Electrical 12 Volt question

[darcy305]

Hi all,

I have a question for all the 12 volt expert out there.

We have a 2015 17.56.1 with the battery pack when we purchased the van i had the dealer install Anderson plug to the front or the drawbar so i could charge the battery via portable solar pans if needed in the future. We have recently changed tow vechiles that had an anderson plug installed. My question are.

1. Can i charge the battery via the car anderson plug not the 12pin plug as wired ex factory.

2. Does the fridge when on 12volt run through battery when connected to the car.

3. If the answer is yes to both questions would be as simple as plug in the anderson plug to the car and disconnecting the correct pins on the 12 pin plug.

The new cars anderson plug has already got a readrc battery isolater installed.

Thanks again

Danny

 

[Dobbie]

My limited understanding would suggest:

1. You can charge battery via Anderson plug but van wiring would need to be adapted as battery charging is via 12pin. Easy to change by auto electrician.

2. Fridge runs on 12v from car when connected not from van battery so if changing 12pin plug for Anderson that would need checking.

Hope I'm correct. If not, I need to learn more.

 

[dagree]

Correct @Dobbie

Locate and disconnect the relevant cables from the 12 pin and hook them into the Anderson...... Don't forget an earth wire is required!!

Also check the size of the feed wires in the car and make sure they are large enough to prevent as much voltage drop possible to the fridge otherwise not worth having!!

 

[Crusty181]

Hi all,

I have a question for all the 12 volt expert out there.

We have a 2015 17.56.1 with the battery pack when we purchased the van i had the dealer install Anderson plug to the front or the drawbar so i could charge the battery via portable solar pans if needed in the future. We have recently changed tow vechiles that had an anderson plug installed. My question are.

1. Can i charge the battery via the car anderson plug not the 12pin plug as wired ex factory.

2. Does the fridge when on 12volt run through battery when connected to the car.

3. If the answer is yes to both questions would be as simple as plug in the anderson plug to the car and disconnecting the correct pins on the 12 pin plug.

The new cars anderson plug has already got a readrc battery isolater installed.

Thanks again

Danny

Suitably wired, you can charge the van battery via the car but the vans Setec smart charger has an extremely low 12v charge input into the van battery. You would have to drive a bloody low way to put any real value back into the vans battery charging via the Setec connected to the car. Bluntly, its just not worth the effort or the expense. I think there is a Redarc 12v to 12v smart charger that has a relatively high input.

The fridge never runs on the van battery, and the fridge is factory wired to run on the car battery, but you would ned to check if your car has been suitably wired to with a hotwire to that factory terminal in the trailer plug

 

[Rockape]

Hi all,

I have a question for all the 12 volt expert out there.

We have a 2015 17.56.1 with the battery pack when we purchased the van i had the dealer install Anderson plug to the front or the drawbar so i could charge the battery via portable solar pans if needed in the future. We have recently changed tow vechiles that had an anderson plug installed. My question are.

1. Can i charge the battery via the car anderson plug not the 12pin plug as wired ex factory.

2. Does the fridge when on 12volt run through battery when connected to the car.

3. If the answer is yes to both questions would be as simple as plug in the anderson plug to the car and disconnecting the correct pins on the 12 pin plug.

The new cars anderson plug has already got a readrc battery isolater installed.

Thanks again

Danny

Hi Danny,
You can charge your battery from the car via the 12 pin connector, but the Setec will only charge it very slowly as Crusty181 said. If you require your tug to charge your van battery fully and efficiently, then a DC to DC charger would be best. I have a ctek for the second battery in the Ranger and am very happy with it. Redarc also make a good unit. I haven't worried about the caravan battery as we don't free camp yet, but will consider it in the future. The fridge in your caravan does not run of the caravan battery. It gets it power from the tow vehicle. If you have only one Anderson connector on the car, I would use this for the fridge to keep it running whilst driving.
If you wanted to charge the battery from the tug with a DC to DC charger, ideally a second Anderson plug would be best so that you can disconnect them separately and isolate them from each other. You would also need to run the DC to DC charging system directly to the battery, bypassing the Setec, according to the manufacturer. As you have to when using solar charging. The fridges in the caravan can draw up to 20 amps depending on the model and a DC to DC charger can use 20 amp or more depending on the type used and the state of charge on the battery.
In my car I have run 6 B&S cable to the rear which is then split to charge the second Battery in the Ranger and run the fridge in the caravan.
For connecting the fridge up to the Anderson connector, simply take out the wires from the 12 pin connector and hook them up making sure you make good connections.