Shore Power v Campervan/caravan Kits

[PaulRainbow]

Aargh! I pressed the button before I finished. I was about to add that the whole issue of galvanic isolation ( which is something - I believe - the purpose of which is to prevent nastiness happening when your battery and mains get joined up ) brings up another can of worms for me. I'm not really sure how these two interface. For example when I put my cabin lights on and am connected to mains shore power, are they still being powered by the batteries which in turn are being topped up by the AC mains?

It's OK to think that the batteries power the lights and the charger replaces the charge, but that isn't actually what happens. What really happens is that the battery charger acts as a power supply.

If the shore power power Earth is connected to the water, commonly by connecting it to the hull anode **, your anode is then connected to every other boats anode in the marina that has the Earth connection, as well as any Earthed marina infrastructure. Fitting a galvanic isolator prevents that connection from using your anode.

Forget about camper vans, camper van kits and the like, you have a boat, not a camper van, boat electrics are different in certain ways.

You need a small garage type consumer unit. Connect this to a shore power socket for the incoming mains. It obviously has to be in a dry location. You need to fit a double pole RCD and a circuit breaker foe each circuit. The Earth wires should all be connected to a busbar (usually fitted inside the consumer unit), there should also be a wire from this busbar to the water. This connection is commonly made to the hull anode, or the hull of a metal boat. If you fit an inverter, that must also be connected to this Earth circuit.

If you are unsure of any of the above, get a marine electrician to do it for you. Electricity kill and the inverter output is no difference to the electricity in your house.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Only terminology as to what is a plug and socket. The male part fixed on the boat, the female on the end of the cable.

A plug is a plug and a socket a socket. Basic biology The plug goes into the socket. One being Male and the other Female, unless, to confuse things, you're Gay

 

[rogerthebodger]

The sign in our design office showing mail (plug) and socket (female)

 

[vyv_cox]

A plug is a plug and a socket a socket. Basic biology The plug goes into the socket. One being Male and the other Female, unless, to confuse things, you're Gay

I appreciate that as I said but it is not always so obvious. For instance, a Dri-plug has a female plastic cover with male pins inside. Our French mains plugs have male live pins and a female socket, the sockets being the opposite.

Hardly seems to be a major point of discussion.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

The sign in our design office showing mail (plug) and socket (female)

Reminds me of the signal traffic between the flagship entering Malta and the shore.
" Please send Admirals woman"
Further to my last. " Between Admiral and woman, insert washer"

 

[Refueler]

Some campervan systems work on using the vehicle chassis as a common return, which isn't always easy to convert to a fibreglass hull.

Huh Hum ..... Guy is talking about 240v I believe ... and you reckon common return through the caravan metalwork >>>

As an ex Caravan owner - I have never heard of it ... I have observed earthed chassis etc ...

 

[oldharry]

Some campervan systems work on using the vehicle chassis as a common return, which isn't always easy to convert to a fibreglass hull.

Not on the mains installations I hope! Engine and vehicle electrics use frame return, but every camper I ever used the domestic electrics were fully wired feed and return, because internal fixtures are normally wood or plastic. The only connection to the chassis is the mains earth, for fairly obvious safety reasons.

 

[wooster]

Well, the thread has gone here and there a bit, but it raised a lot of stuff that sent me to google a few times, and I have picked up a lot of information on the way. Very useful. Thank you all for your responses.

 

[Refueler]

My motor boat bought last year and added to my 'fleet' has no mains on board and I am soon to install ....

Power in connection - standard Blue camping male item :

Then there will be a small domestic breaker to provide the safety cut off.
Dual exterior rated socket in cockpit to allow battery charging and other as required.
Couple of sockets in cabin.

Nothing fancy ... simple but safe.

My 38ft sailboat - previous owner installed simple single socket at rear of main cabin at bottom of companionway steps ... totally inadequate. This will be replaced with same power connector and then breaker before out to at least 2 sockets in main cabin and one in forecabin. Maybe more.

 

[PaulRainbow]

My motor boat bought last year and added to my 'fleet' has no mains on board and I am soon to install ....

Power in connection - standard Blue camping male item :

Then there will be a small domestic breaker to provide the safety cut off.

RCD ?

Dual exterior rated socket in cockpit to allow battery charging and other as required.
Couple of sockets in cabin.

Nothing fancy ... simple but safe.

My 38ft sailboat - previous owner installed simple single socket at rear of main cabin at bottom of companionway steps ... totally inadequate. This will be replaced with same power connector and then breaker before out to at least 2 sockets in main cabin and one in forecabin. Maybe more.

 

[Refueler]

RCD ?

Of course there will proper safety breaker ... I was just keeping it simple - plus so blo**y tired after 15hrs sailing through storm ...