Mains Hook Up Alarm (1 Viewer)

[fred_jb]

A while ago I needed to move the van slightly on the drive and forgot to remove the MHU cable. Luckily, although the wheel ran over the cable there was no damage done, but it did make me wonder why there is no alarm for this, as there is for the extending step.

Looking at the Thule circuits for the extending step it was clear that when extended there is a switch which connects ground to the negative connection on the buzzer, while the buzzer's positive connection goes to an ignition switched 12V source. Hence if the ignition is switched on while the step is extended then the alarm sounds. On my van the buzzer, along with most of the other electronics, is located under the passenger seat. I decided to replace this with a buzzer which also flashes a red light and relocated it to the front panel between the seats, and also used it as the alarm for the mains hookup.

The way I did this was to fit a reed relay into the top of the MHU housing with the matching magnet housing stuck onto the lid of the housing. There was plenty of room for this in my case though that might not be true for different housings. The reed relay has both normally open and normally closed contacts so I wired this between ground and the buzzer's negative connection such that when the lid is open and the magnet is away from the relay the contacts close and the buzzer is connected to ground. If the ignition is then switched on the buzzer will sound.

This was surprisingly easy to do, with a small hole drilled in the top back of the internal part of the hookup housing to pass the wires through with some sealant around them, even though it is very unlikely that water would get to that location.

Picture of relay and magnet in place:

Picture of new combined buzzer:

 

[Dorwyn]

That may be easy for you, I'm lost trying to follow it, but it's a great idea, I've often wondered why there is no such alarm. As I park mine on the drive and it's usually plugged into the house mains, it also occurred to me that if that disconnection alarm was triggered to the house, there's another security device.

 

[poppycamper]

Hang leccy cable over drivers door mirror...
No need for any alarm....

 

[Dorwyn]

Hang leccy cable over drivers door mirror...
No need for any alarm....

And lose your mirror?

 

[poppycamper]

And lose your mirror?

Well yes..... If you daft enough to climb into van and drive away despite having to clambour over you leccy cable to get in...

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[Deep Owl]

Our Bessacarr/Ducato sounds an original continuous warning beep when we switch on the engine if we are still on EHU. The problem is remembering which of the many warning beeps it is, before driving away!

 

[Dorwyn]

Well yes..... If you daft enough to climb into van and drive away despite having to clambour over you leccy cable to get in...

I think I am, I've done it once before. I normally approach from inside rear. And I felt very stupid. Not for the first time,

 

[scotjimland]

Good enough idea, possibly for rental vans.. but in 30+ years have never driven off with an EHU cable plugged in ..

Before leaving a pitch I always have a last walk around the van...not only for that but to ensure nothing has been left unpacked or forgotten and look under the van for forgotten shoes etc

Same inside, roof lights closed, door catches on, gas off etc

 

[poppycamper]

Good enough idea, possibly for rental vans.. but in 30+ years have never driven off with an EHU cable plugged in ..

Before leaving a pitch I always have a last walk around the van...not only for that but to ensure nothing has been left unpacked or forgotten and look under the van for forgotten shoes etc

Same inside, roof lights closed, door catches on, gas off etc

I do exact same.. as all competent caravaners and motorhomers should do..

 

[Dorwyn]

I do exact same.. as all competent caravaners and motorhomers should do..

That's her job. All the lockers Air stewardess style. Move the step. I've squashed at least one. Oh, and I normally store the awning winder underneath when on site. Plus the waste bucket. Once I get the urge to drive .... reason disappears

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[Fdhadi]

I hook a small compass that has a string attached onto the steering wheel to remind me that I have to do checks before moving.
If I put the rear legs down I place the wheel brace over the pedals.

 

[Landy Andy]

Maybe you should fit the same system as ambulances have. They physically eject the EHU connection when engine is started.

 

[Figaro]

I hook a small compass that has a string attached onto the steering wheel to remind me that I have to do checks before moving.
If I put the rear legs down I place the wheel brace over the pedals.

I do that now after forgetting to wind them up on a German stellplatz. I ploughed a few yards of turf and thought the waving Germans were saying goodbye, the OH even waved back
Lesson learnt.

 

[dunnah01]

I have a little reminder sticker hidden away on the passenger door next to the sticker reminding me not to drive with the internal blinds closed There's also an alarm if I forget to look for the sticker

 

[DT]

Happened to me once in France trying to get off site within my time period. Luckily someone waved me to stop. True what they say less haste more speed.

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[TDub49]

And lose your mirror?

Only if you indulge in the stunt driving approach to reversing/pulling away without checking your mirrors . .

 

[Guigsy]

The hookup alarm is not infallible. I needed to move the van a metre forward so I could get my bike on the back. I let off the handbrake and let it roll down the drive... Running over the cable that was still plugged in. I wasn't going anywhere, so I didn't do the check!

