16' Series Water system and Anderson plug install

[Tails83]

Just trying to work out my new van(Expanda 16.49-3 07 model). I used to have a jayco finch which had these features but we're very basic, I have you tubed this but these to things I couldn't find.

it has a normal kitchen type sink mixer tap and if I hook up mains water it works fine, if I switch the power on to the pump, it also runs when I turn the tap on so I'm wondering if running on mains I just leave the pump off otherwise I'll get a mixture of mains and tank water, is this correct? If for what ever reason I want to run it on tank water only then I would have to disconnect the mains and turn on the pump.

I have worked out it has the standard wiring with the 12v aux coming through the 7 pin trailer plug which powers the fridge and goes to the cetec power box thingy(the original owner said that the fridge didn't work on 12v probly cause no one thinks to wire up 12v to the 7 pin plug). It has 2 batteries installed by jayco but after market. There's an Anderson plug installed already that goes directly to the batteries via the diode.
I want the fridge to work on 12v for travelling only, can I just disconnect the fridge from the bird nest and hook it to the Anderson plug wire before the diode so it never runs off the van battery. And just discard the wire from the 7 pin plug to the cetec charger thingy.

Sorry for the lot of writing for basic question.

Thanks

Luke.

 

[boots33]

I want the fridge to work on 12v for travelling only, can I just disconnect the fridge from the bird nest and hook it to the Anderson plug wire before the diode so it never runs off the van battery.

The short answer is yes, as long as....

The anderson plug wiring is heavy enough to supply the batteries and fridge combined.

You fit an inline fuse to protect the fridge circuit.

The power to your anderson plug is switched via the vehicle ignition circuit or some other device (voltage switched relay etc.)

you could just rely on dis-connecting the plug when stopped but if you forget you will be draining from your vehicle start battery.

And just discard the wire from the 7 pin plug to the cetec charger thingy.

While the power available through the small 7 pin plug is limited it will do no harm to leave it connected, so I would just leave it in place.

 

[Bushman]

On the water side of things

Mains on = pump off
Pump on = mains off

 

[Crusty181]

Just trying to work out my new van(Expanda 16.49-3 07 model). I used to have a jayco finch which had these features but we're very basic, I have you tubed this but these to things I couldn't find.

it has a normal kitchen type sink mixer tap and if I hook up mains water it works fine, if I switch the power on to the pump, it also runs when I turn the tap on so I'm wondering if running on mains I just leave the pump off otherwise I'll get a mixture of mains and tank water, is this correct? If for what ever reason I want to run it on tank water only then I would have to disconnect the mains and turn on the pump.

I have worked out it has the standard wiring with the 12v aux coming through the 7 pin trailer plug which powers the fridge and goes to the cetec power box thingy(the original owner said that the fridge didn't work on 12v probly cause no one thinks to wire up 12v to the 7 pin plug). It has 2 batteries installed by jayco but after market. There's an Anderson plug installed already that goes directly to the batteries via the diode.
I want the fridge to work on 12v for travelling only, can I just disconnect the fridge from the bird nest and hook it to the Anderson plug wire before the diode so it never runs off the van battery. And just discard the wire from the 7 pin plug to the cetec charger thingy.

Sorry for the lot of writing for basic question.

Thanks

Luke.

Hi Luke. The usual way to plumb a flick mixer in a van with a 12v water pump is to have mains on one output and tank on the other i.e. mains when you push the flick mixer to hot, and tank pump when you push flick mixer to cold (or visa versa). Thats the best way and hopefully thats your way. It means you can use mains for washing etc, and still use tank for drinking water when the local water is a bit off.

 

[Bushman]

Hi Luke. The usual way to plumb a flick mixer in a van with a 12v water pump is to have mains on one output and tank on the other i.e. mains when you push the flick mixer to hot, and tank pump when you push flick mixer to cold (or visa versa). Thats the best way and hopefully thats your way. It means you can use mains for washing etc, and still use tank for drinking water when the local water is a bit off.

I follow what your saying there, however as the 16-49-3 is as shower model how does he get the hot water if tank is plumbed to one and mains to the other only option would be plumb the tank to seperate tap on sink.

