# Odd Electrical Blackout



## Chris46 (Dec 17, 2021)

Hi. We have a 2002 Rapido 710F. After a six hour drive last Tuesday we arrived at our overnight campsite stop later than we had planned at 5pm so dark, drove onto our pitch and switched off the engine. Was switching the domestic lights on when suddenly we had a blackout, the entire domestic board was dead.

Dumbfounded, we were stuck for what to do, but we did need the loo as did our dog, so we satisfied the dog and checked out the toilet block.

On walking back to the campingcar we were very surprised to see all the lights back on. Got inside and it was though nothing had happened, all domestic electrics were working normally.

So what was going on, why did we have a blackout and how did it reset? The only thing I can think is that there is some trip - not mentioned anywhere in the manual - that tripped and then auto reset.

We did have the engine heater heating the whole vehicle up for the six hour trip, and most unusually for me I did leave the domestic electrics on for the drive which I don't normally do.

Anyone have any bright ideas what went on?

Chris


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## 242633 (Oct 21, 2021)

Chris46 said:


> Hi. We have a 2002 Rapido 710F. After a six hour drive last Tuesday we arrived at our overnight campsite stop later than we had planned at 5pm so dark, drove onto our pitch and switched off the engine. Was switching the domestic lights on when suddenly we had a blackout, the entire domestic board was dead.
> 
> Dumbfounded, we were stuck for what to do, but we did need the loo as did our dog, so we satisfied the dog and checked out the toilet block.
> 
> ...


I am pretty clueless [ok, totally clueless] about electrics, so I'm probably wayoff beam, but were you on EHU when the lights failed? Some of the EHUs we've used have an auto reset button at the bollard after about a 30 seconds wait, so if the heating switching on coincided with the lights being on and tripping the bollard, the reset during a period when the heating wasn't firing up might explain it ...

Steve


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## Chris46 (Dec 17, 2021)

No Steve, hadn't got as far as getting out the car, so no EHU at that time


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

From your explanation it would appear that there is a major connection problem. As your vehicle is 19 years old I would suggest that it maybe down to a bad earth connection, probably somewhere on the chassis.

Work your way round the vehicle starting at the battery, cleaning as many joints and connectors as possible. A tedious job but without actually being in attendance it is all I can suggest.


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## Chris46 (Dec 17, 2021)

Thanks Drew, good point re the age, I will look at that when I can.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I had a situation where my 12v electrics would go off then come on again later - I only knew this because the clock on the controller would be at the wrong time. It was quite random as to when it would happen. What eventually fixed it was when I pressed home all the fuses on the EBL. Tho none of them looked to be loose I'm guessing the 12v was cos I've had no trouble since.

I'd had some work done to the van shortly before that n I'm guessing that's when it was pulled n not replaced fully.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Not talking from knowledge or experience but from guessing what could cause such an effect. Could there be a relay somewhere designed to switch from vehicle battery (alternator) to leisure battery to power the 12v electrics when the ignition is turned off? And that relay is playing up.

And in this case the contact on one side of the relay was broken but not quite made on the other side. The "resetting" could simply be the spring in the relay _eventually_ forcing the contacts together.

I do know that the are relays in MHs that switch 3 way fridges on and off the alternator and retract satellite dishes etc.


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## Chris46 (Dec 17, 2021)

Just for the record - this problem seems to have been resolved, thank goodness. It happened again, no power anywhere, but by this time the vehicle was in her storage unit so not in use as it were and I had purchased from a source in France a replacement battery connector/separator, as the unit fitted would not charge the engine battery when on mains power or when the solar panel was charging. I had been putting off the fitting of the new unit - well, it was cold at the time and I needed to ensure the connections from the old unit were connected to the correct terminal on the new unit, but having been forced into bitting the bullet it all went very easily and now everything works as it should.

Glandwr mentioned a possible rely fault. The battery separator/connector unit has solid state ones and I think that that may well have been the problem, but who knows, certainly not me!

Chris


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