Do you leave 12v on when traveling

[n8ess]

Do you have to leave the 12v on when traveling, the question is mainly aimed at powering the fridge when the setting is on the cab battery?

 

[gpat]

Turning off the 12v when the engine is running is a UK thing because it is a requirement of the NCC (the middle C stands for Caravan). That is why most, if not all, UK converters do so. It may be sensible for a caravan, with nobody in it while the tow car engine is on, but daft for a motorhome IMHO. Our previous Adria and present Hymer keep the 12v on until we choose to switch it off. That enables us to charge stuff while we drive along. And we can keep the Alde heating on using the engine heat exchanger to keep all of the motorhome warm and have hot water when we stop.

That would explain why I have never thought about it. We don't do UK vans.

 

[rod_vw]

Absolutely no reason to turn anything off when on the move. Why on earth would you need to? Yes there are lots of electronics in a vehicle but has anyone ever heard of leisure items affecting them?

In my items needing 12v power when on the move either always or occasionally are, compressor fridge when camping, Eberspacher heater in the winter, invertor for laptop, razor charger, camera battery charger etc.

As someone above says, turning the leisure 12v off British thing promoted by the idiots of the NCC and so called Clubs.

 

[ManTheVan]

Always leave ours on when away. Sometimes turn it off when at home, but often just left on.

 

[Lenny HB]

As someone above says, turning the leisure 12v off British thing promoted by the idiots of the NCC and so called Clubs.

Also saves the converters having to spend loads of money on EMC testing.

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[Coolcats]

Our Adria has a compressor fridge so 12v needs to be on when driving.

You may find if you switch the 12v habitation power off your fridge still works this is what happens on the Hymer I suspect the same will happen on your Adria it’s worth double checking.

 

[ontheroadagain]

You may find if you switch the 12v habitation power off your fridge still works this is what happens on the Hymer I suspect the same will happen on your Adria it’s worth double checking.

Have tried that but the fridge switches off.

 

[VXman]

12V off only when it's laid up not being used. Otherwise on constantly at all times. However, even with it off the fridge still works.

 

[Lenny HB]

Have tried that but the fridge switches off.

A bit of rewiring needed then.

 

[meanders]

Don't know any reason to turn off 12v when travelling.

We turn ours off having had a fountain in the kitchen on one occasion.

We have one of these taps that the end swivels upwards to allow the sink lid to close. It also features a mixer handle that is up for hot but is made solid metal. Driving along a rough road, a combination of vibration and gravity took over and opened the tap! Believe me, a lot of water gets pumps in the time it took the navigator to vacate her seat and get back to turn it off.

That's the only reason though, and never have on the two previous vans.

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[Lenny HB]

We turn ours off having had a fountain in the kitchen on one occasion.

We have one of these taps that the end swivels upwards to allow the sink lid to close. It also features a mixer handle that is up for hot but is made solid metal. Driving along a rough road, a combination of vibration and gravity took over and opened the tap! Believe me, a lot of water gets pumps in the time it took the navigator to vacate her seat and get back to turn it off.

That's the only reason though, and never have on the two previous vans.

Why not just turn the pump off.

 

[James-Alex]

Our UK Motorhome sorts out the fridge’s 12v supply when engine is on.
Rest of habitat electrics are isolated with the ignition engaged.
Never needed the habitat area powered when driving so handy that the fridge is on its own circuit

Same for us

 

[Sheddy]

Why not just turn the pump off.

No1 on the checklist, but occasionally we forget the checklist.

 

[meanders]

Why not just turn the pump off.

I do that as well. Belt and braces. Really not a mopping up experience I want again. It was wet and cold outside so drying it while away wasn't easy.

 

[tonyidle]

Also saves the converters having to spend loads of money on EMC testing.

That's the reason for it: nothing to do with NCC or Clubs.

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[Bolti]

If i turn off my control panel it also stops the feed from the alternator to the leisure batteries. Rapido.

 

[Lenny HB]

If i turn off my control panel it also stops the feed from the alternator to the leisure batteries. Rapido.

Now that is weird.

 

[Mike800966]

If I turn off the 12v the truma frost valve will release and dump all fresh water, also we would need to turn it back on at every stop to enable toilet flushing.
Mike and Ann

 

[autorouter]

Do you have to leave the 12v on when traveling, the question is mainly aimed at powering the fridge when the setting is on the cab battery?

If it's a Hymer, as in your avatar, the fridge control board and the heater controls should remain powered if you switch off the habitation power using the display panel switch. The fridge relay will automatically power the 12V fridge element from the alternator/starter battery.

Note that the D+ trigger signal only turns on when the alternator is producing power, so the alternator is charging the cab battery, powering the fridge element, and charging the leisure battery too. The fridge is not draining a battery when on 12V when the engine is running.

 

[Lenny HB]

If I turn off the 12v the truma frost valve will release and dump all fresh water, also we would need to turn it back on at every stop to enable toilet flushing.
Mike and Ann

Been wired incorrectly it should have a permanent 12v supply.

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[heliart]

I keep mine on to power the WIFI - better reception for Google maps.

 

[Old Gibber]

If I turn off the 12v the truma frost valve will release and dump all fresh water, also we would need to turn it back on at every stop to enable toilet flushing.
Mike and Ann

That is very odd. There is no electrical connection to the Truma frost valve.

 

[peterc10]

That is very odd. There is no electrical connection to the Truma frost valve.

I think there was on older versions

 

[Reallyretired]

That is very odd. There is no electrical connection to the Truma frost valve.

Odd, my manual says turning off the 12v at the electroblock will open the dump valve. The old type with the red lift up knob definitely needed an electric supply to keep it closed. The later blue one perhaps not. Mine is the blue one, but the manual may be wrong.