Truma Water Heater Problem

I tried to switch on the Water heater on 2015 Bourton but no hot water, I have mains electric to MH Fridge working, Sockets working but on the Truma Control there is no 230v mains supply indicator, I think this could a fuse blown on the heater which is under the wardrobe, do I have to take the front off the wardrobe and remove the drawer to get to this. The error message is #255 No connection between heating system and control panel, or defective control panel. everything worked before winter drain down. help required please.
LucyC

If your fuse has blown, and you are really 83, don't even try to fix it yourself.

It's a swine of a job if you are small, young and very flexible. I'm big, old and creaky, and I don't think I could do it, even if I wanted to.

In their infinite wisdom, Messrs A/S fit the boilers with the fuse low down at the back, right against the outside wall of the van, and under a panel with four impossible to reach security screws.

If it is the fuse, and if it blows repeatedly (As they sometimes do. Ours has blown three times!!) send me a PM. There is a way around it, but it's a bit drastic.

Our engineer chappie is about 5' 6", 35 years old or so, and there's more fat on a greasy chip. He hates the job, and although he has done it a number of times he still finds it a challenge. Last time he did ours the one thing he couldn't find was his hand mirror and two of the screws out of the panel, all of which he dropped because of the impossibly confined working space!

Dave

we used to get that message, thought we had a problem.
from then on always turned off the main Sargent switch before connecting EHU and also when unhooking....!!
do not know who recommended the advice or where we read it, but have never had any error messages again, even from fridge.
a bit of time needed to reset clocks but no real problem.
Others recently have posted that they don't do it but it has worked for us.
hope this might help , others might come along soon with additional help.
turn off the main Sargent main switch, top left , take out EHU, reconnect and turn Sargent back on. Just see if it works.

When I discussed the positioning of the Truma Combi fuse with a technician at the AS Service Centre he suggested removing the Combi to replace the fuse - he was older than 35!  Some forum members have said they have been able to do it.  Having struggled to access the Combi’s PCB which also faces the sidewall but is higher, I wouldn’t even attempt to change the mains fuse.  AS should have mounted the Combi the other way around so that the fuse and PCB faced inwards away from the sidewall and therefore could be accessed more easily.  Will be interested to hear if you are able to clear the error message as babian has suggested.

Just looked up E255.  I think it’s referring to 12v DC which the Combi needs to work.  Have you checked your 12v fuses?

Caraman, Truma are pretty clear on which way round the unit should be installed...
note the position of the unit relative to 4 (exterior wall of RV)

I have tried the method suggested by babian and this didn't change anything, I got a message W45H: No 230v operating voltage, 230v fuse defective, Overheating protection  hhas been triggered.
Checked after half hour and no change in message.
I have contacted a mobile engineer and I am waiting for a reply.
With refE255 I will check 12 v fuses tomorrow.
Thank You
Peter C

hope you do get sorted with this problem, but just to be clear up what happened to ours.
just after getting our XL and starting to use it touring , free camping and on campsites, I reported to the dealer the error codes the truma was flashing up. Fridge started to show error "tool" codes as well.
They said they would get someone local to check both out and had also arranged for the truma panel to be sent off and have a soft wear re programme etc. We had booked time off work to do our first Scottish  grand tour and could not get things sorted before had. I believe the dealer must have suggested the " switch off main Sargent unit before EHU method" we could have been lucky but have never again had E255 and W....? code errors , or missing 240v flash symbol since.
we have had the van for just over a year now.
just too add we turn off the main Sargent when the van is left in storage from one weekend to the next trip.

Can I just point out that before disconnecting hook up you should switch off truma by holding down the off button for at least 10 seconds otherwise it only goes into sleep mode and not completely off. If you don't you will get error codes as it has not been shut down correctly.

Bolero boy - this is what the installation manual states:

Selecting a location
The appliance and its exhaust gas system must always be installed so that they are easy to access at all times for service work (e.g. on the electronics, gas and water connection via a service flap, furniture doors etc.) and are easy to remove and install.

agreed, and my illustrations which were from the Truma installation manual confirm this.
the pcb/fuse 'box' should not be tight against an outside wall for obvious (to us customers) reasons...as stated, an inside (moveable) furniture wall, possibly...
some (usually continental coachbuilt) converters do have a service hatch to provide access....though rarely seen in a PVC.
i wonder what Truma's reaction to a warranty claim might be if a self builder did an install this way and then had fuse/overheating issues?

