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Subject Topic: 12v battery lights diy to run on 240v? Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonJoekellner
13/11/2016 at 9:01pm
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Hi all. I have a 91 avondale olympus custom. The sockets run 240v obviously, the fridge can run either 12v or 240v but the lights only run on the 12v battery. I dont know if the wiring has been altered at some point but i found even when i plug in to the mains the battery wont charge unless i plug it on to a trickle charger. Is there a simple way to wire the 12v lights into the 240v loom to bypass the need of the batyery? I was thinking a 240v to 12v converter of some kind. Any help would be great. Many thanks. Joe.


PersonOpensauce
13/11/2016 at 9:15pm
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It sounds as if the transformer/charger that should be fitted to your caravan has either gone faulty or been removed altogether. To get everything up & running as it should you need a working transformer/charger cost around £100. Most transformer/chargers can be switched to power 12v circuit without battery. Anything else will be a bodge. If you don't want to spend money & want light then just get a couple of table lamps & plug into mains.


PersonGrampian91
13/11/2016 at 9:48pm
 Location: Midlands
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Have you switched the internal charger on?

It has not been rewired, the lights were designed to run off 12 volts.

Even if you swap to a transformer its still wise to fit a battery as backup. It smooths the charger/transformers power spikes and you still have power if the mains trips.

Dont forget that the original charger may only be 6 or 8 amps but a transformer will need to be a lot more powerful to cope with the lights and water pump etc. being on at the same time.

If you had a battery fitted the battery will provide the load and even if you draw 30 amps for a few seconds it wont trip the electrics out.

The fridge will only run on 12v if connected to the car with the engine running and providing a charge.
It wont run off the caravans own 12v battery.

Is the van a DD4, DD5 or DD6?


Personchrisn7
14/11/2016 at 1:42am
 Location: West Yorkshire
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+1 is the charger on? Also many vans of that age had 2 spot lights at the front that were mains powered - have you checked these? As Grampian said, you do need a battery, as most caravan chargers can't supply enough power, as your lights will be halogen or tungsten and draw a lot more power than modern LEDs. The charger on its own would start cutting out to protect itself from overloading.

Caravan chargers are left on all the time when the van is in use, so the correct type of charger is essential. Basic battery chargers are not 'smart' enough, and smart maintenance ones don't have enough output. This is why they are expensive as they need to do both things.


Personboff
14/11/2016 at 7:15am
 Location: N Wales
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Our first caravan was a '91 Avondale Perle custom. It didn't have a charger fitted so there was nothing to switch on. We used a trickle charger to keep it topped up.


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Persontrog100
14/11/2016 at 8:41pm
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my avondale is pretty much all 12 volt lighting except for two mains lights right in the front corners..

you need a working mains to 12 power supply.. read battery charger.. this will charge the battery if you have one and run the 12 volt lights or run the 12 volts lights on its own if you dont..

they range from 40 to a 100 quid on ebay.. you need at least a 10 amp one..

trog


PersonJoekellner
16/11/2016 at 7:26am
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Many thanks for all the replies. Where would the charger be? The battery is in the front compartment with just 2 battery terminal. When i went camping in it in aug i had used a trickle charger but switched it off whilst not with the van as i was unsure on the saftey of it. Me and the wife are parting ways so need to sort this out so i can stay in it for a while until i decide what to do in the long run. Tbh i really wouldnt mind staying in it all the time. Less bills etc. Find a campsite that wouldnt mind having me for a longer period. Thanks.


Persontango55
16/11/2016 at 12:06pm
 Location: Lichfield
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If there is an onboard charger/transformer it should be located somewhere near to the 12 volt fuse block which although is normally behind the battery compartment under the seat it is not necessarily always the case. The charger is usually either a white or silver box about 6 inches long with two sets of cables coming from the casing which are the 240 volt mains input and 12 volt output. If you look at the link below this is what a caravan transformer looks like so you have an idea what you are looking for.


Here



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