Is it really necessary for motorhome electrics to be so complicated?

[two]

I think we're doomed! Or, maybe, it's an age thing.
It's not just a matter of keeping up with 'progress' but we are expected to understand what to do by looking at different symbols rather than text. Do they not realise that hieroglyphics have been tried before and failed? You cannot put such stuff into a dictionary or index so that you can look them up. Symbols are not intuitive, they "speak a thousand words", all of which are different to every individual.

 

[DBK]

What's complicated about them?

 

[Lenny HB]

What's complicated about them?

View attachment 180804

Looks simple to me.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think we're doomed! Or, maybe, it's an age thing.
It's not just a matter of keeping up with 'progress' but we are expected to understand what to do by looking at different symbols rather than text. Do they not realise that hieroglyphics have been tried before and failed? You cannot put such stuff into a dictionary or index so that you can look them up. Symbols are not intuitive, they "speak a thousand words", all of which are different to every individual.

I've worked with electronics most of my life. Last week I took a Nextbase dash cam back & the replacement as I couldn't get them to work, bought a Kaiser Baas cam as a replacement couldn't get that to work either. It kept shouting at me "please insert memmory card" I had already put one in the Fiddlesticksing thing, anyway looked on line and found out only takes Class 6 & 10 cards I'd put in the Class 4 that was in my last cam. Put in a Class 10 and it all worked, I suspect it was the same problem with the Nexbase cams.
On either unit nowhere in the crappy pictorial intructions is there any mention of the speed of the SD card that is required. You wouldn't expect the unit not even to turn on (as in the case of the Nextbase) just because the memmory card was too slow.

 

[Richard n Ann]

What's complicated about them?

View attachment 180804

It's just a lot of really simple circuits together in one place. Reminds me of when I first opened a supermarket refrigeration panel in the plant room, "holeee shit" I pondered... But it's the same, just lots of little circuits together.

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[mitzimad]

My sons vw that we refurbished last year all electrics in one place with gas manifold switches are reachable from in bed or from rear

 

[WynandJean]

Here is an example I cannot make any sense of. In my nice new van there are six downlighters distributed under the overhead cupboards at the rear of the hab area. They are each touch sensitive, just touch one and it will go on/off. Sounds fine. First night I got it home I discovered them all switched on next morning (now I know they are LEDs so would take a while to flatten the battery - what if in storage?

So I go into back of van and switch off six lights, one by one, then move the van forward an inch or two on the drive. Get out and start walking back into the house. This time I notice all those lights have come on again. I go back climb into the cab, walk to the back of the hab. area and switch off the six lights one by one. Now it turns out every time you switch off the engine these lights come on.
I have spoken to the dealer and contacted the manufacturer (who don't allow you to speak to them!) Who both can't see a problem with that setup and that the only solution they can offer is to keep ALL lighting switched off at the master switch!
Surely if anything would light automatically it would be better that the central one inside the hab door which has a single switch it would make more sense as a welcome light than this. Aaaaaargh


Wyn

 

[CWH]

six downlighters distributed under the overhead cupboards at the rear of the hab area ... every time you switch off the engine these lights come on.

Now that does seem daft.
Seems to me it's one of those new-technology situations where: "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD"

 

[Richard n Ann]

Here is an example I cannot make any sense of. In my nice new van there are six downlighters distributed under the overhead cupboards at the rear of the hab area. They are each touch sensitive, just touch one and it will go on/off. Sounds fine. First night I got it home I discovered them all switched on next morning (now I know they are LEDs so would take a while to flatten the battery - what if in storage?

So I go into back of van and switch off six lights, one by one, then move the van forward an inch or two on the drive. Get out and start walking back into the house. This time I notice all those lights have come on again. I go back climb into the cab, walk to the back of the hab. area and switch off the six lights one by one. Now it turns out every time you switch off the engine these lights come on.
I have spoken to the dealer and contacted the manufacturer (who don't allow you to speak to them!) Who both can't see a problem with that setup and that the only solution they can offer is to keep ALL lighting switched off at the master switch!
Surely if anything would light automatically it would be better that the central one inside the hab door which has a single switch it would make more sense as a welcome light than this. Aaaaaargh


Wyn

This type of light can be sensitive , I used to have a bedside light that would come on whenever the microwave switched on. Imagine the problem trying to have a secret midnight meal
It's probably high frequency interference on the power supply, maybe contact bounce caused by the power relay?

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Try fitting a small capacitor (100nf) across the power feed to the switches. It will act as a high pass filter and short out high frequency to chassis. Or a choke or inductor in line with the lights might help.

