COMMON ELECTRICAL DIY MISTAKES
Save yourself time and money with these DIY tips and tricks
WORDS BY DAVID SLORACH, PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME
DIY is a great way to save money on van repairs, maintenance and modifications. However, you must do your research before attempting any project, particularly
if it has to do with your electrical or plumbing systems. It’s also important to know the difference between a DIY job and a job for professionals. At Northern RV, we see a lot of vans come into the workshop with major problems caused by incorrect or improperly performed DIY. Let’s look at some of the most common mistakes
USING THE WRONG GAUGE
One common mistake we see is people using the wrong gauge wiring when making longer runs. If you are running from the battery to a water pump at the rear of the van you should use a 6-8mm gauge and preferably 8mm gauge. The longer the wire has to run the more voltage drop you can expect. Wires should also be crimped correctly, as loose connections can lead to a world of problems. You can check wiring sizes on International Standards Organisation (ISO), AWG or B&S System. Always check that you have the correct polarity when running wires as it’s easy to make a costly mistake.
TAPPING INTO UNDER-SIZED WIRING
Another wiring mistake is to tap into an under-size wire then try and run things like lights or 12V steps from this wire. Tapping into under-sized wiring will overload the wire and cause any product you try to run from the under-sized wire to fail, burning out the product you installed or burning out your wiring and even in extreme cases it may even catch fire. When installing another product into the 12V system you must consider the current ratings in relation to your wire rating and what current draw it’s already supplying.
GROUNDING
Grounding is another common mistake that we also see that can cause problems. The best place to ground any wire, is the chassis. You can ground a wire to the alloy checker plate on the side of the van if you cannot get to the chassis.
FUSE SIZE
Another problem we see at Northern RV are fuses too large for their purpose. Using the correct size fuse will save your precious equipment in your caravan and also save you lots of dollars in the long run. A fuse’s purpose is to fail at a certain amount of amperage to protect your wiring, and subsequently the accessory at the end of that wiring. A fuse that’s too big for the wiring or accessory will allow too much current through, potentially causing wiring to melt or accessories to fail.
DIY ADVICE
If you want to attempt the DIY approach with the 12V side of your Caravan, be sure you know what’s required before you start the job, a good source of information are Caravan and Motorhome Books by Collyn Rivers, they have an excellent handle on the 12V system. If you do your research and are reasonably handy then you should do OK. With regards to the 240V wiring side of your caravan, this work has to be carried out by a licensed electrician and under no
circumstances should be attempted by the DIY caravanners. The regulations covering the 240V side of your caravan are Australian Standards AS/NZS 3000:2007 and AS/ NZS 3001:2008 and are fairly involved to protect your safety and the safety of others.
MEET THE EXPERT
David Slorach has been in the RV industry for over 20 years. Originally a plumber by trade and not afraid to pick up the tools, David has built his business based around solid expertise and in depth experience from working with manufacturers and supplying to both manufacturers and retail clients. There is no one else we’d trust more for advise on free camping.