Hi all… I’m at the stage with my bus where I’m about to do all the leisure wiring. The functional wiring, ie the stuff that VW put in to make the bus work, is all intact so I’m not touching that, but having installed a leisure battery and ZIG unit, I’m about to add all-new wiring for the ‘living’ bit of the bus. My thinking is as follows: ZIG Unit Aside from charging the leisure battery, the ZIG CF8 converts 240v AC to 12v dc via three fuses for accessory wiring, so I’m figuring these would be: Interior lighting (all LEDs) 12v Television and Radio Water pump and 12v accessory/USB sockets Invertor I have a 500w (peak) invertor which I’m going to run off the leisure battery for when we’re wild camping (ie without a mains hook-up). From this, I’m going to run: Electrolux 3-way Fridge, so it can keep stuff cool when the engine’s not running (yes, I know this will run the LB down if I’m not careful, but I’m not too worried about this) Single mains socket – for charging cameras/lap top etc 240v mains I have a consumer unit with MCBs to provide power via a hook-up for: ZIG unit Electrolux 3-way fridge Couple of mains sockets – for hair straighteners, waffle maker and other camping essentials! Fan heater (can’t afford a Propex heater just yet so it will have to be 240v heating) Leisure battery I’m thinking about taking a feed off this to a stand-alone fuse box to provide 12v power for: Alarm/imobiliser Fuel cut-off device I’ve searched all the threads on TLB I can find with ‘Wiring’ in their subjects, but still have some questions so hope the TLB collective can help with the following: Any thoughts on the above, or advice from TLB'rs who have already installed their interior wiring? With the ZIG installed, do I still need the split-charge relay I wired in previously to keep the leisure battery topped up? I'm guessing this is redundant as the ZIG charges the LB when the engine's running. If I’m running the accessory wiring (including lighting and TV) off the ZIG unit, do I really need to take a separate fuse box off the leisure battery, or would it be best simply to use in-line fuses for any additional 12v things I add. I’ll need to run a number of wires from the starter battery and the leisure battery in the engine bay into the cargo area, to the space beneath the R&R bench seat where my wiring centre’s going to be. Is it possible to carefully drill a hole through the engine bay firewall and another through the cargo wall which rises up behind the bench seat/petrol tank, so I can poke wires through without damaging or having to remove the petrol tank? I don’t really want to run wires either beneath the floor or take them up through the spare wheel well and into the bench seat area. As ever, any help/advice/guidance you peeps can give would be hugely appreciated, so thanks in advance!
Not got all answers to that but I would say if an appliance is 12 volt then why run it from an inverter ie 3 way fridge. If its 3 way then when your stopped then use gas. if not the use 12 volt sparingly direct from battery (obviously with fuse). If youve a zig with three outgoing fuses then I would guess the most useful way would be fridge/lights/water pump. 12 volt sockets with usb plug usually does cameras phones ipods etc so ne need for inverter unless you want 240 for laptops or similar. route for cables - well just debating that myself as i did have it running through a cupboard as had a 3/4 bed but now gone full width. need to be careful if finding a route through by the petrol tank.obviously. Cant see how youd do it on the right unless you come through the spare wheel well. There is a closing panel it sits in but not easy to get to. Id be tempted to go down through the battery tray or and then up near the front of the arch under the bed!
Couple of points....you will need a split charge relay (or two bosch make/break relays ) to charge both the starter and leisure battery when the engine's running... The Zig unit is basically a 240v to 12v converter with a battery charger built in. It acts like a distribution board (like a domestic consumer unit) The Zig unit doesn't charge the leisure battery when the engine's running, but you can run the fridge on 12v 'through' the zig The zig can also run the fridge on 240v when camped up... The 240v mains supply must be made via a consumer unit, protected by rcd (rcbo)....any individual circuits (eg sockets) need a separate MCB (just like domestic wiring) This is independent of the zig unit.....you provide a 240v supply to the zig so you can run the fridge and built in battery charger.... An inverter (ie 12v DC to 240 AC) will waste a Leisure battery in no time.... As for the cable runs, assuming you're fitting the zig below or in the vicinity of the rear seat, all the cable runs from the zig to consumers (lights, water pump, tv etc. will be relatively short, so there's little point in fitting a remote fuse box.....all the circuits supplied by the zig are fused bt default.... Personally, I'd run alarm and immobilizer off starter battery, as you're less likely to run this down completely, unlike a leisure battery Cable routing from the batteries through to where it's needed is a matter of choice.....I've routed through the spare wheel well, since I've fitted the mains consumer unit and other electrical stuuf in there.....for other cables (eg. single cable for permenant live for fridge ignitor), I've run clipped alongside the loom, or in split conduit, threading through existing grommets in the chassis....
Thanks for your rapid response. @Dicky ... I forgot to mention that although the fridge is 3-way, I haven't yet got the gas exhaust fitted so will be using it for 12v/240v only until I work out the exhaust plumbing and have the balls to chop a hole in the side of the bus. I plan to wire the fridge to the starter battery via a relay triggered by the alternator so it only works when the engine's running but am not sure about wiring it direct to the leisure battery. The zig instructions specifically state not to connect a fridge to it due to the constant current draw which, I guess would not only drain the battery rather quickly, but I suspect also overheat the zig unit. Like you, I used to have a 3/4 bed so the wiring came up through the spare wheel well and was then hidden/protected within a cupboard so was simply taped down the wheel arch to the under-seat area, but I've now gone full-width and got rid of the cupboard and don't really want to leave the wiring exposed where it was. I may well do as you suggest and go down through the battery tray, through some plastic conduit attached to the sub-frame somewhere then back up through the cargo area floor near the wheel arch. Having welded up a load of superfluous holes from the previous interior layout, I was kinda hoping to avoid drilling new holes, but needs must, I guess!
