Hab12v

[Rodders1234]

Never worried about turning it off. However now turn the water pump off after something on the sink side pushed the tap on while travelling, the sink top was down so the water ended up on the floor!

 

[Tim120]

Old van used to retract step and turn off 12v when engine started.
This one disney, so I do. No idea why though.

 

[wildebus]

Old van used to retract step and turn off 12v when engine started.
This one disney, so I do. No idea why though.

The auto-off 12V thing does seem to be a "British" thing only. It is supposedly a legal requirement or NCC guideline, but TBH I think it is a combination of British Motorhomes using what were historically Caravan electrical units (and you would not leave a 12V hab system live in a Caravan when towing) and the manufacturers laziness in not updating the systems for Motorhome specific ones, using the NCC "EMC noise" thing as an excuse.
Was the old van British and the new one Continental?

Odd you don't get the step retract on startup. Presumably you get a warning buzzer at least? I have a British van (Autotrail) and I do like the way the electrical step can be configured... can have it auto-out on unlocking and/or auto-in on locking the doors, or in and out on the button (I have set to work on the button), and it will always buzz when out and the engine starts, and auto-retracts.
My 12V USED to turn off on engine start but I disabled that by removing the D+ signal into the main Sargent unit, so now it simply does not know the engine is running .
On mine, both the Step and the Fridge 12V supply are controlled via a different control box so their function was totally unaffected by my change, but I know some other types of units, and simpler or older (circa 2003 and older at a guess) Sargent setups might have a system where the one signal line does 12V Hab OFF, Fridge ON and Step IN so have to watch out for that it wanting to change things (still possible. Everything is possible )

 

[Tim120]

Yes, old one was a Swift, which you've just reminded me the step would come out on unlock (not always a goo thing) and the external light would also come on.
Start engine, step in, electrics off, and what a noise if engine started and still on EHU.
This one Carthago makes a racket if engine starts and step is out. Step and light not automatic when unlocked, not bothered about the step, as I said not always a good thing, outside light would be nice on unlocking though.

 

[wildebus]

Yes, old one was a Swift, which you've just reminded me the step would come out on unlock (not always a good thing) and the external light would also come on.
Start engine, step in, electrics off, and what a noise if engine started and still on EHU.
This one Carthago makes a racket if engine starts and step is out. Step and light not automatic when unlocked, not bothered about the step, as I said not always a good thing, outside light would be nice on unlocking though.

interesting got an alarm on EHU.
on one hand a great idea (I have driven off with the lead attached a few times on my old Camper!). but on the other hand, if you have something like a Victron Multiplus where the hab system think you are on hookup always, not so good

External light auto-on can be a handy thing. Here is an idea for you ... I fitted an remote receiver inside my awning light housing and can turn the regular light on and off with a keyfob remote that I keep with the van keys.

 

[SimonM]

I’ve never turned off the 12v while travelling.
my old CIRiviera had an autoretracting step.
my Burstner doesn’t have an auto step, just a warning light, and then you have to go to the middle of the MH to retract it
my new Carthago doesn’t auto retract, but at least it has an annoying buzzer and a retract button on the dash if it’s forgotten about - normally 1 in 5 trips.

 

[Okta]

Switching off the 12v on ours disables the 3 way fridge, so it 'has' to be left on.
Iirc caravan council say 12v should be off when driving, so many UK built vans disable it.

I believe the original theory from caravan council was to avoid interference of vehicle electrics, but after decades of driving with the hab electric on I've never had a problem.

The Caravan Council have yet to work out the difference between a caravan and a motorhome. It also allows cheapskate constructors to use electronic components that are not shielded and are not certified for use in a moving vehicle. Vehicles that allow the electrics to remain on are probably using certified components.

Ours is the same, 12V has to be left on if you want things to work properly. If the water level is low I turn the pump off

 

[Nesting Zombie]

How do you manage in the winter with no alternator battery charging? EHU every day? (I can't imagine the solar will put enough charge in?)

Hi ya,
I actually DONT use that amount of 12v power from the Hab Battery, it’s just Lights & Water Pump, So I can go maybe 2 or three days easily with ‘Bad Solar Days’ so long as I get say a cpl of fair days a week I’m fine.

The 24h Vehicle CCTV system & Phone Charging is by Far the biggest draw, & as I ‘Move’ pretty much every day or every 2nd day it’s fine but that’s switched between Main & Hab batteries.

Don’t forget I get a good Charge for 24h a week on EHU when I do my ‘Site Pit Stop’ say once a week or every 10Days so it kinda works for me

 

[jann]

It switches off automatically

 

[wildebus]

Hi ya,
I actually DONT use that amount of 12v power from the Hab Battery, it’s just Lights & Water Pump, So I can go maybe 2 or three days easily with ‘Bad Solar Days’ so long as I get say a cpl of fair days a week I’m fine.

