Hello Tim , if your leisure battery is not connected and you are only on mains hook up and your appliances are working, it means your charger/power supply is working , but you must make sure your battery is not connected for this test because your battery is going back to your charger and it can catch you out ,you could be reading your battery voltage ,if you are certain your leisure battery is not on line ie connected,then keep your appliances working for a time ie lights because you could have a intermittent charger, please report back we will come to a solution, kind regards Dave
Hello Big Tim
I have read your postings rather carefully, I think it may help to clarify the terms I use to avoid confusion latter on,
EHU = Mains
PSU/charger = 12/13.8V Power Supply Unit
Switch Panel = distibution panel for each 12V circuit
Let me first say that the battery condition meters I have usually seen in caravans, are usually pretty crude moving iron meter which actually uses a measurable current to make it indicate. That may be the small current you found when every thing else is turned off. The other thing about these meters is they are not especially accurate, which you have confirmed by your comparative readings with the DMM. So for accuracy I suggest you ignore the caravans meter.
From the results you have been getting by measuring the voltages at the battery, it seems to be holding up quite well, so I do not think the battery is at fault.
Now we come to the charging circuit. You tell us that you have discovered the 12v power supply unit (PSU/Charger) is rated at 13.8V 20A. This is a goods size and should be capable of running the caravan without a battery, with the exception of caravan movers.
If I have understood the situation correctly, you tell us that if you completely remove thy battery from the caravan, and connect the caravan to the EHU, that despite juggling with the switches you cannot get any of the 12V appliances to work. That is pretty conclusive and lead one to suspect the PSU is not producing any But you also tell us that if you measure the Voltage at the battery clamps(no battery connected) that you see 9.5V. put the battery back in the caravan and leave it on the EHU, the battery Voltage does slowly rise to wards 13.8V.
This suggests to that the fuses are intact otherwise there would be no transfer of charge at all.
This all suggests to me there is a fault with the PSU, it is partly working, capable of only providing trickle charge, rather than the full 20A.
based on the above I strongly suspect the PSU is at fault here.
I have read your postings rather carefully, I think it may help to clarify the terms I use to avoid confusion latter on,
EHU = Mains
PSU/charger = 12/13.8V Power Supply Unit
Switch Panel = distibution panel for each 12V circuit
Let me first say that the battery condition meters I have usually seen in caravans, are usually pretty crude moving iron meter which actually uses a measurable current to make it indicate. That may be the small current you found when every thing else is turned off. The other thing about these meters is they are not especially accurate, which you have confirmed by your comparative readings with the DMM. So for accuracy I suggest you ignore the caravans meter.
From the results you have been getting by measuring the voltages at the battery, it seems to be holding up quite well, so I do not think the battery is at fault.
Now we come to the charging circuit. You tell us that you have discovered the 12v power supply unit (PSU/Charger) is rated at 13.8V 20A. This is a goods size and should be capable of running the caravan without a battery, with the exception of caravan movers.
If I have understood the situation correctly, you tell us that if you completely remove thy battery from the caravan, and connect the caravan to the EHU, that despite juggling with the switches you cannot get any of the 12V appliances to work. That is pretty conclusive and lead one to suspect the PSU is not producing any But you also tell us that if you measure the Voltage at the battery clamps(no battery connected) that you see 9.5V. put the battery back in the caravan and leave it on the EHU, the battery Voltage does slowly rise to wards 13.8V.
This suggests to that the fuses are intact otherwise there would be no transfer of charge at all.
This all suggests to me there is a fault with the PSU, it is partly working, capable of only providing trickle charge, rather than the full 20A.
based on the above I strongly suspect the PSU is at fault here.
Hi esdave and Prof John L
Thanks for posting.
I've just been out to double check my test my figures.
EHU connected/battery disconnected the 12v appliances DON't work.
Battery connected 12v appliances DO work. EHU on or off does not effect this.
Multimeter readings today
Battery LEADS disconnected from the battery(12 v Load is all 12v lights and appliances switched on) BUT 12v applianced DO NOT work
No EHU/No 12v Load 0.2v; No EHU/12v Load 0.0v; EHU/No 12 v Load 0.4v; EHU/12v Load 0.0v
Battery TERMINALS with battery connected No 12v Load 12.37v: 12v Load 11.8v. These readings are the same with/without EHU.
