# Electrical question



## short-stick (Jul 23, 2007)

Hi. I have a 2008 Bessacarr E560 Motorhome.
When the engine is running, I cannot operate the water pump or use the lights in the van... I know this is how it is meant to be, but what happens when you want to use the toilet when travelling. I know someone will probably say you shouldn't use the toilet whilst the vehicle is moving, but what if I am running the engine to demist the windscreen, or we pull up to swap drivers, if you want water or lights you have to kill the engine... So which fuse or relay or hidden switch do I operate or remove or modify to prevent this happening or give me the option of an override? But at the same time, whatever I do I don't want to stop the habitation battery charging or cause some other problems!
I'm hoping someone else has got around this...
In a perfect world, there would be an override on a 5 min timer!

BTW - Thank you Swift - Lovely motorhome, ticks all our boxes...


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Surely the safest and simplest solution is to switch off the engine for a couple of minutes. It will not do any harm and may save you from potential prosecution for allowing the engine to run whilst not in control of the vehicle, which is an offence in many countries.
Either that or don't flush the loo.
Gerry


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Or take a small water bottle into the loo with you.

You should never defeat any safety devices installed by the manufacturer in your van. Not only for your own safety but should you have an accident and the alterations contributed to your injuries you ins co would have a get out clause and may not pay up.

Phill


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Or you could simply accept that it is not a legal requirement but merely a condition of the National Caravan Accreditation scheme, and ignore the issue as do the wiser UK converters and all (?) continental manufacturers and converters.

Are you saying, short-stick, that the Swift dealer is not prepared to do this, perhaps because it invalidates the warranty?

If you wish to know more, simply search MHF for EMC relay.

Dave


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## SwiftGroup (Jun 27, 2007)

*Swift*

The isolation of circuits in the habitation area, when the engine is running, is an important safety requirement.

We would not recommend over riding this feature.

Regards
Kath


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

*Re: Swift*



SwiftGroup said:


> The isolation of circuits in the habitation area, when the engine is running, is an important safety requirement.
> 
> We would not recommend over riding this feature.
> 
> ...


Why? 
I have disabled mine

Alan H


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## short-stick (Jul 23, 2007)

Thanks everybody for your comments. An interesting spread of views. As I guessed, Health and Safety is everywhere and we are now more often denied the ability to use our own judgement and common sense. So i'll look up the searches recommended, thanks for those, I appreciate your common sense approach.

Let me leave people with a thought. 

It's a cold frosty dark winter evening, the motorhome windscreen is iced up and the engine is cold (perhaps you've been out all day). You are about to set off somewhere. So you start the engine to warm up and demist the inside of the windscreen whilst you de-ice the outside and allow the heated mirrors to defrost... You can switch on the cab interior light, there's a switch, no-one says you cant be trusted with this, but you (or your partner) have to stumble in the dark inside the back of the van with no lights working or switch off the engine...
In a minibus, people carrier, estate car and my saloon, you have an independant switch to operate the rear interior lights and it works with the engine running or the vehicle in motion, what about buses??... Hmnnn


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Does sound an odd regulation dreampt up by someone who never uses a camper.
I personally have never come accross this and assume as you say it must be a new and fairly recent ott safety issue.

Ray.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

It was brought into caravans around 1997. When the car is attached to the caravan and the engine is running the fridge supply relay in the car feeds to the van fridge and also a habitation relay. The habitation relay when operated feeds the permanent feed supply from the car to charge the van battery and at the same time the van 12v electrics are isolated.
British manufacturers who also build MH's have implemented it similarly into them. 
I do not for one moment believe it has anything to do with safety but I think for it to have an NCC certificate for the habitation it needs it.


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