 

[funflair]

Here is an example I cannot make any sense of. In my nice new van there are six downlighters distributed under the overhead cupboards at the rear of the hab area. They are each touch sensitive, just touch one and it will go on/off. Sounds fine. First night I got it home I discovered them all switched on next morning (now I know they are LEDs so would take a while to flatten the battery - what if in storage?

So I go into back of van and switch off six lights, one by one, then move the van forward an inch or two on the drive. Get out and start walking back into the house. This time I notice all those lights have come on again. I go back climb into the cab, walk to the back of the hab. area and switch off the six lights one by one. Now it turns out every time you switch off the engine these lights come on.
I have spoken to the dealer and contacted the manufacturer (who don't allow you to speak to them!) Who both can't see a problem with that setup and that the only solution they can offer is to keep ALL lighting switched off at the master switch!
Surely if anything would light automatically it would be better that the central one inside the hab door which has a single switch it would make more sense as a welcome light than this. Aaaaaargh


Wyn

Thats not complicated, its just stupid and to make it worse the dealer thinks its OK

Martin

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[Podney]

This type of light can be sensitive , I used to have a bedside light that would come on whenever the microwave switched on. Imagine the problem trying to have a secret midnight meal
It's probably high frequency interference on the power supply, maybe contact bounce caused by the power relay?

Broken Link Removed

Try fitting a small capacitor (100nf) across the power feed to the switches. It will act as a high pass filter and short out high frequency to chassis. Or a choke or inductor in line with the lights might help.

Ah yes,I was going to suggest that,but you beat me to it! Hahahahaha

 

[WynandJean]

I don't think it's a fault. Both dealer and manufacturer have confirmed, "this is how it's meant to work" Apparently it's programmed to default to it's 'on' position on stopping the engine. My question of, "why" was met with the puzzled, "why would you not want to switch all lights off at the master?" yet I can't imagine why you WOULD.

Wyn

 

[Lenny HB]

My question of, "why" was met with the puzzled, "why would you not want to switch all lights off at the master?" yet I can't imagine why you WOULD.

Typical of what happens when caravan manufacturers try to build Motorhomes.

 

[Barbie and Ken]

I give up lost at post one

 

[denisejoe]

get a different van our electric works all the time, switch engine off turn front seats ready to go

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[Infinity31]

I've worked with electronics most of my life. Last week I took a Nextbase dash cam back & the replacement as I couldn't get them to work, bought a Kaiser Baas cam as a replacement couldn't get that to work either. It kept shouting at me "please insert memmory card" I had already put one in the Fiddlesticksing thing, anyway looked on line and found out only takes Class 6 & 10 cards I'd put in the Class 4 that was in my last cam. Put in a Class 10 and it all worked, I suspect it was the same problem with the Nexbase cams.
On either unit nowhere in the crappy pictorial intructions is there any mention of the speed of the SD card that is required. You wouldn't expect the unit not even to turn on (as in the case of the Nextbase) just because the memmory card was too slow.

I have a Kaiser Baas and it states on the box "Requires class 10, UHS-1 or higher Micro SD card"

I've never worked with electronics so I read everything written on the box.

 

[Podney]

I have a Kaiser Baas and it states on the box "Requires class 10, UHS-1 or higher Micro SD card"

I've never worked with electronics so I read everything written on the box.

Problem is,when I read everything on the box I end up even more confused. Probably just a thicko!
On another recent post someone has suggested a newbie buys the Haynes Motorhome manual (or something with a very similar name from that organisation) and this might be a good thing for us dunderheads. Good word,dunderheads innit?

 

[Lenny HB]

I have a Kaiser Baas and it states on the box "Requires class 10, UHS-1 or higher Micro SD card"

I've never worked with electronics so I read everything written on the box.

Real men don't read instructions.

 

[Chablais]

Hi Wissel
How did you remote control the door light. I want to do this. Is it bluetooth or something else?

 

[newtonz]

Some familiarity with the electrics gives more options. Just back from 10 sunny days in France with 2 grandkids. Solar panels avoided 5 Euro per day hook-up, and monitoring battery voltage removes the stress and uncertainty. I have 2 leisure batteries and a 1 kW inverter, so the boss can run her hairdryer or small vacuum cleaner depending on her mood. It was sunny enough to use the batteries and inverter into my 16A hook-up socket, so fridge etc could be run from 'mains' rather than gas, and save a small amount of global warming (you have to unplug the battery charger from trying to charge the battery, to avoid inventing a perpetual motion machine!). I like the BM-1 battery monitor. It's not cheap, but does monitor cumulative in and out flows to the battery, and gives predicted hours battery life at current usage rate.

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