Hi we have a 1997 land rover defender 300 tdi, we will be towing are new elldis odyssey 544 with it , we alreay have tow bar and 12n electrics in place. I need to know if the 12s just supplies fridge, revesring light, and earths, will the chargeing system on the van have the relay ect for charging battery so all i need in car is a positive supply. any help would be greatfull
Hello Zara. No, your car does not have the relays fitted already (unless someone has fitted a 12S previously). Complete kits are available from caravan shops etc.
The relays ensure that the fridge is disconnected when engine off (to prevent discharge of car battery), same applies to the van battery (you dont want the van battery discharging thro' the car or vice-versa) As your van is a late model, it is essential that you fit the complete 12S kit, as modern vans require this for the correct functioning of the 12v electrical system (Habitation relay, etc)
The short answer to your question is--if you want your fridge to work & battery to charge while towing you need a 12s socket fitted to your car. The caravan lights will work & you will be legal to tow with just the 12n plug in. The battery will charge with your caravan plugged into the mains electric hookup.
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I have a 1999 defender and I have not bothered yet to wire up the 12s socket. If you get the fridge cold enough before you leave it is normally still ok when we arrive, we put a number of cool packs on top of the food.
That said the defender has a permanent live available in the wiring harness just next to the pre wired 12 n connector, on a defender the wire colour is purple for permanent live.
From this you will need an auto voltage sensing relay to power the 12s socket. The trailer pick up wires are located behind a plastic cover, at the back of the drivers side rear wheel arch.
One of the reasons I have not wired up the 12s yet is because this area gets very wet and muddy when I go off road. The location of the auto sensing relay would need to be kept clean and dry.
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Topic: wiring 12s to car
