Links to some of the guides I’ve written that will hopefully further your enjoyment of your caravan, motor home or travel trailer…..
Understanding Caravan & Tow Car Electrics – a brief introduction to understanding the electrical systems in your caravan and how they connect to your tow car.
Understanding the Leisure Battery Charging Circuit – don’t get charged up until you know whats going on!
Understanding Cable and Cable Sizes – When undertaking an electrical project for your caravan or motorhome one key consideration is what type and size of cable to use.
Understanding Generators – before you buy a generator get to know more about them and some of the things to look out for and what essential things you need to know.
Understanding the Dynamics of Towing – just hitching up and driving off is easy, but do you really know what is going on behind you? Find out a little more with this guide.
Understanding the Dynamics of Towing Pt 2 – more about whats going on with your tow car. Find out a little more with this guide.
Understanding the dynamics of towing – being overtaken – what happens when a vehicle overtakes a tow vehicle and caravan.
Understanding all about tow ball height – Want to know what height your tow ball should be or what height your caravan hitch should be? It’s all here!
Understanding over-run brake systems – just how do they work and what you need to know!
Understanding “Reverse Polarity” – you’ve heard about it, but what is it?
Understanding Inverters – everything you really didn’t want to know… did you?
Understanding Inverters Pt 2 – Buying Guide – help in choosing an inverter and what to look for.
Understanding Watts, Amps, Volts and Ohms – A very basic introduction to some simple maths that allow you to work out power, current and resistance.
The 13 Pin Plug Puzzle – can’t get you 13 pin plug to plug-in… do you have nightmares about it? well here is the answer!
ISO 11446 – 13 Pin Trailer Connections – A brief explanation of the ISO standard for 13 pin towing connections.
Relay, VSR, SCR….what’s the difference? – Don’t know your Voltage Sensing Relay’s from your Split Charge Relay’s or Ordinary relay’s or when to use which one? This is my essential guide.
Fault Finding:
Caravan Fridge Circuit – Tracing A Fault – a step by step guide to checking the 12 volt fridge circuit.
13 Pin socket – Basic Fault Finding – a simple fault-finding guide using a multimeter to check your tow vehicles 13 pin socket.
“Why do my sidelights flash when I indicate?” – the low down on faulty road light earth’s.
Caravan Road Lights – Basic Fault Finding – a simple fault-finding guide using a multimeter to check your caravan or trailer road lights.
Caravan Road Lights – Tracing A Fault – step by step guide to tracing faults in your caravan or trailer road lights.
How To's:
How To: Connect two batteries in parallel – Yep, like most things, there is a right way and a wrong way.
How To: Connect two batteries in parallel – Part 2 – After the original article was published Part 2 answers some of the most often asked questions.
How To: Wiring Daylight Running Lights on a caravan – Someone asked me for a ‘How To’ so here it is!
How To: Modify Your Rear Fog Lights – Do you get dazzled by the reflection of you vehicles fog lights on the front of your caravan? Here’s one way of solving the problem.
How To: Create accurate POI’s for your Sat-Nav – A step by step easy way to create accurate POI’s for your Sat-Nav when postcodes just won’t do!
How To: Calculate The Correct Tyre Pressure for Your Caravan – A simple step by step guide to calculating tyre pressures.
Projects:
Installing an electric towel rail – an easy project that can be done in a couple of hours and will add a touch of luxury to your washroom!
Connecting your caravan’s drainage system on a fully serviced pitch – A post I wrote about how we connect our caravan to the drainage system on fully serviced pitches… all for less than £12.
Insulating the front gas locker – Ever thought the area under the front windows was cooler than the rest of the caravan? The post “All Wrapped Up” takes you through insulating the wall between the gas locker and the caravan.
Technology:
Printing – Printing from your laptop in the caravan
Bear Extender – Long range WiFi
WiFi MiFi – Connectivity on the move
Further guides, projects and “How To’s” will be added soon.
Copyright © 2011 – 2020 Simon P Barlow – All rights reserved
Caravan Chronicles 
Thanks for the help, all my mate gave me was a 12s socket and 2 meters of cable lol
Hi
You will need around 10 metres of 2.5 mm cable, 2 fuse holders + 2x 15 Amp fuses, 5 metres of 1.5mm cable and a 12 volt 30 Amp relay. A plate so you can mount the 12S socket to the tow bar next to the existing 12N socket. Also a selection of crimp terminals to fit it all together. I would guess it’s a couple of hours work by the time you remove the interior trim to run the cables from the battery to the boot and install everything.
S
thank you so much for your help
A friend of mine has asked me to install a 12s socket on his car so he can use the system on his new/secondhand caravan which has this already you have a great site and very good info most impressed. he has a 10 year old Modeo estate with a 12n socket looking at your info the thing i cant work out is the relay in car that i need to connect to where do i find this please
Hi
If the car doesn’t already have a 12S socket installed, then there will not be a relay to connect to. When you instal the 12S socket, the relay will be part of the installation.
I have no information about the Ford Mondeo, maybe these guys might be able to help with the wiring location http://www.fordmondeoownersclub.co.uk/
S