I have again thoroughly checked for fuses/connectors between battery and PSU/charger - there are none apart from the Battery fuse in the main fuse panel which is okay,
I think it looks as though the PSU/charger is at fault as the battery does seem to holding the charge quite well.
Do you agree?!
|'m still puzzled as to why the multimeter showed 9.55v/0.2A at the PSU output but nothing at the battery lead terminals when disconnected from the battery.
Tim
Thanks for posting.
I've just been out to double check my test my figures.
EHU connected/battery disconnected the 12v appliances DON't work.
Battery connected 12v appliances DO work. EHU on or off does not effect this.
Multimeter readings today
Battery LEADS disconnected from the battery(12 v Load is all 12v lights and appliances switched on) BUT 12v applianced DO NOT work
No EHU/No 12v Load 0.2v; No EHU/12v Load 0.0v; EHU/No 12 v Load 0.4v; EHU/12v Load 0.0v
Battery TERMINALS with battery connected No 12v Load 12.37v: 12v Load 11.8v. These readings are the same with/without EHU.
I have again thoroughly checked for fuses/connectors between battery and PSU/charger - there are none apart from the Battery fuse in the main fuse panel which is okay,
I think it looks as though the PSU/charger is at fault as the battery does seem to holding the charge quite well.
Do you agree?!
|'m still puzzled as to why the multimeter showed 9.55v/0.2A at the PSU output but nothing at the battery lead terminals when disconnected from the battery.
Tim
Hello again Tim,
You mirror my own conclusion, In my view the PSU is the most likely culprit, but there are still some slightly strange effects you are reporting, such as small (0.2and 0.4V) readings when in theory there should be none. I am not unduley worried by these, as you are using a DMM which will have a high input impeadance and thus more sensitive to to induced voltages.the voltages are most likely the effect of the caravan wiring being in an electomagemtic field from some other nearby electrical equiepemnt or power cables. The're certainly are not of any dangerous level.
You mirror my own conclusion, In my view the PSU is the most likely culprit, but there are still some slightly strange effects you are reporting, such as small (0.2and 0.4V) readings when in theory there should be none. I am not unduley worried by these, as you are using a DMM which will have a high input impeadance and thus more sensitive to to induced voltages.the voltages are most likely the effect of the caravan wiring being in an electomagemtic field from some other nearby electrical equiepemnt or power cables. The're certainly are not of any dangerous level.
Thanks for your reply Prof John
I am, also, puzzled by the fact that on EHU there is a 9.55v/0.2 multimeter reading at the PSU/charger output but no output reading at the battery lead terminals when they are disconnected from the battery Am I misunderstanding the system here or this odd?
Thanks again
Tim
I am, also, puzzled by the fact that on EHU there is a 9.55v/0.2 multimeter reading at the PSU/charger output but no output reading at the battery lead terminals when they are disconnected from the battery Am I misunderstanding the system here or this odd?
Thanks again
Tim
Tim,
Have you tried using another battery, even a car battery will do, to eliminate a battery fault berfore you shell out for a new PSU?
Have you tried using another battery, even a car battery will do, to eliminate a battery fault berfore you shell out for a new PSU?
Hi Tim
Not a technical answer but this may help.
In 2006 our 2005 Bailey Pageant Vendee 's charger became very very hot but hadn't failed. Our dealer replaced it immediately confirming there had been a faulty batch. I think you will find your Arizona probably has the same model. Did you notice any overheating previously?
Not a technical answer but this may help.
In 2006 our 2005 Bailey Pageant Vendee 's charger became very very hot but hadn't failed. Our dealer replaced it immediately confirming there had been a faulty batch. I think you will find your Arizona probably has the same model. Did you notice any overheating previously?
Hello Reg,
I think if you re-read Tims posts I think you should see that the battery does not seem to be the problem, as the systems powers when the battery is there, but the system is powerless when the battery is removed, also the voltages Tim has measured on the battery at various times suggest the battery may not be perfect but it is certainly holding a charge, and able to deliver it when required.
However there is certainly no harm in trying another battery, but as I see it there is little point.
I think if you re-read Tims posts I think you should see that the battery does not seem to be the problem, as the systems powers when the battery is there, but the system is powerless when the battery is removed, also the voltages Tim has measured on the battery at various times suggest the battery may not be perfect but it is certainly holding a charge, and able to deliver it when required.
However there is certainly no harm in trying another battery, but as I see it there is little point.
Hi John, Logically no but I would want to be sure and eliminate it right from the start. It would not surprise me to find no voltage at the battery leads with no battery connected and EHU purely as a safety feature. When the battery has a full charge I believe that there is an automatic cut off to prevent overcharging The system probably evaluates the voltage difference between the charger and the battery. If the battery voltage is the lower then the charger would kick in untill the battery is charged again. From Tims figures the PSU/Charger appears only to generate about 9.5v so possibly not enough to switch to charge mode as the battery voltage excedes the charger.
As I have a 2005 Bailey and I will be doing some work on it at the end of the week I will try and replicate Tims problem and check the results without a battery. As far as I know my system is functioning properly.
As I have a 2005 Bailey and I will be doing some work on it at the end of the week I will try and replicate Tims problem and check the results without a battery. As far as I know my system is functioning properly.
Well here are some interesting facts straight from the Baily manual.
"The 12v system is designed to operate with a leisure battery in circuit and should not be turned on without one connected. The 12 volt supply to the caravan services can be isolated via the 12 volt on/off (master) switch on the control panel"
"When the car is connected the system is automatically switch to the cars power"
"Car type battery chargers should not be used to charge the leisure battery"
It would appear that any voltage readings taken without the battery could be meaningless.
"The 12v system is designed to operate with a leisure battery in circuit and should not be turned on without one connected. The 12 volt supply to the caravan services can be isolated via the 12 volt on/off (master) switch on the control panel"
"When the car is connected the system is automatically switch to the cars power"
"Car type battery chargers should not be used to charge the leisure battery"
It would appear that any voltage readings taken without the battery could be meaningless.
Big Tim said:
You can quite often get off load voltages, it should be 13.8 volts anyway, off load or on load, not 9v.
Test the output voltage when you have a load, it will probably drop to near zero.
Hello again Tim,
I agree the lack of of any voltage at the disconnected battery clamps is something of a mystery, when you get a 9.5V reading at the PSU output. Unfortunately we are in the classic situation of a reported fault but have no access to the suspect components, so all that we can do at this point is to speculate.
I am aware of the the usual suggestion that a battery should be kept in circuit. A few years ago this was essential, as the the on board chargers were about as crude as cheap battery charger consisting of a transformer and rectifier. Depending on the type of rectifier used, these produced either half or full wave rectified sine waves with an RMS value of about 16V but with a peak voltage as high as 23V. The battery was essential as it effectively absorbed the peak voltages to smooth the pulses of current from the charger.
Some appliances would not function correctly or may be damaged if fed from the charger alone, either due to the peak voltages or the fact that the pulses of voltage dropped back to 0V 50 or 100 times a second.
The more recent Power Supply Units (as different to simple chargers) from about 1990 onwards are far more advanced, and produce an already smoothed and regulated 13.8V DC output. They also have quite high currents capacities (yours for example is 20A) These despite Baileys warnings are capable of running 12V appliances up to a total load of 20A - without a battery.
It is the lack of output power from yours that makes me suspect the PSU is faulty. Even if the PSU is not actually faulty, there is some problem with your wiring, which is almost impossible to remotely diagnose accurately.
Based on the information you have been able to supply, I think you have done all you realistically can do without now dismantling the system. I do not know how capable you are of doing that, If you have any doubts I suggest you refer the problem to a a competent electrical contractor.
I agree the lack of of any voltage at the disconnected battery clamps is something of a mystery, when you get a 9.5V reading at the PSU output. Unfortunately we are in the classic situation of a reported fault but have no access to the suspect components, so all that we can do at this point is to speculate.