Thanks for clarifying that the zig unit doesn't actually charge the LB in transit, @vanorak , so I will keep the split charge relay for that. Thanks also for your advice about the inverter wasting the LB in no time... I will probably give that a miss then and keep the inverter for occasional use only! I'd seen the wiring diagram you included above before but discounted it because it shows it as being a CF9 whereas mine's a CF8. Which zig unit do you have? Presumably there's a connection between terminal's 11 and 12 on the CF9 to take the current from relay 2 to the fridge, or are there some internal gubbins in the CF9 that aren't present on the CF8?
I share your concerns. I too have just had a load of holes welded up in the rear floor and am anxious not to drill any more so a problem shared here! Also - I do have a hole in the side of my van for a 3 way fridge but unfortunately it isnt actually where I want the fridge to be. Im seriously considering buying a compressor fridge as they take considerably less leccy than a traditional RM123 dont use gas - so no hole. I dont have a zig. I have a relay off the ignition to drop the 12 volt to the fridge when the engine isnt running but also have a switch to bypass that should i need to. I have a split charge relay, a simple battery charger with a switch to change between car and leisure battery for charging or for powering my 12 volt kit and all the 12 volt kit (fridge, propex, water pump and internal 12 volt sockets are fed from a fusebox off that switch (or thats what I did have as ive stripped it all out!)
If it helps with "can or can't" on the hole thing, I took a deep breath last week & drilled one here.. There is nothing behind this panel. You can get up behind the spare wheel well, between that and the rear 1/4 skin with a drill and hole saw to put one in the corresponding engine bulk head. I'm running single feeds from the leisure battery to a Blue Sea 12 fuse distribution box that was cheap off flea-bay. Our leccy things are all different but it may help you with the "head work" stuff so I'll walk through mine. DC To start, & the most important thing to do is to work out power reqmts. Our fridge draws 5.4 amps/hour so I have a 120 amp LB. (LB amps/2 gives available amps so as not to over discharge the battery & make recharging hard, so LB will run fridge for (60/5.4) hours so overnight if necessary) There are 4 potential connections onto the LB posts, from split relay, solar controller, 230v battery charger, and feed to the leisure circuit. I am fitting 2 bus bars onto the wheel well, above the LB. A single feed off both the - & + terminals of the battery to each of the bus bars. This makes - & + connection really neat & simple without cluttering the battery posts. An isolator switch will chop into the solar circuit as these panels are hard to turn off for maintenance etc! From the bus bars, there will be a single + & - cable to the fuse box. All leisure wiring will route back to this fuse box. That includes lights L&R, propex, accessory sockets, water pump etc etc. The battery charger is an expensive MSX10 Ctek thing. Another e-bay bargain & it can also be used as a power supply like a zig. This will mount inside the engine bay on the long side of the wheel well (I think) AC A cheap shed/garage consumer unit will handle distribution as follows. 100amp RCD splitting to 10amp RCD for Ctek battery charger, 16amp RCD for 230v sockets. Really simple. Remember to bond the incoming earth to the chassis as well! I can't draw like @vanorak , & would love a compressor fridge like @Dicky but the above will have to do for now. Our wiring diagram is here, at the bottom of page 4 Back on it tomorrow morning so will post more pics on Chip thread if you like...
If it is any use to you I have drilled through bulk head that goes directly into the space where the fuel filler pipe is. I have then drilled through into the engine bay. Removed tin lid and poked cable through. Obviously through grommets on both locations. I have since installed rock and roll bed with no worries
yep...looks like you can't power the fridge through the CF8 on the move....although you could (in theory) run a switched live (fused at the LB end) to the fridge, which then receives power when the engine's running. The LB receives it's charge via the split charge relay, the fridge then draws on this charge. The potential issue here is that the LB is then presenting a demand to the alternator, so the alternator keeps putting out to the LB, rather than switching back and forth between the LB and the starter as designed....and there's no guarantee your LB will be fully charged.....you could splash out and a smart charger which will do the maths for you, but i think your solution is cheaper....
Fab response, @theBusmonkey , so thanks for taking the time for such a detailed reply and for posting a piccie showing where you've drilled a hole for the cables - I think I'll do the same. I'll probably also nick your suggestion for solar panels, so have copied your wiring diagram from the other thread you linked to. Good idea also to fit bus bars above the LB to keep the battery terminals free from loads of separate connectors!
It's a bogger, ain't it, @vanorak ?!! The CF8 instructions state the fridge should be wired to the starter battery - via a relay connected to the alternator so it will only charge with the engine running - so I think I'll go with that and will just have to drink warm beer when wild camping!
Thanks again for the suggestion @theBusmonkey . I've followed your idea today and it was spot-on! 1) I drilled a 22mm hole inside the engine bay up against the spare wheel well: 2) I drilled another 22mm hole inside the cargo area, just above the wheel tub on the passenger side, beneath the R&R seat: 3) As there was a clear line of sight, I was able to fit some 22mm plastic conduit through the hole and secure it with a rubber gromit: 4) I now have a nice easy route for wiring from the bus interior to the leisure battery without drilling holes to the outside: Once the wiring's all in place I'll stuff the remaining gap with some intumesent material, which will not only stop any engine smells coming through, but will also help if there is an engine fire! Next steps... all the interior wiring!
