# Questions about my new (used) Coral Compact



## HeatherChloe

Hi 

I took my newly bought van (22 months old) out on Saturday to check how everything works. 

I have some problems and the previous owner didn't know the answer. I wondered anyone here knows the answers. 

Pump - 

Basically, I read the instruction booklet and it says that if you open a tap that the pump should come on automatically - it doesn't.

It says that if you press the "pump on" button on the control panel, then this would be for emptying the tank - that certainly happened - if I pressed the "pump on" button, the fresh water tank empties via a blue pipe under the right hand rear wheel. 

When the pump switch is on, there is some pumping via the taps, but not very much pressure, and the toilet flush doesn't work even then. 

So, it seems to me like the pump is weak / broken or something. 

Any hints? Or should I just take it to Premier Motorhomes to be fixed? 

Bit of a blow :-( 

Other questions, to which the previous owner seems to have no answers are: 

1. is the top switch supposed to turn on the outside light? as it doesn't, is it likely I just need to change a bulb? And if so, any ideas how? 

2. do the 13 amp plugs only work if you're plugged into electricity? My little electric kettle would not work on the leisure battery when I stopped in a car park for lunch. 

3. How do you know how much water to put into the water tank? In the vehicle I rented, I would put the hose into the water tank and when the tank was full, water would spurt back out the side of the vehicle (where I was standing) and I'd know to stop. That didn't happen when I filled the tank here - instead, water somehow escaped inside (maybe from the small round hole where the pump goes in) and went all over the tank, the floor around it, and escaped from all over the base of the vehicle. It seems to me that there must surely be a way to know how much to put in when you're stood by the tap that does not involve flooding your vehicle? 

Heather (and Chloe woof woof)


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## SaddleTramp

Re The Pump, If it is a Vision, press the "water" tank symbol then press "Ok" a tap sign should light up, You may have not closed the Hot water tank switch for it emptying the tank, Try turning your tank switch drain off and trying the taps on "Cold" water.

Yes the 13 amp will ONLY work when plugged into electricity as will all 240v items

That is the same with the Adria re filling the tank, Or you can press the water tank symbol as it is filling and the amount will get bigger


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## apxc15

HeatherChloe said:


> Hi
> 
> I took my newly bought van (22 months old) out on Saturday to check how everything works.
> 
> I have some problems and the previous owner didn't know the answer. I wondered anyone here knows the answers.
> 
> Pump -
> 
> Basically, I read the instruction booklet and it says that if you open a tap that the pump should come on automatically - it doesn't.
> 
> It says that if you press the "pump on" button on the control panel, then this would be for emptying the tank - that certainly happened - if I pressed the "pump on" button, the fresh water tank empties via a blue pipe under the right hand rear wheel.
> 
> When the pump switch is on, there is some pumping via the taps, but not very much pressure, and the toilet flush doesn't work even then.
> 
> So, it seems to me like the pump is weak / broken or something.
> 
> Any hints? Or should I just take it to Premier Motorhomes to be fixed?
> 
> Bit of a blow :-(
> 
> Other questions, to which the previous owner seems to have no answers are:
> 
> 1. is the top switch supposed to turn on the outside light? as it doesn't, is it likely I just need to change a bulb? And if so, any ideas how?
> 
> 2. do the 13 amp plugs only work if you're plugged into electricity? My little electric kettle would not work on the leisure battery when I stopped in a car park for lunch.
> 
> 3. How do you know how much water to put into the water tank? In the vehicle I rented, I would put the hose into the water tank and when the tank was full, water would spurt back out the side of the vehicle (where I was standing) and I'd know to stop. That didn't happen when I filled the tank here - instead, water somehow escaped inside (maybe from the small round hole where the pump goes in) and went all over the tank, the floor around it, and escaped from all over the base of the vehicle. It seems to me that there must surely be a way to know how much to put in when you're stood by the tap that does not involve flooding your vehicle?
> 
> Heather (and Chloe woof woof)


