Club 80-90 Forums

Hello, I'm hoping someone out there can offer a bit of guidance...

I have recently bought a 1984 T25; it was originally a Feurwehr van from Germany and a previous owner has popped in a Westfalia Joker campervan interior. Unfortunately the electrics are a bit of a spaghetti mess; we have a leisure battery (though no clue if it works),cables everywhere, and the only way to get the fridge to work is to run an extension lead out to the van and literally plug it in! We also have an external hookup which doesn't seem to be connected to anything, likewise the circuit breaker, oh joy...

So, we are in the process of trying to sort the mess out (any advice greatly received) but perhaps more importantly have spotted that we are missing the control unit that sits between the hob and sink, and looking at a couple of wiring diagrams that would appear to be fairly essential? I've been surfing the web trying to source a replacement but with no luck - can anyone advise where I might be able to buy one?

Many thanks indeed...


Sonia.

Hello and welcome to the forum.
First of all you have to decide if you can do this yourself.
Although this is low voltage stuff, you can do a lot of damage if you get it wrong.
The mains electrics are a little more dangerous and some qualified help might be an option

Then you have to decide if you want to return this to westfalia wiring or have your own wiring and control panel

The fridge won't work on 12 volt unless the engine is running, otherwise it's gas or hook up, gas being better.

Elements wrote:Unfortunately the electrics are a bit of a spaghetti mess; we have a leisure battery (though no clue if it works),cables everywhere, and the only way to get the fridge to work is to run an extension lead out to the van and literally plug it in! We also have an external hookup which doesn't seem to be connected to anything, likewise the circuit breaker, oh joy...

Sounds like your best bet is to rip it all out and start again.

Many thanks to you both for your thoughts...and yes, ripping it all out and starting again is probably the only sensible solution long term!

Also a great point about whether to do it ourselves - to be honest we are numpties when it comes to wiring, the problem is that we live in the frozen North (Aberdeenshire) so finding anyone to work on camper van electrics up our way might be tricky. Can anyone offer any suggestions on that front - we're about 25 miles North of Aberdeen?

Cheers for now,


Sonia.

Elements wrote:Also a great point about whether to do it ourselves - to be honest we are numpties when it comes to wiring

Sounds like a great opportunity to learn a new skill!

...learn a new skill...or blow ourselves and our van up!

You might want to try commercial vehicle fitters or caravan service centres then

Good idea about commercial outfitters - the closest sizeable caravan centre is 130 miles south!

Many thanks...

Sonia.

Might be worth talking to Dyce Caravans, they might be able to suggest someone local.

Great idea, thanks - I only ever think of Dyce caravans as a storage facility at the end of the runway!

Sonia.