Awning LED power from leisure battery - pick holes in my plan!

[haydnw2]

As someone who has never done anything electrical with a vehicle before (as in, never even disconnected a battery or had to jump start anything), I successfully fitted a solar panel at the weekend and now seem to think that I'm on some kind of a roll. I'd like to do a permanent install of awning LEDs, including power from the rear leisure battery. After reading lots of threads on here, I have developed a plan but it could do with being critiqued by someone with more knowledge and expertise please!

At the moment I'm looking at 8mm and 10mm ring terminals to the negative and positive terminals, respectively, of the rear leisure battery. Then 4mm^2 cable to an inline 2A blade fuse near the battery on the positive wire, and a rocker switch somewhere on the negative. Run the cables out through the wardrobe/wiring grommet and then to the awning case. A waterproof connector of some description to then connect them to the LED strip, but also giving me the option of external power if I need it for the bike wash, etc. The only two questions I have are:
1) Is 4mm^2 cable suitable? I read reference to it being sufficient to prevent too much voltage drop, but if I''m only going from rear battery to awning is that really considered a 'long' cable run? Thinner cable would be easier to route and would let me get away with a physically smaller fuse holder instead of the "maxi" version required for 4mm^2.
2) What are my options for waterproof connectors? I can't find any Anderson connectors which are waterproof by default, and it's not clear just how waterproof these boots are. These Deutsch ones look good but are quite expensive.

Any input into the above would be greatly appreciated, since this is all new to me. I may have made incredibly elementary mistakes, but am keen to learn of those or any more subtle flaws in the plan. Thanks!

 

[Erbster]

Was considering something similar it I ended up buying a Khyam awning light kit from Campervantastic, intending to hardwire into rear leisure battery. Instead, I have brought the wire into the overhead locker and will just plug it in to the 12 by the sliding door when I use it. Easy fit, everything in the box.


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[Loz]

I have led strip for the awning (fitted to a Fiamma rafter) I have a cable that I simply run in through the sliding door(left of the slide runner) and plug it into the 12v in the C pillar by the door.
the door closes on the cable that is cushioned by the large door seal, no issues.

 

[California4x4]

As someone who has never done anything electrical with a vehicle before (as in, never even disconnected a battery or had to jump start anything), I successfully fitted a solar panel at the weekend and now seem to think that I'm on some kind of a roll. I'd like to do a permanent install of awning LEDs, including power from the rear leisure battery. After reading lots of threads on here, I have developed a plan but it could do with being critiqued by someone with more knowledge and expertise please!

At the moment I'm looking at 8mm and 10mm ring terminals to the negative and positive terminals, respectively, of the rear leisure battery. Then 4mm^2 cable to an inline 2A blade fuse near the battery on the positive wire, and a rocker switch somewhere on the negative. Run the cables out through the wardrobe/wiring grommet and then to the awning case. A waterproof connector of some description to then connect them to the LED strip, but also giving me the option of external power if I need it for the bike wash, etc. The only two questions I have are:
1) Is 4mm^2 cable suitable? I read reference to it being sufficient to prevent too much voltage drop, but if I''m only going from rear battery to awning is that really considered a 'long' cable run? Thinner cable would be easier to route and would let me get away with a physically smaller fuse holder instead of the "maxi" version required for 4mm^2.
2) What are my options for waterproof connectors? I can't find any Anderson connectors which are waterproof by default, and it's not clear just how waterproof these boots are. These Deutsch ones look good but are quite expensive.

Any input into the above would be greatly appreciated, since this is all new to me. I may have made incredibly elementary mistakes, but am keen to learn of those or any more subtle flaws in the plan. Thanks!

I think you have a good idea. As you requested feedback, I’ll make a couple of comments.
Is there enough room to pass another cable through the wardrobe wiring grommet in addition to your solar cable?
How will you keep the cable run from the grommet on the LHS of the door to the RHS awning neat and secure?
Once you decide on what LED lighting you require, you can then calculate the power consumption of the lights and then select a suitable diameter of wiring. This is likely to be less than 4mm. However, the additional requirement of power for running your bike wash etc will increase the cable cross sectional area requirements.
This is a useful calculator for cables and fuses: https://www.bluesea.com/support/art...Blue_Sea_Systems_New_Online_DC_Circuit_Wizard

An alternative option, if you accept plugging the bike wash or other high current applications inside the van, the power requirements for LED lighting is pretty low. You can find LED strips that are fitted with a 5V USB plug and a good USB power bank would run the lights for multiple nights between charges.