The 24h Vehicle CCTV system & Phone Charging is by Far the biggest draw, & as I ‘Move’ pretty much every day or every 2nd day it’s fine but that’s switched between Main & Hab batteries.

It is the "moving" bit I didn't get. The way I read your post, "moving" will make no difference as you don't charge the battery when you are moving? Or is it you use the vehicle battery (that does of course get a charge when driving) for "habitation" purposes as well?

Don’t forget I get a good Charge for 24h a week on EHU when I do my ‘Site Pit Stop’ say once a week or every 10Days so it kinda works for me

 

[Nesting Zombie]

(Bear with me, I’m crap at explaining sometimes) Yeah so the CCTV & Phone Charging that are by FAR the biggest draws, Together with plugging absolutely anything else that I use & can then be charged like Torches, Radio & alike ALL get charged when driving from ‘Main’ battery & I tend to ‘Move’ every day or every 2nd day. I THEN of course get the 24h site pit stop to plug in & Boost everything.
Do you see what I mean?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Our step auto retracts, it also turns off all 12v cept to the fridge which will travel on any of the selector options.

Some vans have more than two travel seats so certain 12v is still on such as USB and lighting etc.

 

[Nabsim]

My step auto retracts when it is working but had 12V is a manual switch above tab door. I used to turn it off for maybe the first 18 months but never bother these days.

If turned off the fridge, step, main tab light and outside lights over the door still work anyway. Plus I have fitted quite a bit of extra stuff that doesn't go through the original control system so the 12v Off is now a bit pointless. Then again mine is a German van and they don't do the same as UK vans anyway.

 

[gasgas]

I've just bought a Transit based Chausson, one year old. The first job was to take the Transit to a Ford dealer and ask them to fix the rainwater pouring all over the engine electrics and the engine ECU. They said they can't, they are built liket that in the factory. So off to Wickes and bought some stuff and fixed that. An article will be sent to MMM.
Secondly the original dealer has fitted a lovely addition to the original electrics which were an additional LB, and one additional 120W solar panel. This is to run the diesel habitation heater, compressor fridge and all the lighting, water pump, and the electric bits of the water heater. So there's now 240W, a second 120AH leisure battery and a fancy aluminium charger box, and a MPPT regulator. All that, I am impressed with. What I am not impressed with is the letter printed by the original dealer, signed by them and by the first purchaser, to the effect that The Special Switch In The Wardrobe next to the MPPT regulator must be off when the engine is running. This is a simple one pole rocker switch. This will be forgotten while I own the vehicle so I have bought a change-over relay which with the engine off the solar panels will be connected, and when energised by the ignition on, will disconnect the solar panels. Apparently the poor diddums intelligent alternator (with an IQ of less than the idiots in Ford who designed the inbuilt waterfall over the electrics) can't cope with having solar panels so has to be separated from the panels further than a Prime Minister does from his partying friends.
I ordered the relay and some wire from Amazon, it came the next day, then we went away for a weekend and now I am back I can't find the relay and wire anywhere. The only way to find it is to order another one, and half a hour after ordering it, I will find the original.

Electric step: this Chausson comes with an electric step but no buzzer and no auto retract. So that will be the next electrical job, to make it retract when the ignition is on. I need a relay and a limit switch, and 12v on when ignition is on, and off once the step has retracted. So today's job is to find a wire with +12v when ignition is on, and 0v when ignition is off . .. . . . there are plenty of wires to choose from:

 

[Drover]

Not turned the 12 volt off for over 10 years...
Gas fridge gave up though

 

[Okta]

@gasgas Not sure you should blame the smart alternator for not being smart enough. It can probably cope very well with the one engine battery it is designed to cope with. Presumably there is a B2B fitted to charge the leisure battery without upsetting the smart alternator. With the alternator already isolated from the leisure battery by the B2B it is unlikely that the solar will be affecting that. My suspicion is the switch in the wardrobe is because the B2B can’t cope with the solar panels raising the voltage of the leisure battrey.

Your idea of a relay sound like a great solution. Shame the installer didn’t think of that.