The other near miss was I turned the cable off at the house socket. Started the engine, no alarm because there's no current. But I did do a check that time, so no issues.

 

[Carpmart]

I approach using/moving/driving the Motorhome like a lorry driver does, start engine, air up the bags and whilst that’s happening, I do a walk round visual check to ensure nothing is not where is shouldn’t be and that tyres, hatches, airbags, hydraulic legs are all as they should be and any obstructions are clearly remembered… then I move off pitch, not before.

Good practice for everyone I would have thought?

 

[seasideBill]

I approach using/moving/driving the Motorhome like a lorry driver does, start engine, air up the bags and whilst that’s happening, I do a walk round visual check to ensure nothing is not where is shouldn’t be and that tyres, hatches, airbags, hydraulic legs are all as they should be and any obstructions are clearly remembered… then I move off pitch, not before.

Good practice for everyone I would have thought?

In a perfect world yes, but I’ve done it, once. Morons in adjoining pitch started playing loud music in the middle of the night so I decided to move pitch. I would normally do all the obvious checks but in the dark in my angry, stressed, sleep deprived state I moved off still connected. Luckily no damage done, cable just pulled out, but in some exceptional situations all the sensible checks can go out of the window,

 

[fred_jb]

The hookup alarm is not infallible. I needed to move the van a metre forward so I could get my bike on the back. I let off the handbrake and let it roll down the drive... Running over the cable that was still plugged in. I wasn't going anywhere, so I didn't do the check!

The other near miss was I turned the cable off at the house socket. Started the engine, no alarm because there's no current. But I did do a check that time, so no issues.

The modification I have made does not rely on sensing mains voltage, instead it detects that the EHU door is open so will still sound the buzzer if the van end of the cable is plugged in which of course causes the EHU door to be open.

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[fred_jb]

For what it's worth, maybe for anyone thinking of doing the same, I decided to make a small modification so that the the step and EHU alarms only sound if the engine is actually running. I got a bit annoyed with it going off when the ignition was switched on as there are occasions when I switch on but don't intend moving off. To do this I just used a relay with its normally open contacts in series with the 12V ignition switched supply to the buzzer. I then used the D+ engine running signal from the Electroblock EBL-31 as the positive supply to the relay coil. To avoid the coil being energised all the time the engine is running, even when the step and EHU are not providing an earth to the buzzer, I used that same earth connection to the negative side of the relay coil. The end result is that the relay can only be energised when both conditions are met - i.e. engine running and step out/EHU door open.

 

[ToGoldlyBo]

It's all very well for some of you to be so pleased that you don't make this kind of mistake because you walk around the van and you hang the cable up where someone can fall over it etc. I envy you the simplicity of your life. For those of us who are a bit neurospicy, driving off with the cable attached or the TV aerial still standing proud or the roof light open or the doorstep still sitting on the pitch, and similar foolishnesses, are just a part of everyday life. Of course I walk around the van to check, if I remember that I haven't done it yet and don't get distracted on the way round by the neighbours dog, the local pigeons or the pattern of my footprints in the dew! So I have been thinking how I could set up alarms - tiny dash lights? - for the things I can (and do) forget. I shall explore this method. Thank you. (After all, I've currently got most of the dash and front panels off and cables hanging everywhere for one or two other upgrades!!)

 

[poppycamper]

It's all very well for some of you to be so pleased that you don't make this kind of mistake because you walk around the van and you hang the cable up where someone can fall over it etc. I envy you the simplicity of your life. For those of us who are a bit neurospicy, driving off with the cable attached or the TV aerial still standing proud or the roof light open or the doorstep still sitting on the pitch, and similar foolishnesses, are just a part of everyday life. Of course I walk around the van to check, if I remember that I haven't done it yet and don't get distracted on the way round by the neighbours dog, the local pigeons or the pattern of my footprints in the dew! So I have been thinking how I could set up alarms - tiny dash lights? - for the things I can (and do) forget. I shall explore this method. Thank you. (After all, I've currently got most of the dash and front panels off and cables hanging everywhere for one or two other upgrades!!)

Just one light on dash will cover all eventualities.... a big red flashing beacon with an audable warning....
" WALK AROUND VAN! "

 

[MisterB]

Guilty of said offence, M'lord ....
I cannot offer anything in mitigation that may help my defence ..

 

[ToGoldlyBo]

"Just one light on dash will cover all eventualities.. a big red flashing beacon with an audable warning....

" WALK AROUND VAN! " "

Oh I wish! I already have a huge notice up to remind me. And a checklist. But one gets distracted and forgets things. One light to rule them all and in the darkness blind them just isn't enough!! I need a whole flashing dashboard. (Hmm, "flashing" ... there's a thought - no don't go there!!!)

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