Hi. I am after some help. My 12 v had nothing working I presumed it was the battery so I bought a new one and connected it today but still nothing. Can anyone please advise me. Thanks
Hi David. What do mean turned on? At the switch for van or car then yes it is and sort of checked fuses. I put another one in the online one by the battery but still nothing,not even the light for the meter,it's a swift charisma 535 2008 caravan by the way. Could it be the charger or would that not make any difference?
If you bought a voltmeter for under a tenner and checked your battery with it you would have detected that there was nothing wrong with it which could have saved you a heck of lot of money in purchasing a new one which most likely wasn't needed. You could have even taken the battery to an auto electrical company who would have checked it free of charge.
If the 12 volt circuit doesn't operate it could be a number of things that it could be so you have to check things in stages and rule out what is working starting with the battery and fuses then working your way each step till you find the problem.
Hi I did check battery out. It had 6.98 volts in it. I put battery on charge for 24 hours but it never altered hence that's why I bought a new battery. I have checked fuses but I am buying a multi meter today and will check each fuse again with that. As I said I can't seem to locate the charger so if you have any ideas where that is it would help. So after doing those things where do I go then. Thanks
If your new battery is good it should measure around or just below 13volts with no load. If you hook up caravan to car with electrics plugged into towbar at fast tickover, battery voltage should measure around 14volts. This shows caravan charger is working.
After that, as pointed out it is just a case of using your voltmeter to check through the circuits. To locate caravan charger unit trace cable back inside caravan from back of electric hookup point on outside of caravan.
I hope this doesn't sound patronising, but what are you expecting to run from the 12v system? Usually, only the 12v lights and water pump (and a 12v socket maybe) run off the 12v system. If the 12v lights are working, and the tap is running, your 12v is ok... If you are expecting to plug things into 3 point sockets, they won't work (and neither will the fridge on EHU) until you are hooked up to an EHU point.
A lot of older caravans didn't have a charger built into the system, and a lot which did have one, stopped working after a while.
Hi thanks for that jethro
Jax365. Yes that is patronising. I have been a caravaner for some years now and I know what works on 12 v. I have a motor mover on my caravan hence the reason I need a battery I do not want to take it off to charge it every time. I don't feel my caravan is old as you put it that a charger stops working. I have had the van for 5 years now so I know my van. I just don't know where the charger is located lol. Thanks for your help I will prob be going tomorrow to look at it again
Quote: Originally posted by hst4567 on 14/6/2016
Hi thanks for that jethro
Jax365. Yes that is patronising. I have been a caravaner for some years now and I know what works on 12 v. I have a motor mover on my caravan hence the reason I need a battery I do not want to take it off to charge it every time. I don't feel my caravan is old as you put it that a charger stops working. I have had the van for 5 years now so I know my van. I just don't know where the charger is located lol. Thanks for your help I will prob be going tomorrow to look at it again
I apologise - sorry! Just that so many newbies think that everything should work from a battery, I just thought I would mention it. Didn't know you'd been a caravanner for several years or I wouldn't have mentioned it.
I have a motormover, but no battery charger. I use a smart charger to charge the battery, but it's on my drive, so I have access to ehu. I wouldn't like to be hoicking a battery back and forth from a storage site for charging either!
That's fine really. Well I did what open sauce said to do. I tested battery first 13 v then hooked it up to car and got 14 v. The panel on the van was reading 14 v too so why is does it not work on 12v. I tested all fuses properly. Now I don't know what else to do. Get a pro in I guess lol. Thanks for all your help
Quote: Originally posted by SGThomas on 14/6/2016
hst4567 had you said you were this very experienced caravanner in the first place, then Jax365 would have answered differently.
I thought your reaction was certainly ungracious in the extreme.
The joy of this site is the help that other members willingly give to each other
Totally agree, the Op's posts certainly gave me the impression of being a rookie!
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
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Topic: HELP
