Abbey Spectrum 418

[jaragama]

Hey all, I have just purchased my first caravan, an Abbey spectrum 418 I was told a 2002 but checking now I don’t think they even made that year so could be a 2001 or 2000. Have got most things working but the oven switched on once and now won’t light at all, same with the grill. The hobs works fine. And weirdly enough when I tried the oven again or grill the alarm went off which is an IDM-3 alarm? No idea what it’s for or why it would go off. Also on a side note, is there a basic check list I should maintenance wise? Sorry to ask so much but complete beginner and want to make sure I look after her well. Thanks Michael

 

[birdman101]

If you have just bought it I suggest for your own and families sake to get it serviced by a mobile Caravan Engineer to check all items for safety before putting it into use. Carbon Monoxide is the silent killer.

 

[jaragama]

Will do bird man 👍

 

[otherclive]

Check tyres for age. If over five years I would fit new ones. Caravan tyres hardly wear out like car tyres, but they degrade by being static for long periods, and exposure to UV. I agree Birdmans recommendation for a safety check/service. There are AWS or MCEA technicians in most areas of the country who do mobile work, plus caravan dealers too.

 

[jaragama]

Thanks, any idea on why alarm randomly goes off when I’m trying to start oven or grill?

 

[IanB1485]

The gas ignitor on the oven produces a high voltage spark which also produces a wideband EM pulse( radio signal across short medium and long wave bands ).( if you have an old portable radio - detune it away from a station and then press the ignitor you should hear 'clicks' on it corresponding to the sparks. These short bursts may upset the alarm by inducing a current pulse into one of the sensor wires of the alarm or even its +12V or 0V supply wires , causing it to trigger.