Newbie rookie or just plain daft?

[Nanniemate]

Well here the story goes, I'm trying for an early get away tomorrow afternoon down to the coast walk on beach not laptops/phones etc. Trashy book good nights sleep much the same Saturday before coming home Sunday to jump back on the magic roundabout.
Some may be aware that I have been a little concerned about draining down and making sure that I do not freeze up Van.
So I bought some new toys and am quiet content so it's dark but ok to fill the tanks put te bedding in and get the basics done ready for the quick off tomorrow after work.
So get the hosepipe out turn the heater valve to the closed position, shut all the internal taps, so far so good. Check the valve to see the water filling put the cushions in place,
Um I hear water running so check the heater valve again having left it open in the past nope dry.
Shock horror the water is pouring out the water tank drain valve OH NO,
Quick turn the water off, check the valve can't stop it...
No try again so much water every where
Can't see enough quick grab the touch head to the house turn around there's one by the door in Van.
Grab the touch , yes it works lucky I've checked the batteries
Down on my hands and knees now yet in the big puddle created by me, turn the tap again it won't work turn it the other way water still coming

Bit wet and soggy now around the knees and up to my elbows as the water is now spraying every where, well just over me really.

Turn the valve again oops off it comes in my hand lots of water now... It would help if I had turn the tap off on the blue valve rather than turning the whole valve and undoing it from the fitting...…...

Oh well just another rookie stupid oops Off for a shower now a hot one..

?

 

[Riverbankannie]

Oh no !
Do you mean the water was coming out under the van from the drain tap? They are such stupid plasticky things, I’m always afraid one is going to break off in my hands.
I think some replace them with brass taps but I don’t know how difficult a DIY job that is .
Do you need water in the main tank for a short trip. I take water in 5 litre cider containers and would make do without a shower just a good wash down. Heat water in the kettle, a cup of tea and the rest for washing.
Flush loo with a spray bottle with diluted pink in.
Good luck.

 

[Nanniemate]

Yep, that's the one it unscrews really easy
I wanted to turn the heaters on, no water, no heaters and as I'm 'wilding' no electric except battery power. Mind you it keeps the neighbours entertained. Once Van is warm she seems to hold the heat reasonably well. I have left on the new greenhouse heater to see how that helps.
That's a great idea for the spray I will adopt that thank you. Carol posted about using bio washing liquid for the loo so I have bought some of that also. So if you see a van with bubles coming out the as it drives down the road you know who it is
As for washing yes I will be home in need of a good shower.

 

[monzer]

It's all part and parcel of van life. We've all done it. My first trip to away in the van was Luxembourg, I was showering and washing up for 3 days not realising the waste tank was full and everything was emptying out of the over flow.

I just presumed the tank was big enough to hold 3 days worth of water. It must have been near full on setting off.

Never made a speedier exit out of a camp site.

Like I say, a learning curve

 

[Riverbankannie]

Yep, that's the one it unscrews really easy
I wanted to turn the heaters on, no water, no heaters and as I'm 'wilding' no electric except battery power. Mind you it keeps the neighbours entertained. Once Van is warm she seems to hold the heat reasonably well. I have left on the new greenhouse heater to see how that helps.
That's a great idea for the spray I will adopt that thank you. Carol posted about using bio washing liquid for the loo so I have bought some of that also. So if you see a van with bubles coming out the as it drives down the road you know who it is
As for washing yes I will be home in need of a good shower.

As far as I know, the a Truma can be run as a space heater only without water in system. If you know your model number we could try and find the info for you.
Do you have the 2 rotary controls for it? Mel has posted a quick reference in resources. I will try and find it.

Truma Dials diagram - Gas only operation

Diagram showing the meaning of the symbols etc on the Truma dial (gas only operation)

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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[Riverbankannie]

Carol posted about using bio washing liquid for the loo so I have bought some of that also.

I use the Lidl pod ones and just drop one in every time I empty. Gives a nice smell, ....."

........ for a little while !

 

[Nanniemate]

I have the rotary control as pictured and a 240 switch underneath the book with the van says its ieither a C3402 or C6002

 

[Riverbankannie]

I found this on another website that explains maybe why you have 2 numbers
Quote
“The Trumatic C3402 is a gas fired combined hot water and blown hot air heating system. (There are different variants, such as the more powerful C6002 and the newer Combi 4/6. All work on the same sort of principle, the main different being the newer systems are horizontal rather than vertical)

The boiler consists of a central gas burner/combustion chamber, combustion air is blown into the burner assembly by a small fan. The hot gasses pass over a set of heat exchanger fins which surround the combustion chamber before exiting via the flue pipe to the outside of the vehicle. The flue is actually coaxial (think a tube within a tube), where fresh combustion air drawn into the heater through the outer tube and exhaust gasses are expelled through the inner tube. This is a simple yet clever system that helps maximise heat energy extracted from the exhaust gas while also not taking combustion air from inside the vehicle (which would cause a draft somewhere as air would have to get in to the van to replace it)
Surrounding the exhaust gas heat exhanger fins are another set of heat exchanger fins, though these are sealed from the customer gasses. For blown air heating air from inside the van is blown over these fins by a larger fan to heat it up before entering a manifold at the bottom of the boiler where it is blown out through the four hot air distribution ducts.

Finally surrounding these heat exchanger fins is a 12 litre water jacket, and heat energy from the combustion chamber not extracted by the blown air heating ends up in this jacket, heating the hot water.
“
I don’t know what happens to that heat energy mentioned in last sentence if there is no water in the jacket but maybe someone will come along to enlighten.

 

[Riverbankannie]

This is a link to the manual if you haven’t already got one
<Broken link removed>
It says operation without full boiler is ok. This is an extract from that manual, hope it helps.