Electric Problems On Motorhome

[Pauljenny]

Did you buy this from a dealer?
If so, contact them for advice.
Should be some warranty?

Many older vans changed hands, numerous times, during Covid, Many with recurring trouble because of greenhorn owners.
Did you ask for how many previous owners.?

 

[r4dent]

Sounds like you've got a fuse/ fuses out on the 12v side.

Sorry but once again I disagree.
A blown 12v fuse would cause only the items on that circuit to fail, and then they wouldn't work on EHU

And as I mentioned previously the lights that DO work when you're on EHU are actually 240v anyway.

and again I disagree.
The lights are not 230v (you are showing your age with "240". UK changed back in the 90s) they are 12v running from the battery charger 12v output.

The fuse panel something like this but you may not see the wires like you can in the image, you're looking for a row, possibly 2 of coloured plastic strips,

It is a good job that you & I are not trying to solve the war in the Ikrain!

Your picture is an under bonnet car / van fuse box which does not protect the motor home 12v devices.
MoHo devices are protected by separate fuses usually integrated in the PDU.

 

[colinm]

(you are showing your age with "240". UK changed back in the 90s)

The UK never changed from 240v, the standard voltage across Europe was set at 230v with a wide margin to encompass 240v that is still in use in UK.

 

[andyjanet]

Where are you Uk? We have some really knowledgeable members on here who may live locally to you and for the price of a bottle of red or several beers the van could be being used next weekend

 

[jeffmossy]

Has your van had a lithium battery fitted, if so you need to install the app and check that the discharge and charge switches are in the on position

 

[r4dent]

The UK never changed from 240v, the standard voltage across Europe was set at 230v with a wide margin to encompass 240v that is still in use in UK.

I beg to differ.

Voltage changes in your home or business | UK Power Networks

Voltage fluctuation at your home or business may cause your lights to dim or flicker. It can also cause problems with your electric vehicle (EV) charger or solar panels. You can report these types of voltage issues to us and we can help.

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

"In the United Kingdom, the standard voltage for single-phase electricity supply is 230 volts. The allowable voltage tolerance range is typically 216.2 volts to 253 volts, this is -6% to +10%. Fluctuations within this range should not cause issues for most electrical equipment."

 

[colinm]

I beg to differ.

Voltage changes in your home or business | UK Power Networks

Voltage fluctuation at your home or business may cause your lights to dim or flicker. It can also cause problems with your electric vehicle (EV) charger or solar panels. You can report these types of voltage issues to us and we can help.

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

"In the United Kingdom, the standard voltage for single-phase electricity supply is 230 volts. The allowable voltage tolerance range is typically 216.2 volts to 253 volts, this is -6% to +10%. Fluctuations within this range should not cause issues for most electrical equipment."

That's what 'they' might say, but the plain simple fact is the nominal voltage is 240v, 230v is a EU made up figure to cover all the countries which have nominal voltages from 220 to 240.

• The UK's voltage was previously 240 V, but was reduced to 230 V as part of European harmonization.
  
  
• The voltage tolerance range was also increased from -6% to +10% to accommodate the fact that most transformers are still set to 240 V.

https://www.twothirtyvolts.org.uk/pdfs/site-info/Explanation_230Volts.pdf

 

[merl]

Your picture is an under bonnet car / van fuse box which does not protect the motor home 12v devices.
MoHo devices are protected by separate fuses usually integrated in the PDU.

Yep, obviously NO idea what his 12v fuse setup will look like just trying to show the row of coloured plastic tops that the OP is looking for.

and again I disagree.
The lights are not 230v (you are showing your age with "240". UK changed back in the 90s) they are 12v running from the battery charger 12v output.

Well neither you or I know for certain if they are 240 or 12v but if the OPs lights that work on 240 only ARE actually 12V lights as you say then my mind says there must be a needless diode or needless changeover relay in the circuit OR a high resistance contact between battery and panel.
An open circuit contact on the battery as you suggested (either pos or neg) won't cause the symptoms the OP is describing but if you can draw a circuit that shows how the faults you suggest make the OPs system behave in the way the OP says AND have nothing but 12V interior lights (no 240s) then I'll bow to your superior electrical diagnostic skills

 

[r4dent]

if you can draw a circuit that shows how the faults you suggest make the OPs system behave in the way the OP says AND have nothing but 12V interior lights (no 240s) then I'll bow to your superior electrical diagnostic skills

The only 230v lights I have encounted in motor homes are table lamps plugged into sockets.

As per your request I attached diagrams which would produce the exact situation the OP reports.
I still beleive the most probable cause is a blown in line fuse between the leisure battery (shown as a dotted line in the diagrams).
The OP says he has checked i but I have my doubts and have asked him for details and photos.

 

[merl]

Sorry but that doesn't fit the brief. In the original thread the OP said

the leisure battery has 13.6volts on display ....

I'm afraid that won't happen with your drawing.

 

[wildebus]

The only 230v lights I have encounted in motor homes are table lamps plugged into sockets.

