As our maiden voyage in the Triton gets near, I'm beginning to see problems. They're probably irrational, so who can set my mind at rest?

First, with the factory fitted electrical system with leisure battery: if I use the lights and the taps etc. when hooked up to site electricity, does power for these come from the battery which is then recharged through the hook-up? If so, should I throw a switch on the control unit in the locker, and how can I tell that the battery is charging?

Second, given that it's still cold at night: is it safe to have the Truma gas fire running without opening the triangular vents in the pop-top (which would seem to defeat the object)?

Martyn

If you have the full habitation kit it will work as you suggest, it will even supply 12v AC (yes AC)
To check battery condition you need a meter or indicator built in. I use a digital multimeter, with
a circuit tester buzzer in the spec. Battery should be sitting at around 12.6Vdc when fully charged.
Multimeters around £10 and upward.
We never really used the gas heater in case of a soft furnishing fire incident, the caravan should
always be warm but Well Ventilated, so we used an 800 watt oil filled radiator for night use.
Open the vent on the downwind side reduces draughts.

The gas fire is a fully sealed unit with a heat exchanger so there is no exposure to the burner inside the caravan.
If the gas fire is installed correctly it is completely safe to use. That is after all, what its built for.
There can be an issue with smell! New ones especially, need to burn off the manufacturing muck and older ones, if not used frequently, sometimes smell of hot dust for a while.
TonyP

Fit a Carbon Monoxide Alarm, under £20.

Personally for me I would not leave the gas fire on over night as the Familia bed is very close to the fire. I'm sure it would be ok regarding carbon monoxide as it is made to be used day or night and it is serviced regularly, however it's just a nagging doubt in the back of my mind.
I have a Truma electrical element in the gas fire and I find this on very low tick over more than hot enough. In my old Puck we used a mini filled oil radiator which was great...

Couple of points : The habitation system (if standard Eriba) should supply DC charging voltage to the battery when on mains hook-up and a VERY ROUGH DC approx 12 volts to the lights and water pump (S). With the leisure battery in circuit it does help to smooth the DC - but if fitting LED lights it's best to have AC/DC compatible ones to eliminate flicker !

The 12 volt porch light only works when habitation system is connected to mains - a legal requirement to prevent white light showing behind the van whilst towing :)

Fitting a volt meter is a great idea, I think it's best to install a Digital one as an analogue one is probably a 'hot wire' or 'moving coil' type which uses a lot more current to work so can drain battery if left for long periods when not in the charging state,

Some of this may seem 'at odds' with previous comments - so I'll leave it to others to comment if I've got it wrong ! ! :(

Thanks for all of these remarks, they all make very good sense.

In time, I hope to get a flat-panel electric heater, but that won't arrive before our first voyage. So I think we'll be packing PJs and turning the gas off at lights-out, just in case. A CO alarm is a good idea.

I'm not sure about the terminology (habitation pack), but I suspect that means leisure battery and the control gubbins to manage it. We apparently have the "Power Pack SE", which has a little black switch beside the 2-pole circuit breaker, and I assume this has to be in the down position for charging to take place. A voltage display is a great idea; I saw that AC had one fitted but assumed that it was a part of the hi-tech system his caravan electrician had put together for him. That's now on the list of things to get.

Thanks again, for much food for thought.

Martyn