I am aware of the the usual suggestion that a battery should be kept in circuit. A few years ago this was essential, as the the on board chargers were about as crude as cheap battery charger consisting of a transformer and rectifier. Depending on the type of rectifier used, these produced either half or full wave rectified sine waves with an RMS value of about 16V but with a peak voltage as high as 23V. The battery was essential as it effectively absorbed the peak voltages to smooth the pulses of current from the charger.
Some appliances would not function correctly or may be damaged if fed from the charger alone, either due to the peak voltages or the fact that the pulses of voltage dropped back to 0V 50 or 100 times a second.
The more recent Power Supply Units (as different to simple chargers) from about 1990 onwards are far more advanced, and produce an already smoothed and regulated 13.8V DC output. They also have quite high currents capacities (yours for example is 20A) These despite Baileys warnings are capable of running 12V appliances up to a total load of 20A - without a battery.
It is the lack of output power from yours that makes me suspect the PSU is faulty. Even if the PSU is not actually faulty, there is some problem with your wiring, which is almost impossible to remotely diagnose accurately.
Based on the information you have been able to supply, I think you have done all you realistically can do without now dismantling the system. I do not know how capable you are of doing that, If you have any doubts I suggest you refer the problem to a a competent electrical contractor.
Thanks Prof John, Reg and others for your continued support. I am very grateful for this.
In an earlier caravan forums' post, whilst away at Keswick CCC when the problem first arose, I asked if I could use the 'van on EHU without the battery in place. I wanted to charge the battery on the Warden's automatic charger and use the mains electrics. The consensus on the forums was that I could use the 'van without a battery and I did that for 24 hours. Mains appliances were fine but the 12v appliances did not work.
I was aware of what Reg quotes above that Bailey say that the PSU should not be used without the battery connected. However, in agreement with what you say John, the a number of websites retailing the model of PSU fitted to my caravan clearly state in their specs that it can be used without a battery connected.
As my tests have shown that the PSU has a 230v input voltage and 9.5v ouput (no load) I suspect that a faulty PSU is the LIKELY CULPRIT. I wonder if this problem may have existed for a while as I usually use the 'van on sites with EHU and so the problem may have not shown up. It may have been made worse because the "car" fuse in the 'van had blown during our motorway drive to Keswick and so the 'van battery had not charged from the car enroute.
I too wonder if there may not be a safety feature which cuts off the supply to the battery terminal leads when they are disconnected from the battery. This would explain why there is no voltage reading at the battery lead terminals when they are disconnected. My Halfords' automatic battery charger has a similar feature that cuts the charging supply when a terminal is disconnected.
Gary on the Touring and Tenting website suggests that I drill out the rivets on the PSU and check the internal fuse
http://www.touringandtenting.com/forums/index.php?/topic/41349-batterycharger-problems/
Whilst I have the greatest respect for Gary's undoubted expertise I do wonder if I have now reached the limit of MY expertise and that I should replace the PSU as that is a relatively simple plug-in task. Opening the PSU does not guarantee my being able to replace the fuse or other components.
Whilst I would rather not incur £95 cost, delivered, for a new PSU, of the same model, the cheapest that I have found on the web,it is considerably cheaper than the £148.32 quote from Bailey Caravans!!!??
Before ordering a new PSU I may try the car battery in the 'van as Reg and others have suggested just to see what multimeter readings I get.
Thanks again
Tim
In an earlier caravan forums' post, whilst away at Keswick CCC when the problem first arose, I asked if I could use the 'van on EHU without the battery in place. I wanted to charge the battery on the Warden's automatic charger and use the mains electrics. The consensus on the forums was that I could use the 'van without a battery and I did that for 24 hours. Mains appliances were fine but the 12v appliances did not work.
I was aware of what Reg quotes above that Bailey say that the PSU should not be used without the battery connected. However, in agreement with what you say John, the a number of websites retailing the model of PSU fitted to my caravan clearly state in their specs that it can be used without a battery connected.
As my tests have shown that the PSU has a 230v input voltage and 9.5v ouput (no load) I suspect that a faulty PSU is the LIKELY CULPRIT. I wonder if this problem may have existed for a while as I usually use the 'van on sites with EHU and so the problem may have not shown up. It may have been made worse because the "car" fuse in the 'van had blown during our motorway drive to Keswick and so the 'van battery had not charged from the car enroute.