Just an FYI and some maybe useful info for you, fitted 240V lights are not that uncommon in Motorhomes. They were standard in many of the Autotrail designs.
The photo below is of my own Autotrail - the light shown is a 240V fitting and controlled by a dimmer switch in the kitchen area

240V Light in Autotrail Cheyenne by David, on Flickr

(PS. as far as the discussion of 240V vs 230V, pedantry survives clearly
FWIW, the mains supply in my area is typically over 240V and often at 245V and I have only seen it go below 240V on very limited occasions and never down to 230V
Last 30 days ... Interestingly, it is dipping under the 240V more than I realised, going as low as 237V, but on average probably 242V?)

 

[r4dent]

View attachment 140825

Did you run out of florins for the meter for a couple of days?

 

[wildebus]

Did you run out of florins for the meter for a couple of days?

The National Grid hamsters went on holiday

 

[marchie]

Did you run out of florins for the meter for a couple of days?

Naw, it's 'get your threepenny bits out' that's a naughty exhortation; 'Get your Florins out' is encouragement to break into one's leccy meter, and good, honest Scottish thrift ...

Steve

 

[r4dent]

Naw, it's 'get your threepenny bits out' that's a naughty exhortation; 'Get your Florins out' is encouragement to break into one's leccy meter, and good, honest Scottish thrift ...

Steve

When I were a lad .... I remember the "gasman" and the "Leccy man" coming to empty the meters.

My job was to go into the coal cellar (where the meters were located) with them and the follow them to the kitchen table where the coins were counted.
I was told to watch carefully to ensure that none ended up in his pocket!

By the time I was married it was two bob coins (aka florins), but the same rules applied.

 

[wildebus]

When I were a lad .... I remember the "gasman" and the "Leccy man" coming to empty the meters.

My job was to go into the coal cellar (where the meters were located) with them and the follow them to the kitchen table where the coins were counted.
I was told to watch carefully to ensure that none ended up in his pocket!

By the time I was married it was two bob coins (aka florins), but the same rules applied.

seeing as you would appear to be a) ancient and b) familiar with coin meters, tell me how come ......

Back in the early 80's, I was round my sisters house doing some decorating. finished for the day and sat down to wtch a bit of TV (Fantastic Journey, with Raquel Welsh. Funny how some memories stick with you ) and the meter ran out
But while the lights went off and the picture on the TV went off, the TV sound kept working until I put more money in the meter and the picture came back
So how come the TV Sound stayed on?

 

[maingate]

seeing as you would appear to be a) ancient and b) familiar with coin meters, tell me how come ......

Back in the early 80's, I was round my sisters house doing some decorating. finished for the day and sat down to wtch a bit of TV (Fantastic Journey, with Raquel Welsh. Funny how some memories stick with you ) and the meter ran out
But while the lights went off and the picture on the TV went off, the TV sound kept working until I put more money in the meter and the picture came back
So how come the TV Sound stayed on?

Possibly a Rediffusion TV.

 

[r4dent]

seeing as you would appear to be a) ancient and b) familiar with coin meters, tell me how come ......

Back in the early 80's, I was round my sisters house doing some decorating. finished for the day and sat down to wtch a bit of TV (Fantastic Journey, with Raquel Welsh. Funny how some memories stick with you ) and the meter ran out
But while the lights went off and the picture on the TV went off, the TV sound kept working until I put more money in the meter and the picture came back
So how come the TV Sound stayed

 

[mistericeman]

Just an FYI and some maybe useful info for you, fitted 240V lights are not that uncommon in Motorhomes. They were standard in many of the Autotrail designs.
The photo below is of my own Autotrail - the light shown is a 240V fitting and controlled by a dimmer switch in the kitchen area

240V Light in Autotrail Cheyenne by David, on Flickr

(PS. as far as the discussion of 240V vs 230V, pedantry survives clearly
FWIW, the mains supply in my area is typically over 240V and often at 245V and I have only seen it go below 240V on very limited occasions and never down to 230V
Last 30 days ... Interestingly, it is dipping under the 240V more than I realised, going as low as 237V, but on average probably 242V?)
View attachment 140825

My late dad used to do some work for a chap that was fairly high up in the CEGB (going back some years now )

He wangled us a tour around a place in Cheshire that looked outside like a nice bungalow ....
BUT inside was a heavily protected control centre for electricity generation across a large chunk of Northern England ....

One of the chaps working there was sat at a very James Bonesqe control desk with a rather large analogue meter on it ...
Along side was a set of TV sets playing the broadcasts currently going out ...

This chaps job was to watch for ad breaks/end of programs and get ready to notify pumped storage hydro schemes like Stywlen dam in North Wales to open the valve gear and raise the generation emount to prevent a drop when a chunk of the population stuck a kettle on at the same time ....

So high tech and yet so not at the same time .

 

[trevskoda]

The only warm thing in our old home was the valve tv, cat used to sleep om top but sometimes slipped of down the back knocking the antenna plug out, if i remember correct it was a b/w pie set with big glowing valves.