Firstly, everything electrical on the van runs on 12 volts, with the exception of:

• The hot water heater (runs on gas or 240V)

• The Microwave (runs on 240V)

• All the 240V power outlets

• The refrigerator (runs on gas and 240V) It also runs on 12V but ONLY when connected to the car charging system. When the van is connected to the car, and the car is running, the 12V power supply from the car alternator will maintain the fridge internal temperatures but will NOT cool the fridge down further.  Everything else runs on 12V

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The water system works either by mains pressure (direct tap hookup), or by a 12V pump (accessing water from the tanks) when not connected to mains. When running the pump system, the water lines need to be "bled" by turning on the taps and "bleeding" the air out of the system. The pump works by sensing a pressure drop in the system. When one opens a tap, the pump senses the pressure drop in the system and activates. If the pump continues to run with all taps closed, then the issue is likely to be air in the system, but can also be due to a leak.

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We did notice (once) that the pump was running continuously eventhough the system was bled and there were no leaks either inside or outside the van. Further inspection showed under the van required removal of the pump stone shield, which then exposed asmall filter unit just before the pump. The filter unit has a perspex view bulb which had cracked and was allowing air to be sucked in. The filter housing was replaced and the problem fixed.

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The mains inlet is found at the side of the van and is a one-way valve that allows water to enter via a hose but stops water flowing out when the system is under pressure when the pump is in use. The valve is open and exposed to dirt and dust. Unfortunately, these valves can cease up and not function properly if left open to the environment. They can be removed, opened up and repaired, but it is worth carrying a spare. Another idea is to get a hose fitting and filling the end (that the hose normally goes into) with silicone to seal it up. Once dry, you can click the hose fitting over the open end of the valve to seal it up while in storage or in transit.

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Pipework runs under the length of the van. This pipework carries water to all the outlets. There is other pipework that are outlets for the water tanks and grey water tanks. These should all be "lagged" to prevent stones from breaking or splitting them. This can be done with pool noodles, though I prefer high density foam with is more resilient than pool noodles. I also wrapped the foam in a tough underlay rubber for further strength/resilience.

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Cupboard Handles on our van are a D-shape locking type. These handles have a small design fault. The handles have two pins on either side that hold the handle in place. These pins can fall out and get lost (they are quite small). To overcome this, a small dab of superglue or Locktite will keep the pins in place and stop them popping out. If pins do pop out and get lost, you can buy replacement handles and fit them (you cannot buy the pins on their own unfortunately), OR you can have some 0.8mm pop rivets handy and cut and fit them into the holes - don't forget the dab of superglue!

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