I too wonder if there may not be a safety feature which cuts off the supply to the battery terminal leads when they are disconnected from the battery. This would explain why there is no voltage reading at the battery lead terminals when they are disconnected. My Halfords' automatic battery charger has a similar feature that cuts the charging supply when a terminal is disconnected.
Gary on the Touring and Tenting website suggests that I drill out the rivets on the PSU and check the internal fuse
http://www.touringandtenting.com/forums/index.php?/topic/41349-batterycharger-problems/
Whilst I have the greatest respect for Gary's undoubted expertise I do wonder if I have now reached the limit of MY expertise and that I should replace the PSU as that is a relatively simple plug-in task. Opening the PSU does not guarantee my being able to replace the fuse or other components.
Whilst I would rather not incur £95 cost, delivered, for a new PSU, of the same model, the cheapest that I have found on the web,it is considerably cheaper than the £148.32 quote from Bailey Caravans!!!??
Before ordering a new PSU I may try the car battery in the 'van as Reg and others have suggested just to see what multimeter readings I get.
Thanks again
Tim
Tim As I said in aprevious post I have a 2005 pagent & i can tell you that with out a battery connected you should have 13.8v at the battery terminals & 13.8 showing on the van volt meter when onEHU & the master switch is in the on position. from reading the thread I would go with Gary's suggestion Remove the charger unit & open it up to check the internal fuse before you buy a new unit
Thanks for that input (excuse the pun) TD42
I've sent an email to the Bailey Caravan Support Line seeking further information.
I'll maybe have a go at opening up the charger if I have time over the next few days. I suppose I've little to loose.
Thanks again,
Tim
I've sent an email to the Bailey Caravan Support Line seeking further information.
I'll maybe have a go at opening up the charger if I have time over the next few days. I suppose I've little to loose.
Thanks again,
Tim
Hello Tim, Dave here again, sorry I have not been on the forum have been very busy with charger repairs ,people requiring them for easter hoildays, I have read all the posts and it is all correct information you have been given, when I posted on forum last time I asked you if you could give me the make /model then I could give you some more direct information and you have, you say PS276-1-BC I know this charger very well have repaired about 20 to date , the T5amp fuse inside is not a glass type in a holder it is a soldered in type called a wickman fuse you will see it below mains socket LHS , but do not bother checking it your fault is not that a low output voltage is a regulation fault 3/5 components will bring it back to 100% operational standards and this fault would have occured over many months volts can be more or less correct but it does not have the amps to properly charge the battery , catches a lot of people out .how I can best explain it try charging your battery with a 12volt 300m/a adaptor, volts are near correct but not enough amps, people have even changed their leisure battery and found fault return when battery discharged, the fact you have no volts at terminal ends , you mention on the post that you have a 100ma drain, now with this type of fault on your charger although you have 9volts or so off load any load will take it to 1 or 2 volts and the 100ma will give you zero at terminals the volt drop is on the cables , now if you require this to be repaired I can do this you the total inclusive cost return/recorded is £45 ,2/3 days turnaround, kind regards Dave http://www.leisureelectronicrepairs.co.uk
Hi Dave
Just a question out of curiosity.
I assume the contol unit is auto sensing for example when you connect to the car electrics it will auto disable the caravan 12v (no manual intervention).
The voltages on my system, which appears to be the same as Tims, will register 13v (ish) with EHU and battery voltage without.
But does the control unit need a battery connected with EHU to initiate the set-up i.e. to auto-sense and enable caravan 12v electrics and set the battery into charge mode?
Reg
PS Have bookmarked your website.......... in case of future use!!!
Just a question out of curiosity.
I assume the contol unit is auto sensing for example when you connect to the car electrics it will auto disable the caravan 12v (no manual intervention).
The voltages on my system, which appears to be the same as Tims, will register 13v (ish) with EHU and battery voltage without.
But does the control unit need a battery connected with EHU to initiate the set-up i.e. to auto-sense and enable caravan 12v electrics and set the battery into charge mode?
Reg
PS Have bookmarked your website.......... in case of future use!!!
