Auto-Trail • Frontier • 2025

Locate the socket on the left side of the awning case and insert the winding handle, then turn clockwise - the fabric starts to unroll after a couple of turns. Once it's out to about a metre, stop and lower the support legs, adjusting their length until they reach the ground, then keep unrolling until the awning is fully extended.

Adjust the legs' height so the fabric sits taut and rain can run off, then pull the handle back out. It's worth pegging the legs down too. To put it away, reverse the process - wind anti-clockwise until it snaps back into the box, then keep turning slowly until the handle stops, which locks it shut.

Using incorrect pan sizes can cause heat to escape to surrounding areas. It can also slow down your cooking time. So, why settle for mediocre meals when you can quickly achieve perfect results with the right equipment? Check out the “Safe Cooking” chapter in the user manual to find the ideal pan size for your appliance.

Only operate the stove with the type of gas (propane or butane) and pressure, as indicated on the rating plate.

We do not recommend modifying the appliance in anyway.

If the burner has not lit within 15 seconds, release the knob and wait at least 1 minute before repeating the operation. If it still fails to ignite contact your dealer.

Always remove any spills or contamination immediately after use with soap and hot water. Towel dry the surface with a soft cloth. Use a special glass cleaner to clean more stubborn dirt or grease.

Always remove any spills or contamination immediately after use with soap and hot water. Towel dry the surface with a soft cloth. Use a non-abrasive multi-purpose cream cleaner to clean more stubborn dirt or grease.

Please use the correct recommended sizes of pans and position them centrally over the burners. Do not allow cooking vessels to overlap the edges of the appliance. Please refer to your user manual.

There may be a flat metal retaining clip that has broken from the knob. Please contact your dealer who can replace under warranty or supply this if the appliance is outside the 3 year warranty.

If burner has not lit within 15 seconds, release knob and wait at least 1 minute before repeating operation. If it still fails to ignite, contact your dealer.

Spares are available from your local dealer or service centre. Spares are also available from a range of wholesaler outlets including Leisure Spares 01423 320009.

The cooker should be installaed as per the manufactures recommended installation instructions and should only be installed by competent qualified persons. Local laws should be adhered to when installing gas appliances.

Whether you can depends on which type of Sargent PSU system you have - manual-charging or CAN-bus based.

On systems that only charge manually - PSU2007 with EC200, EC328, EC325, EC225 with EC100, EC176 with EC361/2/3, and EC155 with EC50/51 - the leisure battery is charged by default: with the control panel switched off, the mains charger starts charging the leisure battery the moment it's plugged in, and with the panel on, it keeps the leisure battery topped up while also powering the leisure loads. To charge the vehicle battery instead, switch the control panel on and pick the vehicle battery - the charger then charges that battery along with any leisure loads left switched on. Note that EC100, EC200, EC325 and EC50/51 panels won't allow the vehicle battery to be selected below 10.9V, while EC328 panels (software V2.21) will allow it above 2V provided the mains charger is on. If mains power is lost while charging the vehicle battery, leisure loads will start drawing from it instead - switching back to the leisure battery once the vehicle battery either falls below the 10.9V cut-off or, if it started above that, once it recovers back up to 10.9V. The leisure battery itself has its own 9V cut-off that disconnects leisure loads to stop it discharging further.

CAN-bus systems (the EC800, EC700, EC600, EC500, EC450 and EC400) include a smart-charge feature instead, on by default but switchable off. With the mains charger on, it defaults to charging the leisure battery while keeping an eye on the vehicle battery - if that drops below 12.4V, charging switches to it for 4 hours, then returns to the leisure battery for another 4 hours, repeating the cycle for as long as the vehicle battery stays low. This runs regardless of whether the control panel is on, as long as the system's own shutdown button is switched in (unless you've disabled the feature) - and if the panel is on, you can manually pick whichever battery you want charged at any point in the cycle.

