SolarSet 23: Protecting the battery against deep discharging

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A reliable power supply is imperative if you want to make sure manoeuvring your caravan with the Truma Mover® is possible at any time. In conjunction with the Mover® PowerSet, the Truma SolarSet 23 protects the battery of the Truma Mover® against deep discharging. The set also maintains the voltage in the battery, even when it is overcast outside.

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Truma Solarset

It is important to keep the battery of the Truma Mover® PowerSet fully charged because the SolarSet23 is only suitable for maintaining the charging level. The Truma BC10 charger is ideal for gentle charging. 

Deep discharging and its consequences

The battery has deep discharged, if the battery voltage drops below 10.8 Volt, i.e. more capacity has been drawn from the battery than allowed. The battery capacity should not drop below 70 percent; this ensures a long service life that is measured in charging cycles.

The following factors can lead to deep discharging: Continue reading →

Tips for winter camping

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Outside it´s bitterly cold, but it is nice and cosy inside the motorcaravan. If you have the right equipment, winter camping can be a real pleasure. The Truma heating systems ensure absolute camping comfort even in the midst of winter. What do you need to think about before you embark on a winter camping trip? And what differences are there between the Truma Combi gas and diesel heating systems?  What do you need to think about before you embark on a winter camping trip?

Both the Truma Combi gas and also the diesel heating systems offer absolute comfort for winter campers. Thanks to their heating and hot water function, they ensure that the right temperature inside the motorcaravan is reached quickly and efficiently, and also that there is enough hot water for showering or washing up. Four warm air outlets and the high-performance fan ensure ideal distribution of the warm air throughout the vehicle. Continue reading →

CP-plus digital control unit also for air-conditioning Saphir Compact/Comfort RC

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The digital control unit

can not only be used for our heater type Combi 4 or Combi 6 (gas/electro- or dieselversion), but is also compatible with our air-conditioning system Saphir Compact  and Comfort RC.

It must be notified, that the air-conditioning System Saphir Compact can only be operated with the digital control unit with serial-number 23091001 or higher. Otherwise the electronik must be changed in adition.

About our blog

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In general, Truma employees and guest authors write in this blog. The authors come from different departments of Truma, e.g. Service and Marketing. They write about their own impressions and give their personal opinion. The objective is to give you, dear visitors, an insight into our company.

Please see the blog guidlines as PDF-file.

What you can expect in our blog

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Starting with general questions about the gas supply, advice about better distribution of the warm air through to advice on how to install products in your vehicle – the blog contains lots of issues related to accessories for your motorcaravan or caravan.

This also includes information about Truma in general or technical reports on day-to-day issues.

Do you have any questions about installing a product or would you like to propose an improvement to one of our products? Then don’t hesitate to leave a comment on the Truma service blog. We would be happy to hear from you.

Heat exchanger

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Replacement of the heat exchanger is not necessary for Truma liquid gas heaters

Worried customers frequently ask us about the regulation that stipulates that heat exchangers in vehicle heaters need to be replaced after 10 years.

Here is our detailed explanation: (This can also be submitted to the TÜV/Dekra if they do not have a copy.)
In compliance with the Road Traffic Regulations “Technical requirements for vehicle parts for the type test in compliance with §22a StVZO” dated 05.07.1973 for heaters operated with liquid fuels (diesel, petrol), the heat exchanger must be replaced after 10 years of use.

The reason for this are combustion residues.

In the new version of these “Technical requirements” dated 19.03.1990 the Federal Motor Vehicle and Transport Authority also demands the replacement of the heat exchanger in heaters operated with gaseous fuels after 10 years.

However when liquid gas is combusted, no corrosive elements are created that could corrode the heat exchanger of the liquid gas heaters, so that for reasons of safety, a replacement of the heat exchanger is not necessary.
Knowing this, we are convinced that the safety and quality of the Truma products can always be guaranteed well beyond 10 years, which is why we decided to prevent the enactment of the new version of the “Technical requirements” for the benefit of our customers!

We commissioned a technical report on corrosion to assess the durability of Truma liquid gas heaters from the Research and Material Testing Institute for Civil Engineering, Corrosion Protection department, which came to a very clear result: “Heaters of this type can be operated without problems for 30 years or more, without any signs of leaks caused by corrosion”.

Based on this report we were able to convince the Motor Vehicle and Transport Authority to extend the periods of use of the heat exchangers in liquid gas heaters and the exhaust-carrying pipes from 10 to 30 years in the “Technical requirements for vehicle parts in compliance with §22a StVZO”.

This means that these costly replacements that have no technical relevance and do not benefit the customer are no longer necessary.

This now means that anyone who has installed a Truma liquid gas heater Trumatic C, E or S-K in their motorcaravan is freed of their duty to replace the heater exchangers and exhaust pipes over the next years.