Hello Reg, the PS276-1-BC charger/power supply has 2 opto,s in the circuit that sense and feedback via 18 other components ,and also it has current sense for the fan ,ie no fan operation till 8amps or so, Regards Dave
Hello Reg, the PS276-1-BC charger/power supply has 2 opto,s in the circuit that sense and feedback via 18 other components ,and also it has current sense for the fan ,ie no fan operation till 8amps or so, Regards Dave
Hi everyone.
I thought you would like to hear the conclusion to this saga.
After carefully considering all the advice I'd received and Esdave's offer to repair the PSU/Charger I decided that I would replace the failed unit with a new one. I felt that although it could be repaired other components might, also, be near the end of their lives and fail.
I had googled on Ebay and found a supplier offering the PSU for £95 inclusive of postage. This price was considerably better than the one of £148+p&p.
The supplier promptly sent the PSU and I had some spare time today so I fitted it in the 'van. I disconnected the battery and EHU and connected the PSU up to the mains and 12v leads. I then reconnected the EHU and tested the PSU by turning on the 12v lights. I had a bad moment as the 12v lights failed to operate - to my relief I then noticed that I had knocked the ELCB off while opening the PSU housing. As soon as I turned on the mains elcb the lights illuminated. I replaced the PSU in the plastic housing and closed it all up. 13.3v multimeter reading at the battery terminals with the PSU on and the EHU disconnected.
I'm not sure about whether the battery is U/S. I have put it on charge on my Halfords' automatic charger. When it is fully charged I will leave it for a few days and then test it with my multimeter to see it has held the charge. I will then replace the battery if necessary.
Interestingly the manufacturer's instructions for the charger DO so say that it CAN be used with no battery in the system. This is despite the fact that my Bailey caravan manual says that the PSU should NOT be used without a battery in the system.
Anyway a BIG THANK YOU to all who have advised me over the last few weeks - I've learnt a lot "on the way"!!!
Thanks again.
Tim
I thought you would like to hear the conclusion to this saga.
After carefully considering all the advice I'd received and Esdave's offer to repair the PSU/Charger I decided that I would replace the failed unit with a new one. I felt that although it could be repaired other components might, also, be near the end of their lives and fail.
I had googled on Ebay and found a supplier offering the PSU for £95 inclusive of postage. This price was considerably better than the one of £148+p&p.
The supplier promptly sent the PSU and I had some spare time today so I fitted it in the 'van. I disconnected the battery and EHU and connected the PSU up to the mains and 12v leads. I then reconnected the EHU and tested the PSU by turning on the 12v lights. I had a bad moment as the 12v lights failed to operate - to my relief I then noticed that I had knocked the ELCB off while opening the PSU housing. As soon as I turned on the mains elcb the lights illuminated. I replaced the PSU in the plastic housing and closed it all up. 13.3v multimeter reading at the battery terminals with the PSU on and the EHU disconnected.
I'm not sure about whether the battery is U/S. I have put it on charge on my Halfords' automatic charger. When it is fully charged I will leave it for a few days and then test it with my multimeter to see it has held the charge. I will then replace the battery if necessary.
Interestingly the manufacturer's instructions for the charger DO so say that it CAN be used with no battery in the system. This is despite the fact that my Bailey caravan manual says that the PSU should NOT be used without a battery in the system.
Anyway a BIG THANK YOU to all who have advised me over the last few weeks - I've learnt a lot "on the way"!!!
Thanks again.
Tim
Sorry that should have read.
13.3v multimeter reading at the disconnected battery terminals with the PSU on and the EHU CONNECTED.
Thanks again,
Tim
13.3v multimeter reading at the disconnected battery terminals with the PSU on and the EHU CONNECTED.
Thanks again,
Tim
Big Tim……….just come back from the PC rally at Stowford.
Doing checks before I left I discovered that my PSU had failed in my 15 year old Swift so I had to hastily rig up my 6amp car battery charger in the caravan as a temporary measure so I could make the rally.
I have now replaced the PSU with an Amperor 18 amp smart charger/ power supply, which was very easy to fit in the same position as the original.
The PSU cost £73.95 delivered to my door within 36 hours of ordering.
I note it has a slide switch fitted with 2 positions.
