Advice need for fitting heated towel rail in Swift Challenger 570

Oct 4, 2011
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Hi there. After nearly freezing to death on our first five day outing this Easter, we thought it would be a great idea to buy a low voltage towel rail to fit in our caravan to warm the bathroom up and air the towels. OH thinks the easiest thing to do would be to spur off from the socket where the TV is plugged in (by drop down tv unit thing) and go under the bed. Does anyone have any suggestions on best way to do this, or any advice at all really would be very much appreciated. It is a low voltage one specifically for caravans. Many thanks in advance. Lisa.
 
Aug 30, 2010
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Pennine 6-Bar Heated Towel Rail

I fitted one of these 100watt only tried it at home but converted the bathroom from an ice box to a warm room. Cannot remember where I got this from but I googled it and this was the result. I have a friend with one and he recommended it
 
Feb 3, 2008
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Lisa
Do you mean 'low voltage' heater or should you have said 'low wattage'? To get decent heat out of anything low voltage would require a lot of Amps, as volts x amps = watts. Assuming you mean low wattage then a cheap oil-filled thermostatic panel radiator from Argos would do the trick. We've had a 1kw one for several years, something like code 415/2301.
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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Hi Lisa
It might be a good idea to ask forum members about the correct settings for your heating system because you shouldn't be freezing, do you have the Alde central heating or space heater and blow air system on your Challenger?
Several forum members have fitted heated towel rails, the best people to ask for advice about where to draw the power from is Sargent Electrical (01482 881655)
Their technical dept is a good source of information with regard to Swift caravan electrics, and hopefully forum members who have fitted heated towel rails will also offer advice.
 
Dec 9, 2009
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Hi Lisa I fitted a low wattage towel rail in our Senator and have full details and photos (prepared as an item for the now defunct Readers Workshop in the mag) I would be happy for one of the moderators to pass on my email address to you (and anyone else) if you would like them sent by email
Mike
ps Away with the caravan Friday so be quick if you want them soon!
 
Apr 7, 2008
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We have a central toilet / shower & the fire is opposite so the hot air has to travel right up one side & across the front & down the middle of the van & then into the toilet & ours gets too warm & burns your aR$e
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so we have to shut the flap a bit.....

You need to find out if any of your pipes that supply the hot air go under the van if so they will need insulating ......
At the back of the fire is a control flap to divert hot air from one end of the van to the other, that can be adjusted to suit.....
Have you got a outlet in your bathroom ?

We have a free standing electric heated towel rail, but we only use it in the awning as it comes in handy for drying coats as well as towels.....
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Heating system , have a look on page 19
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Oct 4, 2011
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Hello all - my mistake as I should have said we have bought a Low power consumption 60 watts heated towel rail specificially for caravans and motorhomes. Have read all of your comments, as has the OH and he thinks it would be best to run the cables along the underneath of the bed, coming out into the bathroom directly under the handtowel ring.

Also the comments about insulating the pipes are a great idea and one we will certainly be looking into. I found that keeping the bathroom door open at night helped the heat circulate around the van, as well as keeping the bathroom warm enough to get changed in first thing in the morning. (Not used the shower yet as the facilities on site were so good ... and warm!!).

Will let you know how OH gets on installing said towel rail but thanks again for all the advice. Much appreciated.
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Lisa.
 
Jan 5, 2011
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Hi Lisa... I fitted one to our 2010 Challenger
th_towelrail1-1.jpg

If you are going to fit anything to a caravan external wall use piranha fittings for thin cavity walls, these can be purchased from Homebase, and have a picture of a caravan on the label. I then removed the floor level wooden boxing that you can see in the photo between the loo and the wall, this is really truncking that covers the water pipes, i then run the cable from the towel warmer to the inside of the wardrobe. on the side of the wardrobe is a power point. i took a spur off this and used a 3amp fused spur
th_towelrail2.jpg

All theCBE fitting you need are available from http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk if you do not want to fit this 3 amp fused spur you could continue with your cable, and under the cooker in teh little cupboard you will see a power point, that controls the hotplate, replace this power point from a single to a double and put a 13amp plug on your towel warmer. i hope this makes sense, if it does not please contact me (Parksy will give you my e-mail) and i will give a far more detailed instruction
 
Oct 4, 2011
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TonyG - great thanks for this. We were going to be put it under where the hand towel holder is ... but OH may well want to put it where you've put yours. Will pass onto him and thank you so much for your information. I am hoping it will warm up the bathroom as it was chilly in there to say the least (and one doesn't really want to keep the loo door open all day!). Much obliged.
 
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soldlisa04 said:
TonyG - great thanks for this. We were going to be put it under where the hand towel holder is ... but OH may well want to put it where you've put yours. Will pass onto him and thank you so much for your information. I am hoping it will warm up the bathroom as it was chilly in there to say the least (and one doesn't really want to keep the loo door open all day!). Much obliged.
lisa, your welcome.
i have to confess i orignally thought of putting the towel warmer under the exsisting towel holder, opposite the sink. but the issue for me was you cannot then open the tall thin cupboard where the table is kept... and i might burn my bum when bending over please be aware of this
 

Parksy

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soldlisa04 said:
TonyG - great thanks for this. We were going to be put it under where the hand towel holder is ... but OH may well want to put it where you've put yours. Will pass onto him and thank you so much for your information. I am hoping it will warm up the bathroom as it was chilly in there to say the least (and one doesn't really want to keep the loo door open all day!). Much obliged.

Please let me know if you want me to forward Tony's email address to you Lisa
 
Oct 4, 2011
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Hi TonyG and Parksy ... I must share with you that the towel rail phase one of fitting has taken place last night in the van, in pouring rain. I kept my OH John company for the first part of the job (thanks TonyG for your advice and no, I wouldn't want to burn my bum either, some would say there's a lot of it to burn ha ha). I had to leave the caravan as the sight of my 15 stone hubby, trying to squeeze in the gap between the bed and wardrobe and feed electrical cable into small gaps with his massive hands had me trying really hard not to laugh as various parts of his body were scraped, banged and wedged!!! Seriously, he's doing a stirling job and hopefully after a trip tonight to purchase said pirhana fittings, it should be done.
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Oct 4, 2011
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It works! It has been a complete success and is wired in to the cooker plug in the cupboard under the oven - when OH more confident he will wire in a double plug socket where there is currently a single socket. It's not the strongest so the two hooks above the towel rail means the towels should air nicely and hang over it slightly thus getting rid of dampness, but really it was another form of heating the bathroom we were after - this forum rocks!!!! Very happy
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thank you.
 

Parksy

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Well done!
Although I bet your husband would wonder why you appear to be surprised that it works
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May your towels be warm and fluffy and your bathroom toasty from this day forward
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Oct 4, 2011
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I know Parksy, he never ceases to amaze me as he will turn his hand to anything ... we had the rail on all weekend and it did indeed keep the bathroom warm and aired the towels hung above it, a treat! Now, just to get him to sort out the dark washing from the white washing and separate it ...
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