No Electrics

[BevHill22]

Hi we have just moved our caravan and plugged back in but have no electric. The fridge is working and the lights are dim which is I’m assuming the 12v from the battery. We have checked the fuse in the hook up and when we test the rcd in switches off. Am I right in thinking that there is power to the rcd and that any problem is in the caravan? Also if I switch up the rcd it will stay on so why do we still not have any electrics? Any suggestions? Many thanks

 

[Hutch]

Hi there, Which caravan is it ?
There should be a " master switch " somewhere, above the door maybe, make sure the EHU plug is turned ON , some plugs at the bollard need turning to connect. Good luck , have you got candles !!!

 

[Jcloughie]

Press the rcd test switch. If power is coming into the consumer unit it will throw.

If the switch does not throw, then there is an issue between the post and the caravan input.

If it does throw, you have power, and you have an internal issue.

John

 

[BevHill22]

Press the rcd test switch. If power is coming into the consumer unit it will throw.

If the switch does not throw, then there is an issue between the post and the caravan input.

If it does throw, you have power, and you have an internal issue.

John

it does throw and then when we put it back up it stays on but still no power? We have switched everything off but still no lights or pump?
It’s a Bailey limousin.

 

[Dustydog]

If it is like my old Pageant mist of the internal lights are 12v , one or two may be 230v.
No pump. That’s 12v
Have you checked the master fuse in the battery compartment? Check the fuse box

 

[BevHill22]

Yes we have just worked out that we have power to the sockets and heater but no power to water heater toilet flush or lights. All we have done is moved caravan across garden??? So now we realise the battery is not charging but it was prior to move. Could we have damaged anything during the move? Anything under the caravan? No fuse problem in consumer unit. Is there a fuse where the battery is housed. Sorry we are new to caravan - living in it while we renovate house. Thanks so much for your help.
Bev

 

[Jcloughie]

Often the consumer unit has two circuit breakers which are protected by the RCD. Possibly only one of the two circuits is working. This might include the charger, which will be why your 12-volt lights are dull.

If both breakers are on, it might be a faulty breaker or a disconnection within the circuit box. Either way. Jobs that require electrical competence which would appear to not be your forte.

John

 

[ProfJohnL]

It appears from your description the RCD is working correctly, and if you have power to some sockets then the RCD is also passing power. It seems that one of the power circuits in the mains consumer unit may be faulty. You will probably have 3 MCBs next to the RCD. try turning them all off and on (pointing up) If one does not click when its moved then it is faulty.

Its not unknown for MCB's or RCD to become faulty with age. Only attempt to change any part of the mains installation if you are competent and understand the wiring regulations, otherwise call in an AWS caravan engineer to sort it out.

 

[audiorob]

Sounds like you have described exactly that as mains items work but 12v (pump, loo flush, most of the lights which are dim) don’t then it could be minor or less so! There should be a fuse in the live from he battery in the locker or near the main intake to the van (perhaps behind the consumer unit in a bed locker) to check but as lights are dim I suppose that to be intact. Are the terminals on the battery clean and secure? Otherwise it could be an MCB fault or the charger itself as described above. Could be the battery has died so are you able to check the battery output or use a separate charger with the battery removed from the caravan? Certainly seems odd that it was fine but ceased to work after moving a few meters - does it have a motor mover that you used to move it which has flattened the battery? A few thoughts but maybe not an answer - you could book a local AWS techie to check it over ( see the AWS website) as clearly you need to resolve this urgently.

 

[Buckman]

In some caravans the battery is part of the electrical circuit and if the battery goes flat it will drag down the 240v. Disconnect a terminal on the battery and check the voltage which should be about 12.8v.

 

[woodsieboy]

We had a similar problem on our Bailey, the battery charger had a plug like a kettle, that had worked loose, if you look at the battery charger you should be able to see it, it looks just like the ones that fit an electric kettle, we secured ours with an electric tie up and didn't get the problem again.

 

[ProfJohnL]

In some caravans the battery is part of the electrical circuit and if the battery goes flat it will drag down the 240v. Disconnect a terminal on the battery and check the voltage which should be about 12.8v.

The 12V battery is NEVER part of the 230V AC circuit, and should never "drag down" the mains voltage even if the battery is discharged.

 

[Buckman]

The 12V battery is NEVER part of the 230V AC circuit, and should never "drag down" the mains voltage even if the battery is discharged.

Then you need to speak to Bailey and not me as it was a Bailey caravan with a flat battery that dragged down the electrics for some strange reason. Battery changed and issue was resolved.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Then you need to speak to Bailey and not me as it was a Bailey caravan with a flat battery that dragged down the electrics for some strange reason. Battery changed and issue was resolved.

I stand by my statement, as will any other professional electrical engineer.

Unless the 230V ac supply has been designed to be managed by a 12v dc powered switch or circuit, there is no way ever that a discharged 12V battery could or should affect the normal mains supply.

If as you suggest, your caravans mains supply was affected by a discharged 12v battery, then there must also have been either an appliance or wiring fault in the caravan, and simply changing the battery would not have cured it, only hidden it, and if the new battery were to go flat the same problem would become apparent.

if the flat battery was causing the charger to pull so much current, it dragged down the mains supply, then there was definitely another fault in the caravan because the MCB feeding the charger should have tripped.

 

[Buckman]

I stand by my statement, as will any other professional electrical engineer.

Unless the 230V ac supply has been designed to be managed by a 12v dc powered switch or circuit, there is no way ever that a discharged 12V battery could or should affect the normal mains supply.

If as you suggest, your caravans mains supply was affected by a discharged 12v battery, then there must also have been either an appliance or wiring fault in the caravan, and simply changing the battery would not have cured it, only hidden it, and if the new battery were to go flat the same problem would become apparent.

if the flat battery was causing the charger to pull so much current, it dragged down the mains supply, then there was definitely another fault in the caravan because the MCB feeding the charger should have tripped.

I never said you were wrong. I just stated an experience that I had several years ago with a Bailey.

 

[Jcloughie]

I never said you were wrong. I just stated an experience that I had several years ago with a Bailey.

In my experience, caravan salespeople and service people all too often try to fob customers off with total rubbish. A major problem is, all too often, they believe the rubbish they spurt.

John

 

[Buckman]

In my experience, caravan salespeople and service people all too often try to fob customers off with total rubbish. A major problem is, all too often, they believe the rubbish they spurt.

John

No salespeople or caravan technicians were involved. I am not sure why the issue occured, but for some strange reason changing the battery resolved the issue. I had never come across this previously.

 

[ProfJohnL]

No salespeople or caravan technicians were involved. I am not sure why the issue occured, but for some strange reason changing the battery resolved the issue. I had never come across this previously.

The company was telling you fibs.

They must have done something else or the fault was being masked by the new battery, and it's almost certain if the new battery were to run down to flat the same issue would arise.

 

[Buckman]

The company was telling you fibs.

They must have done something else or the fault was being masked by the new battery, and it's almost certain if the new battery were to run down to flat the same issue would arise.

I did say that no company was involved. It was the owner of the caravan that changed the battery and no more issues. Battery was still okay several months later when we moved off the site. I have no idea why it affected the 240v as it should not unless perhaps there was an issue with the charger in the caravan?