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Hi all, our caravan arrives home at around 10am this morning after having some tlc, so i want to ask you lovely folk on here is how to get the electric on! OK i know i sound thick but i am panicking as they wont be anyone else here & there are a few things i want to do to it b4 the hubby & kids arrive home. We have bought the electric cable with the adapter thing to plug into the house electric....so what comes next???

A step by step guide would be fab if anyone has the time as i would like to hoover the van etc :-)

Thanx all

I would do it the other way round. Plug into the van first so that there is no possibility of you carrying a live cable to the van. Then plug into your house socket. Just look on the caravan as a glorified extension cable J&K

Phil

Would the guy dropping it off not know? - I'm just thinking that if they have been working on it they may have an idea, failing that how about posting your caravans make/model/year details - someone out there may have the same one and be able to be more specific

Sheila x

The consumer unit (where the fuses are) looks like a miniature version of the fuse box you have in the house (probably under the stairs.) In a caravan it  is generally under the front bench or in a wardrobe. There is a switch at the right hand side (usually up for on and down for off). Turn that off before you connect up. Attach your hook up to the caravan and then attach the other end into your house socket. You need one of these

I do this at home all the time and using this method have never had a problem:

Preparation:

1) Make sure the house socket you are using is switched off, likewise the master electric switch in the van - usually above the door.

2) Work out which end of the electric cable plugs in the van and which the house socket (using an adaptor as pictured in a prvious post)

3) Unwind enough cable to reach between the house and van - if using for long unwind it all.

Connecting:

1) Connect the van end first

2) Connect to the socket in the house and then switch the socket on

3) Switch on the master in the van  - you should than have 240v electric, the 12 volt may need switching on by a seperate switch marked 12v on the same master panel.

The person dropping the van off should be able to show you where these things are, really it's not difficult just a process to be slowly and calmly worked through.

All vans are a bit different but it should work as above.

I have one of those!!! Anytime now ...............not excited at all

Thanx to everyone on here for the advice! I will let you know how it goes (hopefully i wont blow the van up)

Oh yes its a Abbey Expression 1993 5 berth (thats all i know as no paperwork)

This may be of some help :

The Caravanning handbook

Quote: Originally posted by J+K + 3 KIDS+1 DOG on 17/2/2011

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I have one of those!!! Anytime now ...............not excited at all

Thanx to everyone on here for the advice! I will let you know how it goes (hopefully i wont blow the van up)

Oh yes its a Abbey Expression 1993 5 berth (thats all i know as no paperwork)

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When you said you wanted to do a few jobs before hubby arrived back its not setting out candles and all that kind of stuff.......in the drive is it?

Phil

Phil.....Um let me think.........no...the neighbours r way to nosey ( and besides the fact, i have no curtains as a lovely lady on here has them)

Then again maybe i would if i could actually get INTO the van  The driveway is quite narrow & caravan fits perfectly BUT really i need it a little over to the otherside just so i can open the door!!!!! So at the moment i am looking at it through the lounge window but thast all i can do

So the only other option we have is to take the van off the drive..turn it around then put it back on drive as then that way there wont be any obstructions! Never seen a caravan stored on a driveway with the hitch facing inwards

If I have mine at home I always have the hitch facing inwards. Make it as hard as you can to any would be miscreants

Phil