Below are the instructions for the different systems in the caravan. You will either have the Truma Ultraheat and Ultrastore, the Combi 4, or the Alde heating systems.
I have generalized the procedure as most caravan are similar but may have slightly different systems built into them. The will all have a main POWER switch which will allow the 12v to work, most will have a separate pump switch, and older caravan will have central lights with their own switches.
This is the most common version of the stabilising hitch it can be fitted to single or twin axle caravans. It works by locating friction pads onto the tow ball which inhibits the sideways and up and down movement between the caravan and the car. Due the the use of friction the tow ball should be free from grease. To do this use white spirit or brake cleaner to de-grease the ball before use. If you have a diesel car this will need to be done more often as the exhaust will have oil in the fumes.
Position the vehicles tow ball below the hitch assembly. Insure the black/ red lever and the central lever are in the raised position.
Lower the hitch assembly onto the vehicle tow ball using the jockey wheel, the black handle will click down.
Depress the main black/red handle until it stops, this may take some effort. If it is easy to push down, the friction pads may need changing.
Take care to check that the red button at the front of the assembly is showing green, this means that the tow ball has located correctly into the hitch.
Reverse the above process but insure the lower black handle is pushed fully forward and held in position before and during the jockey wheel assemblies operation.
On some occasions the hitch can get stuck on the vehicle. This is normally due it being stressed. The first thing to check is if the lower handle was fully forward before winding the jockey wheel, Lower the caravan back down and try again.
If the caravan was backed onto a pitch up a slope then apply the handbrake to the caravan and release the vehicle handbrake so the car can move forward to remove the pressure on the hitch. Or visa versa if the caravan has been backed down a slope.
This is the lightest version of the stabilising hitch with a maximum weight of 1300 kgs. It works by locating friction pads onto the tow ball which inhibits the sideways and up and down movement between the caravan and the car. Due the the use of friction the tow ball should be free from grease. To do this use white spirit or brake cleaner to de-grease the ball before use. If you have a diesel car this will need to be done more often as the exhaust will have oil in the fumes.
Position the vehicles tow ball below the hitch assembly. Insure the side lever and the central lever are in the raised positions and the red dial on the right of the assembly is has been screwed out (fully anti clockwise until it stops).
Lower the hitch assembly onto the ball and the central handle will click down into position,. Notice the front red button is showing green to indicate the ball has located fully into the hitch assembly.
Turn the red dial clockwise until a clicking noise id heard.
The depress the red leaver until it stops.
Locate the brake away cable and plug in the electrics. Insure all corner steadies are up and double check the hitch as under pressured conditions it is sometimes easy to mis-hitch.
The short answer is for comfort, it is not nice using a caravan that is not level, sometimes the fridge will not work, or the water will not drain away efficiently. It depends on the caravanners preference.
To level a single axle across the axle there are a number of devices on the market to help. From leveling blocks to air devices that use the car's exhaust to inflate.
I would recommend leveling blocks or the cheeper alternative, blocks of wood. Pull up on the desired pitch in roughly the position you require. Then have a look at the front of the caravan to gauge how un-level the caravan is and which side is lower. The place the leveling block/ piece of wood, behind the lower sides wheel and reverse the caravan back unlit the caravan has been lifted up sufficiently for it to be level. I recommend reversing the caravan onto the block as the brakes on the caravan work quicker when going forward due to the lead and trail brake shoes, apply the brake and un-hitch the caravan.
For a twin axle caravan the choices are a bit more limited, I would use varying different size of wood depending on the hight required. With a little practice you will be able to judge the hight required and correspond it with amount of blocks required.
I always carry some thick bits and a number of thin bits for final adjustment. With a twin axle I would decide weather to pull or push the van onto the wood depending on the tow car, the slope of the pitch and the surface of the pitch for grip. Obviously a twin axle caravan is a bit heavier than a single and you will also be pushing back against the brakes, so pitch surface is important to avoid the car's wheels spinning. (Site owners are nortously protective over their grass)
Put the caravan in the position you want it to be in after leveling, gauge the amount of wood required level the caravan and place them next to the wheels. Pull the caravan either back or forwards depending on the situation, then slide the wood into the position left by the wheels. This insures that the wood will have the correct spacing. Push/pull the caravan up onto the blocks and stop when the wheels are located Central on the blocks. Sometimes if the step up onto the blocks is too great, a smaller block of wood is required to act as a small step to stop the wheels pushing the main blocks away.