 

[Drover]

I've just bought a Transit based Chausson, one year old. The first job was to take the Transit to a Ford dealer and ask them to fix the rainwater pouring all over the engine electrics and the engine ECU. They said they can't, they are built liket that in the factory. So off to Wickes and bought some stuff and fixed that. An article will be sent to MMM.
Secondly the original dealer has fitted a lovely addition to the original electrics which were an additional LB, and one additional 120W solar panel. This is to run the diesel habitation heater, compressor fridge and all the lighting, water pump, and the electric bits of the water heater. So there's now 240W, a second 120AH leisure battery and a fancy aluminium charger box, and a MPPT regulator. All that, I am impressed with. What I am not impressed with is the letter printed by the original dealer, signed by them and by the first purchaser, to the effect that The Special Switch In The Wardrobe next to the MPPT regulator must be off when the engine is running. This is a simple one pole rocker switch. This will be forgotten while I own the vehicle so I have bought a change-over relay which with the engine off the solar panels will be connected, and when energised by the ignition on, will disconnect the solar panels. Apparently the poor diddums intelligent alternator (with an IQ of less than the idiots in Ford who designed the inbuilt waterfall over the electrics) can't cope with having solar panels so has to be separated from the panels further than a Prime Minister does from his partying friends.
I ordered the relay and some wire from Amazon, it came the next day, then we went away for a weekend and now I am back I can't find the relay and wire anywhere. The only way to find it is to order another one, and half a hour after ordering it, I will find the original.

Electric step: this Chausson comes with an electric step but no buzzer and no auto retract. So that will be the next electrical job, to make it retract when the ignition is on. I need a relay and a limit switch, and 12v on when ignition is on, and off once the step has retracted. So today's job is to find a wire with +12v when ignition is on, and 0v when ignition is off . .. . . . there are plenty of wires to choose from:
View attachment 121083View attachment 121084

Don't join the chausson owners club on facebook .... loads of bad stuff about ford/chausson ,,
I'm on there but I have a old fiat model, not a lot gone wrong with it.
Switch for step but buzzer goes off if you start engine... as said on post before 12 volt is left on continuously...
Electric bed works better with engine running, but bed manufacturers have said the bed needs wiring direct to battery not through relays,switches and fuses like chausson have done it.

 

[Deleted member 95622]

Do you drive with your van hab 12vt left on?

Our van (DIY conversion) has it on all the time - there is a big isolator switch though but I rarely bother. The fuse box feeds one of those panels with 12v and USB outlets and switches for "stuff" (water pump, heater, extra USB outlets) but the fan, lights and fridge are directly off their own fuses, so stay "live" all the time. The inverter is hardwired to the battery too. Knowing the fridge is there and working all the time is nice so I can leave some stuff in there from trip to trip (butter, cheese). Solar keeps it all going right now - come winter I might have other thoughts.

I did turn the isolator when it went in for a service recently, but other than testing it, I don't think I've ever used it.

-G

 

[merl]

I've just bought a Transit based Chausson, one year old. The first job was to take the Transit to a Ford dealer and ask them to fix the rainwater pouring all over the engine electrics and the engine ECU. They said they can't, they are built liket that in the factory. So off to Wickes and bought some stuff and fixed that. An article will be sent to MMM.
Secondly the original dealer has fitted a lovely addition to the original electrics which were an additional LB, and one additional 120W solar panel. This is to run the diesel habitation heater, compressor fridge and all the lighting, water pump, and the electric bits of the water heater. So there's now 240W, a second 120AH leisure battery and a fancy aluminium charger box, and a MPPT regulator. All that, I am impressed with. What I am not impressed with is the letter printed by the original dealer, signed by them and by the first purchaser, to the effect that The Special Switch In The Wardrobe next to the MPPT regulator must be off when the engine is running. This is a simple one pole rocker switch. This will be forgotten while I own the vehicle so I have bought a change-over relay which with the engine off the solar panels will be connected, and when energised by the ignition on, will disconnect the solar panels. Apparently the poor diddums intelligent alternator (with an IQ of less than the idiots in Ford who designed the inbuilt waterfall over the electrics) can't cope with having solar panels so has to be separated from the panels further than a Prime Minister does from his partying friends.
I ordered the relay and some wire from Amazon, it came the next day, then we went away for a weekend and now I am back I can't find the relay and wire anywhere. The only way to find it is to order another one, and half a hour after ordering it, I will find the original.

Electric step: this Chausson comes with an electric step but no buzzer and no auto retract. So that will be the next electrical job, to make it retract when the ignition is on. I need a relay and a limit switch, and 12v on when ignition is on, and off once the step has retracted. So today's job is to find a wire with +12v when ignition is on, and 0v when ignition is off . .. . . . there are plenty of wires to choose from:
View attachment 121083View attachment 121084

I'd get a B2B fitted as a priority, no need to faff with the relay AND both of the leisure batteries will charge properly so you'll have a greater battery capacity and they'll last longer.

 

[Okta]

I'd get a B2B fitted as a priority, no need to faff with the relay AND both of the leisure batteries will charge properly so you'll have a greater battery capacity and they'll last longer.

I would expect a 1 year old Chausson to have a B2B as standard. The problem the switch/relay is dealing with is more likely to be the interaction between solar and B2B.