Lenny's Modding the new Mini Gin Palace 2

Lenny HB said:
The original plan was to repropose the Lippert/Schaudt B2B to run the fridge but not decided to put in back in so it can now be run in parallel with the Victron B2B except I have put a switch inline with the D+ (just visible on top of the cabinet) so it can be switched on when extra charging is required.

View attachment 1002348
Click to expand...
Ours is connected all the time so if needed I get 60 odd amps.
 
1967bowesj said:
Jesss, never thought I’d see the day Lenny HB buying electrical gear off Ali express!!

Are they ok like Lenny?
Click to expand...
I'll by from Ali but not Temu.
They are aluminium body ones build quality seems OK.

The sockets are supposed to be 3 amp I found the top socket is 3 amp but the bottom one & the PD are only just over 2 amp. With 2 sockets in use power doesn't drop off so that's good.

They are far better than the Dometic ones Carthago fit.
 
Lenny HB said:
It's very easy:-

Remove the panels on the door.

Select where you want the switch & drill the hole for it, I used a stepped cone cutter, for the small round switches it's 20mm dia.

There are only two wires going to the solenoid, cut one of them and extend both ends to the switch position, I used Wago connectors to join the wires.

I used cable ties with s/a bases to keep the cables out of the way of the mechanisms, I added superglue to the bases as the s/a often fails within a couple of years.
Click to expand...
Finally in a position to have a look at this.
As I can only find two mechanical fixings on the door panel (in the internal door handle housing) I assume that the door panel can just be prised off with a trim tool?
Starting a tour on Sunday so don't want to experience any "oops moments" beforehand 🙂
 
Lenny HB said:
I don't like the Lithium profile on the Schaudt it doesn't shut down when the battery is charged. So I will only use it when really needed.
Click to expand...
But doesn't it lower the amps when the battery is full? Volts are high though (around 14V). Does the Victron shut down completely?
 
HengistPod said:
Finally in a position to have a look at this.
As I can only find two mechanical fixings on the door panel (in the internal door handle housing) I assume that the door panel can just be prised off with a trim tool?
Starting a tour on Sunday so don't want to experience any "oops moments" beforehand 🙂
Click to expand...
A trim tool or paint scraper will prize off the panels, top & bottom panel held together with Velcro.
Very easy compared to a Hymer where you have to take off the hole door panel & a nightmare to get back on.

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Peavy said:
But doesn't it lower the amps when the battery is full? Volts are high though (around 14V). Does the Victron shut down completely?
Click to expand...
On the Victron you can set the float voltage so if you set it to 13.5v it's as good as off.
 
Got rid of another bit of Carthago penny pinching stupidity.

The wardrobes under the beds had a useless battery light that gave out sod all light and the batteries went flat in a few weeks and the magnet of the switches kept falling apart.

First job was get rid of the crap lights.
IMG_20250121_154822[1].webp


Then I fitted a fuse box under the floor and tapped into the Carthago loom picking up the feed to the Hella socket at the front of the van.
Quite a nice box that had a negative buss bar quality looks good, will be wiring my electric waste to it as well. It came with a bag of 25 blade fuses usual Chinese crap so they went straight in the bin.
IMG_20250125_174352[1].webp


And the final result, LED strips switched with magnetic door switches.
IMG_20250125_174310[1].webp
 
Lenny HB said:
Got rid of another bit of Carthago penny pinching stupidity.

The wardrobes under the beds had a useless battery light that gave out sod all light and the batteries went flat in a few weeks and the magnet of the switches kept falling apart.

First job was get rid of the crap lights.
View attachment 1004725

Then I fitted a fuse box under the floor and tapped into the Carthago loom picking up the feed to the Hella socket at the front of the van.
Quite a nice box that had a negative buss bar quality looks good, will be wiring my electric waste to it as well. It came with a bag of 25 blade fuses usual Chinese crap so they went straight in the bin.
View attachment 1004723

And the final result, LED strips switched with magnetic door switches.
View attachment 1004724
Click to expand...
Can't see how anybody could fit hose crappy lights, we have then too. Will fit someone else at some point.
 
Lenny HB said:
Got rid of another bit of Carthago penny pinching stupidity.

The wardrobes under the beds had a useless battery light that gave out sod all light and the batteries went flat in a few weeks and the magnet of the switches kept falling apart.