My previous van was a Coral and assuming it's a similar set up in yours, here goes. 
If I remember rightly the loss of water may be due to the dump valve by the heater being on. It's a red button near the heater which needs to be lifted. It can be held up by a clothes peg but it's there to dump the water if the temperature in the van drops below freezing, so take the peg out if there is any chance of a freeze up.
The pump switch just activates the pump and needs to be on for normal use.
There should be an overflow in the water tank so if you over fill it runs out the over flow pipe. That needs checking for a blockage or kink in the pipe.
The 13amp plugs only work when on hook up.
The outside light should be accessible from the inside of the cupboard behind it and it might just be a bad connection. 
When you've sorted the dump valve and filled the water tank you will need to vent the whole system to purge the trapped air, including the heater and toilet flush.
Hope this helps,
Pete 8)


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## Stanner

apxc15 said:


> HeatherChloe said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> I took my newly bought van (22 months old) out on Saturday to check how everything works.
> 
> I have some problems and the previous owner didn't know the answer. I wondered anyone here knows the answers.
> 
> Pump -
> 
> Basically, I read the instruction booklet and it says that if you open a tap that the pump should come on automatically - it doesn't.
> 
> It says that if you press the "pump on" button on the control panel, then this would be for emptying the tank - that certainly happened - if I pressed the "pump on" button, the fresh water tank empties via a blue pipe under the right hand rear wheel.
> 
> When the pump switch is on, there is some pumping via the taps, but not very much pressure, and the toilet flush doesn't work even then.
> 
> So, it seems to me like the pump is weak / broken or something.
> 
> Any hints? Or should I just take it to Premier Motorhomes to be fixed?
> 
> Bit of a blow :-(
> 
> Other questions, to which the previous owner seems to have no answers are:
> 
> 1. is the top switch supposed to turn on the outside light? as it doesn't, is it likely I just need to change a bulb? And if so, any ideas how?
> 
> 2. do the 13 amp plugs only work if you're plugged into electricity? My little electric kettle would not work on the leisure battery when I stopped in a car park for lunch.
> 
> 3. How do you know how much water to put into the water tank? In the vehicle I rented, I would put the hose into the water tank and when the tank was full, water would spurt back out the side of the vehicle (where I was standing) and I'd know to stop. That didn't happen when I filled the tank here - instead, water somehow escaped inside (maybe from the small round hole where the pump goes in) and went all over the tank, the floor around it, and escaped from all over the base of the vehicle. It seems to me that there must surely be a way to know how much to put in when you're stood by the tap that does not involve flooding your vehicle?
> 
> Heather (and Chloe woof woof)
> 
> 
> 
> My previous van was a Coral and assuming it's a similar set up in yours, here goes.
> If I remember rightly the loss of water may be due to the dump valve by the heater being on. It's a red button near the heater which needs to be lifted. It can be held up by a clothes peg but it's there to dump the water if the temperature in the van drops below freezing, so take the peg out if there is any chance of a freeze up.
> The pump switch just activates the pump and needs to be on for normal use.
> There should be an overflow in the water tank so if you over fill it runs out the over flow pipe. That needs checking for a blockage or kink in the pipe.
> The 13amp plugs only work when on hook up.
> The outside light should be accessible from the inside of the cupboard behind it and it might just be a bad connection.
> When you've sorted the dump valve and filled the water tank you will need to vent the whole system to purge the trapped air, including the heater and toilet flush.
> Hope this helps,
> Pete 8)
Click to expand...

Yes to all of this but only one :?

If the previous owner couldn't tell you just the same - WHAT ON EARTH did they do with it for 22 months? 8O


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## HeatherChloe

"Re The Pump, If it is a Vision, press the "water" tank symbol then press "Ok" a tap sign should light up"

I don't know if it is a "Vision" - the control panel doesn't have an "ok" button, so maybe it isn't. 

"You may have not closed the Hot water tank switch for it emptying the tank"

I don't know where the hot water tank is - the cold water tank is under the seat, but where is the hot water tank? 

