Dandy wanted

Hi Claire, congratulations on your Destiny. The heater in that video is a propex heater that requires a 12volt supply as well as gas. You definitely cannot run any sort of heating on a battery but can run lights, water pump and a small telly for a short time. In Feb you tend to use more 12volt power as the days are much shorter and the battery capacity reduces in the cold. The battery will not make your mains sockets work. If you want to power any mains equipment you must use an invertor but they do tend to use the battery up very quickly.

Try and make sure you get propane gas if you want to use it near freezing. That's the red bottles. The butane, camping gas and calor in blue bottles, doesn't work when you get near freezing.

As for heating there are portable gas heaters available, BUT, they can give off carbon monoxide which can kill. Probably OK during the day when you are awake but best not to use at night. You can get a carbon monoxide alarm. Use good bedding and a hot water bottle. There is also an underfloor heater for sale on this site which you could fit or have fitted. That would be ideal.

It would be best to use an EHU site, then you can use a cheap electric convector heater, fan heater or oil filled radiator and leave it on all night.

Make sure you try everything before you go away to make sure it all works.

Dandy batteries are funny things, unlike any normal camper or caravan arrangement. My 2005 Designer for instance does not have a battery,. There is a 12volt transformer fed from EHU which powers 12volt sockets into which the water pump and light are plugged. I also have a grey plug which can be plugged into a grey socket on the car and that allows the pump and lights to run from the car battery. Not a bad system as the car battery gets recharged every day while driving.

The transformer and grey plug both wire into a terminal strip in the bottom kitchen cupboard unit. If you have a battery, it will probably just wire into this as well.

There is also a mains consumer unit with an RCD main switch and two MCBs. One 10A MCB feeds a twin 13Amp socket and the other 6A MCB feeds the 12volt transformer unit.

Any more than this is likely to have been added by a DIY owner.

I have added a pair of short mains extensions which plug in and hook onto the side of the kitchen. This gives me easier access and room to plug in the hair dryer, phone chargers, small fridge, kettle etc.

OK im completely lost but thanks?! lol like i say its warmer than a tent on the ground and i can boil the kettle its a calor gas bottle so i will look into the propane one and leave all the electrics for now as i dont have a clue about anything electrical and ive no spare money to pay for anything to be done to it for now when ive saved up again i,ll probably go to a camping/caravan place and see if they can sort me out thanks again

Hello Claire as you bought a highside Destiny in the end I'm not sure how much we helped your choice. It will be a barn for the kids though without needing to erect an awning. Far bigger than many caravans.
We haven't seen photos yet and we do love photos here Claire. Interested where you bought it does it have an awning, etc.

We would like to help you on what additional purchases you are making rather than see you sold whatever for any or no reason at a dealers. I see from elsewhere that you are holding purchases off for the moment and that Peridot has offered his advice when you come to that point.   [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] He will be a sound council. Though I did find his request of photos of your front box a bit forward I didn't think you had even been introduced yet!

lol that made me laugh! i joined the facebook group and stated that i wanted a Dandy and got a reply about the Destiny, i went to view it and bought it (im a liitle impulsive) i think they have only used it once and they bought it from Riva leisure whom i spoke to recently with some questions. It does have the original awning which like you say i probably wont need to use unless im going for a long holiday. i havent posted pictures as i am not picking it up until this sunday ive only just had the towbar fitted so planning to play about with it the weekend after before my first camping trip on 1st of feb   

Bet you are looking forward to Sunday.     

Have fun playing.