I'm forced to agree with you there BB. 

Having to dismantle the base of the wardrobe and crawl inside (literally - assuming you are small enough) doesn't strike me as "easy access" to a blown fuse!

I no longer have that problem, but I'm not going to post the reason why on the open forum.

If anyone is desperate for a solution I'll send them a PM.

Dave

wow! im shocked....
i do know what your solution was and i wont post it here either....
however, if i had repeated issues with fuses and a poorly sited unit id either insist the problems were fully understood and corrected OR (provided there was available space) id get the converter to rotate the unit and reroute the necessary electrics, gas, water and hot air pipes...
why should you (the customer) be left to deal with the knock on...?

I did ask if the boiler could be rotated, and was told that it was not possible because of how the exhaust pipework would have to be re-routed, and the fact that its length would have to be altered.

I'm not sure I believed it (in fact, I'm sure I didn't   ) but short of getting really stroppy and destroying several years of otherwise good relations, I took the easy option.

In the days of Charles Trevelyan, if an owner made a sensible suggestion for an alteration to the design, it was considered and often acted upon quite quickly. Not any longer though!!

The earlier Nuevos had the outside access door to the underbed storage right in the middle of the space, so you couldn't get any long items in by pushing them down to one end, then swivelling them inside.

I recall asking Charles how he would get his golf clubs in, and the look on his face as he realised the problem. He was honest and open enough to admit they had overlooked that potential problem, and six months later the vans were coming out with the door right at one end of the space . . . as they still do today.

A/S vans are still much better than many (or most) others, but everything is ruled by the computer these days . . . or the by the plonkers who operate them, having little or no practical experience of motorhoming themselves.

P.S. I also had a go at Messrs Truma at a show stand, and the arrogant tit steadfastly refused to admit there could be a problem with the fuses (possibly due to overheating of the enclosure) or getting access to replace them, and insisted that, "Our boilers are fitted that way for good reasons!"

He clearly had no idea how A/S were fitting them, and had no interest in hearing anything that might even hint at a criticism of his boilers.

He also insisted that the boilers are well insulated, which they clearly are not, as can be seen by a glance at their cut-away diagrams.

There was no point in arguing further as he obviously wasn't the least bit interested in customer service and support, which regrettably didn't make him at all unusual in this day and age!! 

I'll confess, last Friday afternoon I was getting our van ready for a day out on Saturday, fresh water in, on house EHU, fridge on electric, hot water on, no, warning code on the Truma. Internet tells be its a 240 volt or over temperature fault. No fuses blown so I ring Truma and I keep getting cut off.

Back to the van, I remove the cover from the Truma and press the reset button, it's no better.
Eventually I spot on the EC700 PSU that I haven’t pressed in the orange button to turn on the Heating/Hot water.

Gromit wrote:I'm forced to agree with you there BB. 

Having to dismantle the base of the wardrobe and crawl inside (literally - assuming you are small enough) doesn't strike me as "easy access" to a blown fuse!

I no longer have that problem, but I'm not going to post the reason why on the open forum.

If anyone is desperate for a solution I'll send them a PM.

Dave

AS are not alone. My neighbour had a Dethleffs and his Truma was also fitted with the access against the outside wall with no way to replace the fuse without major dismantling. He simply didn't use it on electric.

The problem there Paul, as you will be aware, the underslung LPG tanks fitted by A/S are barely adequate. In very cold weather with the heating on all day and on a lower setting overnight, it would be only a very few days between top ups.

There's plenty of room for a bigger one, or twin tanks, and I can't understand why they don't offer an option on such items, which could easily be factored into the build in the same way as the choice of solar panels.

