13pin van into 12n socket.

[Paul240480]

Spurred on by jiwilsons thread on 12s sockets...... My recently purchased van has 13pin. My main tow car has only 12n socket. got an adapter, but this only makes the caravan position lamps, brakes, fogs and indicators work. So is road legal.
The fridge is equipped to run direct, and also the vans interior 12v lighting and loo flush should run. The seller's car had 13pin and all worked. It is slightly different here mind. No leisure battery, they tend to use the car battery for overnighters and fridge on gas...
Guess I have two options
1) Add a 12s and use a 12n/12s to 13 adapter
2) have car converted to 13 pin.

Any other suggestions welcome.

[Michael J]

Use as is.

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by Michael J

Use as is.

'tis an option, no lights though if wild camping. No loo flush either cos it has leccy flush...
A couple of camping lamps would sort the lighting for those few nights... could flush with a bucket... yeh so now I have option three

[Michael J]

Now you're getting the idea, old school touring.

Another option, throw a spare car battery (of correct type for car) in the van (or back of car), with a battery charger too, and every now and then find a site with electric available. Make sure spare is well-charged before you go anywhere. Always good to have a replacement battery for emergencies. A little adapter wiring for spare to 13-pin could see you able to run everything perfectly well for short spells.

[moncman]

Originally Posted by Michael J

Now you're getting the idea, old school touring.

Another option, throw a spare car battery (of correct type for car) in the van (or back of car), with a battery charger too, and every now and then find a site with electric available. Make sure spare is well-charged before you go anywhere. Always good to have a replacement battery for emergencies. A little adapter wiring for spare to 13-pin could see you able to run everything perfectly well for short spells.

Or....

When I was a lad my Dad pulled a Knowsley caravan with a Rover P6. Caravan had been adapted with a leisure battery (electric water pump, lights and 12v portable TV for when it rained) and car had an additional battery box in the boot with split charging relay. Put the caravan battery in the boot when driving and on arrival you have a fully charged battery. Should last for 2-3 days if careful. In between times you can always put the battery back in the boot if you go out in the car for a top up.

[60041]

When we got our first 'van I did not have a 12s socket so I made up a lead about 20' long that had a couple of crocodile clips at one end and a 12s socket at the other and simply plugged it in when we got onto site and connected it to the car battery. It was meant to be a strictly stop-gap solution, but I ended up using it for about 3 years until I changed the car.
If you did it with a 13 pin socket, you would need to connect pins 3 and 7 to earth and 4 to positive.

[cumbrianmale]

If you want to get 13 pin leccy kit from Rufe then will fit in Oct when over.

[kenny37]

why would you expect the charger side to work when you didnt have it b4? best bet is to add the grey 12 pin socket with a power source for the charging system then get the double 12 pin to 13 pin adapter or as said above speak to rufe and get the proper 13 pin system for your car . i did and made easy work of the installation thanks to a bit of advice from the boys(and lady`s) on here.

[Paul240480]

Originally Posted by kenny37

why would you expect the charger side to work when you didnt have it b4? best bet is to add the grey 12 pin socket with a power source for the charging system then get the double 12 pin to 13 pin adapter or as said above speak to rufe and get the proper 13 pin system for your car . i did and made easy work of the installation thanks to a bit of advice from the boys(and lady`s) on here.

It doesn't have a charger or a leisure battery. The French don't 'do' the 7pin 12s socket either. The vans electrics are 12v apart from the sockets when plugged into the mains of course. The lights remain on 12v via transformer that brings the voltage down to 12v.

Over here they power the 12v system from the car battery for overnighters 'wild camping'. Using the fridge on gas. They use only the 12n socket. A lot of the vans here are not equipped with high intensity lamps, so pin 2 is available for a continueous live feed.

The auto-elec has fitted an extra live wire direct from my battery (fused) to my car and he wired it into pin 2. He didn't expect the van to have high intensities lol! You guess the result.

Anyway, he has now ordered me a 13 pin and will fit that next week, putting the continuos live into pin 9 which should marry up with the van and I should be able to have 12v lighting, loo flush and running water for wild camping and will be able to run the fridge on the move.

[Paul240480]

...............and finally today I have fully functioning 13 pin on the car and can run me fridge ( when on the move) lights and loo flush from the car battery
Thanks for all the replies.