To ensure that all 12V electronic devices work without external power, the camping battery voltage should never fall below 12V (50%).
The light in the Family Finca only works with a charged camping battery or external power connection.
To use power and light, the camper unit by the door must be switched on:
If your camper unit looks like this, no extra switch needs to be operated:
The light switches for the interior and the bathroom are located above the kitchen, under the wall cupboards by the bed in the rear and by the rear bench seat.
For the sleeping area in the roof bed, as well as at the bed in the rear, there are additional touch reading lamps with USB connection.
There are numerous power sockets and USB ports throughout the vehicle:
- 230V sockets can be found above the rear bench and above the sink.
- USB ports and 12V sockets are in the cockpit (USB Type-C), above the sink and on the reading lamps.
Please note the following:
- When stationary, do not charge any device in the driver's cab via USB. The starter battery will discharge and the engine may not start!
- 230V sockets: only work with an external power connection
- USB ports and 12V sockets: work without an external power connection, with a charged camping battery (always keep it above 50% or 12V).
- With a full battery, you can be self-sufficient for 1-2 days without a power connection, depending on usage. Then you need to drive for a while to recharge the battery or connect your camper to an external power source.
- 🚗 Slow driving & short distances → hardly any battery charge
- 🛣️ Long drives on motorways → better charge, but takes several hours
- 🔋 The starter battery is charged first, then the camping battery.
- ⚠️ Driving alone is often not enough to fully charge the camping battery.
- 🔌 Recommendation: charge externally every 48 hours to avoid energy shortages (especially at night 💤).
- Don't forget to unplug the power cable before driving off! For some models, you need to press the blue lever next to the plug downwards.
Troubleshooting
If the power or lights do not work, there are several things you can test:
- Check the charge level of the camping battery on the on-board unit.
- Check whether the light is switched on at the on-board unit.
- With an external power source: Check whether the cable or the campsite socket is defective. Your friendly camping neighbour will probably help you out with the working cable and socket. 🥰
- In the left cupboard under the bed, check whether the RCD switches in the fuse box are pointing upwards. And whether the large, red battery main switch is switched on: