In anticipation of a month away at Sennen Cove and because retail therapy is an excellent way of relieving the lockdown blues, I decided to make some subtle enhancements to my 540GT over the last couple of days...

1. Automatic water pump shut-off
I have often wondered why this is not part of the standard design since it can be done very cheaply. All that was needed was a suitable float switch and automotive relay. Now my water pump shuts off just before the pump runs dry. The trickiest part was positioning the height of the switch to achieve the perfect switching level. The floor mounted double spade-connector was replaced by the 12V automotive relay.

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2. Solar charging
I bought a 100W foldable panel without an on-board charge regulator as I preferred to use the Schaudt LRM1218 which plugs directly into the van's Schaudt power supply. Installation of the regulator took less than 5 minutes, it sits nicely between the consumer unit and flue. I now just need to connect it to a bulkhead socket (either Anderson or SAE) which ideally I would like to mount in the spare space inside my EHU socket, just above the 16A mains connector. Since it is pointless using solar panels when on EHU, this seems an ideal solution as both 230V and 12V connections would never be used simultaneously.

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3. Electric heater upgrade

This took around an hour to install as the heater must be disconnected and removed from its housing in order to install the electric element. I already had space for the Truma Ultraheat control as I have previously moved the 12V master switch to just inside the entrance door for convenience, thus leaving a vacant space on the wardrobe wall. I also installed the Truma remote thermostat next to the switch. This automatically overrides the standard floor level thermostat inside the heater.

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4. Refillable gas option

I had already installed a gas auto-changeover valve some time ago and decided that I would like the option of a refillable bottle since it is much cheaper at the pump. This is only economical over a long period as the cost of a Safefill bottle is around £150 but as I intend to keep the van many years and take it off grid more frequently, it seemed like a good decision saving around £1.60 per litre of gas or to put it another way, the bottle will have paid for itself after around 7 refills. Actually the Safefill holds 6 litres more than a standard 6kg propane so it will pay for itself after 5 refills. My existing 6kg bottle now becomes a reserve.

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5. Rear view dashcam

I suppose it's always a worry that one might get shunted from behind whilst stationary in queuing traffic, or get clipped by the door mirror of an overtaking van. I thought it prudent to install a recording camera to catch any such instances on video in case of an insurance claim. I didn't want something obtrusive, nor did I want it mounted externally thus requiring holes for cables etc. I settled on the Garmin Dashcam Mini which is smaller than most car keyfobs. It took around an hour to install mainly due to feeding the cable from the camera behind the overhead lockers and into the void underneath the wardrobe where I could pick up the permanent & switched 12V from the 13-pin Jaeger connection to the car. The camera only records when the car is hooked up and the ignition is on. It automatically protects any video when it detects an impact even if the car ignition is off. I also bought the optional polarising filter to cut any glare from sunlight or reflection from the back window.

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6. Security

I got a good deal from Leisureshop Direct on some locking window levers from Polyplastic. These are usually between £12-14 each but they are flogging them for under a tenner so I took the plunge and bought 14 which secures every window. I just hope that I don't end up locking myself out of the van as it will now be quite difficult to break in!

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I also bought a corner steady lock from Milenco in addition to the existing wheel and hitch locks.

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7. Other bits

I added some stainless steel hooks in a convenient position by the door.

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And a patriotic mat to finish things off...

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Blimey, you have been busy, Robin (my pre-holiday upgrades have been a haircut and a new pair of flip-flops).

One thing I might question is your location of the Ultraheat's remote temperature sensor. The default local sensor is fitted within the
control switch assembly itself, and not at floor level as you thought.

What you will find when using the Ultraheat is the inside of the wardrobe will get quite warm and the sensor will shut down the heater before the inside of the caravan has reached the required temperature.

To prevent this happening Truma supply a remote sensor designed to be fitted alongside the gas temperature sensor at the bottom of the heater:

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Quote: JohnE wrote in post #2

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What you will find when using the Ultraheat is the inside of the wardrobe will get quite warm and the sensor will shut down the heater before the inside of the caravan has reached the required temperature.

To prevent this happening Truma supply a remote sensor designed to be fitted alongside the gas temperature sensor at the bottom of the heater:

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Just for info, my factory fit Ultraheat has a remote sensor next to the master switch on the side of the wardrobeIMG_0272.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Quote: Just_Chilin wrote in post #4

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Just for info, my factory fit Ultraheat has a remote sensor next to the master switch on the side of the wardrobe

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Just measured the sensor height: its 1m above the floor

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And again just for info, there is no sensor mounted on the floor-level thermostat on my installation

By the way RS, I like your modifications :)

Quote: Just_Chilin wrote in post #8

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By the way RS, I like your modifications :)

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The ultraheat is a good upgrade and we tend to use that more than the gas. I had to fit an extra sensor as it kept going off when the wardrobe got warm. As John E mentioned the sensor was fitted at the bottom of the fire and it then connects via a jack plug. It has worked perfectly with no issues.

Some great upgrades, well done! The ultraheat is a good upgrade and we tend to use that more than the gas. I had to fit an extra sensor as it kept going off when the wardrobe got warm. As John E mentioned the sensor was fitted at the bottom of the fire and it then connects via a jack plug. It has worked perfectly with no issues.

Isn't the premature switching off of the heater simply alleviated by just increasing the temperature seeting dial?

Quote: Just_Chilin wrote in post #12

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Isn't the premature switching off of the heater simply alleviated by just increasing the temperature seeting dial?

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Having a thermostat immediately above the flow of heated air is indeed a crazy design since the heater would turn off prematurely before the rest of the room it was heating was up to temperature.

You do make an interesting point as to the positioning of the thermostats though.

The only thing I can think is that the Ultraheat thermostat is connected via an electrical cable whose positioning may be more flexible than the gas thermostat which is connected via a copper tube and is probably best mounted within the confines of the heater itself.

Clearly, a thermostat mounted lower down will swich off later than one mounted higher due to the ceiling-to-floor temperature gradient (ignoring the aforementioned convection currents that is)

Down low for hotheads and warm toes