Club 80-90 Forums

Just stripped out my main units to resolve a fridge problem in my 81 Westy. It has a junction box and a huge bullet type fuse in one of the cupboards under the hookup socket. Want to change this to a proper RCD, but having trawled around Wickes today I was confused! They seem very big and there are so many different sorts! There is not much room in the cupboard so can't be too big.

Can anyone help me on the basics of what I will need. I intend to go to screwfix tomorrow as i think they are the cheapest for stuff like this. Ta.

You can get a small one with 2 circuits, designed for fitting in a shed etc..

Here's a couple of pics of mine under the rock n roll bed, if it's any help





I think it was from CEF electrical

I used a garage kit in mine, just swap out the high rcds in it for smaller amp ones!

This is the sort of thing you need Eddie.

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/gu56316 ... 5-00001001

MCB SINGLE POLE 6A is £1.72 inc VAT

Thanks guys, that makes thing clearer.

I'm wanting to do the same thing to my 1980 Westie. Is there a guide for doing this or is it something that should be best left to a professional?

What sort of problems am I likely to run into whilst I'm running the original setup? At the moment it all works well...

Well all I am going to do is wire up the consumer unit as per instructions using the main feed wire from the hookup socket. This will replace the junction box and old bullet fuse holder.

Can you take pics of the process so I can copy when you've done?

Given that the maximum current available at most sites is 16A the consumer unit pictured is ideal (25A 30mA RCD), and should power a 2kW fan heater or kettle with no problems. A garage consumer unit is a viable alternative as most have 40A RCDs and 16A and 6A MCBs. Make sure you use flexible 3 core cable with cores of at least 2.5 square mm section for the wiring from the inlet to the consumer unit and from consumer unit to sockets etc, and fit an earth strap from the consumer unit to the vehicle body as shown. Finally, and most important, get the installation tested by a competant electrician when complete. Only a test of the installation using a professional RCD tester will confirm that the RCD will trip at < 30mA with the right disconnection time.

BS7671 IEE Wiring Regulations 17th edition section 721 sets out what is required for electrical installations in caravans & motor caravans.
I hope this helps.

....interesting, looking at those regs you could use the 13A outlets that have the RCD integrated rather than a huge separate one as long as they satisfy the leakage current and switch off time which most later ones will.

AngeloEvs wrote:....interesting, looking at those regs you could use the 13A outlets that have the RCD integrated rather than a huge separate one as long as they satisfy the leakage current and switch off time which most later ones will.

Firstly there's no point. The 'huge' RCD would have to be replaced by a double pole isolator which is exactly the same size. Secondly, although the sockets were protected, this would leave the actual wiring itself unprotected. The regs stipulate an RCD that disconnects all the live conductors; this is applicable to the whole system, not just the sockets themselves.

Yes Bren but, if the wiring comes in through the body panel as normal and straight to an integrated 13A RCD socket (i.e. the one placed next to the RCD in the picture above) then the wiring is isolated in exactly the same way in the event of a fault. This socket is then used as the feed socket for any others then the regs are complied with and there is effectively no difference. In the event of an earth leakage fault that socket becomes isolated and so does anything connected to it. The regs don't state specifically that any isolation is independent from the socket itself. These integrated 13A ECB sockets are avalable in dual outlet so one acts as the feed for the rest of the van and the other for the fridge. This gives the same leakage/fault protection with the addition of a test facilty and the option to isolate this master socket by simply pressing a button but in a compact space. I cannot see any point to the huge RCD in the picture TBH other than if it includes an overcurrent trip but campsite hookups have those anyway.........taking my RCD out having seen the regs and replacing with dual ECB 13A socket in its place and will use those as the master feed. I am satisfied with the safety offered with that set up but you may disagree so fire away bud........... .

Just to clarify, that 13amp socket has the battery charger plugged into it

here is an example....http://www.electricalreview.co.uk/news/ ... ction.html with double pole isolation and satisfies current 17th Ed regs. Will do mine tomorrow using correct spec DP isolation/Twin switched then feed my additonal sockets of these. Just put a 3 way adaptor in one socket and plug the battery charger into that...........the only difference is that huge ugly RCD is built into the socket.........and therefore redundant.