What did you do to your van today?

[wildebus]

Fitted new trip in electric distribution board , not sure who designed it but 3x 13 amp sockets coming off one 6 amp breaker there’s no wonder it kept tripping so now have the fan heater on a 10 amp spur which allows the low wattage kettle to be used on the 6 amp

Not too good if they are the only AC outlets I know a lot of the older Hymers and other German vans had a very limited AC Distribution but thought improved in a van the age yours is?

That's perfectly normal for an AutoSleeper. They will run three 13A sockets off a single 1.5mm cable running round the van from a 6A breaker. Then some more 13A sockets on a separate 1.5 cable, and two conductors from each cable badly crimped into a 1.5mm dia pin in the mains distribution box. Sparks and fires ensue, successive owners get fed up with all the faults and sell the van and muggins here buys it.
Now all rewired correctly, stupid too-small plugs and sockets removed and replaced with straight-through wiring and Wago connectors. It all works properly.

The wiring your photos show is clearly not as it left the factory. I think you need to blame a previous owner not the manufacturer for that.
As far as cable goes, 1.5mm cable is perfectly fine for internal AC Van outlet wiring. absolutely no reason to go larger if you have sockets via a 6A or 10A breaker.

 

[gasgas]

Talking of which (which we weren't !) I notice the gas bottle has 2028 on it. I think in theory they are supposed to be 'tested' at ten years old - but nobody does. Does that 2028 mean that the bottle has to be tested, or retired in 2028? I believe that under floor tanks are supposed to fail the habitation check if they are older than ten years, and it is too expensive to remove and test and re-certify them so the 'PROPER' thing to do is to expensively replace the tank. I don't suppose many are, and that sounds like an insurance company's excuse not to pay out.
My bottle has 2023 on it. It is in perfect condition - as you would expect for a bottle that has lived its life inside a box - so I have no intention of doing anything other than use it.
They don't rust from the inside, in case anyone was wondering. The gas which is a by product of oil naturally contains a small amount of oil. I once went to a job in my profession as a gas man where the house had large Calor Gas bottles outside. A copper pipe ran along the wall to the kitchen then it went inside and fed the kitchen and heating. The customer complaint was that the hob burners would burn up and down, and sometimes go out, then gas would come out not ignited. The fault was that the outside pipe had lost some clips resulting in a slight U bend. Oil from the gas bottles had collected at the bottom of the 'valley' thus blocking the passage of the gas. The bottle pressure would overcome the blob of oil, allowing the gas through until the oil blocked it again. The cure was to disconnect the pipe, drain off the oil and re-instate the pipework with new clips and no U bend. The oil stinks worse than a skunk. I spilt some on my clothes and wasn't let in the house when I got home until I had removed and discarded all my clothes.

 

[gasgas]

The wiring your photos show is clearly not as it left the factory. I think you need to blame a previous owner not the manufacturer for that.

The mains wiring certainly was as it left the factory. It is impossible to fracture or cut those mains conductors and then fail to reconnect them, and there is no reason why anyone would want to. The plugs and sockets are not any type that you can buy from any of the electrical suppliers. Also the white wires to the wardrobe light are original, I have seen the same in showroom models. The insulation tape is obviously not original but the poor choice of wardrobe light with its incandescent bulb and 'always on when the door switch is not operated' has clearly caused overheating of the light resulting in the fire. All AS needed to do was install a LED light with a built in PIR and this would not have happened. The evidence is that the wardrobe door was left open, therefore the light was on, it overheated, melted and set the woodwork on fire. A good design would include either a heat tolerant light fitting and heat tolerant framework to fit the light to, or a cool running light, or a light which only comes on when a PIR detector is activated. Another consideration should be that it is possible that flammable material (eg a piece of clothing) could be in contact with the light.
I accept that 1.5mm cable fed from a 6A trip will be satisfactory but it is incompetent design that permits two conductors to be crimped to those pins in the plugs and sockets. The pins are only large enough to accept one conductor each.
The number of faults on this motorhome must be the reason why it has had four owners in four years. I think they all got sick to death of the continuous stream of faults. I haven't mentioned all the other faults I have fixed as well . . . . . . false battery and water level alarms, faulty central locking, faulty hab door step - etc etc the list goes on but of course I want to sell it, and don't want to make it sound any worse!

