I have mentioned before about the mains electric set-up in the Viking when we bought it. The consumer unit was a very old model and the wiring was of the twin and earth variety.
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| Original consumer unit. Eek! |
Since the days when this was installed, it has been shown that vibrations from travelling can cause copper to fracture, resulting in electricity arcing across the break and potentially causing a fire. Current regulations call for multi-strand cable in touring caravans. If one strand breaks, the others are still in place to carry the power. We therefore removed all the old kit and replaced with modern versions.
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| Partially wired consumer unit. |
The new consumer unit is a Powerpart PO104 comprising of a 25 amp RCD and two double pole MCBs (one 10 amp and one 6 amp). It also includes a reverse polarity warning lamp. The consumer unit is wired to the inlet socket, previously fitted in the side of the 'van, with a metre of 2.5mm
² three core cable, the same stuff used for 16amp hook-up extension leads. The unit is earthed to the chassis with 6mm² earth cable, a ring terminal and anti-shake washers, and has the appropriate warning sign.
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| Earth connection to chassis. |
The power sockets are connected to the 10amp MCB via 1.5mm² 3 core cable, and the same size cable goes from the 6amp MCB to the fridge and battery charger sockets. Cable to the fridge socket is routed separate from the 12v wiring. I'm not convinced the electric field around the mains cable is sufficient to affect the low voltage system, but I'm not taking any chances.
We fitted reproduction bakelite switched sockets in place of the old white plastic ones; the latter being recycled for the battery charger and fridge as they can't be seen. The bakelite sockets were sourced from
Art Deco Emporium. The fridge & charger plug into sockets simply for convenience when they need disconnecting.
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| Bakelite socket |
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Charger socket
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Much research was done on the subject of battery chargers.
An expert in this field states that smart chargers should not be used in caravans and motorhomes, as long term connection will damage the leisure battery. Many smart chargers claim you can fit and forget, leaving them connected permanently. This is not true. Doing this will damage the battery. Any re-chargeable battery is designed to be charged, then used, then re-charged, and so on. Permanent connection will, at best, reduce the battery's life expectancy, and potentially cause it to explode. Even the charger we have bought states "connect and forget", but this is misleading, as the instructions tell you not to leave connected and unattended for prolonged periods.
Our plan , whether at home or on a site with electric hook-up, is to use the leisure battery for power, only connecting the charger when the battery condition monitor (a voltmeter with a green - yellow- red display) indicates charging is required.
Once the battery is fully re-charged, the charger will be unplugged. I have elected to fit a Ctek MXS 7.0 smart charger in the caravan, and as long as its instructions are adhered to, I don't anticipate a problem. Time will tell.
Our plan , whether at home or on a site with electric hook-up, is to use the leisure battery for power, only connecting the charger when the battery condition monitor (a voltmeter with a green - yellow- red display) indicates charging is required.