of scrutiny in the unfortunate event that there is an insurance claim further down the road, or the vehicle is ever offered for sale.

I have to agree that the wiring as it stands wouldn't win me over, with apologies to the OP, people judge first with their eyes. Providing the CSA/rating of the conductors was adequate, doing whatever he can to reduce the rats nest appearance through the use of a bus bar would help, using one of those spiral harness efforts (shown below) might improve the appearance, provided all cables were properly identified (again below) and the whole thing was properly supported instead of floating around, will all improve the appearance and the reliability. A few cable ties and a couple of quid on heatshrink wouldn't harm either

Speaker or bell wire for the LED lighting? From what I have seen the 14 AWG cable used for speakers (and many other things) of two different colours to indicate polarity would appear to be perfectly adequate, being rated at close to 6A. I think it highly unlikely that anyone is going to use 70 watts of LED lighting in any van conversion, although it should obviously be properly protected by a fuse or a breaker.

I would also neaten up that radio installation whilst I was at it, looks rather insecure for my liking.

I am not an auto electrician, and have to agree that it would be sensible to have the help of one, but I hope these comments are taken constructively and wish you well with your project

https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-cable-tidy-black-2-x-2m/62303
https://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

 

[Elias]

Ok ive improved this setup & changed a few things:

Firstly got rid of that crappy 32A breaker
16mm cable in places
bus bar for the neutrals
cable supports
100amp mega fuse
kill switch on main feed to fuse board & solar input
shorted a fair few cables

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[Wissel]

That looks a lot better @Elias

The cable is right and you have a fuse where you should. Also the 300a switch is a great improvement (I use the same). The Bus Bar is a good improvement - way better than extending the cables like before.

If the 16mm cables have good contact with the battery lugs (can't tell from the image) then at first glance I can't see any issues.

Neater as well

 

[Elias]

That looks a lot better @Elias

The cable is right and you have a fuse where you should. Also the 300a switch is a great improvement (I use the same). The Bus Bar is a good improvement - way better than extending the cables like before.

If the 16mm cables have good contact with the battery lugs (can't tell from the image) then at first glance I can't see any issues.

Neater as well

I knew from the start when i was joining the neutrals that it was a bad idea.. had a memory blank for a moment...

There is a good contact with the lugs, ive soldered the tails & around 30mm of the cable has contact.

Thanks for the suggestions (and everybody else) its been a great help.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Looks a bit like how our Frankia came out from the Factory.

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[Wissel]

Also don't be put off by some of the responses you had. I think the way some posts were written they were possibly taken out of context.

I think all that replied had your best interests at heart. This is a good place for advice

Good luck with your trip.

 

[Elias]

Yes quite possibly, i can imagine the differences in quality through the eyes of some people that own a 30k factory build vs our 1.2k build

Roll on spain on the 28th!

hopefully i can get time to post our progress before we leave, still lots of work to finish.

 

[DBK]

I think the main thing to do is to support all the wiring. If you let it all flap about you can get chafing and joints working loose. The shot below is the bird's nest wiring in my van. It could be tidier I suppose but the main thing is everything is clipped in with zip ties or in plastic tubing.

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[Gorse Hill]

Was that aimed at me?

If so, could you please explain how a 16mm cable, at the lengths involved with this guys setup, isn't enough?

Because I make that a drop in voltage of less than 1% from a cable that can handle more amps than it will ever possibly get? (with the right fuse)

If it wasn't aimed at me, my apologies

Wasn’t aware 16mm will take 100A, yet you suggested an 100A fuse

 

[TheBig1]

most definitely a very big improvement, well done.

as you say some here have £100k+ motorhomes and no idea how it works, but a few of us have built their own vans and really do know what they are talking about

 

[Wissel]

Wasn’t aware 16mm will take 100A, yet you suggested an 100A fuse

16mm will take far more than 100a. At the lengths involved in the OP's build it will also provide a nice low voltage drop.

100a for a fuse here is a pretty good choice. It would be the weak point in the circuit, so the place that fails if something breaks or goes wrong.

EDIT - a 16mm cable wouldn't be very efficient at 100a. I worded that badly (having a drink). A motorhome wouldn't be likely to use this much current though, and if something failed and it did, the fuse would fail. Not the cable.

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[Gorse Hill]

16mm will take far more than 100a. At the lengths involved in the OP's build it will also provide a nice low voltage drop.

100a for a fuse here is a pretty good choice. It would be the weak point in the circuit, so the place that fails if something breaks or goes wrong.

EDIT - a 16mm cable wouldn't be very efficient at 100a. I worded that badly (having a drink). A motorhome wouldn't be likely to use this much current though, and if something failed and it did, the fuse would fail. Not the cable.

Not according to Table 4E4/1A

 

[Wissel]

Not according to Table 4E4/1A

I have no idea what that table is or means. I am interested though?

It would probably be helpful to anyone following this thread as well. Thanks in advance.

 

[DBK]

I have no idea what that table is or means. I am interested though?

It would probably be helpful to anyone following this thread as well. Thanks in advance.

The table is about two core and above cables and doesn't as far as I know apply to single core cables - but it is a good guide. However, in a MH no cable is going to be taking 100A currents or above for more than a few minutes before the batteries run flat. 16mm will be fine at 100A but not for a continuous load - but it won't be exposed to that. And if there is no inverter involved it will probably not see anything above say 30A.

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[Gorse Hill]

I have no idea what that table is or means. I am interested though?

It would probably be helpful to anyone following this thread as well. Thanks in advance.