Position 1 3 stage charging with 12 volt battery in circuit charging up to 14.5 volts
Position 2 Float supply of 13.8 volts with no 12 volt battery in circuit.
Thus PSUs can differ as to whether a battery needs to be in circuit.
Doing checks before I left I discovered that my PSU had failed in my 15 year old Swift so I had to hastily rig up my 6amp car battery charger in the caravan as a temporary measure so I could make the rally.
I have now replaced the PSU with an Amperor 18 amp smart charger/ power supply, which was very easy to fit in the same position as the original.
The PSU cost £73.95 delivered to my door within 36 hours of ordering.
I note it has a slide switch fitted with 2 positions.
Position 1 3 stage charging with 12 volt battery in circuit charging up to 14.5 volts
Position 2 Float supply of 13.8 volts with no 12 volt battery in circuit.
Thus PSUs can differ as to whether a battery needs to be in circuit.
Hi Gafferbill
I did think of trying one of the type of "smarter" PSUs you mention but on my 'van the PSU has to fit into a custom made plastic case which, also, contains the mains ELCBs, fuses, etc and it was a tight fit. A straight replacement, therefore, seemed the easiest option.
I realise that some PSUs DO need a battery in place but I thought it worth mentioning to folk that the Powerpart model fitted to my 'van DID NOT despite the Bailey Caravan handbook saying it DID!!??. The fact that I COULD use the EHU WITHOUT a battery, gleaned from the PC and other forums, was a "lifesaver" (or should that be "lightsaver" when we were having battery problems whilst away for a couple of weeks at Keswick CCC - it meant we could use the ehu for mains power whilst the battery was out being charged by the wardens. If the PSU had not failed we could have used the EHU to power the 12v appliances too, without the battery in place.
I'm just glad to have fixed it relatively (!!!) cheaper myself and I've certainly learnt quite a bit about the system "enroute"!! I am, however, hoping not to have to use that knowledge again!!!
Tim
I did think of trying one of the type of "smarter" PSUs you mention but on my 'van the PSU has to fit into a custom made plastic case which, also, contains the mains ELCBs, fuses, etc and it was a tight fit. A straight replacement, therefore, seemed the easiest option.
I realise that some PSUs DO need a battery in place but I thought it worth mentioning to folk that the Powerpart model fitted to my 'van DID NOT despite the Bailey Caravan handbook saying it DID!!??. The fact that I COULD use the EHU WITHOUT a battery, gleaned from the PC and other forums, was a "lifesaver" (or should that be "lightsaver" when we were having battery problems whilst away for a couple of weeks at Keswick CCC - it meant we could use the ehu for mains power whilst the battery was out being charged by the wardens. If the PSU had not failed we could have used the EHU to power the 12v appliances too, without the battery in place.
I'm just glad to have fixed it relatively (!!!) cheaper myself and I've certainly learnt quite a bit about the system "enroute"!! I am, however, hoping not to have to use that knowledge again!!!
Tim
My 2004 Bailey psu was separate.
A much better idea.
While my 2011, is enclosed same as yours.
If the charger fails, i have a spare anyway, but either way i won't be fitting it back in the enclosure, but separately, with cooling air all round it.
Its only fitted in the box for a quicker production install, not to benefit the charger.
A much better idea.
While my 2011, is enclosed same as yours.
If the charger fails, i have a spare anyway, but either way i won't be fitting it back in the enclosure, but separately, with cooling air all round it.
Its only fitted in the box for a quicker production install, not to benefit the charger.
Hi Ray
I agree about the location of hte charger within the plastic case. i'm not too sure, however, that I would have had the expertise to move the charger out the of the plastic case as additional wiring would have been necessary for the input/output.
Incidentally the price of c£150+postage was from Bailey themselves. But then in the same post they, also, quoted me £1.58+p&p for ONE window plug!!!??
Regards
Tim
I agree about the location of hte charger within the plastic case. i'm not too sure, however, that I would have had the expertise to move the charger out the of the plastic case as additional wiring would have been necessary for the input/output.
Incidentally the price of c£150+postage was from Bailey themselves. But then in the same post they, also, quoted me £1.58+p&p for ONE window plug!!!??
Regards
Tim
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