Leisure Battery wiring on a Mk7

[GYPSYDOG]

Hi All
I have just bought a Mk7 Transit van on a 07 plate, I would like to fit a leisure battery in the rear for camping.
could any one HELP me please as to how I go about wiring it. I have done this on cars and 4x4 but never on one of
these vans before.I am also on a limited budget to so don't have big bucks to spend, I have an 110 amp battery for
camping,any help and diagrams or pictures would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

[ColinJack]

Hi All
I have just bought a Mk7 Transit van on a 07 plate, I would like to fit a leisure battery in the rear for camping.
could any one HELP me please as to how I go about wiring it. I have done this on cars and 4x4 but never on one of
these vans before.I am also on a limited budget to so don't have big bucks to spend, I have an 110 amp battery for
camping,any help and diagrams or pictures would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

It really isn't that scary and you don't need diagrams. I am assuming you have a basic working knowledge of electrics.

Decide where you want to place the battery - best to have a sealed unit otherwise you need to vent it. We have ours in a box behind the driver's seat. Connect it to the chassis for earth and the live (+ve) to the crank battery via a split charge relay (this is what we used http://r.ebay.com/GwIFCi). I used a pair of 17 amp cables (with inline fuse) from the cranking battery +ve to the 12v connections on the relay and then a pair of similar cables from the leisure +ve to relay pins 2 and 6. This ensures your battery will be charged when driving but only when the cranking battery is fully charged. I also have a 220v/12v charger connected to the leisure battery but this is overkill - just use a car battery charger if you ever need to.

I have then fitted a fuse box with busbar into the box with the battery and connected it to the battery (this sort of thing http://r.ebay.com/4xFW4c). All lights etc. come off this and are fused. Don't run a fridge off this or it will kill your battery very quickly. Better to run it off the cranking battery with a sensor that switches the power only when the alternator is running (we have a separate one for the fridge).

[ColinJack]

I also cut a hole in the side of the box and fitted one of these so I could see at a glance if the battery was fully charged http://r.ebay.com/kBlNle

[GYPSYDOG]

Thanks for the reply ColinJack so my Battery will be behind the drivers seat against the side of
the van in a battery box. Next to it in a wooden locker that will be my main focus on electrics (see pictures).
I bought the 240v charger and consumer unit with the control panel off of ebay for £35 it's all wired
as far as I can go with it till my van arrives on Tuesday. Its going to be a light work horse as well as
a pleasure tool so its going to be a bit minimalistic inside ie insulated /ply lined /roof vent and opener/
side window in sliding door and a camping style lift out kitchen. We intend to use an air bed to sleep on
and folding chairs to sit on that can be used in and out the van and for the all important we have a port a loo.
We would like to get a fee standing awning for next year to give us more room for long weekends - holidays that
sort of thing.


Plastic container has spare fuses in it.


You can't see but the 240v hook up will be wired from the left of the box as
the wire about 1 meeter of it is already connected to the consumer unit
and I have the external plug socket ready to fit to the side of the van.

Battery on charge
Just need the van now.

[ColinJack]

Just need the van now.

Looks like Mission Control, Houston!

[GYPSYDOG]

It felt like it while I was sorting it all out But it works ok on the bench so I see no reason
for it not to work when its in the van after all its a copy of a caravan set up
I just need the relay now for the split charging and Ill be able to complete the job, so
thanks for your help and information.

[ColinJack]

Just an idea - if you make a couple of removable wooden 'trunks' that sat inside with all your junk in then you could use them to create a bed when required. Much easier than a blow-up bed ... and more robust!

In our van we have non-removable 'trunks' on either side with a baton on each and a board that sits behind the seat. Come bedtime we just take the board out and lay it across between the two and rearrange the cushions into a mattress!

[GYPSYDOG]

That's food for thought cheers.