Electrics in my van ?

[Pyromaniac]

ok - sorry its not house electrics - but I shall soon be getting a van - and will have need to power mains voltage items from it - electric drill - battery chargers - grinder - that sort of thing - and I also want to have flourescent lighting fitted in the load bay.

Never had a van - will only be a small one - like the Ford Caddy in size - the baby Transit one.

What do I need to do to install say 1 x double socket to provide mains voltage power ?

And I assume I can get lighting that will run off the 12v battery - or seperate battery ?

Thanks

Gerry

 

[securespark]

D'you mean VW Caddy or Ford Connect?

3 pin sockets? You can get inverters for small loads, like chargers etc. But for larger loads, just use a genny.

As for lighting, you can get 12V flu's.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

ELV Fluorescent lighting won't be a problem, but the other stuff might be.

You'll need an inverter capable of supporting the load of those tools, and it'll need to be a true sine wave one, or you'll need to make sure that the motors won't be damaged by a modified one.

Thought about a generator?

 

[ColJack]

do you absolutely need a fluorescent light in the back?
I have a 12v under cabinet light that they use in kitchens and it lights the back of my escort van a treat...

if it's for extended use then you might want to look at a second "leisure" battery and split charging system..

 

[Pyromaniac]

D'you mean VW Caddy or Ford Connect?

Ah - sorry BAS, been trawling van reviews and got every name intermixed in my head - Ford Connect ! The more I think of things to put into the van the more I think it needs to be bigger though !

Thinking about it further - things like the power tools I can most likely get away with cordless ones - they would only be for occasional use, but would still need the batteries kept on charge in the van while travelling - any 'long term' use I can plug an extension lead into the customers house if I need mains supplied tools.

What I would need in the van is a supply for key cutting machines - generally they are 200W motors or slightly less.

I need good even lighting in the back, for key cutting and lock dismantling/repair, thats why I thought flourescent. I heard flourescent is bad for rotating tools, but the discs on the key machines look the same running or stationary !

Gerry

 

[ColJack]

a couple of 12V 20w under counter halogens over the work areas will be adequate, and remove any strobe effect because they will be running straight on DC...

 

[viewer]

HF fluorescents are OK, it's the 50Hz (100 flicks) which is the problem. It might be worth looking at caravan or boat wiring ideas for using a second battery and a diode so that you always have a chance to start the van whatever you've been doing.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Leave the engine running.

 

[JohnD]

the key cuting machine is just an electric motor... no need to have a mains voltage motor, get a 12v one. If it has a belt and pulley drive, it need not even be of very similar dimensions.

 

[kevindgas]

the connect (which is electrically a ****e van by the way) Mines been to the garage again today for no brake lights (3rd time in 4 months!)
has the facility to put 12v socket in the back (drivers side by rear door) you can run a couple of caravan/boat 12" lights from there.

 

[ericmark]

Just got an inverter and my son is at the moment fitting it. But only 3KVa and looking at 250A supply. We found there are some cheap sizes. You can get a 150W very cheap and they will charge batteries and run PC's etc. But as you look you find the price seems to jump and unless you find one in a sale and Maplin do seem to put them on offer on regular basis then they become expensive.

Also of course is the second battery. My son has 2 x 120A alternators one for engine and one for aux and a bank of 4 x 140Ah batteries. Not really what you can fit in a van. He also has a stepped battery charger.

I think a 150w inverter is great but over that then you should look at direct 12V power. A dynamo will run as a motor well and fit a rheostat in the field and you can balance speed and torque. We used them to power pipe line trolleys and they worked well.

 

[Steve]

Thinking about the van that came to camera our drains a while back, it had two compartments in it. One (side door) was a little office area with computer and the "clean" end of the CCTV equipment. It even had a carpet. The other compartment (back doors) was the "dirty" end with the camera and cables and reels etc.

It had a generator housed opposite the side door, accessed from outside on the drivers side, controlled (started) electronically from inside the office area. There was also a proper consumer unit.

Very expensively fitted out for its purpose!

Everyone else that cameras drains has a little box with a monitor and CDR