Whale
Point Installation
Nice
project this one if you’ve had enough of lugging water bottles
in and out of your Eriba. In this example Richard installed a
Whalemaster water socket into a 1997/1998 Triton 430 GT. This
model has a washroom, and so he had two bottles to keep full of
water.
Tools
required
-
Screwdriver (Phillips type)
-
Hacksaw blade (fine tooth)
-
Electric drill
-
5mm drill bit
-
18mm drill bit
-
12mm drill bit
-
Measuring Tape
-
Pliers for stripping and
cutting wire
-
Multimeter
-
Strong Magnet
-
Masking tape and pen
-
Coarse file
Parts
required
-
1 Whalemaster socket
-
1 Whale Pump (model 881)
-
3 metres of 32/02 cable in
blue
-
10 metres or so of 8mm ID
(internal diameter) tubing
-
Y-connector for tubing
-
Cable ties
-
2 x 3/16 spade connectors
-
In line cable connector (butt
type)
-
Terminal block (often called
‘chocolate block’)
-
Butyl mastic sealant
Step 1
This
is the most critical part of the install, as getting it wrong
will mean you have hole in the side of your Eriba that is in the
wrong place! So remember, check, double check and check again
that you have the right location.
As
I have mentioned I have a washroom in my Triton and so because
I have taps both sides of the caravan it makes no difference which
side I mounted it. Obviously I chose the side opposite to the
door as this keeps the bottle out of my awning.
I
used the window as my datum edges, as they are the only edges
that I can see from inside and out. I firstly worked out how far
horizontally from the window I wanted it to be on the inside.
I have a small cupboard under my washroom sink, in this cupboard
is a removable base that reveals a very small space that the back
of the socket could be. I carefully calculated where I needed
it to be then worked out how far across from one of the window
edges that would be, then transferred these dimensions to the
outside where I marked it up.
NOTE - For marking up, it’s a good idea
to cover the rough location of where the socket will be with masking
tape, you can then use a biro to mark your measurements, and the
tape can then easily be removed once the hole is cut.
For
the height, I checked and double checked that I could have this
socket at the same height as the other two. I must have got lucky
because it seemed fine.
OK,
so you’ve marked it up and you’re ready to drill……..hang
on a second, BEFORE you do, make one final check.
**WARNING - MAKE SURE YOU AREN’T
GOING TO HAVE TO CUT THROUGH THE STEEL FRAME**
Take
the
magnet and check where you will be cutting out the main hole,
if the magnet sticks to the side of the caravan right in the middle
of your proposed hole, change your plans and relocate the hole.
I
got really lucky, I had a section of steel frame running down
right at the edge of the hole which meant I was able to secure
the socket into the frame. Of course it would have been fine had
there not have been any steel, but having it gives much more support
to the constant plugging and unplugging that this socket will
have to endure.
Ready
to cut the hole out? OK, my template that came with the socket
tells you which size hole to drill where, but I have one piece
of advice, drill an extra hole……..why? Get your 5mm
drill and drill right in the middle of where the large cutout
is going to be. Once you are through, check inside the caravan
and see how good you measuring is. The good thing about doing
it this way is that if you are 10-20mm out, you can still move
across and the hole you just drilled will still be removed by
the large cutout, so no-one will ever know!
Once
all four corners are drilled at 18mm, use the hacksaw blade to
complete the large cutout.
NOTE – I removed
the blade from its handle and used more masking tape on the end
so that I could hold it safely.
Now
clean the large hole up with a coarse file until the socket fits
nice and snuggly.
Step
2
Drilling
the mounting holes is a cinch now that the socket fits into its
hole. Just push the socket into it’s hole (you can remove
the flap on the socket, and drill about 10mm deep using the 5mm
drill in each corner (see note below). Once you have done this,
remove the socket from the side and complete the holes to suit
the screw length.
NOTE – If you did get lucky and also have
a section of steel frame that you can screw into, instead of the
5mm drill, use a suitable self tapping drill and screws of your
own. Self tappers will hold very securely into the steel frame
Once
all four corners are drilled, insert the supplied flat nuts that
came with your socket behind each hole. The insulation will keep
these in place and they are there to give the screw something
to screw into.
Using
the screws provided (or self-tappers where necessary) fit the
socket, use a sealant as described by the socket instructions
to prevent water ingress.
That’s
it! Worst bit over, you now have a Whalemaster water socket -
that does nothing!
Step 3
Let
me deal next with the wiring. At this stage, I am not going to
explain exactly which wires I moved to where, but just give a
diagram to explain what needs doing.
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