Brian Reay presented the following explanation :
We use ours for almost all main meals eaten in. One small oven is a bit restrictive, but we have managed full Sunday style roast meals in it, without too much bother. I don't have/ don't like microwaved food, other than for reheating.
Thanks, it's good to see the actual requirements. I've used sheathed flexible in our boat (mostly the same rules as caravans etc. for such a similar environment).
I assume the flex/multistrand requirement is to cope with more movement and vibration.
I've heard of people doing roast dinners etc (even bread) in caravan/motorhome ovens but we've not tried it.
We like the occasional roast dinner- mainly when the daughters are home etc (it was the norm when they were at home) but we have a lighter approach to meals. Especially in France, we eat more fish and salad etc. In the colder weather, I favour stews/curries and similar meals.
Agree re the microwave, not that I think it is bad for taste etc, it just isn't how we cook. It ideal for jacket potatoes, heating milk, and a few other thinks. I do a lot a 'cooking ahead' and freezing and those are fine heated in the microwave.
Weather permitting, we cook under the awning- I've got a small BBQ and and a simple stove. There is something about cooking and eating outside, especially in the evening.
The modern ones at least have two 12V supplies. A high current one which is switched so it is only on when the engine is running. It powers the heating jacket. Then there is a low current one which powers the control circuits and, I assume, the igniter for the gas.
We rarely run ours on gas, I think we've run the current on it once when we stayed in a 'Pub Stop' (one of those Pubs you can stay in their carparks if you eat there etc). We don't normally use them but it was recommended as it was near the place which fitted the towbar to our new vehicle the next day.
Harry is correct. Having said that, on a recent trip, I was shocked to to see a face at the window of a caravan on the M1. It looked like someone was had just woken up and was having a look outside.
I believe you can get special seat (bed?) belts so you can use the beds in motorhomes but I've never seen them in the UK (I did see them in the US). Plus, the beds don't usually have the 'hard points' required so fitting them, at least to fixed beds, must be quite a job.
If you are planning to rewire one, there are two main approaches.
One is to use a 'control box' and associated panel. People like CBE, Sargent make them. These tend mainly to control the 12V side and interface with the vehicle- especially in motorhomes. They generally do have some mains element but it is generally just housing the RCD and MCBs, rather than actual control.
The other approach is less integrated. Basic wiring with fuses or circuit breakers etc and sensors for the water tanks. People like CBE make the various bits you need.
Our previous mh had a Sargent Box, it was large but seemed very good. We didn't have any problems, other than the water level sensor was sensitive to lime scale. Adding a larger cathode (reducing the current density and therefore scale / area over time) solved this. The new one is a CBE. It is more compact and, so far, has been fine.
On our boat I have simply used an ordinary (as in domestic mains) consumer unit. I checked with the manufacturer that the MCBs were suitable for 12 volt use, not all are but the Crabtree ones I have used are good down to 12 volts. 'Domestic' CUs provide a much cheaper solution than much of the very expensive stuff sold for 12 volt use on motorhomes and boats. Just make sure you size the wire for the higher currents that (may) be needed and away you go.
They generally seem to be wired with an eye on the cost - with quality coming a long way down the line. Pretty well everything seems to be poorish quality - but at a high price when it comes to spares.
The mains stuff is generally domestic MCBs and RCBs etc, either a modular type arrangement in a larger overall unit or, as in our new vehicle, what looks like a small domestic unit. With a separate 12V box entirely.
Contrary to what someone else has posted, the ones I've seen are fine quality wise. The only bit which is a let down is 12V sockets. The, so called, cigar/cigarette lighter socket is still the standard. There are some others around but they aren't common. I tend to use PowerPoles.
True, the 'special' fittings they tend to use are over priced compared to standard ones but you tend not to need many. They are just a bit more compact / slim etc. CBE are probably the most common but there are others.
I remember you asking about MCBs for 12V. That is one option I will consider.
I think I need to find out what she actually wants! Her sister who lives in Barnsley asked if I would do the job so I thought I had better do some research before I say yes.
But thanks you have provided some interesting info for my research.
Piezo? Ours had a rotary knob, driving a rod, with a toothed metal wheel on the end and a flint.
It was generally easier to pull the front grill off the bottom of the fridge, pull out the entire ignitor mechanism and light the pilot light with a long match held between two fingers of a flat hand!
That is presumably just down to them designing it not to take too much current. Traditional caravan fridges work by heating part of the circuit and if it can feeze ice-cubes using mains or gas, there is no reason (other than how much current) to prevent a 12V electric heater producing the same effect.
SteveW
In article <Zti4F.800$ snipped-for-privacy@fx24.am, ARW snipped-for-privacy@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
Depends on the age of the caravan. When you say rewire are you meaning all 12v as well as mains? Not inverters as standard. Caravan Club has lots of technical info on wiring. Don't think you need to be a member to access it.
Well which bit of "Caravan" in the subject line do you not understand?
Illegal to carry a passenger in a trailer.
In article <qitmib$k6k$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Harry Bloomfield <?.?@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk.invalid> writes
The 12v is designed only for use in transit connected to the towing vehicle. hey would flatten 12v batteries in next to no time. I have one which is controlled by thermostat on 12v.
Yup I have one.
RTFM. It will say that the fridge should be at working temperature before switching to 12v which is there to hold the temperature whilst in transit.
"Harry Bloomfield"; "Esq." snipped-for-privacy@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message news:qitsst$jef$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me...
I agree for the meat, but imo it is fine for the potato, frozen peas and corn and for rice. Much better than the stove top for all of those. Tho I now do roast potato with almost all meals except steak and chops etc, done in the air fryer.
I guess the problem is actually that making a thermostat capable of switching the required load at 12 V dc is non-trivial. To get a sufficiently vigorous snap action would probably introduce an unacceptable amount of hysteresis.
As a compromise they design a cooling level that will keep the fridge cold, at some target ambient, but not overcool. Naturally a trip in some of our recent temperatures will be challenging.
As an aside, if your car does auto stop-start, you may find the fridge feed is off when the engine stops.
Chris
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