Gromit's  story about the golf clubs shows why customers should follow through and leans on suppliers to effect a correction as it helps customers down the line...fix it once properly...
Taking the easy option lets the converter off the hook and perpetuates the issue for any new customers following behind....
All this is simple Root Cause Analysis which any supplier (in any market place) should be following...
Yes, 'bug fix' quickly to get a stranded customer back on stream, but spend decent time ensuring the real problem (not just the symptoms) are properly fixed, for good.
thr above applies to Dethleffs, Carthago, AS or whoever...
for reasons i wont go into, OH and i are living in the van at the moment and are showering every day using thr Combi on EHU...weve never had an error using the truma in the 3.5 yrs of ownership.
ours is installed 'correctly' and the fuses can be accessed by the removal of a front panel...however, a serious fault (requiring removal of the unit) would require the fridge freezer to be withdrawn....not too tricky a task.
the unit in the previous van was also fault free over two years..with around 26+ weeks spent in the van each year.

Gromit wrote:The problem there Paul, as you will be aware, the underslung LPG tanks fitted by A/S are barely adequate. In very cold weather with the heating on all day and on a lower setting overnight, it would be only a very few days between top ups.

There's plenty of room for a bigger one, or twin tanks, and I can't understand why they don't offer an option on such items, which could easily be factored into the build in the same way as the choice of solar panels.

many continental vans come with a gas only Combi....and an electric option might cost £500 or so...this can by a huge amount of cheap gas 'over there' so most dont bother as they also have to pay highish charges for EHU.
with gas being far quicker to heat the van, its suits their market.
while most uk vans with come with 'E' versions of the combi, due to our 'included EHU' sites, it will still have to be factored into the cost of the van, again a lot of gas can be bought although not likely to be given the option of a non E version.
over here, with EHU 'factored into' site prices at a fiver or so a night, our 'included EHU' costs us £30 odd a week, you can buy a lot of gas for that...
so, we pay (say) £400 odd for the privilege yet still have to pay for the 'built in' EHU...
Two different ways of setting the cost model....

Paulmold wrote:Can I just point out that before disconnecting hook up you should switch off truma by holding down the off button for at least 10 seconds otherwise it only goes into sleep mode and not completely off. If you don't you will get error codes as it has not been shut down correctly.

This is exactly the most seriously annoying feature of modern computerised motorhomes. It has made me go off and look for a 2007 -2010 motorhome, with switches that switch things on and off, not press a knob, scroll left and right, press again, get error code etc etc. What is wrong for heavens sake, with switching a switch in the up position and removing all volts from it? Eh?
I am now looking for a real tree wood autosleeper without the peely-off printed paper laminate, with on/off switches, a fridge that you personally select the fuel, brass hinges and door handles. At least you know where you are with them. I've seen an advert for a Orian Sirius - never heard of it but it might just fit on our drive . .

Couldn't agree more strongly Gassy.

If one of those switches failed, you just pulled it out and wound the wires together until you could get a new one.

And the bloody fridge didn't decided for itself to waste all your gas when you got home and forgot to switch it right off!!

Just because it can be done is not a good reason for doing it!!

Dave

Hi I have the ec700  it says when the water is heating  up the symbol  flashes when temperatures  reached  it stops flashing.thats ok. But used to sink falls of water in the bathroom this morning  and it started flashing again.is this normal? Thought it would stay hot until all water used up.

gassygassy wrote:

Paulmold wrote:Can I just point out that before disconnecting hook up you should switch off truma by holding down the off button for at least 10 seconds otherwise it only goes into sleep mode and not completely off. If you don't you will get error codes as it has not been shut down correctly.

This is exactly the most seriously annoying feature of modern computerised motorhomes. It has made me go off and look for a 2007 -2010 motorhome, with switches that switch things on and off, not press a knob, scroll left and right, press again, get error code etc etc. What is wrong for heavens sake, with switching a switch in the up position and removing all volts from it? Eh?
I am now looking for a real tree wood autosleeper without the peely-off printed paper laminate, with on/off switches, a fridge that you personally select the fuel, brass hinges and door handles. At least you know where you are with them. I've seen an advert for a Orian Sirius - never heard of it but it might just fit on our drive . .

Totally Agree.
Just thinking of going to look for our old 11reg Fiesta or my 57 reg Focus as the £15000 6 month old Fiesta keeps getting a flat battery after 2 weeks, smart charging, only Ford can recharge it, smart my A**S. Once more and it's history. The only thing smart is the price.

Has made me think, will hang on to the Warwick now.

Electric cars----NO THANKS.
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Richard

As hot water is drawn off, it will refill from cold tank and therefore temperature drops, heats up again until whole tank is hot again and the circuit starts again.