After much deliberation I am now the proud owner of a 1982 westfalia joker. She is unfortunateky stuck in london at the moment commuting (my only vehicle) which she bears with great dignity, but I am awaiting more opportunities to GET OUT OF HERE and head out west again.
With this in mind I have been playing with the electrics and trying to get some sort of use out of the fridge and electrics when not driving or hooked up. I was looking at inverters and such like and was trying to work out what a zig unit does. Does it have an inverter in it? is it worth getting one, and will it give me more freedom to park up wherever and use electrics?
Thanks for all the help on the last post, I now have a camper that I can put all my faith, boards and the missus in. Happy days.
Zigs, and all things electrical
Moderators: User administrators, Moderators
-
purplechugster
- Registered user
- Posts: 124
- Joined: 11 Oct 2005, 12:23
- 80-90 Mem No: 0
- Location: London, or chuggin' along the A303
Does it not have a zig in already?
And does it have a leisure battery? Thats the big point of a zig (from a using-electrics-when-parked-up point of view) - being able to switch from the 'main' battery to the leisure battery.
The leisure battery is much more suitable for the relatively small trickle of power of a few lights on etc, and no worries about flattening the battery and not being able to start in the morning.
So, yes, well worth having one if you havent already.
And boards you say? Surfboards? Another londoner with a T25 who flies (well, tootles) to devon at the weekend with a stack of boards in the van? Campers - its the only way to surf
And does it have a leisure battery? Thats the big point of a zig (from a using-electrics-when-parked-up point of view) - being able to switch from the 'main' battery to the leisure battery.
The leisure battery is much more suitable for the relatively small trickle of power of a few lights on etc, and no worries about flattening the battery and not being able to start in the morning.
So, yes, well worth having one if you havent already.
And boards you say? Surfboards? Another londoner with a T25 who flies (well, tootles) to devon at the weekend with a stack of boards in the van? Campers - its the only way to surf
One T25 in London, another one in Sydney.
-
willreeve
- Registered user
- Posts: 0
- Joined: 29 Oct 2006, 18:54
- 80-90 Mem No: 3093
- Location: south london
I don't think it has a zig. I had a good root around and found nothing resembling one (or the ones I have seen advertised). I do have a leasure battery which I guess must therefore be charged, so if there was a zig where would it be?
Loved having the van on the one trip to cornwall so far. Mutual appreciation with other T25 drivers in the provinces does not seem to spread to the big smoke unfortunately. I keep trying but my amicable thumbs up seem to be largely ignored, but I guess there is hope still. Maybe they can't see me way over in my left hand drive seat.
Loved having the van on the one trip to cornwall so far. Mutual appreciation with other T25 drivers in the provinces does not seem to spread to the big smoke unfortunately. I keep trying but my amicable thumbs up seem to be largely ignored, but I guess there is hope still. Maybe they can't see me way over in my left hand drive seat.
-
Westy.Club.Joker
- Registered user
- Posts: 484
- Joined: 18 Sep 2006, 19:37
- 80-90 Mem No: 2863
- Location: Sunny Lancs. 1988 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker pop-top
If it`s an original factory Westy Joker (99% of them LHD) it should have had a split-charge system fitted as standard, along with an on-board charger that charges the leisure battery back up when you hook up to the mains with your 240V hook-up lead. Leisure battery under the drivers seat in a box. Split-charge relay and wiring is in the same battery box. The charger unit is under the rear seat on the left, looks like a black box with vents on it, hums when you hook up to the mains.
Also will have had an Eberspacher fuel-powered heater located under the floor at the offside sliding door area, with the heater venting through the slot at the base of the rear seat/bed unit. Has it still got this?
Fridge is 3-way type, has your `van still got it`s original gas tank underslung on the nearside? Also water tanks for fresh and waste from/to the sink?
Also will have had an Eberspacher fuel-powered heater located under the floor at the offside sliding door area, with the heater venting through the slot at the base of the rear seat/bed unit. Has it still got this?
Fridge is 3-way type, has your `van still got it`s original gas tank underslung on the nearside? Also water tanks for fresh and waste from/to the sink?
Keep it real.
Search first - ask second ;>}
Search first - ask second ;>}
-
willreeve
- Registered user
- Posts: 0
- Joined: 29 Oct 2006, 18:54
- 80-90 Mem No: 3093
- Location: south london
Sounds like it has all that, the heaters knackered and the fridge does not run on gas but as to the batteries,gas tank and water tank it sounds about right. Is it worth getting an inverter then to run appliances off the battery when stationary?
1982 white (but not for long) 1.9 westy joker hi-top.
Member no. 3093
Member no. 3093
-
Westy.Club.Joker
- Registered user
- Posts: 484
- Joined: 18 Sep 2006, 19:37
- 80-90 Mem No: 2863
- Location: Sunny Lancs. 1988 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker pop-top
Depends what you want to run? Converting 12V to 240V takes some power.
100 watt appliance (240v) will consume approx. 10amps per hour of your battery, so a normal leisure battery will last about 6 hours in top fettle. Invertors normally trip out when battery voltage drops to 11.5v to stop you killing the battery.
Have you found the on-board charger under the seat?
Fridge on gas - take out fridge and clean out the burner chamber etc, it will be full of dry dusty rusty stuff. Don`t look at the bodywork / floor interface area behind the fridge, below the yellow insulation unless you`ve had a stiff drink
Remove the Eberspacher and give it a good service, glowplug etc. Could be something minor, eg, fuel pump or no electric to it. definitely worth having though, people without them will give their grannys right arm for them.
All the above have been discussed recently so have a quick search, also on Wiki at the top of the page.
100 watt appliance (240v) will consume approx. 10amps per hour of your battery, so a normal leisure battery will last about 6 hours in top fettle. Invertors normally trip out when battery voltage drops to 11.5v to stop you killing the battery.
Have you found the on-board charger under the seat?
Fridge on gas - take out fridge and clean out the burner chamber etc, it will be full of dry dusty rusty stuff. Don`t look at the bodywork / floor interface area behind the fridge, below the yellow insulation unless you`ve had a stiff drink
Remove the Eberspacher and give it a good service, glowplug etc. Could be something minor, eg, fuel pump or no electric to it. definitely worth having though, people without them will give their grannys right arm for them.
All the above have been discussed recently so have a quick search, also on Wiki at the top of the page.
Keep it real.
Search first - ask second ;>}
Search first - ask second ;>}