Lenny's Modding the new Gin Palace

Lenny fridge mods, a favour where did you tap into the fridge circuit for the controller and fans.
 
Stewart J said:
Lenny fridge mods, a favour where did you tap into the fridge circuit for the controller and fans.
Click to expand...
There is a two way choc block behind the oven, that feeds the oven lighter and igniter.

P1100570.JPG.jpg
 
Hi Lenny you must get fed up with all us amateur electricians, the little box on the left handside of the photo where do I get that from and does that supply power to the controller or do I need another power source
 
Poutie57 said:
Hi Lenny you must get fed up with all us amateur electricians, the little box on the left handside of the photo where do I get that from and does that supply power to the controller or do I need another power source
Click to expand...
That box is just a RJ45 connector block I used CAT5 cables to get the power to fan and controller, using the block means I can just unplug it when taking off the grill.
 
Thanks your a diamond, I'm going to attempt this on Saturday hopefully all goes well and I won't be pestering you any more,

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
On this van Hymer fitted the Fantastic vent in the bedroom area (pricelist on the option said over the kitchen-Grr!!!). Great for cooling the bedroom but on a 7.5m van has no effect on the lounge, last van it was over the kitchen and worked a treat.
So for now I have fitted a Fiamma Turbo Vent in the main skylight which is over the kitchen, not a that impressed with it but it is cheap and we will see how it goes, doesn't work very well on extraction. Worst can may have to look at fitting another Fantastic vent, thats if they are any good after being taken over by Dometic, could turn into another pile of dometic crud.:)

I had to take all the rooflight surround out (sorry forgot to take photos) to find the the trunking that the cables for the lights ran through the roof in. Fitted a DPDT centre off switch in the little cupboard above the TV, switch wired to reverse the polarity so I can switch the fan between blowing & extracting.
For cooling the lounge idealy the fan need to be at the front of the rooflight but by mounting it at the back I can still pull the blind half way across to block out sunlight when it's hot.

P1110282.JPG
P1110285.JPG
 
All looks great.
Picking up lots of useful knowledge Lenny, thank you
 
Robert Clark said:
Is that power supply switched on your van Lenny?
On our Carthago it was permanently live
Click to expand...
It is permantly live fed from a 2amp fuse that is in a seperate fuse bank to the Elektroblock.
Found out the other day day when trying to help a Funster with a fridge problem on his Hymer (8505 fridge of course :D) the supply is fed via the fridge igniter block, all the electrics were out on his fridge and the 12v out of the block to the oven was not present but the fuse was was fine with 12v at that end. Strange as when I've been working on mine live (like you do) I've taken the fuse out a couple of times with shorts and the only thing that has stopped working is the oven light & igniter.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Well I finally read this through a couple of times now absolutely brilliant thread it is a refreshing change to read an original useful informative topic that will help many people on here thanks for taking the time @Lenny HB to post with all the photos.
Much better than all the regular quotes from the daily mail or what ever other media blurb is in fashion.
 
SteveandDenise said:
Well I finally read this through a couple of times now absolutely brilliant thread it is a refreshing change to read an original useful informative topic that will help many people on here thanks for taking the time @Lenny HB to post with all the photos.
Much better than all the regular quotes from the daily mail or what ever other media blurb is in fashion.
Click to expand...
I agree Steve. (y)
I do wish though, that I had at least half the knowledge and skills that @Lenny HB, and @Robert Clark exhibit on these technical threads. :(

Cheers,

Jock. :)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
This a good thread Lenny and TBH it's the first time that I've really got my teeth into it.

Until now I thought it had something to do with your alcohol problem so I was pleasantly surprised.:xgrin:

All the best,

Andrew
 
Final got warm enough this week to fit another solar panel thats been sitting in the dinning room for 3 months. Now have 300 watts of solar. Also changed the solar regulator for a Votronic MPP350 and wired in the AES connection to the fridge.

P1120291.JPG

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Hi Lenny,
Have you managed to get the fridge to work with the AES trigger from the Votronic? I have the same controller and spent an hour getting the trigger wire to the top of the fridge to make the connection. However, it does not work, spoke with Dometic and they said I would have to fit a manual switch, but that defeats the whole concept, as how would you know when to switch? I guess when the AES goes 12v it is wired so the alternator provides the power.
 
