What on Earth Are These Switches?? (1 Viewer)

WinnieBago

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Oct 5, 2013
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Hi Everyone

Just bought my Burstner Elegance, and there are some switches which confused both me and the dealer! I've been through the "handbook" (some handbook, more like a hand, arm and half-a-torso-book at 250+ pages!) and can't find any reference to them. Can someone help me?

They are on the passenger side bench, just behind the front passenger seat. There is a box on the right which relates to the Solar Panel. I hoped that the 2 switches on the left would be connected to this, but it appears not. When I set the yellow switch to "on", I get a drain on the leisure batteries (so if it is solar, then I'm worried!). The other switch appears to do absolutely nothing. Nothing starts working and nor does anything stop working.

This may be related to the fact that the solar panel itself doesn't appear to be providing any charge to the batteries. It's been sunny this weekend, and the batteries have been draining due to the issue I have with the fridge (I'll put this in another thread). I'm not technically-minded, so if anyone does have the answer could you give me the Janet and John version?!?

Lastly, there is a strange connector in the van. It looks like one end is a 230v mains connection, but there are 2 wires leafing from this - one which ends in a male connector and the other which ends in a female connector. I'm totally baffled - can someone put me out of my misery and tell me what on earth this would be used for?

Many thanks in advance for any help.

Stu
Switches Closeup.jpg Switches.jpg Connection 3.jpg
 

pappajohn

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The plug/socket in pic 3 is a caravan N type or S type (cant tell which from the pic) which would normally be used for caravan/trailer road lighting (N type) or split charge to an auxilary battery (S type).
No idea why it should be there
 
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LaMB

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The plug and socket is a bike loop for an alarm. Same as we had fitted by Vanbitz. It plugs in at the rear underneath the vehicle; or mine did. The switch with the red indicator might be the same as the one we have which puts the lights on under the double floor, the red light comes on to remind you it's on.

The other might be a switch to switch an inverter on; but I don't really know about that one.

Martin

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Used to have the connector in pic 3 in a previous Motorhome ...it plugged in under the van and was part of the alarm ....to alarm the bikes at the back of the van if my memory is correct.....but then again I may be totally wrong
 
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pappajohn

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The plug and socket is a bike loop for an alarm. Same as we had fitted by Vanbitz. It plugs in at the rear underneath the vehicle; or mine did. The switch with the red indicator might be the same as the one we have which puts the lights on under the double floor, the red light comes on to remind you it's on.

The other might be a switch to switch an inverter on; but I don't really know about that one.

Martin
Both those suggestions make perfect sense.
 
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WinnieBago

WinnieBago

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Oct 5, 2013
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Both those suggestions make perfect sense.

The "plug and socket" answer makes even more sense when I tell you that the van has a towbar (for connecting the plug to), a bike rack (although it's fitted in the garage) and it has a Strikeback alarm fitted.

Great detective work, everyone! Many thanks for your help

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Mar 16, 2010
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The "plug and socket" answer makes even more sense when I tell you that the van has a towbar (for connecting the plug to), a bike rack (although it's fitted in the garage) and it has a Strikeback alarm fitted.

Great detective work, gentlemen! Many thanks for your help
Yes ours was a van bitz strikeback alarm
 
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Sep 23, 2013
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A switch with an indicator light on it usually means that it controls something where you can't otherwise tell if it's on or off, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't appear to do anything obvious.

The only thing that springs to mind as far as the right hand switch is concerned is a heated waste water tank (to stop it freezing in cold weather). I have a similar switch that does just that, only unfortunately it doesn't have the tell-tale light. Consequently, when the switch got knocked to the 'on' position a while ago, the first I knew of it was a nearly flat battery. :(

It's possible that yours also has a thermostat, so that even when switched on, nothing happens if the temperature is above, for example, 5 degrees.
 
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TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
well if it was me, I would look at the V5 logbook and contact the previous owner for a definitive answer

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WinnieBago

WinnieBago

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Oct 5, 2013
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I'm a Newbie
I've now had the change to trawl through the instruction manual, and the answers are:

1) Yellow Switch = Engine Heating from the Alde central heating system.
2) Black Switch = Underfloor heating (I wasn't hooked up to 230v so this is why it appeared to do nothing)

So I now know I'll be all set for winter!
 
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