I am probably going down the power bank route for simplicity and I did a quick trial yesterday. The intention is to fix white LEDs on the Fiamma awning rafter and plug them into the power bank. That way, there is a bright white light when required for cooking etc and a soft glow from the fairy lights for sitting under.

 

[Ting Tong]

Blimey 4mm cable is 40amp and way too big even if you’ve got a hot tub. You’ll be fine with 1.5 unless your running a fridge or a compressor. Even 2 insulated female spade connectors are fine for a 12v supply outside or something like this:

10 Kit 2/3 Pin Way Sealed Waterproof Electrical Wire Connector Plug Car Auto Set | eBay

MPN10 Set Supersealed plug connector. 1 X Male connector housing and insert;. 1 X Female connector housing and insert;. 10 Set Supersealed plug connector How to install it Sealed Waterproof Connectors.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[AlanC]

Don't fit the rocker switch to the negative cable.
Always switch the positive cable on a DC system.

Alan

 

[kurienp]

... and while at that, you may want to change your leisure battery terminal connector to something like this -

Positive Battery Terminal Clamp - 3 Stud Connection

Battery terminal clamp for positive post with 3 stud connection points (2x M6, 1x M8) and nyloc nuts. Ideal for multiple auxiliary connections.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

... to make connections simpler/easier.

 

[Loz]

... and while at that, you may want to change your leisure battery terminal connector to something like this -

Positive Battery Terminal Clamp - 3 Stud Connection

Battery terminal clamp for positive post with 3 stud connection points (2x M6, 1x M8) and nyloc nuts. Ideal for multiple auxiliary connections.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

... to make connections simpler/easier.

Except that is not fused.
This one is a better option than the factory one.

Battery Terminal Clamp For Cube Fuses

Battery terminal clamp for use with cube/ceramic fuses. Elimnates unprotected section of cable from the battery for max. protection. For auto & marine use.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

 

[Erbster]

Here’s my setup with the Khyam kit

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[haydnw2]

Great, thanks everyone. Some very helpful info there. The plan now involves 1.5mm^2 cable, switched on the positive cable.

The suggested waterproof connectors look good, and will definitely suit my intended purpose. I've checked the bike washer and it's 60W, which would appear to be 5A at 12V. It seems that 1.5mm cable is rated to 10A so presumably if I make the inline fuse a 7.5A one, I should be OK to use the pressure washer too?

Swapping out the terminal seems like a good plan, but the fused one says it will only accept one connection and that a busbar etc should be used for multiple connections. The compartment for the rear battery feels a bit tight for that kind of thing, and I can't anticipate ever needing more than the normal connection, solar controller and the awning power so I may just load the original one up with those and curb my enthusiasm for any future additions!

 

[kp64zl]

Here is my super-lazy approach -- a rechargeable lantern from Decathlon (200 lumens, £19.99, lasts all evening) -- it's hung on the awning on the left. I now have two (one on each end). Wouldn't be hard to rig up a number of small lanterns in the middle (£4.99 from decathlon). No wiring. no fuss. easy....(although would need a bit of kador strip with a hole in it to hang the lanterns off along the middle of the awning end rail)

 

[California4x4]

View attachment 66779

Here is my super-lazy approach -- a rechargeable lantern from Decathlon (200 lumens, £19.99, lasts all evening) -- it's hung on the awning on the left. I now have two (one on each end). Wouldn't be hard to rig up a number of small lanterns in the middle (£4.99 from decathlon). No wiring. no fuss. easy....(although would need a bit of kador strip with a hole in it to hang the lanterns off along the middle of the awning end rail)

View attachment 66781

You shouldn’t run out of gas in a hurry either!

 

[kp64zl]

You shouldn’t run out of gas in a hurry either!

Ha ha they were all virtually empty -- a somewhat disorganised weekend

 

[Amarillo]

I have a large fuse (30, 40 or 50A - not sure which) protecting the battery and appropriate fuses for each appliance.

The cable run is in three sections.
1. Battery to just outside the casing - ring terminal to Anderson.
2. Front passenger seat to tool box - Anderson to Anderson. (The tool box in a Beach is in the area of the rear of the rear wheel arch).
3. Tool box to inside the awning casing - Anderson to Anderson.

To enter the awning casing I drilled a small hole in the end for the cable.

 

[haydnw2]

I have a large fuse (30, 40 or 50A - not sure which) protecting the battery

Thanks. In the spirit of 'there are no stupid questions', please could you explain how the higher-rated fuse protects the battery?

 

[Amarillo]

Thanks. In the spirit of 'there are no stupid questions', please could you explain how the higher-rated fuse protects the battery?

Have a read of this thread. It’s quite long and tedious but gives a full explanation.