Once the cavan is level across the axle and has been un-hitched from the vehicle you can level the caravan from front to back. this is a simple case of winding the jockey wheel, situated at the front of the caravan, until the caravan is level. A spirit level can be used just inside the door to insure you get the level correct. After a while you will get used to knowing what is level and what is not just by feel. A bit of a tip thought, if the caravan front has to be raised to level, a trick of the eye means that it has too look slightly too high to be level.
Once the caravan is level the corner steadies can be lowered using the corner steady winder provided with the caravan, or using a drill with an adapter that can be purchased from an accessory shop.
Lower the REAR ones first until they touch the ground, some blocks may be needed to spread their weight on soft grass, then put weight on them by giving them and extra three turns or so. The caravan MUST NOT be leveled using the corner steadies, they are not designed to take the weight of the caravan.
Then once the rear steadies are down, lower the front ones in the same way.
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.
Truma/Whale exterior pump.
Above is the external water pump that has been located into the pump housing and placed into the Aquaroll ready for use. If you have in onboard pump system the pump assembly will be replace with a water pick up tube that will locate into the caravan in the same way as an external pump
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.
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.
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.
The orange 240v cable plugs into the on site socket then into the blue caravan socket which is usually situated in the battery box. The 240v then goes to a consumer unit.
The battery is located in the battery box usually net to the mains inlet.The battery supplies power to the lights, water pump, 12v strip lights, toilet pump (if fitted), the gas side of the water heater and any blown air heating fan. If a power cut occurred you will still have lights and water, and be able to run the fridge, heating and water systems on gas, this is why it is important to check the operation of the battery.
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.
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.
Turning on the 12v Electric system
The 12v electric system runs the 12v strip/spot lights, water pumps for the main water system and the cassette toilet. 12v’s are also needed to run appliances such as the gas side of the water heater, fan master heating system and some fridge/cooker ignition systems.
Connection: A 12v battery MUST be fitted to the caravan to supply the 12v electric system. With a battery in good condition all the above items will work correctly.
Most caravans will have a main 12v switch to turn the system on situated above or near the main door. Modern caravans will have a display panel of some sort and older vans will have a switch.
If you have a Swift caravan post 2010 there is also a system shut down button situated in the top left hand corner of the main control box either in a cupboard or under a front bunk that has to be depressed to allow 12v to go to the control panel.
How Is My Battery Charged?
240v from the mains goes through the transformer and is converted to 12v’s, which is wired to the battery and keeps it charged up.
Do I Still Need A Battery?
The answer is YES. The battery “levels” the voltage at 12v, the transformer on its own can give up to 17v. Some of the electrics in the caravan are volt sensitive and could be damaged if a battery is not in place.
How To Check Your Battery
This is important to check the battery for the above reasons and is simple to do. If you use the mains all the time and you have a transformer you may not know if the battery is working independently.
Disconnect the mains lead, then the strip lights and water pump should continue to work...
If they don’t first check the main battery fuse which is situated somewhere near the battery, if that is ok the battery needs to be checked.
If you have lost your 12v system, it could mean your transformer has stopped working and the battery has gone flat due to normal use without charging.
Looking after the Battery
If the caravan is going to be stored for a length of time exceeding 8 weeks then it is advisable to remove the battery and charge it every month and again prior to using the caravan. This is more relevant in the winter months as the cold will have an adverse effect on the life span of the battery.
With orange lead plugged into the site and plugged into the caravan and the trip switch in the up position the 240v system in the caravan will be live. The single blue switch on the right is the RCD, (residual current device), sometimes called a trip switch.The two other switches are MCB's (miniature circuit breaker). These are responsible for the circuits in the caravan. Typically, one will be 16 or 10 Amp and one will be 6 Amp. The 10/16 amp circuit will be responsible for the heaver equipment in the caravan such as the space heater, refrigerator and the socket near the kitchen area.
