D'oh, overloaded my Bailey Ranger 2000 electrics

[ConfusedofMelksham]

Hi, I'm really new to 'modern' caravanning. My only other one was back in the late 80's, no electrics, no water, no frills! However, my pride and joy now is a Ranger 470/4 built in 2000. Now I'm no electrician, but I seem to have shot one of the circuits (heater, sockets and half the internal lights) by getting too keen on plugging things in whilst hooked up to the site supply, then turning the Carver heater up too much! Can anyone suggest what I do next please?

I've unplugged all of the domestic stuff, the fridge is running on gas, I've swapped out the 10 amp fuse in the switch next to the Carver thermostat and I flicked the RCD back up to the 'on' position. I've also faffed about with the blue button on the RCD but it doesn't seem to click as I would have expected for a reset. I'm definitely getting power to the distribution board, because the 12v stuff is indicating that it's all in order. I've inspected the 'car type' fuses in both fuse panels and they all seem to be tickety boo. But I remain without half of the mains lighting, the electric heater and the plug sockets.

I'm at work just now, so I'm away from the site. Here's a dumb question for those who know electrics....... could something as simple as a blown bulb be holding me back? I'm sure that one of the lights had a bit of a paddy after the third time I flicked up the tripped RCD. Sorry to be so non-technical, but I usually only work on 400 thousand volt overhead lines, and domestic electrics sadly just doesn't come into my world.

Any help for a newbie would be most welcomed here. I suspect it's such a basic solution that the rest of the caravanning fraternity will be shaking their heads at me in total pity! Thanks

 

[Damian]

If you have no mains electric and the RCD trip does not click , as it should, then you have no power from the site hook up bollard.
The lights in the van are all 12v apart from possibly two at the front of the van.
You are getting a seemingly OK power at the distribution board from the battery, but only 12v so the lights , toilet flush and water pump will run, until the battery runs down.

First check the trip in the site bollard, you may have to ask the warden to unlock it and check it for you.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

............ I'm definitely getting power to the distribution board, because the 12v stuff is indicating that it's all in order.

The '12v stuff' will be getting power from the battery even if the 240v circuit has failed, until such times as the battery is depleted. Have you tripped the EHU bollard?

 

[ConfusedofMelksham]

Many thanks! As you have gathered, I'm the guy that 'idiot guides' were invented for! I guessed it would be simple, as I hadn't actually burned the van down to the ground! Just didn't think of that. This is why these forums are brilliant for the likes of me, with very kind people sharing knowledge to get others out of a hole.

Again, a thousand thanks. Yeah, you'd have thought the pillar trip would be the first thing i checked. It was the lit up board that totally threw me! :blink:

 

[Craigyoung]

Could it not be the charger ? Ours packed in in France last year , we had limited power , then I blamed the EHU I was hooked up to , but it was the charger had burnt out , off all places . Good luck finding the cause .

 

[Damian]

Could it not be the charger ? Ours packed in in France last year , we had limited power , then I blamed the EHU I was hooked up to , but it was the charger had burnt out , off all places . Good luck finding the cause .

With the symptoms as described by the OP, no it is not the charger as the 12v side seems to be working correctly at the moment.
As the loss of power is to the mains side of things that is where to start, and the logical staring point is the hook up bollard and work from there.