Week 51 - Battery Charger

This week I could return to the electrics. I had previously invested in a CTEK M200 battery charger (about £120) which I could now install in the van. It is a waterproof charger made for use on boats but it fits the specification of my system and will fully charge my two batteries in a few hours. CTEK are renowned for making quite reliable chargers for this kind of purpose too.

I fitted the charger on the shelf and screwed it down in place. The shelf above it will need to allow for the charger leads to connect through to the leisure batteries and the plug to connect to a socket from the consumer unit.

While the charger will keep the batteries topped up when connected up to the mains, they will also need to be charged from the van alternator while the engine is running.

For this, I need to run a thick (16mm) cable from the main vehicle battery positive terminal, under the van, to the leisure batteries (via a smartcom unit and a big relay). I made up some cables, and after removing the old relay from under the bonnet, I fitted an 80A midi fuse in a fusebox in its place. Another cable from here goes underneath the van and up underneath the leisure batteries where the electrics are housed.

Week 50 - Bike Rack

I ordered a bike rack (£39 including postage, eBay) to fit to the van. After a bit of research, I decided on a rack to carry 2 bikes which would fit to the van tow bar – more secure than those which hook over a car boot door.

By fitting to the tow bar, I figured there is much less chance of the rack not fitting to the van. The rack is surprisingly easy to fit and it’s really secure when connected on the tow bar.

Two further straps fit to the van doors and the arms can be positioned to grip the bikes in little holders with grooves and rubber ties. The only thing I would say is that the distance between these arms cannot be adjusted so it will not fit bikes with smaller frames very well - perfect for my needs though.

I do however need to get an extra number plate now as the original is covered up when the bikes are on.

Also, this week I added a 23 litre waste water tank which sits perfectly under the rear right-hand-side corner of the van where the waste water pipe comes. This tank fits snugly behind the double rear seats when not in use.

Week 49 - Re-Wiring 2

While re-wiring the back of the van, I decided to do the same to the water pump and tap. I had been advised that connecting the microswitch in the tap directly to the water pump could blow the switch as it is not designed to take a very big load. The solution? To fit a 30A relay triggered by the microswitch which will then isolate it from the current running to the water pump. The downside of this was that I needed to fit a 2-way fusebox and a relay under the sink.

 After wiring everything up using the same methods of crimp terminals and electrical tape, I fixed the relay and fusebox (5A to the microswitch, 20A to the water pump) to the inside of the cupboard. The test worked perfectly so the electrics can now be boxed in without fear of blowing the switch.

I used wooden batons and a piece of ply to box the electrics in the corner without taking up too much storage space and the job’s a good ’un.

I do wish I had more of an idea of the electrics earlier in the build though as it would make this stage much easier if planned more beforehand.