You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Finally bought my first van after years of procrastination. It’s a 2013 Transit Custom Limited and I have it booked in for a conversion. It’s getting insulated, ply lined and carpeted with a row of rear seats and hard wearing floor and a couple of side windows. So it can be a family vehicle, van or MTB mini camper.
My question is what’s the best way of getting a couple of couple electric sockets in for charging phones or running a plug in radiator or mini fridge etc? Leisure battery? Camping electrical extension? Full electrical hookup?
If you just want a couple of extra sockets then just buy a 4 way lighter socket extension and run everything off 12v. Get a decent one rather than a pound shop one. You'll be limited on current so you won't be able to run a fridge AND a radiator. In fact a radiator will be limited whatever you do, is it really necessary? You can plug a small invertor into that if you need 240v for something small like a camera charger. I'd start with that and see what limitations you hit. Next step is leisure battery to give you some off grid power. If you are installing that then it's worth putting a few extra 12v sockets in properly. Finally add a proper invertor and couple of 240v sockets. I haven't got round to that third stage yet and I can't say I miss it.
Fit 5v usb sockets for charging usb things.
You won't be running any of the other things off a leisure battery for long-if at all.
If it's for occasional type use just run an extension lead.
So my plan was leisure battery for off grid lighting etc and electrical hookup for on site heating, fridge and charging etc.
IF you want to run a mini-fridge or electric radiator, you'll need a 240v hookup through an MCB and sockets, and you'll need to choose a rad with low power consumption to avoid tripping the electrics on the campsite.
The cheaper option is to buy a pre-wired hookup lead as you would get for a tent, often waterproof style sockets. Not as safe for shutting in the door as electrics should really be earthed to the van body.
Batteries are OK for charging laptops/phones and running a compressor fridge if you add a solar panel, but really its much more efficient to buy a 12v vehicle charger for your laptop and add 12v USB sockets rather than using 240v and the original chargers that just convert the voltage back down to between 5v and 20v depending on the items. If you add a battery charger via a 240v hookup you can use more stuff whilst the batteries are on charge, but any heating would need to be off the 240v direct.
I'm just doing a conversion and my budget is pretty tight. I've bought a kit from these guys that I've almost finished fitting it. If you drop them an email with your requirements they can produce a bespoke wiring loom with sockets etc.
https://www.rayneautomotive.co.uk
I've got one like this:
https://www.switchpanel.co.uk/store/p17/240V_Panel.html
With leisure battery and hook up