Sargent EM40 Floor fuse box

GMJ

GMJ

Full Member
Posts
4,115
Likes
15,092
I have posted before regarding the above which is found in Auto-trail motorhomes. It may well be in other makes too. I have had 2 burn out in the space of 18 months because they simply are not fit for the purpose when it comes to handling the larger current pull for the large fridges in some models.

I found out in the first case when my main control panel started going haywire. A plug and socket had burned out.

In the second case I spelled burning and also - strangely enough - a smell like TCP! It transpired that this was the plug/socket for the fridge burning out!

I got the first one changed and paid for it as it was 4 years old or so, no problem. When it came to the second Sargent would not change it FOC despite it only being 14 months old.

During email conversations they firstly claimed it was because the installer had not used any/enough electrical spray on the connections; and then also tried to blame the fact that I have 2 hab batteries. In the second case this was a ridiculous assertion as my MH came with 2 factory fitted hab batteries and a factory fitted EM40, from new!

All of this despite numerous threads across numerous MH forums saying about the problems. Also since 2022 Auto-trail themselves now fit the EM41 heavy duty box to MH's with larger fridges, thereby highlighting further that the EM40 is not fit for purpose.

I have now upgraded to the EM41 so fingers crossed that this now works.

I write this as it may remind anyone having problems/smelling burning to check your floor box if fitted. In my Comanche I had to remove a piece of side trim behind the drivers seat so I could gently lift the floor box out. There was plenty of give in the cabling to tease the box out so I could have a good look at it.
 
Hello GMJ
I am having the same problems with my Sargent unit.
I'm not really into electrics but a good friend of mine is an electrical engineer and his diagnosis is the same as yours.

He tried to call them today on my behalf and the operator passed on his concerns to the technical team.
My correspondence with them has been very poor so not expecting any response quickly.

I am going to do an email to them over the next few days and hope you don't mind me quoting you concerns because we believe that a new power unit costing £457 is not fit for purpose.

Kind regards Sean
 
Go for it.

Despite many reports to the contrary, I found the customer service from Sargent to be both inconsistent in their analysis plus intransigent when it came to admitting their error. I guess that they are protecting themselves from recalls but given the nature of the fault and the fact that they know it is a problem, it was a poor effort from them.

Just one thing though. The EM41 floor box is £194 not £457 as you quote. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two to fit either.

 
I found that ours worked on EHU but not on 12v.

How old is your EM40?

Strange how these burn outs keep happening despite Sargent telling me...

"...not enough contact spray was used when it was installed"

"...over time with servicing the terminals would have become loose"

",,,you have 2 hab batteries"

..or words to that effect!

Funny how they now fit the EM41 as standard to A-T motorhomes with 2 leisure batteries though...yet there is no problem with the EM40! Yeh right...
 
I am really shocked at what has been posted here.
I worked in the electrical industry for over thirty years, and it is one of the most regulated industries with some of the highest standards in the world.
Although my skillset did not involve vehicles the standards in many ways are identical.
This Sargent equipment should have met the standards set by the British Standards institute and also meet Institute of electrical engineers standards in terms of installation.
But from what you are posting it seems that this equipment cannot handle loads applied to it by your absorption fridge which can be high.
The comment made that connections will loosen due to servicing is not acceptable.
Any connections made, particularly in a situation where situated within a moving vehicle must be of the highest standards to avoid arcing.
I think what you have to do is contact the BSI and the IEE and pass on your concerns.
They would be able to test the equipment to ensure that it meets the standards required for your installation.
It would also be beneficial if you could somehow get as many of those affected to do likewise.
It’s always possible that a tiny minority of electrical components can be faulty, but from what you are describing this requires looking into.
Another avenue would to inform Sargent that you intend to inform the BSI and the IEE this may just get you a better response.
Also Auto trail have responsibility here.
They have to ensure that EM40 unit is fit for purpose.
But their liabilities may well only be in relation to the quoted handling load of this unit published by Sargent. But if they have received large numbers of complaints and done nothing about it, they could also be culpable.
Bottom line, if I was in this position my first and primary objective would be to make my van safe. I would replace the EM 40 box, and replace it with one capable of handling the load requirements, which should always be higher than the actual load achievable. I don’t subscribe to running any electrical equipment to the max. It’s always better to having equipment in place that can handle more than the achievable load.

