Anyone with electrical knowledge near Dover?

[WPKenny]

I was wondering if anyone near the Dover area might be able to help me fathom a few things out on my Autohomes Kamper converted early-1985 watercooled 1.9 DG Petrol camper?
I can offer my eternal gratitude, loads of tea, some beer or some cash (or a mixture of all 4!)?

Things I'm not sure about:

I'm pretty sure there used to be a leisure battery and a zig unit of sorts but neither are now present. On the main battery there are a few extra wires coming off, some connected and going places, some not. Tucked down the side of the battery is a small green cube with a few wires connected using spade connectors. One of the red, fused, wires coming off this is not plugged into anything, just loose under the driver's seat.

I'd like to fit a leisure battery again but would like it to run all the electrics (internal lights, radio, 12v sockets) while the engine's off and also to charge while the engine's running and while on mains. I'd like some advice on this. i.e. routing of cables etc.

It has/had an alarm fitted. This lives in the centre, under the dash board but I have no idea if it's still wired in, or even if it still works.

I'd like to fit some speakers in the rear of the camper but I'm unsure which route to take with the cables. Do I rip up carpet / side panels or is there some rather neat little channels in the bodywork which might help?



If there's no one able to pop round I can take plenty of pics and vids of the various places should it help someone on here share their knowledge!

I have read the wiki on a number of the above topics but it's quite generic and it would be great if I someone out there has a little experience with Autohomes conversions. I find it's always best to get first hand advice from someone who knows what they're doing and can point to things along with a list of do's and dont's.

[California Dreamin]

Sorry too far away.....what you are asking is all pretty straight forward stuff. Fitting a split charge relay and leisure battery, rear speakers etc.
You should have most of the wiring still in place, it's just a matter of fathuming out whats what.
But for now, just make sure the ends of any loose wires are taped up and insulated just in case...wouldn't want you having an electrical fire.

Martin

[1664]

If there's no one able to pop round I can take plenty of pics and vids of the various places should it help someone on here share their knowledge

A couple of pictures certainly wouldn't hurt

[WPKenny]

If there's no one able to pop round I can take plenty of pics and vids of the various places should it help someone on here share their knowledge

A couple of pictures certainly wouldn't hurt

Righto
I'll try to grab a few stills and some video over the weekend!

[WPKenny]

Finally got the chance to look into this a bit more.

I've been trying to figure out how best to get what I want and keep hearing about zig units and split charge relays without properly understanding what they do.

So if I've got this right... fitting a split charge relay means your 12v supplies are always coming from either the alternator while running and from the leisure battery when the engine is off. On top of the that, the split charge isolates the starter battery so it's used only for starting the van. When the engine is running the relay means that both the starter and the leisure battery are being charged. Some relays also let you run a fridge from them, thus draining the leisure battery and not the starter battery (should you want to).

A zig unit does all of the above but also can give you the ability to choose where your 12v is supplied from at the flip of a switch, it also lets you charge the batteries from a mains hookup and can even convert 240v to 12v so all your in car gadgets work without worrying about running down either the leisure or starter battery.

Have I got all that correct?

With that figured out, I would like some help identifying a part attached to my battery please!

IMG_0670-E D I T.jpg

The above pic shows the various cables. The green cube has got two red, one green and one black attached to it.
The black looks to be bolted to the chassis of the van. One of the reds and the green disappear into a hole that points towards the back of the van. Not sure where they ultimately end up.
The other red cable isn't attached to anything else. Just a short length (30cm?) with a spade connector on it going nowhere.

The points are labelled with numbers that are a little hard to make out. The black connector is labelled 1, the green one is labelled 2, the loose red cable on the top is labelled 5. The bottom red one (routed toward back of van with green cable) has no number that I could see.
See pic below in the attachment bit.

It's been wired in right next to the battery but doesn't seem to be directly attached to it. The positive terminal of the battery has a slightly thinner red cable coming off it and disappearing out a hole. Doesn't seem to be the right thickness to be the other end of the red cable from the little green cube.

Is anyone able to shed some light on what this might be? Thanks in advance!


E D I T: I've put different pics up but they're appearing as the same one. Different names in the BB code and everything!
EDIT2: Pulled the second one and just having it as an attachment.

[1664]

Have I got all that correct?