First job was get rid of the crap lights.
View attachment 1004725

Then I fitted a fuse box under the floor and tapped into the Carthago loom picking up the feed to the Hella socket at the front of the van.
Quite a nice box that had a negative buss bar quality looks good, will be wiring my electric waste to it as well. It came with a bag of 25 blade fuses usual Chinese crap so they went straight in the bin.
View attachment 1004723

And the final result, LED strips switched with magnetic door switches.
View attachment 1004724
Click to expand...

Looks about as bright as an operating theatre in those cupboards. I like it! :)
 
Lenny HB said:
Got rid of another bit of Carthago penny pinching stupidity.

The wardrobes under the beds had a useless battery light that gave out sod all light and the batteries went flat in a few weeks and the magnet of the switches kept falling apart.

First job was get rid of the crap lights.
View attachment 1004725

Then I fitted a fuse box under the floor and tapped into the Carthago loom picking up the feed to the Hella socket at the front of the van.
Quite a nice box that had a negative buss bar quality looks good, will be wiring my electric waste to it as well. It came with a bag of 25 blade fuses usual Chinese crap so they went straight in the bin.
View attachment 1004723

And the final result, LED strips switched with magnetic door switches.
View attachment 1004724
Click to expand...
Agreed these are a great improvement, but I must be easily pleased, as I am happy with my little crappie lights . 😃 😊
 
G1969 said:
Agreed these are a great improvement, but I must be easily pleased, as I am happy with my little crappie lights . 😃 😊
Click to expand...
No seriously, I had 12v lights in some of the cupboards in my 2009 autotrail, I was surprised to see a battery powered light in the Carthago. Mega impressed with the rest of it though.
 
Lenny HB said:
I thought yours was a posh Carthago?
Click to expand...
Yes - nothing would have been better than putting those things in - They're an object lesson in spending money to create exactly the opposite customer reaction to the one you want.

Posh? no we just bought more air than you did, and perhaps a bigger table!
 
Lenny HB said:
Got rid of another bit of Carthago penny pinching stupidity.

The wardrobes under the beds had a useless battery light that gave out sod all light and the batteries went flat in a few weeks and the magnet of the switches kept falling apart.

First job was get rid of the crap lights.
View attachment 1004725

Then I fitted a fuse box under the floor and tapped into the Carthago loom picking up the feed to the Hella socket at the front of the van.
Quite a nice box that had a negative buss bar quality looks good, will be wiring my electric waste to it as well. It came with a bag of 25 blade fuses usual Chinese crap so they went straight in the bin.
View attachment 1004723

And the final result, LED strips switched with magnetic door switches.
View attachment 1004724
Click to expand...
Looks great Lenny HB which lights did you use?
 
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Lenny HB said:
A trim tool or paint scraper will prize off the panels, top & bottom panel held together with Velcro.
Very easy compared to a Hymer where you have to take off the hole door panel & a nightmare to get back on.
Click to expand...
Job done and works a treat. No more panicked asking "have you got the keys?" when the doors auto-lock.
Thanks for the pointers.

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Another bit of Carthago stupidity fixed.

The Carthago Logo light in the step well comes on with the ambient lighting, well it don't any more.

After a bit of re-wiring, it now comes on with the awning light.

IMG_20250126_162440[1]_copy_737x645.webp
 
Last edited:
Lenny HB said:
Another bit of Carthago stupidity fixed.
The Carthago Logo light in the step well comes on with the ambient lighting, well it don't any more.
Click to expand...
Ours come on with the main lights.

Lenny HB said:
After a bit of re-wiring, it now comes on with the awning light.
Click to expand...
You just like fiddling! 😄 We just look out the door window to see if it's on.
 
Lenny HB said:
Another bit of Carthago stupidity fixed.

The Carthago Logo light in the step well comes on with the ambient lighting, well it don't any more.

After a bit of re-wiring, it now comes on with the awning light.

View attachment 1005188
Click to expand...
Ours is brighter than the awning light
 
Lenny HB said:
Another bit of Carthago stupidity fixed.

The Carthago Logo light in the step well comes on with the ambient lighting, well it don't any more.

After a bit of re-wiring, it now comes on with the awning light.

View attachment 1005188
Click to expand...
Ours is wi9red that way - not on my list to change it though - What is stupid on mine is it is pretty big and on the long face of the step - so you give it a bit of a kicking when stepping into the van. Had to fix it a couple of times on the last van.....

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