Horsebox wiring

[norv]

Just trying to suss out how to install some electric in the living area of a horse transporter lorry.

I was going to fit a CU for when they have mains hook up & have a couple of lights & sockets. I was also going to connect a battery charger from the CU to a 12V leisure battery so they could charge the battery from the 230V & use this when there was no hook up but they only want to use lights when there is no 230V available. I was then going to connect an inverter to this leisure battery.

How can I connect the 230V side of the inverter into the lighting circuit only, so there is one switch to switch the lights on or off regardless of whether they are on mains hook up or not ?

Cheers

 

[septiclecky]

Why not make the lighting 12v working off a battery, so that when it is plugged into 230v the sockets are powered and also the batteries get charged via a mains battery charger.

 

[norv]

OK makes sense. Not bother with the mains lighting, just 12V.

Cheers

 

[M107]

How can I connect the 230V side of the inverter into the lighting circuit only, so there is one switch to switch the lights on or off regardless of whether they are on mains hook up or not ?

You need an AC change over switch (contactor/relay for want of a better word) last one I used was a filax auto changeover unit.

I'd look at using the newish Reya Dolphin units as these act as a charger for leisure batteries & act as a AC consumer unit.

To run an inverted battery supply look at Victron Inverters, pricey but hassel free.

So you could have a 16amp inlet for mains + a leisure battery inverted through a victron unit feeding into a AC chage over switch, this then feeds the Dolphin charger/cu which inturn feeds the sockets & lighting.

The dolphin charger also links to the vehicle battery to keep battery charged, the vehicle battery is then linked to a vsr (volt sensing relay) that is linked to the leisure battery.

This way you'll get split charging via the mains & vehicle alternator for both leisure & vehicle battery

If I get time later I'll knock up a block diagram for you.

But for now this is one of the better suppliers of the kit your looking for & they have helpful down loads on the site.

http://www.power-store.com/search.asp?search=dolphin