MY LANDROVER CARAWAGON

LANDROVER'S ARE A MAGNET FOR ACCESSORIES AND ADD ON'S

THE CARAWAGON IS THE  ULTIMATE AS IT IS A CAMPER AND THE LIST IS ENDLESS IT WILL NEVER BEAT ITS MODERN EQUIVALENT IN LUXURY TERMS BUT THATS WHAT THE DRAW IS FOR ME, ITS A CLASSIC BUT YOU STILL NEED TO UPGRADE IT AS BEST YOU CAN FOR PRACTICAL REASONS IE: TO POWER A FRIDGE OR LIGHTS. THAT POWER HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE SO THE QUESTION IS HOW ? 12 V OR 240 V OR BOTH HOW DO I KEEP MY BATTERY CHARGED ? CAN I ADD A SECOND BATTERY AND HOW DO I DO. IT IF I RUN MY BATTERY DOWN HOW CAN I CHARGE IT UP. ALL EASILY ANSWERED QUESTIONS THE LANDROVER IS NOT LIGHT LIKE A CAR YOU WON'T PUSH START IT TO EASY LIKE A CAR ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IN A FIELD AND ITS A DIESEL, MOST CARAWAGONS HAVE THE BATTERY UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT IF YOU HAVE FITTED MODERN SEATS LIKE MINE[ FROM A 98 VW CARRAVELLE]  GETTING AT THE BATTERY IS A PAIN BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE YOU CAN PUT IT UNDER THE BONNET FOR EASY ACCESS BUT IF YOU WANT TO LINK AN AUX BATTERY IT MEANS RUNNING WIRES THROUGH THE BODY NOT A GOOD IDEA UNLESS YOU INSULATE THEM VERY WELL BUT YOU MAY GET  SOME KIND OF SHORT AT SOME STAGE. THEN YOU HAVE TO SEARCH FOR IT NOT NICE ON A DARK COLD NIGHT THE EASY AND BEST WAY IS TO FIT BOTH BATTERIES SIDE BY SIDE OR   AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE THERE IS NOT VERY MUCH ROOM UNDER THE LAND ROVER BONNET FOR TWO BATTERIES EVEN IF THERE WAS YOU STILL NEED TO RUN  ALL THE CABLE FOR YOU EXTRAS IN TO THE MAIN CAB BODY ANY PROBLEMS AND YOU HAVE TO AGAIN GO SEARCHING FOR THE FAULT SO THE TRICK IS PUT A SEPERATE FUSE BOARD FOR THE ANCILLIARY STUFF BESIDE THE SECOND BATTERY.I HAVE MINE BEHIND THE SEAT ABOVE THE AUX BATTERY FOR EASY ACCESSS MY AUX BATTERY IS IN THE WELL BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT THIS WILL RUN THE STEREO AND ANY THING ELSE I NEED TO ADD ON I WILL ALSO BE FITTING AN INVERTOR TO CHANGE THE POWER TO 240V FROM 12 V MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. THE DIAGRAM SHOWS YOU WHAT TO DO TO FIT ONE TO YOUR VECHICLE ALSO IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO FIT A BATTERY ISOLATOR SWITCH AS WELLFOR SAFETY REASONS THIS IS A SPLIT CHARGE SYSTEM AND WILL CHARGE BOTH BATTERIES WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THEN SWITCH TO THE SECOND WHEN YOU SWITCH OFF VIA A RELAY THIS WAY NO POWER IS DRAWN FROM THE MAIN BATTERY AS IT WILL ONLY SWITCH BACK WITH THE IGNITION TURNED ON YOU SHOULD CARRY OUT ALL THIS WORK BEFORE YOU FIT OUT THE CARAWAGON AS IT SAVES LOTS OF GRIEF LATER,.

