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. The vehicle will indicate that the battery is charging by turning on an indicator light on the caravan unit. The 230V sockets should now be working.
If they do not, check that the RCD is switched on and that the power source is working properly. The RCD switch is located on the kitchen unit, behind the driver's seat and under the 230 socket:
Please note the following:
- Do not forget to unplug the power cable before driving off! To do this, press down the blue lever to the left of the plug.
- With a fully charged battery, you will be self-sufficient for about 2 days without electricity. Then you have to drive again for some time to recharge the battery or connect your camper to an external power source.
You can check the charge level in the on-board unit:
Please note that campers cannot be charged at the stations for electric vehicles.
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.
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.