Note:

The heater exchangers/combustion chambers in heaters in motor vehicles (lorries and motorcaravan) that were built between 1993 and 2006 must be replaced (after 30 years).
Older heaters have permission to operate in non-compliance and newer vehicle have an E1 code that relieves them of this duty. Example: A replacement duty for e.g. the year of construction 1993 would then come into effect in 2023.
The heat exchangers in caravans are not affected by this regulation.

Diagnosis – frost damage

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Maybe the one or other Camper has made the not so nice experience of a leaking waterheater when started up for the first time after the winter.

A reason for this could be that the water was not drained from the waterheater. Or there was still water in the lines that had not been completely emptied because e.g. the caravan was not positioned horizontally.

Always empty the boiler if the vehicle is not in use during periods of frost.

To avoid frost damage to the waterheater, we advise the following:

1. The caravan should be positioned horizontally when draining the water.
2. First disconnect the power supply to the water pump (master switch of transformer)
3. Next, the water is drained from the tank and / or the water pump is removed from the tank.
4. Now open the taps in the kitchen and wet cell, and if your vehicle has pre-mixing valves, set these to warm.
5. Then turn to completely open the drain and venting valve, and pull out.
6. Now check whether the water (5 litres) drains completely.
Our tip:
Use a 5 litre bucket or tank with a filling level scale to check the amount of drained water.
7. You can also blow into the open tap – when set to warm – to blow out any remaining water from the device.

And finally, another bit of advice!
We recommend using agents with active oxygen and silver ions for cleaning, disinfection and care tasks . These disinfect effectively and are gentle on materials and the environment.

Older S-heaters – what you need to be aware of!

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Anyone who wants to purchase a vehicle with an older Truma heater should note the following: The device should always be inspected by an expert or qualified workshop to check for faults. After so many years of use, it is possible that there may be gaps in the heat exchanger between the two half-shells that are pressed together with a sealing compound.

If the exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) leak into the inside of the vehicle, this may, in worst case scenarios, kill the passengers.
Exhaust fumes can also enter the inside of the vehicle from corroded aluminium exhaust ducts. Since 1982 Truma has only fitted exhaust ducts made of stainless steel. Unfortunately, the exhaust ducts cannot be simply replaced 1:1 on heaters built before 1981 because they cannot be connected to the heat exchanger of the old heaters.

More information about “Replacing the heat exchanger”

 

 

Winter tips

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Wohnwagen in WinterlandschaftFor those campers who do not travel during the winter, it is time to put the caravan into its winter quarters and make it winter proof.

You should remember that both the vehicle and also the installed equipment need to be prepared for the shutdown phase.

Some useful care tips from Truma:

On-board battery

The statistical average battery life is anywhere between 3 and 5 years. However we know of cases where batteries have worked for many more years. Of course, this depends on the type of battery and how it is used. To ensure that the battery does not suffer during the winter, it should be removed from the vehicle before the winter and fully charged.

Five important tips about extending the battery life from Truma

1) For longer periods when the battery is not in use it should be disconnected and recharged every 6 to 8 weeks, at the latest every 12 weeks. Please note that the battery is only fully charged after 24 hours.

2) Adapt the charging voltage to the battery temperature. Depending on type, batteries will heat up more or less during the charging process. The direct ambient temperature also has a significant impact on the performance. If a battery temperature sensor is attached, it will record the operating temperature of the battery and will communicate this to the connected charger. The charger then changes the charging curve based on the sensor measurements. This means, the higher the operating temperature, the lower the output voltage; and the lower the operating temperature, the higher the output voltage

3) Note: The operating temperature range of our charging systems is 0°C to + 50°C. If 50°C is exceeded, the charging process is interrupted.
Using a battery temperature sensor is not only beneficial for the battery, it also increases its service life.

4) For periods longer than 24 hours when the battery is not in use, interrupt the power supply (e.g. with cut-out or disconnection of the battery terminals)

5) The battery should be stored in a cool and dry place protected from frost (e.g. cellar)

Batteries in remote controls or the automatic ignitor of the S-heater
To prevent batteries leaking, they should be removed from the remote control, or automatic ignitor. Store the remote control in a dry place.

Boiler Storage Waterheater
Drain the waterheater via the drain valve.
There are detailed instructions on how to drain the waterheater correctly in this article “Diagnosis – frost damage”.“Diagnose Frostschaden”

Controller System
Always disconnect the pressure controller (or high-pressure hoses) from the gas cylinder to ensure that there is no more gas in the lines.
If there is a gas remote switch, set it to OFF.

Mover
1) If the Mover is heavily soiled, spray clean with a soft water jet to remove any mud etc.

2) Ensure that there are no stones or branches caught on the Mover.

3) After cleaning, dry and then apply a light coat of spray oil or a similar water-repellent lubricant onto the guide elements of the drive.

Attention: The lubricant may not be allowed to get onto the rollers or tyres!

Engage and disengage the drive units several times to ensure that the lubricant is distributed across all guide elements. Do not park the caravan with engaged drive rollers.
If cared for correctly, both the vehicle and the Truma products will survive the winter without any problems. And you can start travelling again in the springtime without any worries.