Electrical van getting 12v from car when batt switch is off

[achjimmy]

so if I turn the battery switch off and Fire up the tug the lights come back on, is this correct? I was sure with the Expanda the battery switch killed all the vans 12v but I was charging the battery's direct via and Anderson plug not through the 12pin last time.

 

[Crusty181]

Not sure if its correct but my 2014 Expanda does the same. If the van is plugged into the car, my van lights are live even with my car keys in my pocket, and the van battery off.

When we free camp I pull the plug, to be sure I aren't drawing on the car

The switch in my 2009 Expanda only isolated the vans battery, and not any power coming from the car ... not sure how the new one works with the Drifter etc ... much more complicated than the other one.

Jayco have put the guy that designed it all (the only one who knows what, why, how) in a bullet proof glass case where no-one can talk to him, or ask him any questions. He's like the Kin Jong Un of the caravan land ... no-one dare approach him.

(He's next to the other glass cases with the plumbing dude, TV antenna dude, and theres a few other unlabelled cases as well, just in case you ask a different tricky question)

 

[Tazdevil]

Hey guys
The Isolation switch only disconnects the battery from the Setec Unit, connecting the car supply's power directly to the Setec which inturn powers the van.
The switch is there to stop the battery going flat when not in use.

 

[achjimmy]

Thanks @Tazdevil . So what advantage is that?

 

[Mini me]

Thanks @Tazdevil . So what advantage is that?

So does that mean that the car is not charging the battery in the van while we drive. What about if the switch is on in the van.

 

[Crusty181]

So does that mean that the car is not charging the battery in the van while we drive. What about if the switch is on in the van.

Not unless you have specifically wired it to charge, from the factory it won't

 

[achjimmy]

Not unless you have specifically wired it to charge, from the factory it won't

But if you leave the battery switch on it charges doesn't it?

 

[Drover]

Connected to tug the 12v goes to the Setek which in turn charges your battery if you have the battery switch made, just the same as when you have 240 connected, turn battery switch off it won't charge, now when you don't have a 240 or tug connected you turn switch on and the battery runs your lights, turn the battery switch off so do the lights.
So if you want to charge your battery while driving down the road turn the battery switch ON. It charges really well as the other night it was running my Engel as a Freezer so it was chewing the power up from the battery but in a couple of hours driving it was fully charged up. Mind you my battery switch is always on, but I do turn the water pump off when not needed.

Oh PS: if you only have a 7 pin on your van/tug then you may not have a designated 12v supply from your tug, you may have an anderson plug supplying it, if not easily fixed the wires are there just not connected usually just fit a 12 pin to tug and van, mine is using the Jeep wiring and it all works well but some have poor cabling.

 

[Crusty181]

But if you leave the battery switch on it charges doesn't it?

You need the hot wire to have been wired into you car socket, which generally factory tow kits dont have

 

[Crusty181]

Connected to tug the 12v goes to the Setek which in turn charges your battery if you have the battery switch made, just the same as when you have 240 connected, turn battery switch off it won't charge, now when you don't have a 240 or tug connected you turn switch on and the battery runs your lights, turn the battery switch off so do the lights.
So if you want to charge your battery while driving down the road turn the battery switch ON. It charges really well as the other night it was running my Engel as a Freezer so it was chewing the power up from the battery but in a couple of hours driving it was fully charged up. Mind you my battery switch is always on, but I do turn the water pump off when not needed.

Oh PS: if you only have a 7 pin on your van/tug then you may not have a designated 12v supply from your tug, you may have an anderson plug supplying it, if not easily fixed the wires are there just not connected usually just fit a 12 pin to tug and van, mine is using the Jeep wiring and it all works well but some have poor cabling.

The charge rate of the series 2 Setec is very low. I ran the wires with the last combo and did the research for the best option btw Ctek or Setec. Setec tech poo poo'ed the Setec because on his advise the low charge rate meant id need to drive a long way to get any value .... and Ctek (back then) wouldnt work on my car with the smart alternator, so the wire sat disconnected at both ends

Dont know what the series 3 Setecs do, but researching the Ctek recently ended up not being much use either because of its relatively low max output

 

[Drover]

Mine would be the series 2 I reckon being 2009 model, charged my battery up pretty well in a couple of hours on road, so I don't know but have heard that before. There's a way around the smart alternator problem but can't remember what it was, what's the saying oh yeah !!!! " Shoulda bought a Jeep" well an old one like mine, the new ones have the same problem I think.

 

[Crusty181]

Theres a work around for the smart alternator now that wasnt an option back when, but after all that the little Ctek dont have enough grunt.

So bugger it; at least i can tell the tree huggers i tried. They probably wont hear me over the noise of the generator

 

[Drover]

Ha,ha.....I've got an Anderson plug at the back of the van for 12v, am going to run one to the front so I can plug the Engel in the Jeep into it, save me buggering around with a 2nd battery in the Jeep for those times when we stay hitched when free camping.

 

[Crusty181]

Ive only got one battery in the ute, and my Engel is running all the time in the tub (I use it for work). Ive had the ute sitting idle down the farm for 3 days in high 20's and the Engel chugging away inside the hot canopy, and the Engels never caused any battery issues. The average power draw on the battery must be bugger all. Ive got an insulating cover, but never bothered to put it on

I did have to stop myself buying the khaki limited edition Legacy Engel ....... with the camo cover

 

[Drover]

Other day mine was on freeze, so was running all the time so didn't want to leave it running all night on the Jeep battery, have never managed to push start an auto.........................this trip the Honda is in the back just in case we need it.

 

[Crusty181]

Other day mine was on freeze, so was running all the time so didn't want to leave it running all night on the Jeep battery, have never managed to push start an auto.........................this trip the Honda is in the back just in case we need it.

I heard its possible to suck start a Jeep in reverse through the exhaust pipe ....

 

[Drover]

You have to go to Canberra to get that done, there's quite a number of people there that can do it, so I believe.


We'd be having a great time if you were up here in the sunshine @Crusty181 , oh the pain of laughter for sure.