Pleased to say only took a few minutes to get my cable through, one advantage of a double floor. Don't know if it works not enough sun in the UK, should find out next week when we get down to Spain, My Hymer does have a 12v feed from the hab batteries if you switch the fridge to 12v it runs from the hab batteries, pehaps in your case you don't have a 12v feed from the hab batteries just from the D+ relay. Michael @sallylillian I believe has got it working.
 
Chablais said:
Hi Lenny,
Have you managed to get the fridge to work with the AES trigger from the Votronic? I have the same controller and spent an hour getting the trigger wire to the top of the fridge to make the connection. However, it does not work, spoke with Dometic and they said I would have to fit a manual switch, but that defeats the whole concept, as how would you know when to switch? I guess when the AES goes 12v it is wired so the alternator provides the power.
Click to expand...
I had it working on mine an 8 series, but it (The votronic) monitors demand from batteries and what it is producing and if the batteries are OK and not demanding the full available amps from Solar it will via the AES sensing wire tell the fridge to go DC. It looks at this every 30 minutes to review to avoid oscillation. Interestingly with mine solar also takes priority over EHU so will force the fridge to 12vdc even on EHU in this scenario. This I found in hot weather a bit of a pain as the DC element is only 170 watts on mine and the AC is 250 so more powerful. I disconnected it, but intended to put a switch in to manage the issue in hot weather.
 
From the manual
Automatic operation
n Change over to "Automatic" with button (5)
Automatical energy selection (if available)
Sequence of priority: 1.) Solar (12V DC)
2.) 230V AC
3.) 12V DC
4.) Liquid gas

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Chablais said:
Hi Lenny,
Have you managed to get the fridge to work with the AES trigger from the Votronic? I have the same controller and spent an hour getting the trigger wire to the top of the fridge to make the connection. However, it does not work, spoke with Dometic and they said I would have to fit a manual switch, but that defeats the whole concept, as how would you know when to switch? I guess when the AES goes 12v it is wired so the alternator provides the power.
Click to expand...
You have to go to S+ position on the fridge D+ won't work unless you put a diode in the line to stop it back feeding through the alternator, or that's what I had to do on ours(y) more modern vans could be wired differently.

Martin
 
sallylillian said:
I had it working on mine an 8 series, but it (The votronic) monitors demand from batteries and what it is producing and if the batteries are OK and not demanding the full available amps from Solar it will via the AES sensing wire tell the fridge to go DC. It looks at this every 30 minutes to review to avoid oscillation. Interestingly with mine solar also takes priority over EHU so will force the fridge to 12vdc even on EHU in this scenario. This I found in hot weather a bit of a pain as the DC element is only 170 watts on mine and the AC is 250 so more powerful. I disconnected it, but intended to put a switch in to manage the issue in hot weather.
Click to expand...
Instead of putting a switch could you just select "mains" manually, although doing that would prevent it changing to gas if there was a power outage.
 
@sallylillian Hi Michael it's worse than expected. Went out to the van this morning, it's been on hook up over the weekend, fridge was running on 12v. Virtually no solar as raining and overcast, can only assume as the mains charger is on the Votronic sees the batteries as fully charged so sends a signal to the fridge.
A quick rumage round to find a switch and some connectors before setting off for the ferry.
Mine is an 8505.
 
@Lenny HB our Votronic certainly doesn’t do that so it might be worth disconnecting the AES at the solar reg just to be sure that is where the signal is coming from.

Martin
 
Lenny HB said:
Solar Regulator and Solar Split Charge relay installed, cables for the regulator left loose on purpose so I can fiddle the unit out if needed as it is almost impossible to get at once the batteries are re-installed.

View attachment 156073

View attachment 156072
Click to expand...
Did you find where they had hiddent the built in solar cables in the trunking at the top of the cupboard there, it goes right down through to the back of the controller or wherever you want them all neatly bundled up ready for connection with the correct connector on???????
Mind you mine is a different model but they seem to make allowances for the optional bits when at the basis of the building of the bodywork. Just in case.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top