What do the 4 switches on seat bench control?

PeteW

I bought a 2004 Dutchman.  There are two switches on both seat benches facing forward.  It isn't clear what is being controlled by these 4 switches.  Can anyone help?  I've seen a user manual but it doesn't seem to cover this basic function.  Thanks!

dragonsdofly

@PeteW, a picture would really help.

PeteW

Here are the two switches on the front of the bench seat just inside the door.  The switches do not turn off the radio.  I'm not sure what used to be beneath the switches as it is no longer there although there is a white cable extruding.

PeteW

Here are the two switches on the front of the bench seat on the driver's side across from the door.  I'm guessing maybe one is for the inverter (or converter?) and perhaps one was for the CO2 detector.  What does the CO2 detector look like as I'm not sure where it is located but I read about it.  

Are these 4 switches original equipment in the 2004 Dutchman?

Sharon_is_SAM

@PeteW - I suspect the switches were added by a previous owner.  They don’t look OEM and I don’t recall seeing any pictures including these switches.  Maybe another DM TaB owner will chime in,

Sharon_is_SAM

Here is a link to a previous owners (Lorraine Edwards) blog with photos of her 2004 TaB.  There is one view of the end of the driver side bench and it did not have any switches.

http://tabteardroptravels.blogspot.com/2009/10/inside-of-my-tb.html

Geo

@PeteW,  The '04 DM T@B did not come with those 4 switches or the radio or the heat vent in your photo's, all of that must have been installed by a previous owner.  The tan enclosure on the passenger side was for the fire extinguisher (unknown what the white wire is). Try to trace out where the wiring goes to see what it controls or experiment with turning on and off.  Looks like the floor covering was also installed by a previous owner.
@Sharon_is_SAM,  Lorraine's T@B was one of two German built T@B's imported by Dutchman - one was disassembled as a template and the other eventually made it into her hands.

PeteW

Thank you Geo for the confirmation that the switches are owner installed customizations. I'll need to trace the wiring and experiment. It looks like one of the wires goes to an inverter which I guess either was not original equipment or wasn't designed to be turned off.

ScottG

Wow, @PeteW--you've got the original U.S. T@B?!

As @Geo noted, it was a European model. My understanding is it was retrofitted for U.S. 120V power--Just a wild guess, but I wonder if the switches had anything to do with that conversion. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@ScottG - Lorraine Edwards had the original German built US TaB.  Pete has one of the oldie but goodies😊. I’m impressed that so many 2004 models are still around.

ScottG

Ahhh, right! I guess I should actually read the comments completely before commenting... :-/

I just got so excited 'cause I know that I know that grandaddy T@B is still rolling around out there somewhere!  :-) 

Denny16

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the original DM TaB dates,  Dutchmen manufactured T@Bs from 2003-2009, and Dutchmen manufactured some 4,000 T@Bs over the seven year span.  So there still has to be quite a few of these original TaBs still being used. 

Cheers

Marceline

Denny16 said:

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the original DM TaB dates,  Dutchmen manufactured T@Bs from 2003-2009, and Dutchmen manufactured some 4,000 T@Bs over the seven year span.  So there still has to be quite a few of these original TaBs still being used. 

Cheers

I'd say that about a third of the 50+ trailers that show up for the NorCal rally are Dutchman-built trailers. 

Denny16

Thanks Marceline, I wonder how many DM TaBs show up to the nüCamp TaB Ralley?  I have seen a couple up here on the North Coast area of NorCal, but newer TaBs are the majority.  The first TaB I got a tour of up here, was an early nüCamp CamShell with galley in rear (had a porta-potti), which was very nice, kept the original teardrop concept, but so-called up a bit.  I have always liked teardrop type camping trailers, and had been looking for one… 
cheers