|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 25, 2018 14:17:46 GMT
I am acquiring bits in anticipation of my next side project. This isn’t a huge thing, but will be useful and packs more power than the off the peg stuff for the same or less cost.
I am going to build a portable power supply to power my fridge and accessories while Green Laning and while away at stuff in the Land Rover. It will charge via the engine but will be self contained so I can remove it very easily. It will use a simple voltage sensitive split charge relay to charge a self contained leisure battery.
I could power these devices using the car, but only when the engine is running otherwise I risk flattening the battery.
I will I’ll update when all the stuff arrives. I have cable and the split charge but I am waiting on power connectors and sockets and I need to source a toolbox big and strong enough to contain it. I have a small inverter so I may be able to add mains too, but I haven’t fully decided.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 25, 2018 14:52:35 GMT
I'm sure we had one of these for the caravan - it was a plastic box like a cooler, with a car battery inside. It charged off the car when driving and then ran electrical stuff when we parked up. With the rest of the Travellers.
|
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 25, 2018 14:55:08 GMT
You can buy leisure battery boxes which is what your caravan would have had, but they aren't strong enough to be portable, hence strong toolbox or similar with a handle or two.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Jul 25, 2018 14:55:36 GMT
Nothing bad can possibly happen here...... Have you got a fire extinguisher in the Land Rover  |
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 25, 2018 15:19:19 GMT
Everything will be fused, obviously.  . To be fair, I wired all the auxiliary accessories and winch and it hasn't caught fire yet. |
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 25, 2018 15:51:45 GMT
I do like the optimism of the word "small" in the thread title..  |
|
|
|
Post by Boxer6 on Jul 25, 2018 18:33:54 GMT
Everything will be fused, obviously. . To be fair, I wired all the auxiliary accessories and winch and it hasn't caught fire yet. I do like the optimism of the word "small" in the thread title.. Whereas I like the optimism of the word "yet"!  |
|
|
|
Post by johnc on Jul 26, 2018 6:43:34 GMT
If there is anything guaranteed to bring this spell of weather to an end, it's putting a fridge in the car!
|
|
|
|
Post by bryan on Jul 26, 2018 10:30:20 GMT
Me having the house roof removed and replaced will cause it to rain - I guarantee it!
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Jul 26, 2018 11:18:40 GMT
We had a local news report on Monday evening saying water consumers in Fife should start to be careful. That was on Monday evening about 5 minutes before we got some biblical rainfall |
|
|
|
Post by scouse on Jul 26, 2018 13:05:10 GMT
Don't worry chaps, the drought will be over next Thursday when we go for a day out in the Lakes. I have never, ever been to the Lakes and it not rained heavy enough to worry Noah. Hell, even when I drive through it seems to bloody rain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin on Jul 26, 2018 14:13:37 GMT
It will stop on Saturday, just as I fly out.....
|
|
|
|
Post by PG on Jul 26, 2018 16:16:12 GMT
A power supply in a box. Buy a small generator?  We had split electrical power in our 7.5t horse lorry. It was incredibly temperamental and had a habit of still draining the main batteries if the leisure side ran too flat. Nobody could ever work out why, but some sort of earth leakage was always suspected. Good luck with the project. |
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 26, 2018 17:09:22 GMT
The older split charge systems were a nightmare. We never had a problem with our last lorry, but that was a 2005 installation, I think.
Small video of a similar type of thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 30, 2018 19:37:09 GMT
Cracked on with this today after I had got back from the wool board warehouse.
Battery is located in toolbox and strapped in place. Both sets of power connectors - 2 double USB and 2 standard lighter sockets - installed and prewired. Just waiting on a switch and voltmeter then I can finish connecting them together.
Split charge relay installed and wired and connected up to the battery and the other side connected to an Anderson power connector. I’ve made up a long lead with an Anderson connector at each end. This will connect the box to the car. I’m waiting on a couple of terminals before I can make the car side of the lead and will attach the connector to the bulkhead behind the seats.
Once those terminals turn up I will also use a mini Anderson to make a point where I can plug in my compressor. It’s a heavy duty unit and can’t plug into a lighter socket as it pulls about 40 amps. I’ll probably attach that to the seat box or cubby.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 30, 2018 21:54:51 GMT
I’d be wary of connecting anything to your seat. You don’t want to be driving along and have Old Sparky fire up!
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Jul 31, 2018 9:15:08 GMT
Maybe he likes electro-shock therapy? If he has another heart attack it could be useful too - a bit like them jump-starting prehistoric Soviet premieres in Whoops Apocalypse |
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Jul 31, 2018 15:10:21 GMT
Bits didn’t turn up. They must be coming by second class carrier pigeon. 🙄 Anyway, I installed the power point for the compressor.  Meanwhile, the power box as it stands at the moment.    |
|
|
|
Post by Roadsterstu on Aug 5, 2018 8:09:24 GMT
Looks neat!
|
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Aug 5, 2018 8:48:43 GMT
Voltmeter finally arrived yesterday. Bloody scamming eBay seller lying about where he was sending the item from.
I’m at the Newcastle Motor Show again today and working tomorrow so will get it sorted later in the week.
|
|
|
|
Post by PG on Aug 5, 2018 8:52:42 GMT
Very neat and tidy!
|
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Aug 7, 2018 7:10:59 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Andy C on Aug 7, 2018 8:43:57 GMT
Good stuff mark and sounds like it will be very useful
|
|
|
|
Post by LandieMark on Sept 17, 2018 19:46:23 GMT
The power supply was put to the full test this weekend at the LRO show. It ran the fridge for the entire weekend. I needed to run the car for an hour on Saturday to charge it back up. The journey home had it fully recharged.
There were portable power packs at the show for many £££ although they were neater in appearance. They weren’t worth double what mine cost to build though.
|
|
. To be fair, I wired all the auxiliary accessories and winch and it hasn't caught fire yet. 
