TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Aug 05, 2016 5:11 pm

Since I bought my van in the spring none of the 12v sockets have worked (either side of the bed in the rear or in the dash). I was able to get a copy of the Bentley page for the 12v socket wring listing three outlets making me wonder if its for the Camper rather than a MV Weekender. I've checked all the fuses under the dash and the three under the drivers seat and none are visibly blown.

Anyone have specifics on the fuse location for an '01 Weekender or other tips/tricks?

Sat Aug 06, 2016 12:49 am

The fuses under the driver seat power the two rear sockets, the dash one is separate. Look for 12 VDC at the fuse after removing on one side of course.

Is your aux battery good? The rear sockets get powered off that.

I'm part time in upstate NY in summer so send me your coordinates if you want to bang on it together. I like electrical troubleshooting :shock:

Sat Aug 06, 2016 5:47 am

We discussed this recently when it came to the rear overhead lights (they run off that coach battery too). Since it happened to be an 01 Weekender, you too might have the same exact problem.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=660509

Also, open up the rear hatch, bend down and look to the right. There's your third power port.

Sat Aug 06, 2016 7:49 pm

One of my 12v sockets didn't work and unscrewing and cleaning up fixed it....might be just a little corrosion.

Use a test light or voltmeter to see if you have power at it.

Mon Aug 15, 2016 5:06 pm

Seems it was a bag ground. Disconnected everything under the drivers seat and reconnected...nothing looked out of place but seem to have power now at the sockets. Didn't get a chance to reply before my trip around New England, but I was glad to have the sockets working!

Mon Sep 29, 2025 11:01 am

For a 2003 Eurovan with bed but not the roof, I assumed the 12V socket on the side panel at the rear bench was powered off the house battery. I installed a 100ah Lithium so lots of power there.

But this morning at the camp, my daughter has a depleted engine battery after running a 12V cooler for several hours each day this weekend.

Mon Sep 29, 2025 1:23 pm

That's odd.
My weekender rear sockets run off the house battery. I would assume that your van should as well.

I have a lead acid battery in mine. When running the 12v fridge, I get about a day and a half of fridge usage before, the house battery needs charging.
The engine starting battery fires the engine right up for some house battery charging.

This was before I added a solar panel to replenish the house battery.
I have yet to give the solar charging, as I have an electrical issue preventing me from taking the van out to test the setup. :cry:

Once your daughter get's home from her camping trip. Take a deep dive into the house battery system.

What's the point of the house battery if, you cannot use it to charge your goodies via the rear 12v sockets?

Mon Sep 29, 2025 10:29 pm

Yep your're right - I did get a chance to check the circuits and see that the light (neon) sockets are on the house bus.

Now our van driver seat area, was re-wired by an audio tech, did a nice job.

There was a power lead to an audio amp, that I moved to the car battery. I think the light and sockets are also on that feed. Which would explain the problem.

I installed an inverter, that is direct connected to the house battery and she can use that with the adapter the fridge came with for now.

She can keep an eye on voltages through the Renogy app too.

Tue Sep 30, 2025 8:33 am

I would run the amp off the house battery. It doesn't make a difference when the engine is running, and when you're parked enjoying your tunes, you'll be preserving your starter battery (mostly, the head unit and some other stuff will still be depleting the starter battery, but that'll take 3-30 hours depending on the state of your starter battery).

Wed Oct 01, 2025 9:57 pm

Yeah will move it but have to get a terminal block - too many lug wires on the Renogy DC/DC +ve secondary (would be 3 on a small screw terminal - House battery, 12V house power buss and subwoofer...I think). I removed what was on the solenoid relay.

Oddly the amp seemed to have better bass on the car battery, which is opposite of my experience with Antigravity 13V drop-in starter batteries.

On the Eurovan I am using a 100AH LiTime battery.