Interior lighting re-wiring

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Hi,

Have recently installed a leisure battery in our van with a secondary fusebox and have wired in the first couple of items (sink tap / pump + 12v fridge).

I was now thinking about re-wiring the interior strip lights as they are currently running off the vans original interior courtesy lights which obviously draws from the starter battery rather than the leisure battery.

Does anyone have any suggestions / recommendations as to the best way for me to go about this? Would it be worth me re-wiring all courtesy lights so that they all run from leisure battery (including original van courtesy lights) then I would not need to re-wire internal strip lights as they feed direct from original courtesy light. How would I feed into this circuit via leisure battery rather than starter / how would I access wiring as think it all runs through bodywork? Go in through main fusebox somehow?

Alternative would be to just run strip lights from leisure battery but don't want loads of wires showing - how would I do this? Nothing is ever easy is it!!

Thanks,

Chris

[andisnewsyncro]

This might help... Not sure if it's Westy specific but I cant see why it would be really, the basic idea should be the same

http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/topic11446.html

There's a bit on it about working it on the older type fuse box too

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Cheers - if that does work for non-Westy's that looks like a doddle!! I'll take a look at the weekend - thanks that will save me masses of time and effort if it works!

Chris

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Ok - quick update....

Looked at my Haynes manual and looks like fuse no 8 works interior lights on our van. So, I have just been in the van and checked that both the front and rear interior lights were working before I started, then disconnected the battery, removed fuse no 8 and indeed the lights no longer worked so comfortable it is this fuse that powers these.

Then, took fuse box off to have a look at the wiring going in / coming out. Basically, there are 2 sets of wires to this fuse. 1 thick red one (presumably feeding in) with a thin red and yellow wire coming out + another thick red one (again presumably feeding in) with a thin red one coming out. This matches the Haynes manual by the looks of it and the red and yellow wire looks like it is the brake light switch with the thin red one being the feed to the interior lights if I am reading the wiring diagram correctly?

I have read the Brickwerks link but seems to be a different set up on that one.

My questions are:-

Is all of I've got to do is remove the thin red wire coming out, cut off the spade connector and then re-attach to my new feed from secondary fusebox (via terminal block?).
Is 17 amp wire correct along with a 15 amp fuse?
The Brickwerks link suggests removing the fuse after for good measure but presumably I can't do this as this fuse also powers the brake light switch? Is it safe to just leave the terminal unconnected?

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks very much

Chris

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Anyone, anyone...??

[Mocki]

it wouldnt be the end of the world if your brake lights worked off the leisure battery anyway, but seperating the connections shouldnt be a major thing should it?

just pop a new spade connector on the brake light feed and pop it back on

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Thanks Steve.

So just so I'm clear - I can remove the thin red wire only from the vehicle fuse box and connect it via secondary fuse box instead leaving fuse no. 8 of the vehicle fuse box to just run the brake light switch?

Chris

[orangebooboobearcrew]

Done it! Total doddle....

Disconnected spade connector off number 8 fuse on primary fusebox (thin red wire not red & yellow or thick red ones!), ran supply from secondary fusebox with female spade connector so need to cut old spade off originally wiring should it ever need to changed back for any reason, and hey presto! all the interior lights now run off the leisure battery so no worries about flattening starter battery and can go proper wild camping now!

Can' t believe how easy it was in the end and was dreading doing this job! Thanks for all the advice.

It's really satisfying when a job goes well and you can pat yourself on the back! Got our first 3 things wired into secondary fusebox now, interior lights, 12v fridge and water pump / tap.

Thanks

Chris