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Eriba stuff ......FOR THE NEXT 5 CATEGORIES PLEASE BE PRECISE BY GIVING FULL DETAILS OF THE TYPE OF ERIBA/TOW CAR/AWNING YOU HAVE TO HELP US ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. � Anything Eriba-related �

Finally got our Eriba

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#16

RE: Finally got our Eriba

in Anything Eriba-related Mon Aug 31, 2015 9:33 am
by fenman (deleted)

Our Puck L does not have a battery and when we do not have EHU we run the fridge on gas and use a jerry can for water, together with a couple of battery operated lights we are set up for a few days away.

Puck L 230GT towed by Peugeot Partner Tepee 112

#17

RE: Finally got our Eriba

in Anything Eriba-related Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:29 am
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

Quote: Linney wrote in post #15
We don't have a battery fitted so am I right that we have a transformer that steps down the 240v to 12 v , I don't want want an on board battery and I can't see any way of connecting one so if I am on a site without hook up I assume that I will have to use the car battery from the grey lead ?

Pictures of your electrics would help us answer this question. Usually, vans without a leisure battery have a 12v transformer to power lights, taps and heater circulation fan (where fitted) so if you are not on electrical hook-up (EHU) you have no supply to these items.

This is common on the Continent where caravanners tend to use fully serviced sites with EHU. Brits, being made of sterner stuff, often camp 'off-grid' so would normally have a battery and some form of charger to top-up the battery as necessary.

Things get more complicated if you have a motor mover fitted when you need a mains charger to keep the battery in a healthy condition to operate the motors when maneuvering.

I understand that Continental caravanners often leave the car coupled to the caravan on overnight stops so that they can run lights etc from their car battery. My original BIP unit had a switch on it to allow this to happen but as it was redundant, I had it altered so as to isolate the taps and heater circulation fan for laying-up during the winter months. I think the circuitry in the BIP incorporated some safeguard to prevent the car battery being drained below cranking voltage for starting the engine - but I may be wrong on this.

The following picture shows my BIP unit in its original configuration. The switch to which I'm referring is the single one between the double mains switch and the blue fridge relay.

P1000955.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Your caravan should have something similar. Is it a Dutch import?

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2003 Triton 420 and Audi A4 2.0Tfsi S-line SE Cabriolet

Last edited Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:17 pm | Scroll up

#18

RE: Finally got our Eriba

in Anything Eriba-related Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:46 am
by hob (deleted)

Quote: Linney wrote in post #15
Just bought a Protec cover so our pride and joy will be protected , thanks for the advice . We don't have a battery fitted so am I right that we have a transformer that steps down the 240v to 12 v , I don't want want an on board battery and I can't see any way of connecting one so if I am on a site without hook up I assume that I will have to use the car battery from the grey lead ?

I don't have a battery either and notice that the loo and sink water pumps still work for a comfort break in a layby when hooked up to the car. However I would be reluctant to run the lights water pumps ect on a site for any amount of time from the car battery as you could end up not being able to start the car at the end of it.

It is possible to buy a leisure battery and a battery box and fit a grey socket (or 13 pin socket on later models) and wire the socket to the battery in the box and do it that way, ensuring that the car is not effected.
The battery would need to be pre charged before the trip and once it gets low would need re-charging some how........... some sites offer a battery charging facility for a small fee.
Remember if you do this do not try to wire the fridge into the battery in the box
The fridge will not work in these conditions either way as the 12V demand would be too great so the fridge would always need to be run on gas in a non hookup situation
Also a battery in a box has to be plugged in and therefore needs to be outside so there is the problem of it being stolen, but that could be solved by unplugging it and putting it inside the van at night and when not onsite.

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Vauxhall Insignia Sri towing 2006 Triton 430 import

Last edited Mon Aug 31, 2015 11:14 am | Scroll up

#19

RE: Finally got our Eriba

in Anything Eriba-related Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:39 pm
by Linney (deleted)

Yes I agree photos would have been handy , unfortunately the Eriba is at home and I am not , I think that it may well be a Dutch import I will have to investigate further , i have ordered four new sockets for the 240 v power as these are European style and the previous owner used adapters to convert them to UK 3 pin. It has grey and black 7 pin hook up leads so I could as suggested connect the grey straight to a battery and charge this separately as and when required , I do intend to try and always use EHU so the use of a battery would be minimal , the fridge would be run off the gas so lighting only needed . Many thanks for your replies .

Aaron Calder likes this post!

#20

RE: Finally got our Eriba

in Anything Eriba-related Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:29 pm
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

Also, if you change the bulbs in your lights to light emitting diodes (LED), the battery consumption will be dramatically lowered and a car-type battery should last you ages without charging.

If you have Continental sockets installed, your caravan will be an import and hob is the expert on this.

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2003 Triton 420 and Audi A4 2.0Tfsi S-line SE Cabriolet

Last edited Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:17 pm | Scroll up