No 12 volt electrics

[Morganic]

I have just connected up my new T@B to the car for the first time. The lights etc all work but there does not appear to be any 12 volt electrical feed into the caravan. I have checked the connections but all seem secure. The fridge isn't working which is what we want to work. .Its a Dometic. The 230 volt system is okayI have a new caravan and car and towbar etc. so all should be okay.

Can anyone give me a clue as to what might be the cause.Very frustrating just as you are setting off for the first time as a caravanner!!

 

[Allyson]

Morganic

The 12 volt will not work wilst the caravan's eletrics is hooked up to the car, try pulling the electric lead the lights should work then.

Hope this helps, and happy caravaning

Allyson

 

[Morganic]

Hi Allyson

Thank you for the response. sorry to be dim but how does the 12 volt system work if not connected to the car. Which lead do I have to pull-the 230 volt lead?I presumed you could drive along and have the fridge running at the same time.

I cant get anything out of the car electrics just the lights etc.As I said this is the first time I have connected the car to the caravan. The 230 volt system is fine.

 

[Allyson]

Have you turned the fridge switch to 12 volt which looks like battery, these all run of the caravan leisure battery whilst you are on the move, but at the same time the leisure is being charged up from the car. Not sure which lead it is, try one at a time and don't forget to turn the caravan main switch to on, this is normally just inside the door on the electric/fuse panel.

 

[Morganic]

Have you turned the fridge switch to 12 volt which looks like battery, these all run of the caravan leisure battery whilst you are on the move, but at the same time the leisure is being charged up from the car. Not sure which lead it is, try one at a time and don't forget to turn the caravan main switch to on, this is normally just inside the door on the electric/fuse panel.

Hi Allyson

Thanks. My caravan does not have a leisure battery -I think that the fridge is run on the move from the cars battery.The fridge switch is on battery mode.Should there be a switch in the wardrobe to switch the 12 volt system on?

Unfortunately my instructions are translated from german into 150 languages so its a bit difficult to work it out.

The fridge seems to work okay on 230 volt and so do the lights in the caravan. the road lights on the caravan are okay.

Regards

morgan

 

[Robtel]

Morganic,

Electrics are definitely not my strong point but posiible simple explanations could be:

The fridge should not come on whilst in 12v mode unless car ignition is turned on,I think in some cases there is even a connection to the RPM of the engine. This is to prevent the fridge flattening the car battery.

On some vans, not all, there is a switch in the van normally on the master electric panel to switch from caravan battery to car battery.

If still no power after checking above, suggest you check trip switches and fuses. If still no luck I'm afraid thats the limt of my knowledge.

Robert

 

[Morganic]

Morganic,

Electrics are definitely not my strong point but posiible simple explanations could be:

The fridge should not come on whilst in 12v mode unless car ignition is turned on,I think in some cases there is even a connection to the RPM of the engine. This is to prevent the fridge flattening the car battery.

On some vans, not all, there is a switch in the van normally on the master electric panel to switch from caravan battery to car battery.

If still no power after checking above, suggest you check trip switches and fuses. If still no luck I'm afraid thats the limt of my knowledge.

Robert

Rob

Many thanks for the advice-I will try what you suggest

Morgan

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi morganic

I hope this helps and is not too technical

you don't say wether you have a white plug fitted to the car electrics or just a black one: this is important because the black plug does not feed the van with any 12v electricity you need a white one because that does

the black plug has 7 core wire connected to :-

rearlights left

rearlights right

brakelignts

indicator left

indicator right

earth

fog lights

the white one is 7 core also and feeds:-

van lights

battery charging

fridge

aux lights

reversing lights

earth

you also dont say how old the van is because some older vans did not use a white plug at all and the interior lighting was fed from the black plugs blue wire (now used for fog lights) which used to be connected to a direct feed from the car

so basicly it depends how your elecrics are wired up and how old the van and car electrics are

colin

now it feeds the fog lights

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi moganic

it's me again dim-wit I did not read your post correctly sorry but it is 1.30am and I've just finished work

so ignore my last post as if all the electrics are new the wiring is errelivent but might be of use to someone.

anyway to move on the fridge will only work when the car is running as a relay will have been fitted to the car end of the white plug so as soon as the car stops charging power is cut to the fridge so it does not flatten the car battery

connect everything up not the 240v hook up just the black and white plugs to the tow bar turn the fridge onto 12v and start the car engine get someone to rev the engine and the fridge light should come on then turn off the engine and the fridge light should go out this shows it's working correctly

hope this helps let us know

colin

 

[Rod_5041370]

The T@B will have a habitation relay so your car 12S socket must be wired to the post September 1998 standard.

See the 12S wiring diagram shown on www.western-towing.co.uk or the caravan wiring technical sheet on the Caravan Club site if you are a member.

 

[Rod_5041370]

The T@B will have a habitation relay so your car 12S socket must be wired to the post September 1998 standard.

See the 12S wiring diagram shown on www.western-towing.co.uk or the caravan wiring technical sheet on the Caravan Club site if you are a member.

To make life easier for you, this is the pin-out:

1. Reversing sensor (Yellow).

2. Sensing device (Blue).

3. Earth return for Pin 4 (White).

4. Interior lights/battery charging (Green).

5. Not used (Brown).

6. Fridge positive, (ignition controlled). (Red).

7. Earth return for fridge (Black).

HTH.