Caravan Wiring Problems

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Caravan Wiring Problems

Shortly after finishing this story this van sadly had an electrical fire. If you are going to work on your own van you do need to have a basic knowledge of working with 12 volts. Even though it wont kill you unless you install an inverter fire however is an ever present risk. This old timer meant well but lacked an understanding of the fundamentals. Initially he installed a small solar panel on the roof and this proved inadequate. Next he added an external folding panel and couldn't work out why he still had troubles. Looking at the top right photo you will notice the small connection block on the lower right of the terminal box. This is actually a solar regulator. Please don't waste your time using this type of cheap junk as your investment in panels is just too high. Having this regulator where he had it compounded his problems as he used 4mm cable to run 10 metres to his battery bank. This meant that the voltage was being reduced before it went down this long run. We measured under 10 volts at the battery end! To make matters worse this chap used twisted joints for all connections with zero solder or in fact any other type of terminal.

The photo at the above right shows a typical twisted connection. The photo at the above left shows how all wires were "commoned" at the battery bank. It was this area that eventually failed whilst mobile and caused a fire. Note where the volt meter has been mounted. This really is a waste of time as you need to see the meter from within the van where you can see it whilst using anything electrical.

You can learn heaps from this example. Our best advice is to read up on all the information in the DIY section on this site and perhaps get a good grounding in the basics. You also need to buy some basic electrical jointing equipment as pictured below. As this gear will last a lifetime, a kit costing $100.00 is really not that expensive. The pliers shown below (right) are $20.00 and whilst they work sometimes are not as good as those shown at left. You buy these kits at electrical wholesalers such as Haymans or Lawrence and Hansen. Always be aware of the very real risk of fire if wires can float around - on this job there were zero cable ties or cable clips used at all. Both of these items are essential with caravan wiring. Other safety items we noticed on this van were petrol stored in the front boot with batteries and an inverter and charger. This is a giant no no that many caravanners seem blissfully unaware of. Our best advice if you are unsure on 12 volt techniques is to ask fellow club members at rallies to point you in the right direction.

Bob Eustace