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Topic: caravan charger

kezza2609

01/9/2013 at 8:44pm
Location: nuneaton
Outfit: sprite major 6

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help
we have just got back in to our caravan we hooked up as we do all things in van were working perfect and then all of a sudden everything went off except for the two plug sockets and 12v lights we did not have a battery on it but did not think we need one as all was working but now can not get anything on at all could i have blew the charger we did try to but a battery on but it drained it nothing tripped in van at all and the fridge ,heating ,and cooker ignition, lights not worked anyboby have a clue
caravan is 2009 sprite major 6

Grampian91

01/9/2013 at 9:09pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram

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There will be a fuse between the charger and battery.

If you had 12 volt lights with no battery then the charger is working.

You may have drawn more power than the charger supplies. If you had a battery fitted it would have evened the load. But with no battery it may have blown a fuse.

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tango55

01/9/2013 at 9:32pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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The onboard charger is operated by a 240 volt mains supply and a leisure battery supplies the 12 volt power so if you are using just 240 volts to power the 12 volt appliances then it goes without explanataion that the power is too excessive and like Grampian91 has said you more than likely have blown a fuse that protects the 12 volt electrical circuit. A leisure battery is required to control the 12 volt power otherwise there is nothing to control the current and in turn the 240 volt onboard charger if functioning correctly will keep the leisure battery fully charged. It is good practice to install a leisure battery as if you don't it could also damage other equipment such as the water pump which is also operated by 12 volt power.

Bill Terry

01/9/2013 at 11:54pm
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Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 01/9/2013
The onboard charger is operated by a 240 volt mains supply and a leisure battery supplies the 12 volt power so if you are using just 240 volts to power the 12 volt appliances then it goes without explanataion that the power is too excessive and like Grampian91 has said you more than likely have blown a fuse that protects the 12 volt electrical circuit. A leisure battery is required to control the 12 volt power otherwise there is nothing to control the current and in turn the 240 volt onboard charger if functioning correctly will keep the leisure battery fully charged. It is good practice to install a leisure battery as if you don't it could also damage other equipment such as the water pump which is also operated by 12 volt power.

Its not always the case with new vans,My van without battery can cope with no problems at all,In the hand book it says i can run the lights etc without battery, But i do have a battery fitted to run the tracker,alarm, etc in the winter months, plus in case theres a power fail on the site.

-------------
Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

lunarvenus

02/9/2013 at 9:28am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: lunar venus

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You should always use a battery even if it isn't much good, with a batttery connected you will have a different power output.
The Charger gives out a trickle charge, so when you start the water pump the first serge of power would come from the battery.

I would think your putting the charger under a lot of strain without a battery there to help.

Bill Terry

02/9/2013 at 12:45pm
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I know what you mean regarding have a battery fitted to the charger for resistance, But clearly in my hand book says i can run without. only reason i have a battery fitted is for, when the 240 power drops out and for winter to keep the tracker and alarm batterys topped up, I have just put a new 120 amp battery on 2 months ago,4 yrs warranty.£119.

-------------
Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

tango55

02/9/2013 at 9:41pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Bill Terry: And if you don't have a leisure battery fitted it means that the two (+/-) battery connectors are free to make contact with each other which means another blown fuse and another problem. Not good practice in my view but what does the handbook suggest regarding how to deal with unconnected battery contacts when not in use?

Bill Terry

05/9/2013 at 5:57pm
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sorry bit late coming back missed this, Its says nothing i dont think, but yes the battery terminals will be live from the charger,I will have another read at the manual regarding this point when i get home.But afew guys on site here, have thrown there batterys away cos they let them go dead flat over winter,(seasonal pitch). They arent old vans and they have just used ehu n/p`s also.But must agree, if i didnt need a battery and it was knackered,i would have left the thing on anyway for the said reason, resistance.

-------------
Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

jaqugra

05/9/2013 at 11:20pm
Location: North Lincolnshire
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Bologna Volvo XC90

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Bill Terry
the battery terminals in swift group vans should only be live if the "caravan" button is activated on the control panel as this brings it into circuit - something I learnt this year after not pressing it and wandering why it wasn't charging whilst on hook up.

Bill Terry

06/9/2013 at 12:00pm
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Quote: Originally posted by jaqugra on 05/9/2013
Bill Terry
the battery terminals in swift group vans should only be live if the "caravan" button is activated on the control panel as this brings it into circuit - something I learnt this year after not pressing it and wandering why it wasn't charging whilst on hook up.

True forgot about that, My settings for the van never change as it is always on the ehu, and i always have the battery on for back up if we have power cut etc.

-------------
Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

saxo1

06/9/2013 at 12:14pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: None Entered

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On good modern chargers the battery leads from the charger aren't "live" till it senses a battery connected,they require an input from the battery to analyze the state of the battery before starting.
I don't know about UK vans but my charger/transformer will power 20A at 12V without a battery, in fact it was never designed to have a battery fitted.
If there is no battery then on a decent unit there is no problem whilst connected to EHU,the only problem possibly encountered could be while driving and charging from the car,at least that is how mine operates.
Saxo1

Bill Terry

10/9/2013 at 8:55pm
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Just thought i be 100% sure. I e-mailed Eldiss.
Further to your email of recent regarding your 2011 Crusader Supersirocco caravan.

I have to day spoken to our Homologation Manager and he did confirm that you can use your seasonal pitch with ehu without a battery.

Assuring you of our best attentions.

Kirsty Smith
Customer Care Department

-------------
Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!

nant mill.N/Wales
just dont go there.

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