 

[Crusty181]

I follow what your saying there, however as the 16-49-3 is as shower model how does he get the hot water if tank is plumbed to one and mains to the other only option would be plumb the tank to seperate tap on sink.

Shower model you say .... must have missed that. Thats must be the xx.xx.3 bit. As I said, I have no idea here.

 

[Marv_mart]

Just a quick question, to secure the water pipe connectors at the joiners, do you use the John Guest 15mm locking clips?
Are these the same size as the 3/8" clips or do you have to have the metric size?
Where do I get them from? Prices people paid?

 

[craigandteena]

Just a quick question, to secure the water pipe connectors at the joiners, do you use the John Guest 15mm locking clips?
Are these the same size as the 3/8" clips or do you have to have the metric size?
Where do I get them from? Prices people paid?

Marv_mart, what joiners are you referring you to? I have done a lot of plumbing mods to my van so should be able to help but not sure what joiners.

 

[craigandteena]

I have worked out it has the standard wiring with the 12v aux coming through the 7 pin trailer plug which powers the fridge and goes to the cetec power box thingy(the original owner said that the fridge didn't work on 12v probly cause no one thinks to wire up 12v to the 7 pin plug). It has 2 batteries installed by jayco but after market. There's an Anderson plug installed already that goes directly to the batteries via the diode.
I want the fridge to work on 12v for travelling only, can I just disconnect the fridge from the bird nest and hook it to the Anderson plug wire before the diode so it never runs off the van battery. And just discard the wire from the 7 pin plug to the cetec charger thingy.

Tails83, Not sure about the 7 pin plugs but I have a 12pin plug with 12v going to the fridge whenever connected. It does not go to the battery or Setek unit but only straight to the fridge for 12v, this is how it came from Jayco.

As my 12v power source going into the 12pin plug is straight from the car battery and does not go through any ignition switch or solenoid I installed a fridge switch http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=6496 (can get from many online retailers) so when the car stops then power is disconnected to the fridge so the car battery is not drained. Installing this unit is one of the easiest things you could do and the instructions are actually useful and help you to install. People will say installing a a relay or solenoid would be cheaper but I went for simplicity and it works.

You could do as you suggested and also ensure you have a fuse put in line like boots33 said. I assume though you have an Anderson plug on your car and the 7 pin also for the rest of the van running lights to do this. If that is the case then ensure the anderson plug does not drain power from your car battery when the car is switched off or you will need to put either a fridge switch in or some other isolating feature or you will flatten your car battery with the anderson plug left connected and the car is switched off. I also believe the 7pin plugs are not rated high enough from a current perspective so you will find it will burn out eventually if you run 12v from that to your fridge.

 

[Marv_mart]

Marv_mart, what joiners are you referring you to? I have done a lot of plumbing mods to my van so should be able to help but not sure what joiners.

The various water hoses under the van are I believe push on fittings to elbows and such.
Others have mentioned that Jayco don't normally use the retainer clips to secure the joins but since I am doing the Gibb RR next year I thought it would be good idea to ensure everything is tied down, protected and secure.
Van in storage but others have spoken about the John Guest connected clips.
Size?, supplier? Marv

 

[craigandteena]

The various water hoses under the van are I believe push on fittings to elbows and such.
Others have mentioned that Jayco don't normally use the retainer clips to secure the joins but since I am doing the Gibb RR next year I thought it would be good idea to ensure everything is tied down, protected and secure.
Van in storage but others have spoken about the John Guest connected clips.
Size?, supplier? Marv

My van is John Guest, but there is likely no connectors underneath your van as Jayco seems to put most connectors inside (excluding what is connected to tank) . Mine are 12mm and do not worry about them not being secure because they are if installed correctly by pulling on the hose away from the connector as it locks it in. Good place to get them from is here http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=994_33_347_405. Jayco dealer will sell for twice the price. Not sure what retainer clips you are talking about for John Guest, interested to know what they are. I have moved most of all my connectors and joins outside the van just in case there is a link. The 12mm JG hoses are strong.

