Help!! Using battery and not EHU

[ASHLEY_5070396]

Fairly new to caravanning and have never used the battery for lighting, only for fridge when travelling. We have a 2005 Compass 636. On a recent trip south we stopped at Killington Lakes for the night but couldn't get the lights to work. Apart from the fuse box under the locker there only appears to be a 12v switch (tried switch on and off)Van is regularly serviced. Does van have to be un hitched from car ? Help and any advice would be appreciated.

 

[antrimboy]

Hi Ashley - Do you have a switch inside your van marked "Car" and "Van"? If you had unhitched your 12S/Grey plug from the back of the car, your internal 'van switch would have needed to be on "Van".

 

[antrimboy]

Additionally, some 'vans (and I don't know about the Compass), have a master power switch which is usually just inside the door somewhere, which has to be down/on.

 

[Cockovan]

Hi,

We have a 2005 Compass Rallye 640, same van differnet layout. So long as we have our 'master switch', on the control panel, on, all the light work whether the car is hooked up or not. Assuming you van works in the same way, and I have no reason to think it doesn't, then I might assume that your battery is flat. If a fuse had blown then they would not work at any time. (The fridge does not work off the van battery, it runs off the car battery and only when the engine is running, as it will flatten a fully charged battery in about an hour.)

Unless you take yuour battery out and charge it the on board charger may not necessarily keep the battery charged!

Hope this helps

Alan

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Ashley as you didnt really get the answer you were looking for I would say you must unhook from your tow vehicle both of compass vans worked this way hook to grey plug will put out all you battery lights you can try this quite easily.

But as was said when you unhook your master switch should be on van so that 240can keep your battery charged.Alan is corect about when towing car battery will keep fridghe cold and a good tip there is run fridge up on mains the night before you go away and you battery on the car will have less work to do.

REgards Sir Roger

 

[ASHLEY_5070396]

Many thanks to all who replied. Don't have a "van" switch but do have a 12v switch at the door as Eddie had said. We have tried this on and off so now think it may be a fault with the actual battery which we will check when we're next out (off to Grantown in Spey in a couple of weeks) we've also been told to watch out for the radio/cd player in the van as that can cause the battery to run down to when van is parked up.

 

[Paul_5064559]

Many thanks to all who replied. Don't have a "van" switch but do have a 12v switch at the door as Eddie had said. We have tried this on and off so now think it may be a fault with the actual battery which we will check when we're next out (off to Grantown in Spey in a couple of weeks) we've also been told to watch out for the radio/cd player in the van as that can cause the battery to run down to when van is parked up.

Ashley, ALWAYS make sure that you switch off your fridge on returning from your sojorn, I did not, result one deep discharged battery some weeks later. When my fridge door is held partly open for ventilation the inside light comes on which very soon discharges your on board battery.