The Caravan Owners Club

[ronkirbyuk]

Can anyone offer advice, I have just purchased a nearly new 540Ufe and I want to use it next year on a permanent site without hook-up. In my old van I used a 220Ah battery charged by 120w solar panel, this gave enough power(used carefully) to mean I never ran my generater even during a six week stay. I have read on the forum that it maybe possible to connect my battery to an inverter and then plug this into the 240volt hook up input, has anyone out there tried this and does it work?
Also where can I get hold of an owners manual/instruction book for my model van.
I will be getting a Malaga gas/electric water heater fitted, has anyone any experience of these?
Sorry to sound such a novice but the Hobby is very different from my old van(Safari).P.S. anyone want to buy a classic Safari in good condition?

[Chubbs]

sorry double post.

[Chubbs]

Hi. Well, that's a very common sort of query.

Most of your electric lights are now all 12 volt anyway.
All your water pumps are 12 volt.
Your fridge works very well on gas and your heater is gas.

What do you need 240 Volts for - TV? Water heater? Electric kettle?

The main difficulty with Hobby caravans is that they are not designed to run just off a battery - they are intended as mains hook-up. As a result their mains electricity distribution unit contains a transformer that supplies 12 volts but probably in two formats (i) 12 volts dc for water pumps and hot air fan; (ii) 12 to 14 volts ac which can only be used for lights.
The car connections provide relays that allow the 12 volts dc from the car to operate all the internals quite happily so you could (theoretically) connect your battery to the same connections BUT the caravan relays probably need a higher trip voltage - as from a car alternator - to make the change over.

Many Hobby owners in the UK have arranged (through dealers or through DIY) to fit an on-board leisure battery, properly connected through appropriate relays etc.

But you could just connect through a converter. There are more things electrical on modern vans of course, so watch total loading and recharge capabilities.

[ronkirbyuk]

Thanks for rapid reply, have read on forum about using inverter plugged to HU connection, just wondered if it works, it does seem to good to be true.
Anyone know where I can get an owners manual?

[traveller11]

Hi.

You might like to try this company for an Owners Manual they are quite helpful:

AJC Leisure (near Kirkby Stephen & Kendal)

They are authorised Hobby service & repair agents and seem to know their way about the vans - you could give them a ring and ask them??

Tel: 015242 51100

You can also send them an e-mail via their website, address is as follows:

http://www.thecaravanspecialists.co.uk/

Good luck