Start by switching the EC700 PSU off, then switch the shutdown button on again while continuously tapping the control panel screen. Once the system powers up you'll see a blue screen prompting you to touch 3 dots - do that, and the panel will show 'calibrated' on the blue screen, then go back to its usual display, completing the process.

Start by switching the EC800 PSU on and powering up the control panel via its power button. Then press and hold that power button - after 5 seconds the screen goes off, but keep holding for another 15 seconds until a blue screen comes up asking you to tap 3 dots. Do that, and the panel will show 'calibrated' on the blue screen, then go back to its usual display, completing the process.

Most Sargent systems use a PX300 or PF200 battery charger. If yours has a different charger fitted, check with that charger's own manufacturer for Lithium compatibility. The PX300's charging profile suits many leisure-industry Lithium batteries that have their own internal Battery Management System (BMS) - its charging profile and voltages are available as a downloadable attachment on the PX300's own product page, though you'll still need to confirm suitability directly with your chosen battery's manufacturer.

Systems that use a PX300 include the EC800, EC700, EC600, EC500, EC400 series, EC400+ and EC328. If your system doesn't have a PX300, its charger will run a fixed 13.8V, which generally isn't suitable for fully charging a Lithium battery - and switching to Lithium may also mean you need a DC-DC charger to keep the charging current within limits.

On an Auto-Trail, adding an extra leisure battery is normally simple - every current model and most older ones already have a dedicated connector, so the extra battery harness just plugs in.

Ideally pick a second battery of the same make, type and capacity as the one you have. If that's not possible, at least keep the capacity the same and never mix battery types (for example, don't pair a 'wet' battery with an AGM one).

Sargent sells the harness through its web shop (https://sargentltd.co.uk/shop/product/auto_trail_additional_battery_harness_2011-2016/229). It's the newer type, fitted to Auto-Trail vans from 2011, but it suits older vans too because the battery connector hasn't changed.

To fit it:

1. Connect the harness to the new battery, making sure both terminals are tight and their covers are back on.
2. Secure the battery in its box or compartment (this varies by year and model) without trapping the harness.
3. Take the protective cap off the vehicle's spare battery connector.
4. Plug the new battery in.

With an EC328 or EC700 system, that's it - the extra battery is ready to charge and use.

With an EC500 and the EC480 colour LCD panel, also set the battery size to the new total in the advanced settings (two 100Ah batteries means 200Ah), then recalibrate the current sensor.

To change the battery size:

1. On the home screen showing the brand logo, press both the up and down arrows at once and keep them pressed.
2. Let go once the screen changes.
3. Scroll to 'Battery Size' and use select to raise it to the new total.
4. Go back up to 'Exit Advanced', then press select to return to normal use.

Don't worry if the Ah reading drops afterwards - it takes a few charge and discharge cycles to line up with the real capacity, which is normal.

To recalibrate the current sensor:

1. Turn the charger off, and switch the control panel off at its power button.
2. Go to the active battery screen.
3. Hold select until 'calibrating please wait….' appears.
4. Let go - calibration is done.

We don't endorse any particular make or model, but the PX300 charger (fitted across the EC400/EC400+, EC500, EC600, EC700, EC800 and EC328 systems) suits the great majority of good-quality AGM batteries sold in the UK. Its charge profile is included in the instruction manual attached to its product page - if you're at all unsure whether a battery is compatible, check with that battery's own distributor or manufacturer first.

How much solar you can add through the PSU comes down to the fuse protecting that circuit, which varies by system - the maximum recommended wattage through the PSU is 120W for EC325/EC328/EC500/EC600, 80W for EC400, and 150W for EC700/EC800/EC400+. You can go beyond that by wiring extra panels straight onto the leisure battery via their own regulator and a correctly-sized fuse, though you'll lose the ability to see that extra solar's output on the control panel.

Any system without a PSU solar input at all needs its solar wired directly onto the leisure battery this way regardless - and there's no upper wattage limit when connecting straight to the battery like this.

