Hi Im new to this site so bear with me? I have a Van Royce 1990 435 2 berth caravan bought 2 seasons ago, It has been a night mare electrically, I have a problem that when it is connected to the electric hook up it is not charging the 12 volt system( which this van is so dependant on) It keeps blowing the 5 amp fuse on the control box. to overcome this I have used a standard car battery charger connected to the terminals on the battery to keep going! however on our last outing this has failed to supply any charge to the system? Also the 240 supply to the fridge has not worked for 18 months so having to use gas.I am at the point of getting rid of the van as it is driving me mad every time we go away.can any one please help? do I change the main electric control box? if so where would I buy one ? or buy a new fridge? we love the van but I cannot cope with its niggling problems
Don`t get rid of a perfectly good caravan just for the electrical problem . Invest in a trip to an Auto Electrician for a proper diagnosis and quote to fix .
Insist on the diagnosis in writing . The worst case scenario is probably a new zig type unit , much cheaper than changing the caravan . Lots of second hand ones on eBay and at caravan breakers if a new one is too expensive and the electrician should be able to swap it out in an hour .
Are you sure the 'van has a charger? plenty of older ones do not. If you were using a separate battery charger & that has failed then get a new one is the cheapest solution to your problem, or your leisure battery could be worn out & failing to hold a charge.
The fridge not working on ehu could be because the fridge 230v element has failed, this can be repaired but fridge will have to come out. Unless you can diy it probably won't be worth doing so you will need a new fridge.
If you buy other caravan even 10yrs old it could have all these faults & more so if your existing caravan is otherwise sound you might be better off getting it repaired. If you cannot fix this yourself any caravan repair shop can do it. If you want to diy, parts can be bought from a caravan showroom shop.
Caravan 3-way fridges are VERY expensive, so it is worth repairing if possible. The fridge is easy to remove from its position, you will need to release the gas pipe to it, and then you can check the 240v element and the thermostat, the 2 most common problems.
Replacement of eithe is straightforward, a new element is usually around £30, the thermostat is more expensive.
If you cannot DIY, get a quote from a mobile caravan repairer before you decide.
They would also be the person to approach re the charging problem if you cannot deal with it yourself.
I tried to remove my old Electrolux, but gave up. There are the 2 screws each side securing it into the opening, and the gas pipe on top, but it still wouldn't shift!
Quote: Originally posted by Tom85 on 20/9/2011
Exactly how do you remove a 3 way fridge?
I tried to remove my old Electrolux, but gave up. There are the 2 screws each side securing it into the opening, and the gas pipe on top, but it still wouldn't shift!
Hi Tom85, Have you checked that the fridge exhaust pipe to vent is not stopping fridge from pulling out, maybe secured to fridge and body of van. Hope that helps.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
Also depending on when you had the tow bar fitted the electrical 12s wiring changed in 98, so a 90 caravan is not wired the same as a post 98 tow bar 12s plug the differences that were made involved the battery charging & the 12v fridge operation.
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Topic: electrical night mare please help