The smaller breaker will service the transformer and the rest of the sockets. There is a button which will test the operation of the RCD. This should be tested periodically to ensure the caravan is protected from a fault. If 240v is lost, this will be the first place to look. If the RCD is in the up position and stays there when the test button is pressed, then there is no 240v entering the caravan, the fault may be with the box on the site.
The charger will charger the battery while the caravan is plugged into the 240v system. There will be a switch to operate the charger. On Swift caravans from 2010 there will be a green button on the main ECU (pictured above). This needs to be in the pressed position and will illuminate when there is power.
On older models there will be a black switch situated below the main RCD unit, and on other makes of caravans a switch will be located somewhere near the charger.
Power usage:
Care has to be taken to ensure the system is not overloaded due to the limited supply of amps. As a guide 2 KW, (average house hold kettle, ultra heat on full) is 8.3 amps (2000 w divided by 240v = 8.3 amps). Some caravan sites are still using 10 amp RCD's in the site box. This means that when the rest of the 240v system is taken into account, such as the refrigerator, transformer and the sockets an overload is quite frequent. Most sites are now converting to 16 amps as the modern caravan requires more energy to operate its systems. However, care has to be taken to insure that the Truma ultra heat is not on full when a kettle is used. The sudden draw on the system may trip the site box. As the site box is furthest away from the draw, it is most likely to be the box that trips, not the caravan RCD, (not 100% sure why this is, I'm not an electrician!). Any appliance over 2 KW is not recommended. Low wattage kettles are quite useful but may take a long time to boil. TV's and microwaves are low wattage, so are not a problem, that 5 bar electric awning heater may just be a bit to heavy!. The 240v system will also charge the battery when on site, most of the lights will run off 12v's from the battery. Test the battery is working properly by isolating the 240v (press the blue button) and insure the 12v lights still operate.
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.
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.
For Propane there is a knob situated on top of the gas bottle which needs to be twisted in the anticlockwise direction to open and clockwise to close.
For Butane there will be a lever situated on the connection that clips onto the top of the bottle that twists through 90 degrees to open.
For both types of gas we recommend that the bottles are fully disconnected while traveling incase the emergency services need to remove the gas bottles in the event of an accident.
Below are instructions on how to operate the different systems in the caravan.
This is the new Swift command control panel, from left to right we have the pump switch which turns the pump on and off, then the awning light which also is an on and off switch.
Then we have the lighting switch which opens up the separate screen shown below.
From here we can turn on the rear light and front light sections by pressing the OFF section of the screen for the corresponding area which will turn the lights on, also changing the panel to show ON. The lights can then be dimmed by pressing the minus button to the required level
Then we have the Power switch, which give us the screen below.
From here we can see the state of the leisure battery, the solar (if fitted) and the state of the vehicle battery if plugged in. If you press the arrow in the bottom right of the screen we have the screen below.
This shows the AC (240v) current draw and from here we can also set a limit that the system will allow to be drawn. This is handy on sites with limited 240v power of say 10 Amps. This will prevent the main trip on the site box from tripping as it will not exceed the set limit.
Then we have the heating button.
From here we can control the Truma Combi boiler. Press the plus button to set the required air temperature in the caravan, we can turn the hot water on and off from eco to high, and control the energy input, one flash is 1 KW, two flashes is 2 KW, one flash and a gas bottle is gas and 1kw, two flashes and a gas bottle is gas and 2kw (ideal for cold winter days), and just a gas bottle is just gas.
You can set the timer by pressing the timer button and a sub menu will appear.(but I'd just leave it on as it's very efficient).
The we have the settings button.
The clock can be set from here as well as the screen timeout, brightness and you can also pair the system with the phone app.
Next we have the radio button.
The mode button selects, FM, DAB or Aux, the main volume is on the right of the screen with the presets at the bottom. To find stations press the scan buttons, or tune manually with the tune buttons. The arrow at the bottom left will bring up the radio settings.
