Caravan electrics.

[bert]

To summarise

Towing it back

Ensure it is roadworthy, brakes tyres road lights. Check tyres for cracked walls esp if it has been stood for a long time. Blowouts on caravans can wreck a chunk of bodywork. Likewise brake mechanism may well be seized up.

Traffic cops esp on holiday routes do take an unhealthy interest in dodgy looking caravans and you don't want to get pulled over.

Older caravans are much heavier than modern day ones. Check weight is within your vans towing limits. If you have a full size Trannie van type then you should be OK. Remember it's plated weight (if you can find a plate) not actual weight. Watch out for hitch weight as this can affect stability. If close to limit or close to kerb weight of towing van keep speed down.

Electric connection to towing vehicle will be old style 12N socket. Open up male pins slightly with a fine screw driver and spray with WD40.

Unlikely to have mains hook up when manufactured. ( my first (new) caravan 1982 didn't have it). May of course have been added. I added a hook up to mine but there was no Part P in those days.

Probably no provision for on board battery. They relied on 12v supply from towing vehicle. (wiring diagram for 12N socket easily found via google.)

Very little use of 12v maybe a couple of fluorescents. Maybe electric water pump controlled through microswitch taps, but more likely foot pump. These taps notoriously unreliable.

As I have mentioned in an earlier reply advisable to run a damp meter over it as any rewiring would be wasted if it is beyond reasonable repair. Resealing is d-i-y able otherwise expensive.

So ultimately what is customer expectation?

To upgrade to anything approaching a modern van is a lot of work.

But it would be relatively easy to upgrade to make it more usable. As I suggested previously call in at a dealer and have a look round a modern van and maybe any older 2nd hand ones in stock. Battery box which includes 240v input socket Mains control box, rcd, reverse polarity detection circuit breakers Charger/12vcontrol unit with fuse boxes. Mains sockets usually one in an under-bed locker for external use. Mains appliances - heater water heater lighting fridge

12v supplies for control of these units, led lights. Probably wont need 12s socket as van will not have fog lamps or reversing lights, but you could install them in which case either add 12s or go to euro plug (depends on proposed towing vehicle also).

HTH

[Chris Green]

bert [e-mail]> wrote: [snip many useful and sensible comments]

Please no to WD40! After a short while it will make the socket gooey and horrible and attract dirt like a magnet. Just clean it up and, if you have it, apply some contact/switch cleaner or lubricant.

[snip more useful and sensible comments]

[ARW]

Thanks. It was helpful. All I have ever towed before is the odd car with a tow rope [1] and the longest tow was 20 miles. You have to know and trust the person been towed when doing that.

When I get details I'll make another post. They do not rush things down Bristol way.

[1] And more dragged out than towed when I and a very good apprentice got a cherry picker and the van we were using to pull it out stuck on a school playing field. We got a bill for the playing field repairing on that c*ck up (when our MD turned up he said it looked like a WWI battlefield and could be used for course work).

[ARW]

Believe it or not I have contact cleaner in the van:-)