Never owned a caravan or a motorhome , is there an idiots guide

[Wack]

I've got a Lunar homecar P59 on a ducato chassis 2007 , had it a week

First purchase was a carbon monoxide alarm ,only I'm a bit out of my depth with getting the water/shower/heating right

There's a water fill point on the side, spec sheet on the web says 100L clean 85L dirty capacity , previous owner bought it from a dealer but never used it , never slept in it just did three 50 mile day trips in it before his wife took ill and died so it's never been run from buying it from the dealer june 2019

He did have a problem with the starting battery going completely flat even though it was permanently plugged into the mains, it was that flat it needed replacing as it wouldn't hold any charge at all

The control panel shows this picture which i believe means the boiler has some water in it

When i press the rocker switch the other way the other battery which im assuming is the starter barrery isn't at 100% despite being charged all day

So do i just fill it from the outside and open the taps to bleed it or flush it through by opening the grey waste valve underneath

The truma manual mentions something about an electric safety drain valve but ive no idea where that is

 

[Phill D]

H Welcome,

i guess first is to get hold of the manuals for the on board kit then sort oiut that the Cab battery is charged when plugged in. not difficult.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Being plugged in won't charge the starting battery mate.

 

[Wack]

There's manuals for all the appliances but not a specific one for the home car explaining where everything is , so far i havent found the leisure battery

 

[Wack]

Being plugged in won't charge the starting battery mate.

Ok thanks that's why it went dead when he left it then

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[XxAnthxX]

On a fiat of that age.....I‘d look under the passenger seat first for the leisure battery.

Then under the bench seats.

 

[Riverbankannie]

The safety drain on a truma is protection for the boiler in the event of frost. It is normally located near the boiler and has a manual lever which will drain in the vertical position and close if you move it to horizontal (along the length of the pipes). If the boiler has water in it (usually 10 litres) then you will see it running out from under the MH.
i would put some sanitiser in the fresh tank (I use Puriclean) and pull it through the boiler and pipes by opening all taps. Leave for couple of hours (Perhaps drive around to clean out the inside of the tank) and then drain (including using the boiler drain) and flush through with fresh. I do this once a year.
Leave the water you have put through the system in the grey waste tank for a while so that gets a clean out too - they can get very smelly as there are often not any u-bends in the waste system

 

[Wack]

Thanks I'll pick some of that up

 

[Riverbankannie]

A good idea too to get some silicone seal spray and use liberally around the toilet flap and the seals there. If they stick or sieze up they can break when you try and use them. Unfortunately Motorhomes are made of plastic, paper and glue (well they use lightweight materials) and need lots of TLC especially if been sitting around for a while unused.

 

[movan]

Wack... See you are in Cheshire.

Try not to panic there is soooooo much to learn with a new van you will feel your head is exploding.

It is years down the line for me and I'm still learning. If ever you can get to one of the NOT A RALLY BUT A SOCIAL DISTANCING GATHERING near you there is a lot of help coming your way.

Don't be afraid to ask BASIC questions first.. You arn't expected to know anything at all at first. Good luck.

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[RandallC]

OK, you have a bit of a learning curve. NOT the end of the world.

Normally would think if any funsters local who could spend an hour or two in exchange for a cuppa.. ALAS given current situation forget the cuppa, but would hope someone close could offer a bit of help.

If not, whilst not familiar with your setup would anyone be happy to think about Skype or facetime to help out

 

[nicholsong]

Being plugged in won't charge the starting battery mate.

Some chargers do both starter and habitation batteries, e.g. our Electroblok does. Maybe not on that particular motorhome.

Geoff

 

[Vipar]

Greetings peeps welcome from Bexley

My drain tap is bright yellow in my offside locker

 

[Wack]

When i was 16 in 1977 I got a Yamaha FS1e , never ridden anything powered before , my instruction was 5 minutes outside the shop
This is the clutch , these are the brakes, that's the gears , good luck

Stall ,stall ,stall ,whoaaa we're off , this is great , wobbling off up the road with my dad as traffic blocker in his volvo

I feel the same now as i did then, no idea what i'm doing but i'm sure i'll get there in the end.

 

[autorouter]

The safety drain on a truma is protection for the boiler in the event of frost. It is normally located near the boiler and has a manual lever which will drain in the vertical position and close if you move it to horizontal (along the length of the pipes)

I think it's not the lever type, see OP picture #2. Pull the button up until it clicks and locks (geschlossen). It is then closed, and the water heater can fill with water. If it won't click closed, there's two reasons. If the temperature is below about 6 degrees C it will open automatically, and will not stay closed until it's above 6 degrees C. It needs power from the leisure battery to stay closed, if the battery is isolated the valve will open and won't stay closed.

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[Riverbankannie]

I think it's not the lever type, see OP picture #2. Pull the button up until it clicks and locks (geschlossen). It is then closed, and the water heater can fill with water. If it won't click closed, there's two reasons. If the temperature is below about 6 degrees C it will open automatically, and will not stay closed until it's above 6 degrees C. It needs power from the leisure battery to stay closed, if the battery is isolated the valve will open and won't stay closed.

Good spot, thanks for explaining.