The last button is for the fridge, this can be disabled if you would like to control the fridge in the normal way.
The power inputs are along the bottom, auto is handy because if the 240v power fails while you are out, the fridge will switch over to gas to save returning to a defrosted mess.
To see a YouTube video of the panel in operation CLICK HERE
And a video of how to recalibrate the panel HERE
The Truma Combi water and space heater can run on either 240v, gas or if needed, both. There will be a main switch located in the caravan that supplies the Combi with 240v. This needs to be switched on to give the heater power. On a Swift caravan the main 240 supply switch is on the main ECU (silver box under the bunk) and will illuminate orange when switched on. To indicate the power is being received by the Combi unit, a plug symbol will appear on the main screen in the bottom right hand corner. If this is not present, the heater will not work on 240v
There is a central dial (pictured above) which acts as a selection knob, and an enter button.
To turn the system on, press and hold the central knob, and the panel will light up. Most of the time the heater will turn on when the system shut down button or main power button is activated.
To insure the heater has 240v, there is a small plug symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If this is not present, make sure the 240v button on the main control board under the seat is pressed and illuminated.
The first this to select is the power source. Press the central knob and scroll over to the icon with a gas bottle with two flashes next to it. In normal use either use the ELE 2 (2 KW) setting for winter space heating and hot water, or the ELE 1 (1 KW) if you will not be using the shower or heating in the summer months. Of course, if you are not plugged in the the only option is the gas, so select this.
Once the desired input is selected, press the central knob and either press the back button, or scroll to the heating or hot water to set those.
To operate the heating, press the central knob and a set of icons will appear on the top of the screen. Select the motorhome icon and press the knob again. To start with the system will say off, TWIST the knob until the desired selling is shown on the screen. This will not be an exact temperature as it is not calibrated and each caravan is a different size but you will get used to what the numbers relate too fairly quickly.
With the requires number flashing, press the knob again, and then to confirm your selection, press the back button to the left of the main knob to exit.
A flame symbol will illumate in the top left hand side of the screen to indicate the heating is on. (This symbol is not the best choice in my opinion as it confuses customers into thinking the heater is working on gas, but this is not the case as the power input is selected in the section above.)
The symbol will flash as the heater warms the caravan to the desires setting and will be solid when the temperature has been reached.
Fan Speed.
The fan speed will automatically set to ECO when the heating is activated, but can be increased to boost by selecting the fan icon at the end of the icon row, depressing the central knob, selecting BOOST, pressing the knob again to lock the selection in, then exiting with the back button.
(On early modules there was a legionnaires disease setting when the heater would heat up in the night to kill the bugs, then the fan would blast the hot air into the caravan to remove the heat which would sound like Challenger taking off, if it happens, this setting can be over ridden in the settings menu)
Hot Water
To use the hot water, press the central knob and select the second icon along which is a thermostat with wavy lines. It will be set to OFF. Twist the knob to select either ECO, HOT or BOOST.
Use ECO if you are just using the system for a bit of washing up, HOT if you will be using the shower and BOOST if you will need a shower after a shower. This setting will turn the heating off for 45 minuets so the system can put all its energy into the hot water. The system will revert back to normal after this time.
Settings
There are a number of setting that can be accessed on the bottom row of icons, the main ones being the time, and a timer, but most people will set the temperature at the beginning of their stay and leave it at that. For further information on this I would refer you to the handbook.
Fault Finding
Click Here to see all the fault codes.
Remedy fault H 507 / 516 / 517 (gas supply interrupted)
Note: If the fault 507, 516 or 517 is displayed in the heater's control panel, switching the control panel on and off does not help. This does not delete the fault, but blocks the heater for 15 minutes. The heater is also blocked for 15 minutes if the fault 507, 516 or 517 is deleted four times without the gas supply being established.
Remedying flashing fault 507 / 516 / 517 (gas supply interrupted)
The fault code 507, 516 or 517 flashes because the heater is still in a 15-minute blocking time. This was possibly caused by the heater control panel being switched off or because the heater's 12-Volt supply was interrupted. The heater is also blocked for 15 minutes if the displayed fault is deleted four times without the gas supply being restored.
