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Water flow problems I am having problems with the water flow in my Avondale. The pump seems to be working OK but the water spurts then stops at the taps. I’ve tried opening the valve to empty all water from the pipes but this hasn't made any difference! I'm assuming it's an air block but can't seem to shift it. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated, thanks, Tom |
Hi Tom,
Next, with your Aquaroll full, inset your pump into it and then take
it out and give it a good shake. Insert it back into the Aquaroll
and turn your pump on at the main switch inside your van. It should
then start to fill your hot water tank. After the pump has filled
the hot water tank, turn on all the taps inside your caravan - this
should force any air that is in the system out and your taps should
start running freely. |
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Do I really need a leisure battery?
I am fairly new to caravanning having just bought my first van, so excuse what may be a silly question. When I was looking around my local dealer in Glossop the salesman kept pushing the fact that I needed a vehicle with a leisure battery. However as I only intend to use sites with mains hook up, why would I need a Leisure battery? |
In theory you could survive without
a leisure battery, but we would advise against it. For example, many
caravan lights and ancillary equipment is designed to run off 12v.
Also, while most sites do provide mains hook up, there are still
some very good sites out there that don’t offer this luxury, or even
charge additional fees for access to mains. Having a leisure battery
would give you the freedom to pitch up at non mains sites while
still enjoying the comfort of your 12v appliances. |
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My blown Air Ducting loses heat I have a blown air heating system in my motor home that utilises an air duct to the front of the vehicle via plastic trunking. As this runs under the vehicle I have noticed that it loses a lot of heat to the outside. Is there any aftermarket insulated trunking on the market that can be fitted easily? Many thanks, Sam |
Hi Sam, You haven’t mentioned the make and model of your motor home, but Truma do produce a waterproof, insulated air duct that might fit the bill. We have this in stock or alternatively you can contact Truma directly ( email technical@trumauk.com or phone them on 01283 586050 |
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Window Shades |
Try us! We stock 1000’s of new and used parts and have the blinds
you are looking for! Alternatively try your nearest caravan
breakers. Most have a mail order service, so providing you can tell
them exactly what you need and they have it in stock, they will post
it to you. A good source of parts for Elddis is the
Elddis Owners Club. They might be able to help or point you in
the right direction. |
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No flush! Help! While doing some work on my ‘92 Lunar Jupiter I accidently shorted the leisure battery. Now the electric flush on the toilet has stopped working. |
Without examining the unit it is
difficult to advise on the cause of the problem, however it sounds
like you may have blown the fuse. This
is normally located in the box which houses the cassette. Try a new
fuse first and see if that works. Failing that, we would be happy to
take a look at it for you. |
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Algae in Toilet Flush
M |
Hi M’ The algae is caused by water that has been standing for a while – most likely because the toilet has not been used recently. The best way to get rid of black algae is to use Milton Fluid (the same stuff used to sterilise babies bottles) which is pretty inexpensive. Put the Milton diluted with water in the flush tank and leave for 24 hours. Flush through the Milton and rinse again with water and hey presto a cheap and easy solution! |
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Caravan Damp Cures |
Damp is caused by water ingress from outside - usually via poorly
fitting door and or window seals, or the awning rail, light fixings,
etc. and is the caravan’s worst enemy. If it is left untreated it
can cause all sorts of problems. Prevention is better than cure and
we would recommend that you ask for a damp test when your van is
serviced (all reputable service and repair shops should do this as a
matter of course anyway) If your van is going to be laid up for a long period, then remove all soft furnishings and give the van a good airing every 2 weeks or so (a dry and breezy day is best for this). You could use a condensation trap in the form of crystals, which will be much cheaper than a dehumidifier. Another money saving tip is to keep all those silica gel sachets you get when you buy new shoes or bags. Place them in cupboards and drawers and they all help keep the humidity levels down. Remember though to make sure that any chemicals stored in your van to reduce moisture should be kept well out of the way of children and animals! |
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Safe Towing? I have a FORD FOCUS C-MAX 1.8 ZETEC I was wanting to know if you could tell me what I could legally tow weight wise please Pamela |
Hi Pamela There is no
straightforward answer on what is the legal maximum limit in the UK.
When you passed you driving test even affects the maximum permitted
towing limit for example (Have a look at
http://www.caravanningnow.co.uk/caravanning/faqweight.htm
for more details on this aspect) That said, for stable and safe towing we would
always recommend that you choose the smallest and lightest possible
caravan suitable for your intended use. The less the laden weight of
the caravan is in relation to the weight of your towing vehicle,
the safer and more stable the outfit will be. Many caravanners use a
method of calculation known as the “85% rule” to match their ideal
caravan and towing vehicle The 85% rule
allows you to calculate the ‘maximum technically permitted laden
mass’ (MLTPM) that your vehicle can tow safely. MTPLM in a nutshell
is the caravan's weight plus all your caravanning gear and if you
apply this rule you should be within the legal limit for towing
weight Establishing the MLTPM for your towing vehicle is
straightforward, providing you know both the kerb-weight (kw)
of your vehicle and its maximum towing weight (mtw) for a braked
trailer (you should be able to find these specifications in your
vehicles handbook). According to what Car, the Kerb Weight for the
Focus C-Max is 1340 kg and the max towing weight is 1200 kg so we
would therefore use the lower figure which is the max towing weight.
So, in your case, using these figures, we divide the maximum towing
weight by 100 and then multiply by 85, ie:.
You now have
your 85% rule. If you choose a caravan with an MLTPLM of about the
same you should be able to tow safely within the capabilities of
your vehicle. Advice from
the Caravan Club states that you should aim for a towed load that is
no more than 85% of the car's kerb weight for stability and safety
and NEVER to tow above 100% of the car's kerbside weight. I’m not sure
if this totally answers your question, but hopefully it gives you a
good rule of thumb as a starting point. Good luck in your search for
the right van and if we can be of any assistance in maintaining it
please do not hesitate to contact us! |
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