"Try turning your tank switch drain off and trying the taps on "Cold" water"

What is a tank switch drain? 

"you can press the water tank symbol as it is filling and the amount will get bigger" 

The water tank symbol is in the vehicle the other side from the water filling hole, and sadly there's only me - I can see how a couple can do it, with one at the control panel and one holding the hose.


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## HeatherChloe

"the loss of water may be due to the dump valve by the heater being on. It's a red button near the heater which needs to be lifted. It can be held up by a clothes peg but it's there to dump the water if the temperature in the van drops below freezing, so take the peg out if there is any chance of a freeze up."

I'll have a look for the dump valve. Is it by the heater which is under the table, or by the heater / hot water controls which are under the hob? [I am confused about the heater under the table, as it doesn't seem hot, and it seems separate from the heating system within the van which comes out of the holes]

"The pump switch just activates the pump and needs to be on for normal use."

Thanks for this. A shame that the instruction manual doesn't say this!

"There should be an overflow in the water tank so if you over fill it runs out the over flow pipe. That needs checking for a blockage or kink in the pipe."

I unscrewed the lid of the seat to view the water tank thoroughly, and it has the hose entry (flow pipe?) going in from the side, directly to the side of the tank.

Then the tank has three other holes, as far as I could see -

(i) a hole where the pump parts go in which has a small plastic lid

(ii) a big hole with a quite large unscrewable black cap which can be access by taking the wooden circular panel out of the seat (ie can be accessed without unscrewing the seat lid off)

(iii) the plug at the bottom, which is just a manual plug, like a bath

It seems to me that if the tank is full, then the easiest route for the water to take is to force the small plastic lid of the pump off and then for the water to run out all over the lid. But that would seem like a very bad design.

"The outside light should be accessible from the inside of the cupboard behind it and it might just be a bad connection."

I'll check it.

"When you've sorted the dump valve and filled the water tank you will need to vent the whole system to purge the trapped air, including the heater and toilet flush."

How do I vent the system?


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## Stanner

Did you buy the van privately or through a dealer?


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## HeatherChloe

I bought it privately


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## trevorf

Heather, I think you need to join the next MHF rally where I am sure more experienced members would be willing to give you a short course on motorhome operation. Where do you live? Maybe close to someone who would not mind helping you.



Trevor


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## Stanner

I would have expected that anybody who had owned a m/home for 22 months should have been able to explain everything you have asked on here to you and much more easily than trying to do it over a forum. 

If you bought it from a dealer an explanatory tour should be part of the handover process.

The "water dump valve" is a small black box with a Red knob on the top and it will be located next to the water heater (a large black box with lots of pipes and wires) which is probably hidden away under a seat or the fixed bed if you have one. 
For the system to work the Red knob must be pulled UP or all the water in the system will be dumped as soon as you turn the pump on. 
The Red knob will drop down if 
A- the leisure battery is switched off or goes flat 
B- The outside temperature drops to near freezing.


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## HeatherChloe

Thanks Stanner - I'll look for that.

The previous owner did not own it for 22 months - there were two previous owners - the first bought it new, and the second bought it from a dealer (Premier Motorhomes). 

I think that the one who sold it to me has not used it since the winter and so knows nothing about what happens after it has been freezing, as he only owned it for a summer really. 

I may call Premier and ask if I can purchas a tutorial from them.


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## apxc15

Heathercloe you have a PM

Pete 8)


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## Steamdrivenandy

Heather,

Hold your horses, I'm preparing a detailed PM answer for you.

Everything will be clear.

Some of the colours and well meaning suggestions here are inappropriate for the Compact.

Andy


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## joedenise

If you can get to above where you can see the water coming out that is probably where your heater is and the red button will be.

Joe


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## Steamdrivenandy

joedenise said:


> If you can get to above where you can see the water coming out that is probably where your heater is and the red button will be.
> 
> Joe


Joe,

I've got the identical '08 model Adria Compact to Heather's new baby.

