Electric hook up
Ok, So this will be the first of many!.
Do I need to hook up to 240v when the caravan is parked up on our drive?
I have seen a few people doing this, and wondered if its a "must"
Comments
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It's not a must, G. People do it to keep the battery charged, especially if there is something like a tracker constantly drawing on the battery. Also, some people like to keep a heater running in the van in winter.
We plug our MH in from time to time to charge the leisure battery and plug it in the night before a journey to get the fridge chilled.
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Cheers Tin,
MH ???
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We hook ours up for a full day before we set off on each trip, and also while I'm hoovering out the van after a trip away. We're lucky that we can store the van at home so it's easy for us to do it this way. Also we're seldom home for more than 3 weeks before
going off again in the van so the battery doesn't really have a long time to discharge.0 -
as TW says, a useful way of keeping the battery nicely topped up....
however, sometimes its not convenient/safe to have a cable running across, say, a path or walkway....even for a short period of time...
if this might be an issue, further down the line, you might consider a solar panel to charge the battery.
an added advantage of this is that you will be able to use sites that dont have an EHU, like some smaller 5 van sites (CLs) etc..
i realise youve just started out on your vanning journey and am not trying to baffle you with science, day one....just raising awareness should the topography of your house/drive mean a trailing cable is an issue
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MH - Motorhome. Simples
Lots of new abreviations for you to get use to on here eg EHU - electric hook-up ie mains connection.
Just shout out if there's others that need explaining.
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I always leave mine connected to the mains when stored although it is not charging the battery all the time (I switch charger off/on as necessary). It is convienient just to pop into van and have power available, It has also been said that it is an additional
security aid (open to debate) as another obsticle for theives to overcome. Good luck and enjoy your van.0 -
Sorry, G, I sometimes forget not everyone understands shorthand.
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No Worries Tin,
If I looked at it for some time I may have guessed it!
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We used our caravan as a weekend bolt hole for several years to get away from noise and neighbours so I understand your position. Hope it goes well.
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Plug it in at home to get the fridge cool before going away
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It all sounds like common sense!
Trailing electrical cable hmmm?
Electrocuted noisy neighbours! Sounds like a plan
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Is there any reason why I should not leave my caravan connected to mains at all times when at home?
I have been advised it is not good practice to leave conneted to mains and should be taken off every couple of weeks for a week or so.
Any thoughts here?
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Is there any reason why I should not leave my caravan connected to mains at all times when at home?
I have been advised it is not good practice to leave conneted to mains and should be taken off every couple of weeks for a week or so.
Any thoughts here?
Depends on how clever the charger is. Some can be left to maintain ad infinitum .... others can't
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Is there any reason why I should not leave my caravan connected to mains at all times when at home?
I have been advised it is not good practice to leave conneted to mains and should be taken off every couple of weeks for a week or so.
Any thoughts here?
Write your comments here...
If you can somehow access the specification for your charger, which is probably part of your power controller (try a web search for the model number) then you can check whether your charger is 'multi stage'. If yes, then the system is designed to allow continuous connection. If your van is fairly modern, say less than 10 years old, then it is increasingly likely to have been made with a multi stage charger. In the absence of an on line specification contact the supply controller manufacturer's technical support team. PS We've typically found up to eight year old batteries to be capable of operating the caravan when off Ehu for six days, before the days of solar panels, despite being left on mains charging, continuously at home.
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