cable for charging 12v battery

[alan_374467377]

hi, i have just noticed that my caravan i have just b ought and got home has no charging cable for the battery i have a spare port on my tow hitch for one, what cable do i need and how do i fit it, many thanks alan

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Alan,

If you want to charge you caravan batter whilst at home, the simplest way is to use your mains hook up cable, and the caravans own built-in charger/power supply.

Ideally you need to provide an proper weatehr proof extrenal power socket on your house/garage, alternatively bring your MHU cable in through a door or window and use an 13A to Cee Form 16A 230V adaptor.

An alternative method is to get a multi-stage charger (i.e an Ctek or similar) and fit its output cable with a an appropriate towing type socket with the wires connected to the tow charge terminals in the socket, You can then connect your caravan towing lead to the charger.

The down side is you need to protect the charger and cables from the rain etc. The mains hook up is usually simpler, and you can pre-cool your fridge down before a trip.

 

[Lutz]

I think that Alan is referring to a missing connection on the respective towbar socket, preventing you from charging the caravan battery while on the move. This lead is often omitted by the car manfacturers' OEM wiring harness as a cost-cutting exercise because relatively few people require this feature. However, it is quite easy to add later. You should use a lead of at least 2.5m

 

[alan_374467377]

I think that Alan is referring to a missing connection on the respective towbar socket, preventing you from charging the caravan battery while on the move. This lead is often omitted by the car manfacturers' OEM wiring harness as a cost-cutting exercise because relatively few people require this feature. However, it is quite easy to add later. You should use a lead of at least 2.5m