If buying a new Carthago be aware!

[colyboy]

If you have or about to buy a Carthago Malibu coach built. Please beware that the radio may wired direct to the engine battery . This will cause the battery to run down over night if you keep the radio/TV on to long . Carthago Germany have told me this is the way they always wire the radio! I have been in contact with over 35 owners who had this problem. The only cure is to rewire the radio to the leisure battery. Carthago will not pay you to rewiring at a cost of about £90. My local dealers Harbour Creek paid for this to be done for me. Before we got this fixed we had to call out Fiat Assist to “jump start “ twice wile in France.

Colyboy

 

[KUSKUS]

My Hymer is connected to my engine battery, never been a problem yet .

 

[Clarky]

If you have a similar CBE control panel to ours you should be able to switch the radio/media off by switching off on the panel.
The radio will work with the engine running but will be isolated when you stop.
We have always turned the media switch on at the panel when we want tv or radio and make sure to switch off afterwards. It’s really not a problem.
No flat engine battery in over 6 years………….yet!

Richard.

 

[eddie]

Or fit a Battery Master

 

[Lenny HB]

Well known problem on Carthago's if you don't switch the media switch off on the control panel. Most of the problem is due to the Pioneer units they fit as they have very high current draw in standby.

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[Spriddler]

The only cure is to rewire the radio to the leisure battery.

I guess if you're going to flatten a battery it's better, although highly inconvenient, to flatten the leisure battery than the starter one.

 

[pagey]

Can't see it ever being a problem to me.

 

[barsteward]

I guess if you're going to flatten a battery it's better, although highly inconvenient, to flatten the leisure battery than the starter one.

And also a dam site cheaper as anyone with the airbag fault will attest to, especially when the availability of new (or even second hand for that matter) ECU's for Ducato's is zilch!

 

[PJGWiltshire]

We now do not run with a TV and back up loads of box sets or occasionally simply stream any material and watch through mac book. For radio we pair iPhone to Bose Mini speaker. So never use the media button and thus do not run the risk even though we have battery master fitted.

 

[colyboy]

Thanks for all your replies. But this was for Carthago Malibu owners. As I stated I have found now over 55 Carthago owners who have and are having trouble with their radio. Again thanks.

Colyboy

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[Steve and Denise]

All Carthagos are wired that way from the factory silly really.

 

[G-RMPS]

We fitted a Pioneer unit in a Hymer. The fitter refused to install it any other way than through the ignition. I’ve added a second switch so that I can power it with the ignition off. I’m aware of the current draw (max 10A) so only use it for an hour or so unless on EHU, and we too have a Battery Master just in case…

Like others I use a Bose Mini for extended playing off grid. Should I ever use the TV, I assume this is wired to the leisure battery.

 

[PJGWiltshire]

We fitted a Pioneer unit in a Hymer. The fitter refused to install it any other way than through the ignition. I’ve added a second switch so that I can power it with the ignition off. I’m aware of the current draw (max 10A) so only use it for an hour or so unless on EHU, and we too have a Battery Master just in case…

Like others I use a Bose Mini for extended playing off grid. Should I ever use the TV, I assume this is wired to the leisure battery.

Yes when using TV the draw is fro leisure batteries. Its when you turn off TV and slip of to sleep that the Pioneer head is still powered on via the media button. At that point the pioneer head eats the power from the engine battery.

 

[Brains]

All Carthagos are wired that way from the factory silly really.

As are all Hymers.

Personally I don't see it as a problem.

• On Hymers there is a manual override switch, so only if it's 'on' will the radio work when the engine is off.
• My Hymer is fitted with a Battery Master, which means the EHU and the solar panel trickle charge both leisure and engine batteries.
• You can keep an eye on both battery levels on the control panel.
• We tend to use a boom box to listen to the radio/music in the van, better sound and runs for days on a single charge.

 

[Jamesh]

Can't see it ever being a problem to me.

I was going to put a deposit down on a Carthago Malibu but this has changed my mind..oh well better stick to my transit self build!!!

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[Mike Waterfield]

My Carthago radio turns off with the ignition, and if I want to use it on site, pressing the media button on the control panel feeds it via the leisure battery, I can the turn off the radio screen if I want to use the TV
2020 compactline

 

[colyboy]

Further to my other comments . In the end, after spending a lot of my hard earned money on a nice new MH , why should I have to spend more to put something right which should have been right before the MH left the factory?

Colyboy

 

[Rob Hammond]

In the big scheme of things not the end of the world

 

[Lenny HB]

My Hymer is fitted with a Battery Master, which means the EHU and the solar panel trickle charge both leisure and engine batteries.

A Battery master won't keep up with the 6amp draw of a Pioneer unit.

My Carthago radio turns off with the ignition, and if I want to use it on site, pressing the media button on the control panel feeds it via the leisure battery, I can the turn off the radio screen if I want to use the TV
2020 compactline

I think you will find it is still connected to the engine battery.

 

[acropolis22]

Well known problem on Carthago's if you don't switch the media switch off on the control panel. Most of the problem is due to the Pioneer units they fit as they have very high current draw in standby.

What the hell is a media switch/button? Is it specific to Carthagos?

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[Lenny HB]

What the hell is a media switch/button? Is it specific to Carthagos?

Yep it's on the Carthago control panel.

Actually some Hymers have one but instead of turning the power off to the head unit & amplifiers it switches the radio power over to the hab batteries.

 

[acropolis22]

Yep it's on the Carthago control panel.

Phew! Mine's a Pilote. I thought I was being dumb. Presumably though, my Pioneer AV unit is also a problem batterywise?

 

[Clarky]

The button with the music symbol on a CBE panel.

 

[Lenny HB]

Phew! Mine's a Pilote. I thought I was being dumb. Presumably though, my Pioneer AV unit is also a problem batterywise?

Could be worth checking the current draw some of them draw up to 6 amps in standby.

 

[acropolis22]

Could be worth checking the current draw some of them draw up to 6 amps in standby.

Hard to credit! Will check. Cheers.

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[Brains]

Yep it's on the Carthago control panel.

Actually some Hymers have one but instead of turning the power off to the head unit & amplifiers it switches the radio power over to the hab batteries.

On the Hymers its a standard Mercedes/Fiat dash rocker switch below the radio/satnav unit

 

[pandas]

We fitted a Pioneer unit in a Hymer. The fitter refused to install it any other way than through the ignition. I’ve added a second switch so that I can power it with the ignition off. I’m aware of the current draw (max 10A) so only use it for an hour or so unless on EHU, and we too have a Battery Master just in case…

Like others I use a Bose Mini for extended playing off grid. Should I ever use the TV, I assume this is wired to the leisure battery.

ditto about an isolating switch.

 

[cyberyacht]

6 Amps? What's the unit doing, running its own disco/festival while you're not looking?

 

[tonyidle]

Further to my other comments . In the end, after spending a lot of my hard earned money on a nice new MH , why should I have to spend more to put something right which should have been right before the MH left the factory?

Colyboy

It's the vehicle radio wired like every other vehicle radio. I'd be more concerned that anyone would fit a radio drawing a high current - there are plenty that don't.

 

[Drexxer]

Finally, common sense!

If you don't like it, change it

It's the vehicle radio wired like every other vehicle radio. I'd be more concerned that anyone would fit a radio drawing a high current - there are plenty that don't.

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