I have recently purchased an old two berth Adria caravan. I paid £500 so not top of range.
Could anybody please tell me how the toilet,shower and water works please.
I can't find any fuse box.
thank you very much.
I don't know the caravan model, but you should have a submersible pump attached to a short length of hose, and with an electrical connector of some kind that plugs in to the side of the caravan. The pump goes into a water carrier outside the caravan and this provides water for the various taps in the caravan. Impossible for me to say how the toilet works, as these vary and I don't know which type you have. Have you found a battery anywhere? You will need one to power the water pump.
Hi Meols. I've got an old (1992) Adria Optima 4 berth. On mine there is no fusebox as such, just a panel above the kitchen with resettable trips for the 12v circuits. Do you have an onboard water tank or an external connection for a submersible pump to use with an aquaroll? Toilet is likely to be a Thetford C2 (12v electric flush) or C4 (manual flush). Search either on Google and you will find links for operation and common faults. For taps and shower to work you need a 12v supply either from a leisure battery or via a charger / transformer which you need 240v hook up to power. A lot of old Adrias only had cold water as there was no water heater. Mine has a carver cascade 2 water heater and whale elegance taps. With either setup the tap in the toilet pulls out on a long hose which then becomes the shower.
Ours is slightly newer but some Adria's water intake is from a removable tank in the front locker so if you can't find anywhere to plug a pump in look in the locker.
Water heater is usually electric only, powered by a switch usually with a green light in it.
Old Adria don't generally have a battery unless one has been retrofitted. They use a transformer for 12V, this is usually in the wardrobe or the cupboard which is directly inside the socket where you plug the main hookup in.
Quote: Originally posted by kaspa1972 on 01/5/2017
Hi Meols. I've got an old (1992) Adria Optima 4 berth. On mine there is no fusebox as such, just a panel above the kitchen with resettable trips for the 12v circuits. Do you have an onboard water tank or an external connection for a submersible pump to use with an aquaroll? Toilet is likely to be a Thetford C2 (12v electric flush) or C4 (manual flush). Search either on Google and you will find links for operation and common faults. For taps and shower to work you need a 12v supply either from a leisure battery or via a charger / transformer which you need 240v hook up to power. A lot of old Adrias only had cold water as there was no water heater. Mine has a carver cascade 2 water heater and whale elegance taps. With either setup the tap in the toilet pulls out on a long hose which then becomes the shower.
Hope you get it sorted.
Cheers
Sean
Hello Sean,
I wonder if I could contact you with regard to your Adria. I've bought one but am a total novice and would love a bit of guidance specific to my new (vintage) baby.
Sinead welcome along to the forum.
You could be out of luck here, as kaspa has not posted since 2017. But they could still be around just not active on the forum.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
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Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Hi Sinead, I see you have resurrected several very old posts. I have been on this site quite a few years now and I don't recognise many of the names you have replied to. Quite a few people come on here, make one or two posts, then disappear, so it's quite possible that the people you have replied to are no longer members.
I can't help with any info specifically to your make and model as I've never owned one, but I do have an older caravan myself (1992) and I am quite handy with fixing bits and pieces so if I can help in any way just ask.
Thank you so much for replying. Yes I really only noticed how old some of the posts were when I was looking back on my own posts to check there were no typos. I actually thought those dates were when people joined! 🤦♀️😆
I didn't realise it would be quite so difficult to obtain info about the Adria Optima when I bought it and am feeling a bit lost now without any specs to refer to for guidance.
I'm toying with the idea of photographing and cataloguing my interior and gas/electric/plumbing specs as I explore the interior.
I have a few questions initially which I would love if you could answer.
1. I want to hook everything up at home. I had an external EHU socket installed last year for this type of thing (and kids camping in the garden) but I need to know how to ensure everything is OFF before plugging in, so that I don't short anything out. Same for the gas and the plumbing. Is there a special order or method to doing this? I don't want to 'blow' everything at my first attempt to being some power into it.
