Fitted equipment with Truma water heater

The Alde 3020 Compact HE combi boiler is heating technology designed for the fresh challenges and rigors of the UK weather. The 3020 Compact is a wet central heating and hot water system based on the same principles as that found in a modern home. It's powered by gas (LPG) and/or electricity (230 V). The convectors and radiators in the heating circuit are located around the perimeter, drawing cool air from floor height, heating it so that it rises to ceiling height. The air flows downwards as it cools, is drawn in and heated again, creating air circulation. Vents in the floor and roof keep the air refreshed. As part of a well-designed heating circuit, the 3020 Compact boiler will create a pleasant sense of natural warmth in your living space, with no hot or cold zones. The heating system its self has anti-freeze in it so does not need to be drained down in the winter, however, the water boiler will need to be drained to prevent frost damage, this can be done by flipping the yellow drain down valve to the vertical position. Older Style Panel operation. The main menu is along the top of this control panel and starts with the on and off selection. To enter the menu, press the right hand arrow button and the Off/On word will flash. To swap from Off to ON, press the +on button or the -Off button and the selection on screen will change. To action your selection, press the left hand arrow button to come back out of the menu and the selection will stop flashing and the selection will be activated. Temperature Press the right hand arrow until the thermometer symbol is flashing. The current temperature setting will appear in the center of the screen. Press the + or - button to select the temperature you require, to set the new temperature press the left hand arrow twice to come out of the menu. The new setting will be shown in the center of the screen below a picture of a small house. Hot Water To enter the hot water menu, press the right arrow three times (you're getting the idea) until the tap symbol is flashing. Select on or boost, which will boost the hot water and stop the heating from working for 45 minutes, and then press the left hand arrow three time to exit the menu and action the change. Energy input Gas Select the flame symbol so that it is flashing and press on to operate the gas system. 240v There will be an isolation switch somewhere in the caravan which will have to be on to allow the system to work. A plug symbol is visible on the home screen when 240v is present. Scroll across to the box situated next to the flame icon and select either 1kw, (one lightning flash) which will be fine for non heating and occasional washing up duties or 2kw (2 lightning flashes) which will be the preferred setting for heating the caravan and using the shower. On cold days when the water in the van starts at near freezing and the caravan is cold, I would recommend using the gas setting with the 2kw setting on 240v to get the systems up to temperature quickly. Once the desired temperatures are reached, turn the gas off and just use the 240v system to save on gas. There is a sub menu along the bottom of the screen, refer to the handbook for a run down on the features such as timer and settings. The new control panel, pictured below, gives a touch screen experience that we are now all used to. Operation To switch the system on press the button in the bottom left hand side of the control panel. The screen will light and a green light will appear on the button. Press the menu button and the above screen will be shown. Heating The temperature that you want the caravan to be can be set by pressing the plus and minus buttons at the top. The system is not calibrated so 15 may not give 15 degrees, it is a case of trial and error until you know what number suites your comfort level. Hot Water The buttons below the temperature will turn on the hot water, for normal use, say for washing up and one shower, press the plus button once and half the triangle will go dark. For extended shower use press the plus button again and the triangle will go completely dark. This will boost the hot water and stop the heating system for a length of time to allow the system to put all its power into the hot water. (For extra power put the gas on in conjunction with the 240v.) Power Input The third buttons down control the 240v power input. There will be an isolation switch somewhere in the caravan which will have to be on to allow the system to work. A plug symbol is visible on the home screen when 240v is present. 1kw will be fine for non heating and occasional washing up duties, 2kw will be the preferred setting for heating the caravan and using the shower, some caravans are equipped with 3kw but care has to be taken with this level to insure the park does not trip out. If this level of heating is required I would recommend using the gas along side the 2kw setting. Gas The flame button in the bottom left of the screen operates the gas, and will turn blue when on. On cold days when the water in the van starts at near freezing and the caravan is cold, I would recommend using the gas setting with the 2kw setting on 240v to get the systems up to temperature quickly. Once the desired temperatures are reached, turn the gas off and just use the 240v system to save on gas.

Most modern caravans will come with an oven and a microwave fitted as standard. There are several different types of oven but they all work in the same principle. They run primarily on gas but some also have a 240v hob plate fitted. The hob has 3 gas rings (with one 240v hob plate if fitted). There is a separate grill with an oven below. All are fitted with a safety feature called a thermocouple which will shut the gas off if the flame has gone out, some are fitted with an extra safety feature that requires the hob lid to be in the fully raised position before the oven will work. As with the ovens, most caravans are now fitted with a microwave that operates in the same way as the one at home, they run on 240v so will only work when plugged into the mains.

