Thread: Anderson plug install on rear bumperusing loop from current 12 pin plug

The discovery will have a white trailer socket (12s) on the left of the tow hitch, if you get the corresponding plug you can make up a short adapter to an anderson plug for the van.
This may help you -

Anderson plug to white trailer socket.

Hi John, it’s not a long rumbling intro. The more info supplied about your setup, the easier it is to sort it out.


A question for you, how did you charge the battery in the Pop Top before adding the DC/DC device?

To loanrangie and drivesafe,

Thanks for your replies and also suggestion re white plug. When the van had the ESC installed the installers also looped the flat 12 pin female plug to the reinstalled plug on the right of tow hitch, is the white in any way connected to the one on the right that’s looped to the flat 12 pin?

Re the charging: I’ve always charged the battery regularly whilst at home and fully before a trip, the one time I didn’t fully charge but just to good stage on the battery analyser by the time we got to an hour past the NSW border and stopped for the night (free camping) we had no internal 12V lights.

Fully charged battery before heading for home but had some issue with charging, PSU mustn’t be working probably.
Neighbours advice, not mine. As stated previous I know jacks..t about electrics.

I might bite the bullet and take to an auto electrician to install the Anderson plug. Bugger the family wrath. Bit sceptical about another loop from an existing loop for the loop for the A’son plug.

Once again, thanks for the replies. JohnZ42

P.S. the reason I’m trying to tread softly softly is: that the daughter and s-i-l purchased a 200W folding solar blanket and also dc to dc charger as gift, but we (wife an me) insisted on paying for the install that the s-i-l organised for the dc to dc charger.- JohnZ42.

Hi again John, and I assume this is a D3 or D4.

If so, you would be far better off doing the cable run to the rear yourself as it is more like a plumbing job than an electrical.

But if need to get an auto electrician to do the work, make sure they run the new cabling through the disco and not down through the chassis.

If they run the cabling down the chassis, which is very easy to do, but it could workout to be a VERY expensive mistake and repair job for you.

Thanks drivesafe,

It’s a 2006 D3 V6 petrol, but she’s a bit like me: full of crickey joints and groans but still going reasonably well ( like the wife- if I speak to her nicely) with 264k’s on the clock.

I take on board your advise and double check with auto electrician to see if he is going to run through the car or underneath!

mightget the s-I-l to do abit of work ( he’s volunteered to look after the my old-23 y.o. Haines Hunter boat while we’re gone) so he can contribute now!

From what I have read in the last couple of days is that I need to connect to car battery using some 8awg/b&s twin core cable- with a 40/50amp fuse on positive and earth to body of car in suitable position! Going to have to get familiar with all this stuff if we going to travel bit.

If I fail then auto elect. Pity your in Queensland would get you to do it.

Regards and thanks for the input and good advise. John

Hi again John, you should run 6B&S ( 13.5mm2) not 8B&S ( 7.9mm2 ) and it is better to run twin from the engine bay all the way to the Anderson plug at the rear.

This will dramatically reduce the voltage drop at the caravan, and if you have lead acid house batteries in the Poptop, and you will not need the DC/DC charger. Your alternator will charge the battery or batteries far quicker.

Also, if you have the slightest handyman skills, you can do the job yourself.

These vehicles are exceptionally easy to work on and this is more like a plumbing job, not an electrical one.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi again John, you should run 6B&S ( 13.5mm2) not 8B&S ( 7.9mm2 ) and it is better to run twin from the engine bay all the way to the Anderson plug at the rear.

This will dramatically reduce the voltage drop at the caravan, and if you have lead acid house batteries in the Poptop, and you will not need the DC/DC charger. Your alternator will charge the battery or batteries far quicker.

Also, if you have the slightest handyman skills, you can do the job yourself.

These vehicles are exceptionally easy to work on and this is more like a plumbing job, not an electrical one.

Tim would you advise going direct from the main battery even with one of your controllers fitted ?

Hi Loanrangie and yes.

By going direct from the cranking battery, ( for the ( + ) positive cabling ), you reduce the chances of unwanted voltage drop.

While using the chassis for the earth return can work, the problem with newer vehicles is that you can not test for any resistance points prior to wiring up a system.

High resistance point will not show up until a high current load is applied and this will slow and even stop an auxiliary or house battery from charging properly.

So it is far safer and makes fault finding a lot easier, if you connect the positive ( + ) cabling directly to the cranking battery’s positive ( + ) terminal.

But the negative ( - ) cabling must NOT be connected to the cranking battery’s negative ( - ) terminal, as this will interfere with the vehicle’s BMS and can cause problems like the vehicle going into Limp Home mode when there is not an actual problem.

There are two earth studs, in the inner guard, just in front of the cranking battery compartment and these are perfect for earthing heavy current carrying cables, including winch cables.

EDIT, You will need either a 50 amp auto resetting circuit breaker or 60 amp fuse, fitted to the positive ( + ) cable, as close as practical to the cranking battery’s positive ( + ) terminal.