Installation and wiring: wire the extra LB series battery into the vehicle's 12V system first, and connect its magnetic communication cable to the Sargent Control System's CAN bus. Before paralleling two batteries, make sure both are fully charged to the same voltage, to avoid a big rush of current between them the moment they're connected.

Changing the battery address: adding a second battery in parallel means changing its communication address from the default '1' to '2', so both can talk to the system at once - only have the battery you're changing connected via its comms cable while you do this (the steps are the same on the 4" EC940 and 7" EC970 screens).

Configuring single or dual batteries: the display needs the Sargent Lithium+ battery switched on in the ADVANCED SETUP menu first, or it won't communicate with it - choose Lithium+ for a single battery, or Lithium+ x2 for a dual setup.

Information displays: once configured, extra screens appear in the Control Panel's POWER menu. On the EC940's 4" display, a dual setup's two batteries are combined into one figure (two 70Ah batteries show as 140Ah total); on the EC970's 7" display, tapping the battery symbol switches between Battery 1 and Battery 2's individual readings.

Installation and wiring: mount each sensor on the tank's top surface, close to the middle, to avoid reflections off the tank wall and reduce variation when parked on a slope. Fit a side-mounted overflow too, so a sensor doesn't end up sitting underwater after filling and skewing its readings - and note the sensor isn't suitable for tanks with a sloped or irregular base, which will also throw off readings.

Configuring the sensors: enable the Sargent Ultrasonic Water Sensors in the ADVANCED SETUP menu first so the display can communicate with them, and enable the relevant tank too for its level to actually show - any tank not configured for ultrasonic sensing is assumed to have a traditional rod/stud sensor instead.

First-time calibration: the sensor automatically starts calibrating its tank depth the first time it gets 12V power, so make sure it's fitted and the tank is empty beforehand for an accurate result. Once calibrated, it sends regular readings (roughly every 5 seconds for fresh tanks, 10 for waste) - and since it can't read fluid closer than 30mm to its own face, the 100% level gets set 30mm below the measured tank depth. Re-calibration can be triggered any time from the Advanced Setup menu, either automatically (again, with the tank empty first) or manually if you'd rather enter the tank depth yourself.

Information displays: once set up, each sensor's data appears under the WATER menu, reading in 1% steps rather than the 25% steps a rod/stud sensor uses. The EC940's 4" display shows fresh and waste levels on separate screens (use '>' to switch), while the EC970's 7" display shows both together on one screen.

To link a Webasto Thermo Top EVO heater to the Sargent MC100 Control Unit (for control via the EC970 panel), you'll need two extra Sargent parts: the Fan Adaptor PCB (17464) and Fan PCB harness (89003-24). Wire it up following the diagram for the Webasto-to-Sargent connections - note that harness cable colours in the standard Modular System kit (K970A) may differ on OEM installations.

For setup help with the heater itself, contact Webasto directly or check their portal at https://my.webasto.net/en/. On the Sargent side, enable the Webasto Thermo Top from the ADVANCED SETUP menu first, which then adds a 'Heating' option to the home screen for controlling it - the Help button in the top-right corner explains each individual control.

The technician may have left the circulation pump in continuous mode, which is meant for testing and stops the hot water cylinder getting enough heat. Resetting the Alde control panel to its factory defaults is usually the simplest fix - see your heater's operating instructions.

The circulation pump may still be on speed 5, which technicians use to push air out of the system. Turn it back down to speed 2-3 for a touring caravan or a B- or C-class motorhome, or to just below speed 4 for an A-class. If the heating fluid was replaced, there may also be air trapped in the system - see your heater's operating instructions.

Yes - use it exactly as you normally would. The hot water cylinder has no heating elements that could burn out, so it does no harm.