Not quite but I'll post tomorrow/weekend as I'm knackered now

[1664]

So if I've got this right... fitting a split charge relay means your 12v supplies are always coming from either the alternator while running and from the leisure battery when the engine is off. Yes
On top of the that, the split charge isolates the starter battery so it's used only for starting the van. When the engine is running the relay means that both the starter and the leisure battery are being charged. Yes
Some relays also let you run a fridge from them Yes
thus draining the leisure battery and not the starter battery (should you want to). No, the relay will only be energised when the engine is running so the alternator supplies the fridge and the relay has to have two separate outputs to segregate the fridge from the leisure battery also. Better to use two relays sharing the same signal/trigger wire, one for split charge, one for fridge

A zig unit does all of the above No. Under no circumstances should your fridge 12v supply be via the Zig unit. The only 12v part of a fridge connected to a Zig unit is the fridge gas electronic ignition if fitted
but also can give you the ability to choose where your 12v is supplied from at the flip of a switch Yes
it also lets you charge the batteries from a mains hookup and can even convert 240v to 12v so all your in car gadgets work without worrying about running down either the leisure or starter battery. Depends on the Zig unit. The CF6, CF8 and CF9 have battery trickle chargers, but the MC2000 and CP400 styles are just distribution units and have no charging facility. Although they all will offer the option of which battery to run the 12v equipment off, even the ones that do have a charger will only charge the leisure battery, not the starter

Have I got all that correct? Mostly

See next post for your green box conundrum

[1664]

Right, according to my 'Autohomes Kamper/Karisma Owners Manual' PDF file, the Kamper conversion was not fitted with a leisure battery or a Zig unit. The "green box" is/must be the relay for the 12v operation of the fridge. The numbering system is the old British DIN system of 1 to 5 rather than the modern 85, 86, 87, 87a and 30 designations.

Various Kamper manuals here http://www.autohomes.vwt25camper.info/h ... ownlo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think the fused red should go to the positive terminal of the starter battery (that is the loose one right?) and the green is either from the ignition switch or the fusebox but I'd like to confirm that.....

I've had a look at the Karisma wiring diagram but I'm not sure if it's also applicable to the Kamper - I'll have to get back to you on that one over the weekend sometime

[WPKenny]

Thank you for the lengthy reply.

I think you're right about the relay being for the fridge. That does seem to fit it with the diagrams you pointed me towards. With that red wire currently flapping in the wind, I guess the fridge would not be working on 12v regardless of whether the engine was running? Would it isolate the fridge from the battery with the engine off (if connected).

So I'm left with buying and fitting a split charge relay and the bits to fit it.

Would this do the job? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAVAN-SPLIT ... 2321c7d8f2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or would I get better value for money sourcing the bits down, say, Maplins or Halfords baring in mind I would still ned to buy some earth wire and some battery connector clampy things?

I should get a chance on Sunday to take a closer look!

Thanks again!

[bigherb]

You should have two relays one under the drivers seat which is for the fridge which works off the starter battery, and one under the passenger seat for the leisure battery. The numbers on the relay are the old continental system which the French and Italians carried on with, 1= 86, 2=85, 3=30, 5=87

Those kits are not the best way, 20A fuses are not relay man enough for the job., I use those relays and use it to switch a 70A relay like this.


I might be down at South Foreland on Sunday, PM me your phone number I'll let you know if I'm going.

[WPKenny]

No signs of anything (relays, cables etc) in the passenger side battery bay. I guess there never was a leisure battery. I've PM'd you my mobile number if you're around tomorrow!

[1664]

All sorted now?

[WPKenny]

Bigherb gave me a call last night just waiting to see if he's going to be nearby today.

[1664]

[WPKenny]

Big thanks to Bigherb for going out of his way to come over and see me.

He's given me a bit of a guided tour of my van and set me straight on a number of things.

I now have the confidence to get hold of all the bits I need to wire up a leisure battery on a split charger and re=route the electrics to run off the leisure battery.

Turns out the mysterious green cube was indeed for the fridge. For some reason it wasn't powering anything but Bigherb helped hook it up and now I should be able to run the fridge off 12v while driving and it will isolate itself once the engine's off and not knacker the battery!

He's also pointed out several possible routes for cabling for rear speakers.

All in all a very successful day!

Wonderful community, so glad to be a member!