Electrics in horsebox

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Carrots&Mints

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Anyone done DIY electrics in their horsebox? Just wanting a simple circuit for some LED spotlights in the living & horse area - nothing fancy :)

Im an engineer who makes aeroplane engines for a living but useless when it comes to electric!!
 
I have been looking at this too, apparently its very easy to run a wire from the battery to the horsebox section but I don't know how

I plan to run my lighting from a separate car battery in the box itself so as not to overly drain the battery in the engine (clapped out box!) you can buy lighting kits for gardens and caravans but I will be buying bits separately for mine
 
this is what we did, pretty basic but it worked well for years. We put a 12v battery permanently fixed under a seat. (or anywhere else out of the way) we charged it by having a charger plugged in near where the lorry was parked and then just charged it off the mains when it needed it.
We ran wire around the inside of the container to a couple of lights above the horse standings and in the living area and also to a water pump for a tap. Then put a switch just inside the side door so you climbed in the side door, clicked the switch and light all around.

It worked well even if it was basic. We spent nights away in the luton and there was enough light to cook by, read and get into bed.
 
Not a problem Welsh D im also looking into putting a water pump in my box as well lol :)

The wagon did come with spare battery but its dead and I dont have the foggiest on how to charge them lol (see im proper uselless when it comes to electrics!!)

Going to sign up to the self build caravan site at the end of the month and see what they have to say :) - wanted to do the electrics at the same time as redoing all the walls so all wires remain hidden.
 
Carrots&Mints said:
The wagon did come with spare battery but its dead and I dont have the foggiest on how to charge them lol (see im proper uselless when it comes to electrics!!)

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Easiest thing in the world. you buy a charger for about £20 plug it in (ideally remove battery to your house but with an extension lead you could charge the battery in situ) attach the black lead to the - point on the battery (should be etched in to the plastic) and the red lead to the + point. Takes anything from an hour up to a day to fully charge a battery.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6AMP-12V-...092?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20eaac45dc

If the battery is very very elderly it may not hold charge. I have a leisure battery which should go months without losing charge (these are designed for caravan electrical systems and are more tolerant of sporadic use)
 
Is your lorry 24 Volts or 12 Volts.
In principle you could take the positive supply straight off the chassis/cab's fuse box, then to a switch and then to the lights provided the bulbs are the same voltage as the supply at the fuse box.
If the supply is 24 volts then you will need 24 volt bulbs.
If the supply is 12 volt then you will need 12 volt bulbs.
Alternatively if you have an inverter/transformer transforming up to 120 volts or 240 volts then you will need bulbs of those voltages.
 
Shady said:
my OH says... most important is a good earthing point and a fusible link, he is happy to sketch you a diagram and pm it to you, he was an electrical engineer for years, happy to help if you need it. let me know!
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Oh shady yes please that will help alot!! :D (big grin on my face lol)

Thanks Welsh D never had to charge a battery up in my life haha! I think it is a lesiure battery but will double check next time i go up :)
 
WelshD said:
paddy555 said:
We ran wire around the inside of the container to a couple of lights above the horse standings and in the living area and also to a water pump for a tap. QUOTE]

The 12v battery ran the water pump ok? (sorry C&M for hijacking!)
Click to expand...

yes but it was water to the tap in the sink so only for filling the kettle, washing up etc. (not for filling horse buckets)
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Tbh I got a motor home service guy to come out and completely rewire my living and horse area electrics a couple of years ago. £80 well spent for the peace if mind that it has all been proffessionaly checked over, updated and rewired where nessecary
 
If you get stuck give me a pm and I will see if I can answer any questions for you.
You can go straight off the battery or you can fit a leisure battery, both are fairly simple to do with a couple of pointers.
 
Hi,

Thought I'd carry this thread on rather than start a new one. We have a 7.5t non HGV lorrybox with living and I need to connect up the electrics in the living area properly. Currently it has a basic external hook-up but nothing else. The interior lights run off the main battery (2 x 12v) and the kids have already killed em a couple of time leaving the lights on.

Now the hard part. I am completely new to this and haven't really got a clear idea of what I need to do.

I now have a Leisure battery and want to run the interior lights off this. I am also planning to get a small generator for the overnighters and this will run a charger to recharge the leisure battery. BUT - how do I wire in the fridge/cooker/TV/Lights so that they run off whatever is connected (Leisure Battery or Generator). I also understand the fridge won't run off the battery cos it'll run it flat on minutes.

Finally - does anyone have a decent wiring diagram I can at least get the basic idea off?

Any help would be very much appreciated!
 
I cant answer your questions but I do have a caravan and the fridge can run off mains hook up, generator, gas or battery. There is a switch with settings to flick to select what you want it to run off and a leisure battery will keep things going for a long weekend ok
 
Im interested in this thread as ive got my wagon running off the main batteries for lights. There is a big switch behind rhe cab that we turn upwards to make these work. However, we have mains hook up too. We went away this weekend and had it on ekecteic hook up for two days but the batteries died and we had to be jump started. I left the big swith down when i hooked up, but the ekecteic didnt come on till i turned it up. I think it has used both. Is there sone way of not using the battery when the mains is on xx
 
The best way for doing this is to keep lorry electrics away from interior electrics... your lorry will be 24v and most accessories will be 12v....

Buy a pair of leisure batteries and use an on board charger that will either charge up as you are driving along and/or use mains when plugged in...

By keeping them separate you will never discharge the lorry battery...important when trying to leave an event away from home....

You can also add mains power which will allow you to plug in if you are going to big events....

In our horsebox I have all three means of power, plug in mains, on board generator and leisure batteries...

If we are at a quick event the lighting and water pumps just use the 12v leisure batteries..perfect for a few hours...

If we are at an event overnight we use plug in...this will power things like the microwave, water heaters, radiators etc...

If no plug in is available then the on board generator can be used to power those items...

You can buy electrical switching units which allow you switch between the power you need....

When plugged into mains power this automatically charges the leisure batteries ready for their next use...

It really is a series of simple lighting circuits and providing you sit down and plan it is that easy....they just multiply...

It is worth investing in an RCB if going mains, and a simple fuse box for the 12v stuff.... make sure you label them for future use!
 
Hi farmer chalk. Ive foynd the ekectrics work on mains hook up, but not my lights. These only work from the starter battery. This obviously drains. I need to install a leisure battery but have no idea where to start, or which wires need to come off the starter battery for the lights to connect to a leisure battery x
 
My lorry is the same... the lights are probably 12v... are they LED ones?

The plug in mains run things that draw heavy current like the microwave, heaters etc...

I have placed two large leisure batteries under the seating area and run the wires to power the lights and water pumps. These are 12 v....you’ll find the fridges can run either main power or 12 volts as well... the leisure batteries should last all weekend....

We charge our leisure batteries up using special on board battery chargers. These work when we use mains plug in...hence when the lorry is parked up or on site.. you can also get them to charge when on the move using the lorry charging circuit..I would suggest an auto electrician to do this for you if you are not familiar with the lorry circuits...

Ideally I would separate your lighting circuit from your main lorry batteries otherwise the flat battery issue could continue!

Where abouts in the Country are you?
 
Thankyou for your reply. Yes they are leds. Also im in blackburn lancashire. Another question. Can i have my fridge on battery whilst im driving x
 
Yes you can...the fridge can run nicely off a 12v leisure battery.... don’t forget to switch it off though when you finish with the lorry and park up though..

It may be worth speaking to any of the horsebox manufacturers in your area or possibly a mobile caravan service person to update your wiring...they will be well used to persons in a similar position to yourselves who want to add/alter /delete equipment on a truck...
 
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