You can charge the camping battery while driving or connect the van to an external power source. To do this, you must connect the supplied cable (20 metres long) from the plug on the driver's side of the camper to a power source. Please note that campers cannot be charged at the stations for electric vehicles.
The vehicle indicates that the battery is charging by turning on an indicator light on the board display (light on the top left) above the steering wheel. The 230V sockets should now be working.
You can check the charge level in the on-board unit. Press and hold the button in the upper right corner and see which indicator lights up:
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: these work when the vehicle is connected to an external power source or when the inverter is activated (see below).
- 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 camper battery does not charge or there is no current on the 230V sockets despite an external power source, please check in the left cupboard under the bed:
- Whether the RCD switches are pointing upwards:
- Whether the main battery switch is switched on. If it is green at the top, it is switched on:
Inverter
- If the vehicle is connected to an external power source, the RCD switches must also be activated.
- Thanks to the inverter, the vehicle can also supply your 230V sockets with power without an external power source. However, this must be switched on for this to work:
- Open the boot lid
- Remove the camping chairs from their mountings.
- Open the door where the extra toilet cassette is stored.
- This is where you will find the inverter. The marked switch must be set to “ON” for the 230V sockets to work:
For deeply discharged camping batteries
As camping batteries are not lithium batteries, we advise you never to discharge them below 30%. This can damage the battery. If you suspect that the camping battery is deeply discharged, try the following:
- Connect shore power and run the engine.
- Try this for about 30 minutes. The extra amperage can bring a deeply discharged battery back up to speed.