The Caravan Owners Club

[Chris Ford]

On arrival at my van this weekend, the electrics had tripped out. When I flicked the switch, all the 240V is working but the 12V is not.
I have checked the power supply from the main consumer unit to the converter and there is power going in but when we meter any output from beneath the fuses, there is nothing.
It is a dometic converter, model no. SMP184-01
Can anybody help, any simple suggestions also welcome as I am not an electrician. However, a fellow camper has put the meter on and found their is a live feed getting into the converter.
Thank you,

chris

[Hobbynut]

This is quite common fault with the Dometic system..A replacement unit is about £300..Have a look at the Hobby owners club on www.hobby-owners-club.co.uk where this subject is covered...Fendt are owned by Hobby and have been since 1998 so alot of the parts are interchageable

Cheers
Hobbynut

[Chris Ford]

Thank you hobbynut,
On searching some forums I got the impression these converters / transformers whatever you call them are prone to this.
I was only surprised because there was no smell (normally if electrical items burn out you can smell them) and secondly when I removed the cover there was no visible sign of damage.
However, I am no electrician but if there is power to the unit and no power out of it then it suggests the unit is kaput !
I guess it is £300 for a new one !!
I have had the van 3 years and it is based on a permanent site and used 36 weekends a year and I have had no problems to date so I cannot complain.......these along with hobbys are great vans, it would be hard to go back to an English van now.
Thanks again and I will take a look on the web for a new one.
Chris.

[esdave]

Hello Chris I can repair your DOMETIC CONVERTER, I have posted lots of technical information on the Dometics , in this forum see my articles under technical information help and advise, hobby spares, workshop and yes as HOBBYNUT said on HOBBY OWNER CLUB ,look for information on circuit boards 1/2 etc, You said you would look on the net for one eg ebay , please try but you have very little chance with the SMP and CON types ,people that I have repaired many types of electronic units for have told me they can not find any, even when you contact DOMETIC direct they say they have to come from Germany and there is that many types that even they can not give you information without first contacting Germany , I can repair all types to component level , 2/3 days turnaround for half the price of a new one or less, so if required please pm or post Kind Regards Dave

[Chris Ford]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply and yes I had seen some of your correspondence earlier.
Am I right in thinking it is £100 plus postage back to me for you to repair the unit.
I agree, I have looked around and I cannot see any of these for sale so it would be a new one from the German manufacturers.
Out of curiosity what normally goes wrong and when repaired what is the lifespan. The cost of a new one is not an issue but like everybody else I would rather save a couple of hundred pounds if the repair will render the part as good as new.
Thank you,
Chris

[esdave]

Thankyou Chris for your reply sorry for delay have been working away for 2 days, these units last year to buy new in july 09 was £365 inc vat , I repair all the dometic range electronic systems half the price of new inclusive so this would be £180 inc return/recorded ,because when they blow they can damage on average 10 parts , I have just repaired and sent back a SMP214-01 with 29 parts blown the time on average to repair and load test these converters is 3/4 hours so you see this cost is very reasonable with the time and parts involved,and it is tested to the full specification and output, as far as I know I am the only engineer in england that repairs these units in depth to component level ,because I have totally reversed engineered the systems DOMETIC use and with no help from them because they do not supply parts ,technical information,or schematics , so chris if you or any body needs the repair I can do this , there is a 2/3 day turnaround, kind Regards Dave