Table BEC 100 Tri Rated Single Core Heat Resistant 105*C PVC Cable Flexibles to BS 6231/UL/CSA is rated at 100A Maximum, however I would be tempted to use either 25mm with 100A or 80A with 16mm to be on the safe side
The above tables I use as part of my Calcs when designing an electrical installation for Low/Med voltages AC systems

 

[Bart]

@Elias looking good

 

[Wissel]

Table BEC 100 Tri Rated Single Core Heat Resistant 105*C PVC Cable Flexibles to BS 6231/UL/CSA is rated at 100A Maximum, however I would be tempted to use either 25mm with 100A or 80A with 16mm to be on the safe side
The above tables I use as part of my Calcs when designing an electrical installation for Low/Med voltages AC systems

Thanks @Gorse Hill
I'll confess to not Googling that, but would I be right in assuming this was it's continuous rating?

Thanks.

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[Gorse Hill]

The table is about two core and above cables and doesn't as far as I know apply to single core cables - but it is a good guide. However, in a MH no cable is going to be taking 100A currents or above for more than a few minutes before the batteries run flat. 16mm will be fine at 100A but not for a continuous load - but it won't be exposed to that. And if there is no inverter involved it will probably not see anything above say 30A.

You make a couple of valid points DBK, and reasonable to expect in practice this may well be the case
The tables I quoted are also used for single core cable current ratings calculations, personally I work on the principle you can never go to big with CSA (within reason) but going to small can lead to problems
Each to there own thou

 

[Gromett]

I’m old fashioned, and would have laced it all. But then, I’m partial to a bit of lacing, it’s a dieing art.

I thought I must be one of the few people still doing this. Glad to hear there are still some others around. I think well laced cables look fantastic.



@Elias My only advice would be to put a fuse on each battery terminal.

If one of your batteries has a cell failed the voltage can drop quite dramatically causing a large current to flow from the healthy battery to the injured one. If this happens there will be a large current in the link cable. If there is a short anywhere in the battery to busbar cable, the cable comes loose etc. Then the batteries will put out a lot of current.

My personal rule is, if it can supply a current I always fuse it as close to the point of supply as possible. In my van I have calculated full load of everything turned on (excluding inverter) at around 40Amps. So I have a 60Amp fuse on the battery supplying the main fuse/distribution panel.

I do this because I accept I am not perfect and cannot possible consider every failure mode...

 

[Gromett]

PS: for the mega fuse I use these;
http://amzn.to/2hqirwN


The beauty of these is you can just crimp on mate lugs to the cable and bolt it in using a very short link cable.

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[Gorse Hill]

Thanks @Gorse Hill
I'll confess to not Googling that, but would I be right in assuming this was it's continuous rating?

Thanks.

It is for the cable I quoted, however depending on the insulation temperature ratings of the cable used, number of strands Type A or B de-rating factors have to taken into account
But as DBK pointed out it’s very unlikely to be used at its max rating, probably me being over cautious having seen many things go wrong due to undersized cable along with oversized fuse rating

 

[pyro]

Just dropped back to this thread, and have to say that @Elias has made a remarkable improvement.

As others have said, all very well people who have spent a fortune on buying their van from a factory, but you are doing this yourself and from the looks of things, doing it well

 

[Elias]

@Gromett i did think about fusing the link between batteries but at the time of 'improving' the setup i had already bought the extra bits.

I haven't worked out the maximum load yet but its not going to be massive..

• Car stereo
• led lighting, probably around 80 diodes
• Waeco fridge in socket 3 (will be rarely turned on)
• laptop in socket 2
• inline water pump to feed the sink tap

and that is it, were not interested in all the luxuries, its a camper not a hotel

& i bought the fuses holder/fuse/copper tube links from 12volt planet, they look identical.

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[DBK]

I was a bit late with one of my posts yesterday, you have really tidied everything up and clipped the cables down.
If I can be permitted a tiny comment. It looks like you are taking the feeds from the battery closest to the camera. The recommended way with two batteries would be to take the positive feed from say the battery nearest the camera but the negative from the other battery. Or put another way, you connect the load to the diagonally opposite terminals, not terminals on the same battery. If you do it that way it balances the load on each battery.
And you've now got lots of room in there, enough space for an inverter perhaps? Except, I can't see any venting tubes on the batteries. A quick check on line suggests they do gas though not much according to this link but a fault somewhere could change this - a faulty charger for example. Is there anywhere to connect a narrow neoprene tube to vent the gas outside as there is on my Varta batteries?

https://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/hankook-xv110.html

 

[Elias]

Good point with the terminals, i didn't even think about that but it certainly makes sense. The problem i have now is the negative from the solar controller is not long enough to reach the other terminal. If i get chance before we go i will get a bit more of that cable & swap them around.

There were transportation lugs in the side of the battery's when they arrived, looks like this is where a vent tube would connect. I was just going to drill a hole through the floor to vent the gas, a friend mentioned that the gas released when charging is heavier than air so its probably not the perfect thing to do but i'm sure it will let out the majority of the gas.

Oh and i don't really have a need for an inverter, i bought a 12v adapter off fleabay which connects to the laptop, it has a built in transformer which brings the output to around 36v.

 

[Gromett]

a friend mentioned that the gas released when charging is heavier than air

No it isn't, It is hydrogen gas from electrolysed water which is much lighter than air and extremely flammable.

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[Gromett]

PS: Don't drill holes in batteries...

 

[Elias]

@DBK i forgot to ask, i see you have a little solar controller tucked away at the back there, whats your peak gain from your setup?

 

[Elias]

No it isn't, It is hydrogen gas from electrolysed water which is much lighter than air and extremely flammable.

well you learn something new everyday!

i wont be drilling holes in my battery's lol

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