I'm wondering if I should trace all feeds to ensure tubes, pipes, cabling etc., is intact and undamaged and if so, how to begin that process, i.e. follow from where to where?
2. There is a plank underneath the doorway that has dropped a bit. No doubt from constant stepping up. I'm wondering if another couple of nails or screws will fix the problem or if I should replace it, to provide an extra stability. On the topic of nails-vs-screws, which would be best to use and how do I determine the appropriate length so as not to pierce the internal flooring.
3. There are two 'spots' (lights) to the front of the living area but they are old style and heat up considerably when in use. I would like to replace them with a 'cooler'-to-touch alternative. Is that a simple job or do I need an electrician? Each has their own junction box up inside the ceiling cupboard. There is also a ceiling bulkhead light missing in the bunk area. I'm unsure of what type of light should be here. How do I find out what type of light/shade should be used so as to not impact the bunk being dropped down or raised back up.
4. How do I find the caravan's 'fuse board'? I have a control panel with switches for hot water, pump, etc., but is there an actual junction box the contains fuses? Even my EHU has its own three gang fuse board.
5. Is there a secret to cleaning and replacing the seals around the windows and doors. The rubber is a but worse for the wear in some areas. There are no leaks but it looks rough. I'm concerned about how to clean them first, while ensuring I don't damage them. And in the event something does begin to perish following cleaning, how do I repair or replace the rubbers? The rubber around the door in particular has been screwed back up as it obviously came away. I want to repair that, not least because the outside screw has pierced the interior wall and is sharp and dangerous.
6. The bathroom window has been screwed shut as the window 'arms' were broken. Is this a big job to repair? Do I just need new arms or a whole new window?
7. What sort of paint or wall covering are best to use? I'm conscious of creating condensation issues but would like to freshen things up. Are there paint types, vinyl sheets, e.g. tiling on a roll or similar, that are best used and what should I absolutely avoid?
As my wagon is elderly, are there any particular suppliers you would recommend for parts or will newer generic parts work in it, e.g. Window arms, clasps, door lock, windows, blinds etc.,
I hope you don't mind the litany of questions.
Thank you so much for the offer of help. I really appreciate it.
Hi Sinead, I'll try and answer what I can, although I can't help much with anything specific to your caravan. I think it would indeed be a good idea to photograph as much as possible and catalogue, as it may help others help you.
To take your points;
1. There should be a small consumer unit somewhere, usually near where the mains cable comes in. Turn all the circuit breakers and all the caravan's mains switches off before you plug the caravan in to your EHU socket. Plug the cable into the caravan end first, then plug the other end in to the house. Once you have done that, switch on power to the caravan, then turn on the main circuit breaker on the caravan's consumer unit. If nothing trips, turn on the other circuit breakers one by one. If nothing trips you should have mains power to everything in the caravan that needs it. You could now try turning things on in the caravan to see if they work or anything trips.
2. Screws will always be stronger than nails, but it will depend on what you are screwing them into. It is difficult to tell about how long they should be without seeing the location.
3. If the spots are 12 volt battery powered it should be easy to replace them with LEDs, but if they are mains powered I wouldn't touch them. Get an electrician to take a look.
4. There may or may not be a fuse board. Some caravans just have screw-in fuseholders for individual items in the control panel. Mine is like that. It might be worth looking under the seats or in the wardrobe though.
5. I would just use soap and water to clean the seals, and if any need replacing, Seals Direct is a good place to start.
6. Difficult to tell without seeing it but the window struts are usually fairly standard. Most caravan dealers should have something that would do, or there's always ebay. I doubt whether a new window would be needed.
7. I'm not really sure about wall coverings, but I'm sure others will know and be better at answering that one.
I have always found Kenmore Caravans to be very helpful for all sorts of bits and pieces. I got a new roof vent and all sorts of other bits from them. Just Google them and order online, they are very quick with their deliveries usually.
I hope that is some help, and I have found that others on here are very helpful too, although it does depend on who is around at the time.
All the best, Colin
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
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Topic: Old Adria caravan
via mobile 13/1/2022 at 12:20am
