Help with plug sockets pls

[onegirlandacampervan]

Hello!

I've had my first camper (1988 model, leisure drive interior) for a couple of weeks now and am about to set off to my first festival tomorrow! *excited*

I've attempted to get the plug sockets working this afternoon but I just don't know what I'm doing. I have no leisure battery...will this make a difference? At the moment the interior lights, pump etc all work off the van's battery (at least that's what I was told when I picked it up) but I don't know if it's capable of running the plugs too?

I have a feeling that it only works when it's hooked up to a 240v supply? Am I right?

If so, I guess I'll just have to run my phone charger off the lighter socket?

Thanks for any help anyone can give

[weldore]

hi there..you wont get anything out of the household plug sockets unless you have a hook up cable plugged in to a mains supply.
if you dont have a leisure battery and its running from the main engine battery then you also will have a problem starting the van if you run the battery down too far...are you 100 % sure theres no leisure battery anywhere ?

[Mark Foss]

Mention your location and what event you are going to there might be a 80-90 member going there too whom could pop over and talk you through what you have and what you may need.

Mark

[onegirlandacampervan]

The guy I bought it off said there wasn't a leisure batt, but that no-one had complained of flattening the van battery (it's an ex rental...if i didn't already say?)

I'm heading oout to Beat-Herder in Lancashire...will be driving a big Burgundy T3. If anyone is going who can help, just look for two girls who look like they don't know what they're doing!!!

[California Dreamin]

As you will be using power from the main battery to power camping 12 volt electrics I would get into the habbit of starting the van after each nights camping and running the engine for 10 minutes just to replace some of the power that has been used.
Try and prop the accelerator pedal so the engine revs are slightly higher than tic over. (1,500rpm)

Think about getting a leisure battery fitted with split charge wiring to seperate the starter from the leisure batteries, you might also need a small mod to ensure all the 'leisure' side of things comes off the leisure battery.

Martin

[kevtherev]

Here's the thing
AC is mains DC is Battery, AC/DC great band.
Do you have a fridge?
do you know how to run it?

[California Dreamin]

Ooooer.thats a point Kev...don't run the fridge on 12 volts otherwise your 'STARTER' battery will be flat in a matter of a few hours...if you have a fridge use it on gas.

Martin

[andisnewsyncro]

Can't add much to what's been said already, but I have a couple of friends at Beatherder who would no doubt give you a hand if you get stuck....

[onegirlandacampervan]

Hey all, thank you for the help

Apparently the fridge only runs off the 12v when the engine is running so I didn't have chance to flatten the battery! We only charged phones and ran on light all weekend and the engine started first time.

The festival was AWESOME and all the camper people were lovely. Had to enlist a man to help me get the oil cap off to top-up on monday afternoon!

[R0B]

Blimey Lets hope you never have to remove a wheel.

Had to enlist a man to help me get the oil cap off

[onegirlandacampervan]

Blimey Lets hope you never have to remove a wheel.

Had to enlist a man to help me get the oil cap off

ha ha ha, I'll have you know it was down to pure weakness!! and some joker has wired the electrics for the tow ball right in front of the oil cap just to make it doubly difficult to get your hand round it properly.

Now it's been taken off once I can totally do it all by myself *proud*

[Oldiebut goodie]

Had to enlist a man to help me get the oil cap off to top-up on monday afternoon!

That isn't an oil cap - it is a 710 cap!

[onegirlandacampervan]

Had to enlist a man to help me get the oil cap off to top-up on monday afternoon!

That isn't an oil cap - it is a 710 cap!

Ha ha haaa I think that EVERY time I take it off