 

[Snoopy]

When i was 16 in 1977 I got a Yamaha FS1e , never ridden anything powered before , my instruction was 5 minutes outside the shop
This is the clutch , these are the brakes, that's the gears , good luck

Stall ,stall ,stall ,whoaaa we're off , this is great , wobbling off up the road with my dad as traffic blocker in his volvo

I feel the same now as i did then, no idea what i'm doing but i'm sure i'll get there in the end.

my hubby exact words were " what the bell have I done". I actually found this great site after we purchased our 2003 hymer, thankfully all going well, in our 2nd year, lots of research, watching videos learning off here, yes still making silly mistakes, but less horrific, more relaxed and always looking forward to our next trip, you found this site, lots of great support on here, good luck and enjoy...oh and welcome

 

[Wack]

I think it's not the lever type, see OP picture #2. Pull the button up until it clicks and locks (geschlossen). It is then closed, and the water heater can fill with water. If it won't click closed, there's two reasons. If the temperature is below about 6 degrees C it will open automatically, and will not stay closed until it's above 6 degrees C. It needs power from the leisure battery to stay closed, if the battery is isolated the valve will open and won't stay closed.

It probably would've helped if I'd take a picture of the english page

 

[movan]

RandallC. post is a brilliant idea. There is so much to learn..

If you are saving up for anything, my advice would be solar panel. It will charge your internal leisure battery when you are NOT on hook up and if you attach a battery master to it, your engine battery will be topped up with any excess cjarge.

Re the pull up button that discharges water when temp drops, you can put a clothes peg on the button to stop it dropping so you don't lose water if you are in your van over winter, and you won't lose your water.
Someone may advise if this is ok and won't cause burst ipe.

 

[Puddleduck]

You arn't expected to know anything

Can I use that as my get out clause please?

Re the pull up button that discharges water when temp drops, you can put a clothes peg on the button to stop it dropping so you don't lose water if you are in your van over winter, and you won't lose your water.
Someone may advise if this is ok and won't cause burst ipe.

Just remember to take the peg off when you are "done". I have put a fan heater near the boiler (in the garage on our van) to warm things up enough for the safety valve to stay in the shut position until I get everything filled and the boiler / heating on.

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[Wack]

I’ve filled the tank ,sterilised it and run the water through to flush it out then left it full , i noticed it does drip from the overflow underneath for an awfully long time so I’m hoping that’s not a problem

I'm going to heat the water and run some off to check it out today to see if that stops the dripping.

we’re in Warrington which is in lockdown but it’s all so vague I’m not sure what that means with regards to going anywhere in the van.

i was thinking of going to wales next weekend , we could remove anything that says we’re from Warrington but there might be some tricky questions at the border

 

[RobbyMClark]

If the dripping is definitely from the overflow it's doing its job, you stuck to much in.
A little water can make a big mess.
So no worries.☺
If it's from somewhere else, find it and fix it.
Have you been away in it yet, may be an idea to stay relatively local for first time, reduces pressure on making sure everything is packed, works, how to connect up, level out. Relax.
Some nice sites around Delemere forest, Wirral etc.

 

[MisterB]

Not wanting to spoil the party, but if you're on lockdown you shouldn't be going anywhere 'non urgent'. Having a moho doesnt give you a get out of jail free card !

I would spend a weekend on your own drive if possible. Treat it as though you're away, so load everything in and try not to go back into the house for anything. That way you will work out everything but still have the emergency back up of being at home.

 

[SpeedyDux]

It probably would've helped if I'd take a picture of the english page

If there is no English version with the MH, how about a crash course in Flemish?

[Or, search equipment manufacturers' websites for manuals in English to download as PDFs but where's the fun in that!]

 

[Yrag]

#23. I agree with your comments. I live in Wales, bought a van 4 weeks ago and now feel really frustrated that Mark Drakeford has told us " Essential journeys only" We've be out in it for two weekends but I think my neighbours would find it a bit odd if I slept in it overnight on the drive. They'd think my wife had kicked me out of the house

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[Christoph]

Yep - it’s obligatory to be an idiot to own either!

 

[MisterB]

#23. I agree with your comments. I live in Wales, bought a van 4 weeks ago and now feel really frustrated that Mark Drakeford has told us " Essential journeys only" We've be out in it for two weekends but I think my neighbours would find it a bit odd if I slept in it overnight on the drive. They'd think my wife had kicked me out of the house

You both or all need to sleep out in it!! You will be surprised at how much you would learn and doing it at home is belt and braces. PS make it into a date night....

 

[Charlie57]

We are in the middle of a global pandemic, covid-19 can be fatal, I think its reasonable to expect some restrictions as the government tries to get things under some control.

If the did nothing and the death toll was in 100s of thousands I suspect they would be roundly condemned.

It strikes me what ever the government do there will always be someone on the TV saying they have it all wrong.

 

[Wack]

Not wanting to spoil the party, but if you're on lockdown you shouldn't be going anywhere 'non urgent'. Having a moho doesnt give you a get out of jail free card !

I would spend a weekend on your own drive if possible. Treat it as though you're away, so load everything in and try not to go back into the house for anything. That way you will work out everything but still have the emergency back up of being at home.

The pub/restaurants /cinema/market/shops in town are all open, nothing is closed, we're just told not to have anyone in our house or garden, nobody has said I can't go anywhere nor can I find any information about not going on holiday.

It's as clear as mud

 

[Charlie57]

I think its a delicate balancing act of restricting movement/freedom while trying to keep the economy moving as much as possible, the national debt is now 'squillions' and will take decades to pay back and its only going to get (much) bigger.
We could always do what they did in China and beat suspected cases with a stick, push them in a van to quarantine them somewhere, it was on the news every day earlier in the year.
Of course many suspect China is responsible for all this but if its ever proved I suspect they will nat be making any compensation payments.
And the WASPI women lost in court again..............