There are three different types of water system, an onboard pump, an exterior pump and in some cases both with an onboard water tank. In the majority of cases, newer caravans have an onboard water pump with a pick up tube on the outside of the caravan that goes into the Aquaroll. Operation. On the caravans control panel will be a pump switch, turn this on to give the water system 12v. Most pump systems have a pressure switch that operates once the tap is opened, open the tap and after a few seconds you will here the pump start and water will flow from the tap. Then close the tap and the pump will run on for 7 to 10 seconds then slow down and stop. The pump switch can be left on while you are in the caravan but I would recommend turning it off if you go out for the day incase a pipe blows off and floods the caravan. Also due to the changing temperature at night sometimes the pump will run for a few seconds and become annoying, so i recommend turning the pump switch off at night too. Draining Down It is important to drain the water system down during the winter months to avoid frost damage. To do this locate the yellow water hater drain down valve (pictured below) and flip up so it is vertical, this drains the water from the tank. Then the taps need to be left open and in the central position to allow the air back down the pipes. The toilet tank will need to be drained (See Here) and the shower hose must be removed from the tap to get the last bit of water from it. Draining back up To do this flip the yellow switch back to its horizontal position, put the filler hose in a full Aquaroll, close the washroom taps and leave the kitchen tap open in the hot position. Switch on the pump switch and the pump will start to run. The hot tap will splutter at the air is forced out of the tank. When the water is running cleanly the tank is full and you can turn the tap off. It is important to open the rest of the taps and get the water through, then insure the pump reaches pressure and switches off, this tells you that there are no leaks in the system. The above picture shows and onboard pump with a surge damper and the yellow drain down valve. Truma exterior pump. Above is the external water pump that has been located into the pump housing and placed into the Aquaroll ready for use. Waste Water. The waste water leaves the caravan via two waste points and can be collected by a Wastemaster (pictured below). The waste points are normally found on the off side of the caravan just behind the wheel. The two points can be joined into one using an easy drain.

The caravan is equipped with a Thetford Cassette toilet that has a fresh water holding tank for the flush water and a waste holding tank for, well you know what. Above is the water fill up point through which the fresh water flush tank can be filled. We don't recommend traveling with too much water in the tank as it will slosh about and adds weight to the caravan normally at the rear of the van, which isn't ideal. A Flush additive can be used in the fresh tank, this helps lubricate the pump and keeps the tank free from mould build up. To operate Press the blue button that is situated on top out the toilet and a pump. This will flush water around the bowl. A handle at the front of the unit just below the bowl can then be slid across to allow the contents of the bowl to pass into the cassette. The blue chemical must be put in the cassette each time it gets emptied, to do this follow the instruction on the bottle and pour the required amount into the cassette through the bowl, and add some flush water. When full, the Cassette can then transported to the waste deposal point, normally situated near the toilet block.

Fitted to all our caravans is a compact absorption refrigerator with a freezer. The fridge can run on 240v, gas and on 12v when the tow vehicle is running. Operation There are several different models of fridge but they all work on the same principle. Select the desired heat input, either 240v if you are plugged in, gas if wild camping and 12v if you are traveling. Then select the temperature control. We recommend this is set to three quarters as it gives the fridge a chance to get to temperature and rest. If it is set to high, it will never achieve it and will be running all the time. In most cases the fridge will be running on the 240v. We recommend that the gas is used at regular intervals for a short period of time to keep it all working, normally once every three months for a few hours. If the gas has not been used for a year then the likely hood of it working when needed is slim.

The gas system runs the cooker and provides back up to the water heater, space heater and fridge if the is no 240v present. All caravans from 2008 onwards will have a Truma bulkhead regulator situated in the front gas locker compartment. A high pressure hose is then attached to this and is connected to a gas bottle. We recommend using Propane gas (Red bottles) as it is a much cleaner gas and has a lower freezing point so can be used in winter. Butane will stop working efficiently at around 4 degrees and has a higher oil contend to can block up the regulator and appliances. Operation. Insure the bottle is correctly fitted using the gas hose provided. The propane fitting is a LEFT HAND THREAD so needs to be unscrewed, to screw it in. A correct sized spanner must be used to tighten the fitting into the bottle. The bottle can then be turned on and the gas system used. A common problem is that the regulator can block up with oil and stop working. If you have little or no gas coning into the caravan, insure the bottle is turned on and the internal switches are in the correct position, if there is still no gas then the regulator will need to be changed by a competent person. There are two size, 8mm and 10mm. Most caravan are 8mm. To insure you don't get this problem, when you have finished with the gas system, turn it off at the bottle and light the hob to remove the excess gas that will remain in the system. This is especially important over the winter months when the oil in the gas goes thick.