Does anyone know if I can use a battery charger through my Grey 12s socket to the battery? Strange request, but i have a limited space on my driveway and cannot access my battery locker without the help of 3 people!
------------- I Started with nothing and have most of it left!
Sorry no. you will be trying to go back through the relay on your car, which has a diode in it, this only allows 12v through to your van, plus the ING has to be on anyway. can you not extend the charger wires? unless there is a spare wired up on your socket, someone might know, i have never checked.
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.
Discounted Insurance Quotes for UKCampsite.co.uk visitors! Up to 12.5% off!
I thought the question was about charging the caravan's battery so the car's split-charge relay is not involved at all.
You can charge your caravans battery via the 12S socket just as your car does. With your modern van it would however set a relay within the van to isolate all the vans 12 volt systems whilst its connected.
Probably the Geist could have a quality controller [such as Schaudt] that will regulate this charging process.
+ve into pin 2, -ve into 3 & 7
If it was about charging the car's battery then that works as well via pins 4[+ve] & 3[-ve] side stepping the split charge relay; I do this.
Thanks JTQU,
I have put a multi meter over all the 12s van connector, cant find a voltage (1st tried pin 4&3 then 2&3), is their an interlock in the system to stop voltage returning to the car?
------------- I Started with nothing and have most of it left!
Quote: Originally posted by ofat1 on 21/12/2009
Thanks JTQU,
I have put a multi meter over all the 12s van connector, cant find a voltage (1st tried pin 4&3 then 2&3), is their an interlock in the system to stop voltage returning to the car?
I have never checked for potential at the 12S myself but I know modern vans have a battery isolating relay so what you find does not surprise me at all.
I know my car charges my caravans battery via pin two through its Schaudt controller; not directly as the Schaudt even increases the charging volatage up to 14.4 volts from as low as 11 input.
I suggest you try it and measure for an increase across the battery and I am sure it will work. Note you have to measure across the battery as all other 12 volts in the van are then isolated by that relay.[except fridge but thats not connected to the van's battery]
Your 12S lead will have a diode or some such electronic component in line with it back to your unit in the caravan to act as a non-return valve (so to speak) to ensure that current can flow into the battery....but not out of it back done the line. This means that you shouldn't be able to read a voltage across the respective pins.
But why bother...I would install an external mains socket on a suitable wall or fence or post and simply use a short hook-up cable instead.....as you would on site. My vans have been hooked up this way on my drive for many years and never had a problem and always fully charged and ready to go....it's also handy for the lawnmower, hedge trimmer etc as well (through an RCB of course).
I have got out the vans circuit info and found that the relay that inhibits the battery connection is fed from the fridges supply; this effectively means that to do what you want you have to also supply power to the fridge to be able to connect to the battery. You would of course switch off the fridge.
Its simply not a sensible route.