In the UK, the products meeting Alde Approval 40X0 2024 are: Comma Xstream G40; Fuchs Fricofin DP; Volkswagen Group G12evo; and Alde's own Protective Premium in G12++ and G12evo versions. (Alde stopped selling its G13 products at the end of 2023.) All come ready-mixed with deionised water, are magenta, can be mixed with each other, and give frost protection down to -37°C plus 5 years' corrosion protection - but always check the label. North America has its own, chemically different, approved list.

Ideally the same antifreeze that's already in it. Magenta fluid almost certainly means an Alde-approved antifreeze, so top up with any approved product - they can all be mixed. If the fluid isn't magenta, the safest option is to add just one or two cups of deionised water - you lose a little frost, corrosion and bacteria protection, but mixing incompatible antifreezes risks worse damage.

Then have the fluid replaced with an Alde-approved antifreeze as soon as you reasonably can.

Turn on all the electric and gas/diesel heating you have available - this actually uses less energy overall. Set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature rather than turning it right up when you feel cold, or you'll overshoot and end up opening windows; a jumper and a setting a couple of degrees lower saves more. If you don't need hot water overnight, tell the system not to heat it then.

Each season, bleed any air out of the heating fluid, and keep the vents at the top and bottom of cupboards and lockers clear.

On 12V DC, how much it takes from the leisure battery varies a lot. It peaks at ignition - about 2 A for gas heating, about 20 A for diesel. For off-grid planning, allow roughly 1 A while gas heating is running and about 4 A for diesel; switched off, the standby drain is around 80 mA. On mains: UK mains is nominally 230V but usually nearer 240V in practice, so expect roughly 4.8 A at 1 kW, 9.5 A at 2 kW and 14.3 A at 3 kW.

That depends on how the vehicle is built and insulated, how cold it is outside, and how much power you can give the heater - more power means more heat. Most manufacturers now aim for around an hour from cold to a comfortable temperature.

You can heat the vehicle through the winter, though if nobody's staying in it you may decide it isn't worth the running cost. On mains hook-up at home, for example, you could set 10°C with 2 kW of electric heating. Check inside regularly for condensation and signs of rodents, and bear in mind some lockers and compartments probably won't be protected from frost.

The heating fluid needs replacing once its corrosion protection runs out - Alde-approved antifreezes (magenta) last 5 years. Bleeding air from the fluid now and then improves efficiency. Each season, check the boiler flue: the hose should be secure and undamaged, and the outlet free of blockages. After 10 or more days staying in the vehicle, top up the boiler's air cushion.

Before any frost, drain the fresh water - and while you do, make sure the red breather valve hasn't scaled up. See your heater's operating instructions for details. An annual service may be a legal requirement, particularly if the vehicle serves as an annex to a house, is hired out, or is somewhere people work.

Set the room temperature on the control panel to around 15°C. In summer that's low enough that the central heating will rarely circulate, day or night, while hot water is not affected.

That's down to whoever installed it - ideally an Alde-approved antifreeze, which is magenta. Alde advises against any antifreeze it hasn't approved.

With the system cold, about 1 cm higher than the Min mark. As the fluid heats up it expands towards the Max mark.

Roughly 10-15 litres in a touring caravan or a B- or C-class motorhome, and 20-25 litres in an A-class motorhome or a boat.

After 10 days' use, the Alde system prompts you to top up the air cushion in the hot water cylinder, which keeps it running smoothly. If there's been water in the system: turn off the water pump, open all the taps and the shower fully, open the safety drain valve for 5-10 seconds and then close it, and refill the water system as usual. If the system has been dry, you can ignore the reminder.

By law, stored hot water has to be kept hot enough to scald, to stop legionella - a potentially deadly bacteria - from growing. The Alde TMV3, an aftermarket accessory, limits the temperature of the water reaching your taps and shower.

Expect roughly a 4-5 minute shower every half-hour. The aftermarket Alde TMV3 can cut down on hot water wasted in the shower, and the Alde Flow gives continuous hot water - it can be retrofitted to any Alde-equipped vehicle from the 2018 model year on, and in the UK is sold only through Moosewerks.

