Electrics... Vw Factory Second Battery Or Install With Conversion...

[czmate1999]

Hi All,

Am now on to electrical spec and any thoughts would be welcome... have been advised today to go for a VW factory fit second battery with all appropriate wiring already in place for charging the leisure battery once van battery is charged. Was told the advantages were that there isn't really a better system and it avoids other potential issues (and it sits beneath the front passenger seat). Below is what i would ideally want.

My want:
I would like my leisure battery to be able to charge from the engine (once van battery is fully charged), to charge from mains hook up and to be charged/topped up from a 150w/300w solar panel.

My usage:
I would like to be able to camp 'off-grid' for at least 3 days and be able to run my fridge, lights and a few gadgets without any worries. I would also like to be able to run permanently live front and rear dash cams.

Would possibly like an inverter to be bale to run/charge a laptop...

Again my thanks to all those that have helped so far.

CZ.

 

[Wills]

Loadsa threads on here covering this subject. I went non factory as there’s so many options and updated kit out there to chose from. Travelvolts.net is a useful source and is a member on here.
Why an inverter? Use a 12v PC charger / adapter like I do.

 

[czmate1999]

Loadsa threads on here covering this subject. I went non factory as there’s so many options and updated kit out there to chose from. Travelvolts.net is a useful source and is a member on here.
Why an inverter? Use a 12v PC charger / adapter like I do.

Could you post a link to the one you use? thanks!

 

[Wills]

To the one I use? WRT?

 

[stuart-t6]

From what I have read the factory fit battery still just uses a split charge relay and some have complained about incompetence charging.
In my van I have a 95Ah leisure battery under the drivers seat. Stealing power 30A battery to battery charger. 100w Victron energy solar panel and mppt controller. And a victron mains charger.
I camp all year and can go 24 hrs in the winter with the Eberspacher on and lights and compressor cool box.
In the summer, albeit a small panel the solar will keep me off grid as long as I want.
Obviously I am not using the night heater in the summer! But with the added gain during the summer it would keep up if needed.
The stealing power battery to battery charger is a great bit of kit and comes into its own when winter camping between locations.
When I do it again I will go probably 200w solar panel as in the winter months there is very little solar gain.

 

[$immo]

Look at www.travelvolts.net Martyn is the guy for bespoke T6 electrics, is also a member on here @travelvolts.

I got the majority of my electric hardware from him.

 

[czmate1999]

To the one I use? WRT?

just meant which 12v PC charger / adapter you use.

 

[Wills]

Search on eBay for 12v adapter with your pc make & model added

 

[czmate1999]

Look at www.travelvolts.net Martyn is the guy for bespoke T6 electrics, is also a member on here @travelvolts.

I got the majority of my electric hardware from him.

Thank $immo. You seem to be a man that knows his stuff, what electrical system/components did you go with on your van? (forgive my lazy question but i'd rather go with a set-up that someone has had experience with and who is satisfied with their set-up). Cheers.

 

[$immo]

Thank $immo. You seem to be a man that knows his stuff, what electrical system/components did you go with on your van? (forgive my lazy question but i'd rather go with a set-up that someone has had experience with and who is satisfied with their set-up). Cheers.

@czmate1999 I am no expert and have only read and read these forums to gain a tiny bit of info off of other people's experiences. I read all the "camper build posts" post by post and made notes of what worked and what to avoid.

I have not gone for solar panels as I use my camper for exploring and rarely stay in one place more than a day. So am just using engine charging and or hook up when needed.

I have the ablemail battery to battery charger as it was nice and compact. A 110ah low profile battery to both fit under driver's seat. (All from travelvolts) he can advise more and supply bespoke wires.
These run to a 12v fuse box that everything camper wise runs off.
I then have 240v hook up under bonnet to a circuit breaker under driver's seat. This powers a single CBE 240v socket, a fridge auto switching thing that switches between 240v & 12v on its own. (See I said I was no expert, it's just black magic to me)
The 240v circuit also has a Victron Bluetooth battery charger connected so it charges my leisure battery when on hook up. I have found this is really useful for keeping the battery conditioned and for leaving plugged in at home to pre-cool the fridge or run a small frost heater in the winter. It has also gone under the driver's seat in the gap in the pic I took whilst fitting it all together.
So all electrics other than the fuse box, that is at the back of a cupboard, are under the driver's seat.

Good luck, read all the forums, and then make up your mind what you want to do. I spent a lot of time measuring and thinking, before buying!

Cheers $immo.

 

[czmate1999]

@czmate1999 I am no expert and have only read and read these forums to gain a tiny bit of info off of other people's experiences. I read all the "camper build posts" post by post and made notes of what worked and what to avoid.

I have not gone for solar panels as I use my camper for exploring and rarely stay in one place more than a day. So am just using engine charging and or hook up when needed.

I have the ablemail battery to battery charger as it was nice and compact. A 110ah low profile battery to both fit under driver's seat. (All from travelvolts) he can advise more and supply bespoke wires.
These run to a 12v fuse box that everything camper wise runs off.
I then have 240v hook up under bonnet to a circuit breaker under driver's seat. This powers a single CBE 240v socket, a fridge auto switching thing that switches between 240v & 12v on its own. (See I said I was no expert, it's just black magic to me)
The 240v circuit also has a Victron Bluetooth battery charger connected so it charges my leisure battery when on hook up. I have found this is really useful for keeping the battery conditioned and for leaving plugged in at home to pre-cool the fridge or run a small frost heater in the winter. It has also gone under the driver's seat in the gap in the pic I took whilst fitting it all together.
So all electrics other than the fuse box, that is at the back of a cupboard, are under the driver's seat.

Good luck, read all the forums, and then make up your mind what you want to do. I spent a lot of time measuring and thinking, before buying!

Cheers $immo.
View attachment 42268

Lol, disclaimer noted. I am in the same boat on vehicle electrics. Just want it all to work and work well. Thanks for taking the time on the reply!!

 

[Wills]

My under seat installation

 

[czmate1999]

nice, what size(AH) battery?

 

[Wills]

From memory, 110 AH.

 

[spook]

Few pics of my twin BATT set up