Wall on/off switch plus 3 pin plug socket.

[deerhound]

Motorhome is Swift Royale Ensign 590 2000yr. I have only just noticed an on/off switch on left hand side (on the wall) going in the main habitaton door, it appears to do nothing though? Recently I replaced the bulbs in the outside light above the door and on an earlier request for help here on the outside light it was suggested that the outside light should be the type that works with sensor, mine has switch on the light and does not look like it has ever been disturbed. Therefore can this on/off switch have anything to do with the outside light?, Next what voltage comes through the 3 pin socket on wall next to the 12volt and TV aerial, I ask as my new 12v TV comes with 2 power leads but works plugged in to the 3 pin? :'(

[Mel B]

Switch - in all the 'vans we've had with exterior lights, they always have a normal type switch to turn them on/off as appropriate, none of them had sensors to do this.

 

3 pin socket - that would appear to be a standard 230v (mains) type socket.

[Corky 8]

As Mel has said ,I would take any normal  sized (square) three pin sockets to be 240 volt within the Motorhome, awning /outside lights are again as Mel  said on a switch, Simple test for your three pin socket is to plug a table lamp into it and switch it on ensuring your van is plugged into an electrical supply, 12 volt supply is normally by the Hella black tubular plug type ,although some caravans use a small round three pin plug and socket, some offset two pin plug and sockets

[Brian Kirby]

I wonder if your van has, or has had, an inverter fitted?  Switch by door to control 12V feed to inverter, and the odd 3 pin socket by the aerial outlet supplying 230V AC from the inverter for a normal 230V domestic telly?  Otherwise, I'm puzzled as to why you have doubts as to whether an apparently ordinary 230V three pin socket, is an ordinary 230V three pin socket? 

Disconnect the mains cable (the inverter, if it exists, may be wired only to work when mains is not present).  Plug a table lamp into the socket, as suggested.  If it works, try the switch by the door to see if it stops.  If it doesn't work, try the switch by the door to see if it now works.  In either event, the plug is fed from an inverter. 

If it doesn't work irrespective of the state of the switch by the door, re-connect the mains cable.  If it now works, it is a normal 230V three pin socket supplied via mains.  If it still doesn't work, either contact the previous owner for an explanation, or consult an electrician.

[Derek Uzzell]

deerhound

 

There are 3 logical possibilities for a switch by a motorhome's habitation entrance door.

 

1. It controls an exterior 'awning light'. If your Royale's outside light is currently in working order and you are able to switch it on or off via its integrated switch, try putting the light on and then operate the switch by the door to see if it affects the light. If it does, then the switch is for the outside light: if it doesn't, then it is (probably!) there for another purpose.

 

It's perhaps worth saying that one would expect a simple On/Off switch on the wall by the habitation entrance-door to be there to control an exterior awning light. Such lights are mounted high up and (even though they may have a built-in switch as in your case), there will normally be a need for a separate easy-to-reach switch to operate the light remotely. And, of course, putting that switch on the wall by the door will mean that it can be operated easily when the motorcaravanner leaves or enters the vehicle. So, as already been said, the switch is likely to be for the light and checking this theory should be simple.

 

2. It could operate interior lighting. My Hobby has 'mood lighting' in the lounge, operated by an On/Off switch low down on the wall to the left of the habitation entrance door. Presumably the idea is that you switch on the low-output lights as you leave the vehicle as some sort of security measure. Either that or, on returning to the motorhome, you switch on the lights in the hope that a 'romantic' evening will ensue, or that, as you won't be silhouetted in the vehicle's doorway as you climb on board, it might protect you from a mad sniper. I think it's daft and I never use it, but it is another possibility for a door-located switch.

 

3. If a switch is of the 'press-and-hold' type, rather than a simple On/Off one, the it's probably to control an electric step fitted below the entrance door. Such switches often carry a symbol depicting a step and their design function should be obvious.

 

As has already been advised, the 3-pin socket will provide 230V power. Obviously your new TV must be capable of operating on mains 230V power as well as 12V, otherwise, when you plugged it into your Royale's 3-pin socket, it wouldn't have worked. Although it's (just) possible to imagine a loopy DIY-er wiring up a 230V 3-pin socket in a motorhome so that it supplied 12V outut, you'd never find a TV being marketed that would be compatible. Essentially, the TV will work via a 230V power lead (in this case fitted with a UK-standard 3-pin plug) connecting to a UK-standard 3-pin socket supplying 230V power, OR (assuming the TV is 12V capable) it will work via a 12V power lead (with appropirate 12V connectors) plugged into a 12V socket fitted to the motorhome.

 

[pepe63xnotuse]

Just as another option...

Our previous Compass had a switch inside the habitaion door,which was used to turn off any 12v habitation stuff,a sort of easy access "master switch"(...none of the switches or heater controls were labelled though,I made some up myself).

It always amazes me just how poorly some switches etc are marked up/labelled...even with new vans,some of them are not even mentioned in the handbook. *-)