 

[Tails83]

Ok, thanks everyone, I've worked out the water system. On the electrical side I've hooked the fridge directly up to the Anderson plug, it then goes to the battery via the diode so the batteries won't go flat. The batteries hook up to the cetec via the isolation switch.

New question is will the 6mm cable (not 6b+s) that runs from the Anderson plug to the batteries and fridge be sufficient to keep the fridge cool and charge the batteries while driving? I have used all the stock jayco wiring, just changed the way it's hooked up.

Also what's the stock charger like (I belive its a cetec?) I have a Ctek xs15000, is it worth using that to charger the batteries over the cetec? I don't want to go to the effort of changing it all up just for minimal gain.

Thanks again
Luke.

 

[boots33]

You might need to give us a bit more info

What size is the fridge

What is the diode you mention and where is it located

Is that 6mm auto cable or 6mm2 cable

what size is the cable that runs to the anderson plug in your vehicle

Does your vehicle have a "smart alternator" fitted

What model and series is the setec

The setect type should be on the fuse door. the image below shows a setec st-20 series 2

 

[Tails83]

Hi,
the fridge is the standard dometic 90l.
The diode is the one that is mounted on the heat sink next to the setec.
It's 6mm auto cable in the van.
6b+s in the car from the battery to the Anderson plug via a ABR dual battery controller and circuit breaker.
The model number on the setec is ST35-2

Cheers.

 

[boots33]

New question is will the 6mm cable (not 6b+s) that runs from the Anderson plug to the batteries and fridge be sufficient to keep the fridge cool and charge the batteries while driving? I have used all the stock jayco wiring, just changed the way it's hooked up.

The 90 ltr fridge will draw around 15A and as long as the run is not much longer than 4 to 5 m you should be fine. As your battery is blocked from feeding back by the diode and provided you make sure it is fully charged before you leave it will require little in the way of charging while you are travelling. It should arrive at your destination almost exactly as it was when you left.

However the 6mm will probably struggle to keep up if you flatten your van battery and then need to rely on power from your vehicle to bring it back up as well as supply the fridge. There is also the lower voltage levels available from smart alternators (if you have one) to be considered.

If most of your trips are in van parks where 240v is available I think you will be fine. If you intend to do a lot of off grid camping and don't have solar or an around oz lap then you may want to look at running 6b&s through to the diode block to maximise the power available. If you have a smart alternator a dc - dc charger can also come in handy to ensure your van battery is kept at a high state of charge.

Also what's the stock charger like (I belive its a cetec?) I have a Ctek xs15000, is it worth using that to charger the batteries over the cetec? I don't want to go to the effort of changing it all up just for minimal gain.

While the series 1 setec's left a lot to be desired I find the series 2 and 3 to be ok for the majority of people. The ST-35 II that you have is a multi stage charger that will charge at up 15A (the same as the xs15000). Both chargers would most likely bring the battery back up to the 80 to 90% mark at about the same speed. The xs15000 does charge at a higher voltage so would probably get the battery closer to 100% faster than the setec .

I guess to answer your question I don't think you would have much to gain by replacing one 15A charger with a slightly better 15A charger. As you already have it you may like to just use it to give the van battery a top up at home before you head out.

Remember the setec also supplies up to 35 A for all your loads while on 240V, which the xs15000 cannot do.

 

[Bmhdg76]

The 90 ltr fridge will draw around 15A and as long as the run is not much longer than 4 to 5 m you should be fine. As your battery is blocked from feeding back by the diode and provided you make sure it is fully charged before you leave it will require little in the way of charging while you are travelling. It should arrive at your destination almost exactly as it was when you left.

However the 6mm will probably struggle to keep up if you flatten your van battery and then need to rely on power from your vehicle to bring it back up as well as supply the fridge. There is also the lower voltage levels available from smart alternators (if you have one) to be considered.

Can definitely say it won't cope.

We had ours wired this way in our previous tug and within 4-5 hours of constant driving the van battery was bloody low. I have now changed it to be dedicated feed to fridge and runs brilliantly and have full battery when we pull up for the afternoon.

BJ.