Only water that's pleasant to drink. Some sites in Spain, Portugal and North Africa supply water heavy in bleach or salt, which corrodes stainless steel. Even if a tap is labelled as drinking water, don't put it through the Alde system if you couldn't bear to drink it - unless your vehicle has a reverse-osmosis water filter of at least 4 stages.

Anything the label says is safe for a stainless steel water cylinder. Clean Tabs make a range of suitable products that are easy to find.

Yes. A vehicle can be designed to winterise itself, but very few on sale are.

Yes, and Alde recommends it. You can also set the system to favour one source over the other - for example, whichever is cheaper.

As a rough guide, a 6 kg propane cylinder should last a weekend of gas heating - though in freezing weather it will go considerably faster.

Propane. Butane isn't suitable below 13°C (BS 5482 Part 1).

Yes.

Alde advises against it. A crash sensor on the bulkhead regulator doesn't change the main risk: drive onto a fuel forecourt with the gas heater running and fumes could be pulled straight into its combustion chamber - effectively the same as carrying a lit camping stove across the forecourt. You'd need to pull over and switch gas heating off before every fuel stop, and forgetting just once could be disastrous.

No need to worry - it does no harm in the short term, though B10 or stronger biodiesel shortens the burner's life if used long-term. Carry on using the diesel heating normally until you can top up with at least half a tank of a compatible fuel, and try not to repeat it.

Alde's diesel models - the Compact 4000 D and the 4000 D Plus - run on B7 diesel (EN 590) and XTL diesel (EN 15940). If you use agricultural or marine diesel, HVO meeting EN 15940 is also compatible.

Alde doesn't recommend it. It's technically possible, but if you forget to switch the diesel heating off before stopping to refuel it won't go down well with staff or other customers - and fumes could be drawn straight into the combustion chamber. An Alde engine heat exchanger is the better option for heat on the move.

It depends on how much the boiler compartment and diesel tank need reworking. The Compact 4000 D isn't a straight swap for a Compact 3030, for instance, and not every diesel tank has an accessible sender or a spare fuel pick-up. The cost may well rule it out - Alde puts such a job at probably over £5,000. (Alde's own estimate, as given on its FAQ page in October 2026.)

Yes - both the Compact 4000 D and the 4000 D Plus run on diesel. The Compact 3030 and 3030 Plus can't heat on diesel themselves, but an Alde-equipped motorhome can have the engine heat exchanger fitted to use the engine's waste heat.

No. Even caravans and motorhomes built to the top BS EN 1645 grade aren't insulated like a house, so underfloor heating would have to run too hot to walk on to warm the whole vehicle by itself.

No - it's an open-vented system, which keeps the weight down and reduces the draw on the leisure battery.

No. The controls run on 12V DC, but the electric heating elements need 230V AC mains. Away from hook-up, you'll need to heat with gas or diesel. Run from a leisure battery, the electric heating would produce only around 9 W - roughly a tenth of the heat your own body gives off.

When filled, it's about 10 kg heavier than a combi heater. Separate space and water heaters are generally less powerful these days, so they aren't a like-for-like comparison.

No. Alde Compact boilers have aluminium surfaces inside the glycol cylinder, and any copper particles circulating into it would set up galvanic corrosion.

Take the waste-holding tank out through the service door, stand it up so the pour-out spout faces upward, then take the cap off. Add the recommended amount of Thetford waste-holding tank additive plus roughly 3 litres of water so the bottom is covered, refit the cap, and slot the tank back into place.

Open the fresh water tank's drain valve, then the wastewater tank's (into a suitable container), then leave every tap inside the vehicle open (mixer taps set to their central position). There's also an internal drain valve that clears the water heater and its own pipework - open that too, give the vehicle five minutes to finish draining, then briefly run the pump to clear any water left in it. Empty the cassette toilet too.