Beginner - Help Wanted

[kevin4]

Hi I`m new to caravaning and I have a 1981 Mustang. What I would like some help with is when I`m hooked up I can run the plug sockets off the 240v system, but I have to run the lighting and the water pump system off a 12v leisure battery.

Is their any way I can put in a power invertor or something so that I could have a power supply coming off the mains that could then be reduce to 12v to power the lighting and water and keep the battery as a back up.

If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Damian]

Kevin, a short answer is yes, its called a battery charger!!!

Seriously though, you should have a battery charger already fitted, but maybe not with a 1981 van, however, if you do not, its justa simple thing of buying a charger and plugging it in to a suitable socket and connecting to the battery so that when you plug in the mains, the charger comes on.

 

[kevin4]

Cheers Damien. Yes their has been a battery charger put in, but I`m trying to figure out if there is anyway I can power the lighting via the mains and not using the battery.

 

[rayc]

Kevin, The lights and water pump etc. are 12v. To run them of 240v you need a charger / power supply as fitted to modern vans. These will charge the battery plus if no battery will run the 12v system. They are relatively expensive, especially ones that are stable and can give the required current. It would be cheaper to keep your existing system of running the 12v of the battery and charging it when required. A decent charger will have a trickle charge setting and the charger could be left connected to battery permanently. Make sure the battery isn't just fitted inside a bed locker as oper the norm in the early eighties but it is ventilated if you are going to charge it in situ.

 

[kevin4]

Thanks for your reply Ray. It`s my first caravan and a cheap one at that, But it does the now. Looking to get a better one next year.

 

[Damian]

Kevin, unfortunately the best way to use the 12v lighting is with the integral use of the battery. Even on new vans the majority of lighting is 12v with, in the case of my new Abbey GTS Vogue, two 240v lights in the lounge area.

As Ray has said, as long as the place where your battery is, is well ventilated, then leaving a normal type of battery charger connected on trickle charge will work ok.As you are thinking of changing the van next year, to pay out what is a lot of money to install a purpose built van charging unit is not really worth it.