I really don’t understand why both Sargent and Auto Trail are behaving like this.
It seems obvious to me that if Auto Trail are now fitting the heavy duty EM 41 box they are in effect admitting that the EM 40 was not fit for purpose.


Electrical standards and approved codes of practice - Electrical safety

Listed below are some commonly used electrical standards and approved codes of practice. Additional standards and codes of practice would generally be needed to satisfy a specific application - it is the responsibility of the specifier to select and apply these.
www.hse.gov.uk www.hse.gov.uk
 
Last edited:
Mine is an Autosleeper. And I found out about from an Autosleeper forum where many have had the same problem, I am only running everything as it came out of the factory, just. 1 100ah leisure battery, to get to the plugs on mine I had to do a bit of dismantling, but whoever installed it had left no slack in the cables and the main feed was so tight that it was at an angle, that wouldn’t let the plug go fully into position.
I have managed to juggle things slightly and have only just managed to get the plug on properly,but it will need anew one fitting as soon as I get back, and some modifications to allow for some slack in the wires.
Sargent do a repair harness so it is obviously a problem, otherwise why manufacture a repair harness?
 
This seems to be an alternative replacement
IMG_1196.png
to the Sargent unit
 
Don't you know a handy electronics type who could simply do away with the plug and socket and wire it directly? it wouldn't be a massive job and would never go wrong again for certain.
 
merl said:
Don't you know a handy electronics type who could simply do away with the plug and socket and wire it directly? it wouldn't be a massive job and would never go wrong again for certain.
Click to expand...
This is the kind of approach I would take if I had the problem described.... Have the fridge 12V cable on a new discrete relay, starter battery cable on the other relay connecton and use what would be the original EM40 fridge output to turn the relay on. Taking it from a highish current to one with millivolt current.
(this is basically what older campers/MHs have for the fridge).
 
wildebus said:
This is the kind of approach I would take if I had the problem described.... Have the fridge 12V cable on a new discrete relay, starter battery cable on the other relay connecton and use what would be the original EM40 fridge output to turn the relay on. Taking it from a highish current to one with millivolt current.
(this is basically what older campers/MHs have for the fridge).
Click to expand...
Yes David that would sort out the issue, but from what I am reading Auto Trail and Sargent are not doing whats required.
 
RichardHelen262 said:
This seems to be an alternative replacement View attachment 134514to the Sargent unit
Click to expand...
I used ApulJack when the CBE DS520 had a hissy fit coincidentally just after i connected to the EHU on the CAMC Melrose site.

Not cheap but they did a full refurbishment when they found several problems after i sent it to them recorded delivery and they returned it a week later.
 
I thought I would have a look at mine to see what the connector looks like, but it is within the box.
Intetrestingly I don't have an EM40 either, but an EM50. Same functionality for fridge, step, etc, so not sure how they vary.

Out of interest for those who are saying the product should be declared unfit for purpose ... the Schaudt range of EBL (Electroblocs) have owners of those reporting identical problems with the 3-Way Fridge connection on the EBL units failing for just the same reason.
 
wildebus said:
I thought I would have a look at mine to see what the connector looks like, but it is within the box.
Intetrestingly I don't have an EM40 either, but an EM50. Same functionality for fridge, step, etc, so not sure how they vary.

Out of interest for those who are saying the product should be declared unfit for purpose ... the Schaudt range of EBL (Electroblocs) have owners of those reporting identical problems with the 3-Way Fridge connection on the EBL units failing for just the same reason.
Click to expand...
EBL = Electrically Buggered Links ... [but in German] :ROFLMAO:

Steve
 
I have had a recall letter off Autotrail about 4 weeks ago, and it went back to our suppliers who upgraded the unit to the new heavy duty version, totally free of charge
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top