Drain down.
To insure the system is not damaged during the winter months it will need to be drained down
• Open all tank drain valves to drain onboard and external tanks, and leave open.
• Open the safety drain valve (yellow handle) next to water heater, and leave open.
• Fully open all the taps and shower mixer, move mixer position to the middle, and leave all taps in the open
position.
• Unscrew the shower head and shower hose, shake out remaining water and allow water to drain. It is advised
to leave the shower head and hose disconnected.
• Run pump for a short time, until all water is expelled.
• Disconnect the inlet pipe to the onboard water pump, mesh filter and outlet pipe, and re-run the pump for a
short time, to ensure all the water is removed. Leave the system disconnected during storage. (the system will should be fine if this step is not carried out, but if you want to be sure it wouldn't hurt.
Truma Ultraheat Units
Your Truma Ultra heat unit is responsible for the heating of your caravan. It is a duel fuel unit, this means that it runs on 240v mains electric and gas. The Ultra Heat is equipped with a fan that allows the warm air from the heater to be passed around the caravan via a system of pipes. This allows the whole caravan to be kept at a specific temperature.
240 Volt Operation
The heater has a mains switch, which has to be operated before the power can get to the temperature selector switch. The location of this switch varies depending on the make and model of caravan.
The heater has 3 settings on the 240v option, 500w. 1000w and 2000w. This is the maximum amount of power that will be used to heat the caravan at each setting. A green light will indicate that the power is on, the dial indicates which power output has been selected.
On the 2000w setting care has to be taken with other 240v appliances as the trip switch in the caravan can get over loaded.
The switch also has a thermostat setting dial which sets the temperature at which the thermostat operates. It is the dial with 1 through to 9 on it in the centre of the power selection switch.
The 240v heater can be used as a convector heater or the fan can be used to blow the warm air around the caravan.
Fan Operation: The fan is operated from the switch, which is located on the space heater. There are two settings - manual and auto.
The fan switch is located below the control dial numbered 1 through to 5. The centre position is off, to the left is manual and to the right is auto.
The manual fan is controlled by the numbered dial, 1, slow running fan through to 5 high speed fan.
The auto fan is controlled by a thermostat. The numbers on the dial correspond to a temperature at which the fan speed reduces. This will only work when the 2KW power output has been selected.
Gas operation
To operate the gas burner turn the gas control knob to 10 and depress fully. Hold in this position.
If you have an automatic ignighter you will hear a small “tick tick” noise. Keep the control knob depressed until the burner lights and the “tick” stops. Keep the control knob depressed for a further 10 seconds then release. The main burner will light; this can be seen through the viewing port in the cover.
If you have a manual ignighter depress the control knob for 5 seconds then press the manual spark knob repeatedly until the pilot light can be seen through viewing port.Keep the control knob depressed for 10 seconds then release, The main burner will light.
The Truma Ultrastore has been used in most caravans from 2000 onwards.
240v Operation
The operation of the 240v system is quite straight forward, insure the heater is full of water and then turn on the 240v switch. This is normally situated at a low level under the front offside seat. It can however be anywhere in the caravan and there are a number of different types!
Once the heater is switched on the water will get to full temperature in 30 minutes, the water heater can be left of or the duration of your stay, however some people will turn it off a night to save energy.
If the heater fails to heat the water the thermal trip could have blown. This normally happens if 240v is supplied to the heater without the unit having waster in it This needs to be reset. To do this the 240v supply has to be disconnected from the unit. There is normally a white plug and socket close to the water heater. Take this apart, leave for a few minutes, then reconnect. The water should now heat.
Gas Operation
To light the gas water heater to flue cowl has to be removed, the heater will not light with it in position.
Turn the gray switch to the flame position, a green light will come on and the heater will attempt to light. It fails a red light will come on. Wait for a few seconds and try again. When the heater has lit the green light will stay on. There is a thermostat in the center of the gas control knob, set this to the required setting. The gas system needs to be used from time to time to ensure all the working parts stay in good condition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.