Hard wiring CFX28

Hard wiring CFX28

I have been having difficulty with my CFX28 fridge staying on. A quick tweak of the cigar lighter plug usually resolves the issue, but I am having to do this with increasing frequency. I decided to hard wire it direct to the leisure battery (a Beach has just one leisure battery under the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

It gives an explanation of how I twice managed to short the entire circuit, second time blowing the 50A fuse.

 

[Malc69]

Fit switch on + ve wire and fit -ve onto body. Don’t connect negative direct to battery post as this bypasses the ‘shunt’ which is how your control panel monitors battery condition and may cause strange faults in the future.

As someone who has never done anything electrical with a vehicle before (as in, never even disconnected a battery or had to jump start anything), I successfully fitted a solar panel at the weekend and now seem to think that I'm on some kind of a roll. I'd like to do a permanent install of awning LEDs, including power from the rear leisure battery. After reading lots of threads on here, I have developed a plan but it could do with being critiqued by someone with more knowledge and expertise please!

At the moment I'm looking at 8mm and 10mm ring terminals to the negative and positive terminals, respectively, of the rear leisure battery. Then 4mm^2 cable to an inline 2A blade fuse near the battery on the positive wire, and a rocker switch somewhere on the negative. Run the cables out through the wardrobe/wiring grommet and then to the awning case. A waterproof connector of some description to then connect them to the LED strip, but also giving me the option of external power if I need it for the bike wash, etc. The only two questions I have are:
1) Is 4mm^2 cable suitable? I read reference to it being sufficient to prevent too much voltage drop, but if I''m only going from rear battery to awning is that really considered a 'long' cable run? Thinner cable would be easier to route and would let me get away with a physically smaller fuse holder instead of the "maxi" version required for 4mm^2.
2) What are my options for waterproof connectors? I can't find any Anderson connectors which are waterproof by default, and it's not clear just how waterproof these boots are. These Deutsch ones look good but are quite expensive.

Any input into the above would be greatly appreciated, since this is all new to me. I may have made incredibly elementary mistakes, but am keen to learn of those or any more subtle flaws in the plan. Thanks!

 

[Ian Reynolds]

Look at 12v Thin Wall cable too rather than normal cable, to save you bulk when running through grommets etc

 

[CC44853]

The temperature (colour) of most LED lights give me a head-ache! (So blue)

I really like the Outwell Epsilon bulbs, they are cheaper and way warmer (orange) than most LED lights.

Check them out: https://www.outwell.com/en-gb/ecommerce/accessories/epsilon-bulb-1

 

[haydnw2]

Thanks all, more useful info. Is there a standard method of connecting to the bodywork? Or is it simply a case of drilling a hole in some internal bit of it for a bolt, and removing the paint? Apologies for the continued questions, but I'm learning loads!

 

[kurienp]

Thanks all, more useful info. Is there a standard method of connecting to the bodywork? Or is it simply a case of drilling a hole in some internal bit of it for a bolt, and removing the paint? Apologies for the continued questions, but I'm learning loads!

Connecting the light? - velcro ... or 3M Dual lock. Enables you to take it off if need be. I would not drill any holes.

 

[haydnw2]

Thanks, but I meant to connect the negative cable to the bodywork instead of the negative battery terminal. Obviously it's all covered in paint so I'd need to do work of some description to get a secure connection to the underlying metal.

 

[kurienp]

Thanks, but I meant to connect the negative cable to the bodywork instead of the negative battery terminal. Obviously it's all covered in paint so I'd need to do work of some description to get a secure connection to the underlying metal.

Ah! Body always and preferably to an existing negative shunt. Don't drill a new hole.

 

[haydnw2]

Ah OK. And the shunt is under the fridge, right? So to do this properly I need to either drill through the battery cupboard side panel to access the shunt, or remove the fridge to access it? Gah, this is all sounding increasingly complex just to get some tidy outside lights! Maybe time for a re-think and to patch into an existing light feed or similar, as per other threads on the subject.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Ah OK. And the shunt is under the fridge, right? So to do this properly I need to either drill through the battery cupboard side panel to access the shunt, or remove the fridge to access it? Gah, this is all sounding increasingly complex just to get some tidy outside lights! Maybe time for a re-think and to patch into an existing light feed or similar, as per other threads on the subject.

I saw a YouTube video where somebody made a connection for his awning lights to the internal light at the top rear of the van (drivers side). Neat job and relatively easy. No drilling needed.

I saw a YouTube video where somebody made a connection for his awning lights to the internal light at the top rear of the van (drivers side). Neat job and relatively easy. No drilling needed.