Auto-Sleepers • Bourton • 2017

Fit the crank handle to the right length and slot it into the bayonet socket, then turn it anticlockwise - keeping the handle down - to unroll the awning; it won't move for the first couple of turns. Once you've unrolled about a metre, put the support legs out before continuing. Slide the legs from the front profile, adjust them to height, and fasten them (rolling the fabric up slightly helps tension it, but don't extend the legs so high the fabric jams against the arms).

Fit the tension rafter too on larger models. If it's raining, drop one side so water runs off, and use the hold-down kit in gusty conditions - the front profile locks automatically once it's rolled back up.

The camera links up with the Garmin satnav unit on the dashboard over Bluetooth the moment you select reverse, with the rear view showing on the satnav screen itself. It doesn't have a separate always-on setting - reverse gear is the only thing that switches it on.

A button by the entry door controls it - press once to send it out, press again to bring it back in. Starting the engine retracts it automatically, with a short buzzer as warning; if something's blocking it or it fails to retract, that buzzer carries on sounding until the fault's cleared. It's usually tied to the remote locking too - unlock the doors and it comes out, lock them and it goes back in - though your dealer can disable that link if you prefer.

Fit the winter covers over the outside vents any time you're using it with the temperature below +10°C.

Climate class SN (which Dometic calls 'Extended Temperate') means the fridge is designed to work reliably when the air temperature is from +10°C up to +32°C (taken at the bottom vent grille, outside the vehicle).

In a hot summer the outside temperature often reaches about 32°C - the top of the fridge's rated range - and once it climbs higher, the temperature inside the fridge will inevitably rise. An absorption fridge needs a heat source to move its refrigerant around the cooling unit (which is why it can run on 12V, 230V or gas), so it has to get rid of the heat from its power source as well as the heat drawn out of the food compartment.

To help it in hot weather: park where the fridge vents get as much shade as possible during the day; unclip the outside vent grilles to improve airflow; and if you regularly travel somewhere hot, consider having a ventilator kit (a fan fitted behind the fridge) installed to boost the airflow - Dometic lists these among its accessories.

The RM(X)8xxx range can take an S+ signal on its control board, which lets it pick solar-supplied DC power when it's available. For this you need a solar regulator from Dometic's Büttner range that has a signal output cable, wired to S+. The panel charges the leisure battery (or batteries), and whenever the regulator signals that solar power is available, the fridge gives it top priority in AES (automatic) mode.

In automatic mode the fridge chooses its energy source in this order: solar DC first, then mains AC, then ordinary 12V DC, and gas last. Most AES set-ups take their 12V feed from the vehicle's starter battery, with the alternator's D+ signal allowing DC operation; to use the S+ signal instead, you'll need a changeover switch so the 12V heating element is supplied from the leisure battery rather than the vehicle battery.

On 12V the element is rated 120-190W, so the fridge draws a continuous 10-15A on DC - more than most vehicles' leisure batteries can sustain for long, which is why this solar/DC mode tends to be used where the fridge is fitted in a beach hut or similar off-grid building. Bear in mind that changing the vehicle's wiring could void your warranty - Dometic advises checking with your dealer first.

Dometic's 2023 'New for old - simply swap' guide covers both its absorption and compressor fridges, showing which current models replace older ones. It's available from the catalogues section of Dometic's website.

Check the fuse in the mains supply and replace it if it has blown, and make sure the vehicle is actually plugged into a mains supply. If both are fine, the AC heating element may have failed - that needs an authorised Dometic service centre.

Possible causes, and what to do: the vehicle's own fuse has blown - replace it (see the vehicle's handbook); the vehicle battery is flat - test it and recharge it; the ignition is off - switch it on. If the fuse in the fridge's DC cable has blown (the fuse on the relay) or the DC heating element has failed, contact an authorised Dometic service centre.

Check the gas cylinder isn't empty (change it if it is) and that the gas valve is turned on. If air has got into the gas pipe, turn the fridge off and on again, repeating this three or four times if needed; if a gas hob or cooker is fitted, switch that on, then try the fridge again if needed.

The mains voltage is too low. The fridge switches back to mains by itself once the supply voltage recovers.

Work through the likely causes: the cooling unit isn't getting enough air - make sure the outside vent grilles aren't blocked; the evaporator has iced up - check the door shuts properly and the seal is seated and undamaged, then defrost the fridge; the temperature setting is too warm - turn it to a colder setting; it's very hot outside - take the vent grille off for a while so hot air can escape faster; too much food, or too much warm food, went in at once - take some out, and let warm food cool before putting it back; the fridge was only switched on recently - give it four to five hours, then recheck the temperature.

Open the drain valve next to the water heater, and leave the fresh and waste water tank drain taps open too. Open every internal tap, then run the pump until it stops delivering anything. Go for a short spin with those drain taps still open - it helps shift the last of the water out of the tanks and pipework. Pull the sink plugs so the system can breathe, give the waste tank a thorough flush to shift any debris, finish with a flush of mild disinfectant, and leave the drain tap open.

Push the plunger fully down and twist it clockwise - it locks flush with the floor. To use it again, twist the plunger anti-clockwise to release it, then pump with your foot: harder for full flow, gently for a more controlled flow.

Yes, as long as the system isn't pressurised - fit the Tiptoe pump between the inline electric pump and the water supply so it can act as a manual backup if the electric pump fails.

If you have a Whale Easi-Slide socket with a 12V connection, the Superfil kit lets you pump water into your onboard tank from an external container such as an Aquaroll or jerry can - so running out of water doesn't mean packing up to drive to the nearest tap.

It depends what you need. Whale's submersible pumps are simple, compact, quiet and inexpensive, and come in three flow rates: standard (10.3 litres/min), premium (13.2 litres/min) and high (15.8 litres/min). The Watermaster Onboard pressure pump (8 litres/min) is fitted inside the vehicle and gives a smooth, steady flow; it has its own built-in pressure switch, can run dry without damage, and is built to last.

Yes. A submersible pump is a centrifugal design with an impeller as its only moving part, so it runs very quietly. A pressure pump is simple to fit and very dependable, but it's noisier.

A Whale pressure switch is for vehicles fitted with a submersible pump: it senses the drop in water pressure when a tap is opened and turns the pump on. Because it works with any tap, you aren't restricted to taps with built-in microswitches.