MY MOTTO FOR THIS STUFF IS EASE AND PRACTICALITY WHY WALK A MILE WHEN YOU CAN JUMP OVER THE WALL AS SAID EARLIER IF THE BATTERY IS NOT EASY TO GET AT THEN SODS LAW SAYS IT WILL NEED TO BE GOT AT. BATTERIES DO RUN DOWN USUALLY BECAUSE OF MISTAKES, RADIOS LEFT ON LIGHTS LEFT ON  ALWAYS AT THE MOST INCONVIENT TIME AND PLACE A PROPERLY MAINTAINED BATTERY WILL LAST ITS FULL LIFETIME BUT CAN LET YOU DOWN  BUT AN ABUSED ONE WILL LET YOU DOWN AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME 

MY SOLUTION IS TO CUT THE ODDS AND TO FIT AN OUTBOARD CONNECTION FOR EASE OF ACCESS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY I AM FITTING AN ANDERSON CONNECTION TO THE OUT SIDE OF MY BODY PANEL AND HAVE MODIFIED A HEAVY DUTY BOOSTER CABLE TO PLUG INTO THE SOCKET, BASICALLY ITS A HEAVY DUTY FEMALE /MALE SOCKET KIT YOU TAKE YOUR BOOSTER CABLES [I SUGGEST A LONG SET 3 METRES OR SO ] TAKE THE CLAMPS FROM ONE END AND FIT ONE OF THE ANDERSON CONNECTORS [ THE MALE AS THE FEMALE WILL BE INSULATED BUT BOLTED TO  YOUR PANELS] YOU MAKE UP THE OTHER CONNECTOR[ FEMALE] WITH WELDING CABLE AND CONNECT IT TO YOUR MAIN BATTERY SO THAT IT WILL HAVE A PERMANENT CONNECTION FOR JUMP STARTING SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME AS YOU RARELY NEED TO JUMPSTART  BUT IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO GIVE SOME ONE ELSE A MUCH NEEDED BOOST AND MORE THAN LIKELY IT WILL BE THE ONE WHO SAID YOU DID'NT NEED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE

IF YOU DO NOT THINK YOU DO THIS SAFELY OR IN ANY WAY CONFUSED PLEASE FIND SOME ONE WHO CAN DO IT PROPERLY AND REMEMBER SAFETY FIRST

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

I MUST STREES THAT MAKE SURE YOU MARK THE MAIN POWER OF THE CABLE GOING TO THE BOOSTER FROM THE BATTERY AS LIVE PUT A RED SHEATH OVER IT AND MAKE SURE IT MATCHS TO THE RED BOOSTER CABLE ON THE CORRESPONDING CONNECTOR ALWAYS JOIN THE MALE FEMALE CONNECTIONS BEFORE CONNETING TO THE OTHER VECHICLE

ANDERSON CONNECTORS AND HEAVY DUTY BOOSTER CABLES ARE AVAILABLE FROM MOST COMMERCIAL VECHICLE FACTORS IN THE UK

I GOT MY MINE FROM INTERTOOL IRELAND OLD COUNTY ROAD CRUMLIM D12 AND AT THE S.C.R SUMMERHILL VERY NICE PEOPLE

PLEASE BE CAREFULL ALL WORK DONE IS AT YOUR RISK IF YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE THIS OPTION

I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU PUT A  BATTERY ISOLATOR SWITCH BETWEEN THE RELAY AND THE FUSE GOING TO THE AUX BATTERY ALSO ASK A COMPETENT AUTO ELECTRICIAN WHICH AMPAGE OF CABLE TO USE IF IN DOUBT TO HEAVY CAN BE BAD TO LOW CAN BE VERY BAD

IF YOU CAN PICK ONE UP GET AN AMMETER AND WIRE IT TO THE AUX BATTERY

20 AMP/30 AMP  Cabling - Enough to run from the front battery, TO THE SECOND (Minimum- larger, for example, will carry the voltage, and keep it higher)

10/15 AMP CABLE cabling, to carry switching current

2X Fuseholders, and fuses  PLUS SPARE 10 AMP FUSES

Split Charging Relay - Not available from Maplins anymore, but available from CAD/Autoleads etc.

Second Battery, ideally suited to Deep-Cycle applications, larger capacity is preferable

Battery Terminals, to connect large cabling to Rear Battery

Assorted Connectors, for connection to relay/ground-point/front

MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE THE FEMALE CONNECTOR ON THE BODY SO AS NOT TO LEAVE THE CONNECTION EXPOSED ALWAY CONNECT THE BOOSTERS TO THE FEMALE BEFORE YOU CONNECT TO THE EXTERNAL BATTERY