The Truma dump valve knobs etc are bright blue plastic, not red. Poor Heather is on a steep learning curve, telling her to look for red knobs is a recipe for confusion.

Andy


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## Stanner

Steamdrivenandy said:


> The Truma dump valve knobs etc are bright blue plastic, not red. Poor Heather is on a steep learning curve, telling her to look for red knobs is a recipe for confusion.
> 
> Andy


Well you learn something everyday........ that's clearly nice useful non-confusing bit of standardisation there then.

All Truma valves I've seen to date have been Red - I wonder why Adria get Blue ones? :?

Perhaps their buyer is one of the Right-whingers off this forum? :lol:


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## RichardnGill

You get a Yellow leaver on the later Truma boilers like ours.


Richard...


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## Steamdrivenandy

RichardnGill said:


> You get a Yellow leaver on the later Truma boilers like ours.
> 
> Richard...


It might be a Truma production year code or something similar.

Andy

I don't know what's happened to the OP. I sent her a PM with full details to sort all her issues on the Compact but it's been hanging in the Outbox since midday. Strange.

SDA


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## greenasthegrass

Mines yellow as well CE6002EH year 2006. 

Greenie


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## tonyt

At first I smiled when reading the OP question re the 13 amp socket - then I got to wondering - as you do...... not that many years ago we would have smiled, if not sniggered, at the suggestion of mobile phones, Ipods and wireless gizmos in general - now we just take all that technology for granted.

So, why not wireless 240v supply? Is it that much more hairbrained than some of the other things we have around us now? Maybe not in my lifetime but I wouldn't just write it off as a no-hoper.

Just think how many more bottles of wine you could get in your lockers if you didn't have to lug around half a mile of ehu cable!


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## Steamdrivenandy

tonyt said:


> At first I smiled when reading the OP question re the 13 amp socket - then I got to wondering - as you do...... not that many years ago we would have smiled, if not sniggered, at the suggestion of mobile phones, Ipods and wireless gizmos in general - now we just take all that technology for granted.
> 
> So, why not wireless 240v supply? Is it that much more hairbrained than some of the other things we have around us now? Maybe not in my lifetime but I wouldn't just write it off as a no-hoper.
> 
> Just think how many more bottles of wine you could get in your lockers if you didn't have to lug around half a mile of ehu cable!


I wonder if somewhere someone is working on a small, silent diesel (or otherwise fuelled) fuel cell combined with 240V generator with the facility to store a goodly amount of the energy produced. Then you could forget gas cylinders, forget 3 way fridges and heaters/boilers and go all mains electric (not my favourite for hobs though) for everything.

Andy


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## Steamdrivenandy

I'm beginning to wonder whether the OP is OK.

She still hasn't picked up my PM from yesterday lunchtime and prior to that she was keen to get her issues sorted.

We'd previously corresponded whilst she purchased her Compact as she'd asked my advice as an owner of the same model. I even made a vain attempt to sell her mine!

I'm wondering whether she's carried out her 'threat' to visit Premier, who were the original supplier of the van when new. That's a 160 mile round trip that isn't really necessary as none of her issues are problems, it's just that she hasn't had a full handover to explain how things work. Having said that if she has gone to Premier then I know from experience last year that they're very nice people and they'll look after her I'm sure.

Ironically I phoned them yesterday, as they're an Adria dealer and asked them to quote me a value for buying my Compact. 

SDA


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## HeatherChloe

Hi Tonyt

What has happened to the OP is that I have been at a hospice with my dying friend and haven't had time to check back here for all your kind messages of help, which I'm about to do now.

Heather


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## HeatherChloe

Hi

Thanks for the assistance - thanks to you guys I have found out that there are other dealers (closer) than Premier Motorhomes. 

Which is just as well, as Premier have agreed to do me an instruction / handover of the vehicle but at a cost of £210. 

Then also on top of that would be the cost of a service (which is due soon) and the cost of any repairs (eg to the pump) which they would get if I went to them, but perhaps it is better to find somewhere more convenient as I have a choice. 

Heather


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