 

[wildebus]

TBH, 4 owners in 4 years should have got the alarm bells in your head ringing immediately! and 5 owners (with you) in 4 or 5 years when you try and get shot will not be any better

And as you know, you can get any connectors, plugs and sockets from sellers on-line nowadays. Maybe not in B&Q, but via Amazon or eBay ... no problem. Sargent themselves sell all of these if you want to buy from there, but they don't make the connectors, they buy in the "Loc 'n' Mate" connectors themselves.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

Main dealer changed timing belt kit, water pump, gaskets, liquids, etc., etc.

Feeling happier that it's done.

 

[runnach]

View attachment 74802

Main dealer changed timing belt kit, water pump, gaskets, liquids, etc., etc.

Feeling happier that it's done.

Ditto, full timing belt change, plus clutch, brake system inspected and sound. Underside of MH cleaned, and lanoguard applied. A small price to pay for piece of mind while touring.

 

[gasgas]

Mine is off to the doctor tomorrow morning to find where the oil drip is coming from - gearbox or crankshaft? Fixing it will probably be more expensive than leaving it and having the oily drive re-laid in five year's time. Labour will be four hours at £72/h, oil seal 7/6d.
At least I don't have a cam belt, AdBlu, DPF, air bag sensor faulty, engine warning light or any of that pallava to pay for. . . . .but I do have a clonk from the front nearside suspension when negotiating a typical English road, so that will need looking at before the next MOT.

TBH, 4 owners in 4 years should have got the alarm bells in your head ringing immediately! and 5 owners (with you) in 4 or 5 years when you try and get shot will not be any better

And as you know, you can get any connectors, plugs and sockets from sellers on-line nowadays. Maybe not in B&Q, but via Amazon or eBay ... no problem. Sargent themselves sell all of these if you want to buy from there, but they don't make the connectors, they buy in the "Loc 'n' Mate" connectors themselves.

All I can hope for is that someone like me turns up to buy it and doesn't worry or ask about how many owners. If you ask a dealer why the last owner got rid of it they will just say something like "It's a 4 berth and their kids didn't want to go with them any more'. A load of old codswallop of course so you may as well not ask. I don't think I did ask, this wagon is pretty rare and I was glad to find it at a reasonable price. I will now happily accept £20,000 less than I paid for it 13 months ago. I could have had a round the world cruise with my wife for what it has cost me. It is, however, being a Mercedes Sprinter with proper torque converter automatic a lovely thing to drive.
As for the connectors I did look at the usual makes of multipin connectors thinking they are Molex, but they aren't. Also they aren't the standard computer power connectors. The maker of the connectors don't even label them. Even if I did find the same make I would not attempt, nor be able to stuff two 1.5mm conductors into one pin, and I have many years of electronics experience. If I had found a connector that fitted I could in theory take one 1.5mm conductor from the pin to a three way Wago and hope that the pin and single conductor would carry the current. I preferred to do away with all the plugs and sockets and wire directly from the habitation cabling into the EC700 pcb. I fitted a LED strip light with built-in PIR onto the wardrobe frame and it works brilliantly. Open the door, stick your hand in, it lights up, take out your coat, close the door, after ten seconds the light goes out. No chance of it staying on, no fire hazard.

In case you are confused, I have two motorhomes, a 1999 Autosleeper Pollensa (the one with the gearbox oil leak) and a 2019 Bourton (the mobile fault laboratory). This summer, of the two I chose to take the Pollensa to Germany for a month, and leave the fault ridden liability at home. The Pollensa will be going to Norway next year for a long holiday, whether or not I still own the Bourton.

 

[wildebus]

Very true that someone can get a van and find it it not right for them, but 4/5 owners in 4 years = lemon. no ifs and buts.

If it is a Sargent based wiring setup (I am assuming it is being Autosleeper), then the connectors are almost certainly "Lock 'n' Mate" as I already told you. MOLEX is a very common brand for computer hardware connectors and has for many become a generic term like "Hoover", so it is not uncommon for someone to say they have 'Molex' plugs if they see a white plug with pins on it. You can buy some Lock 'n' Mate ones direct from Sargent if you wanted to.
Lots of varieties of 'molex-style' plugs, none of which are compatible with each other sadly. The best connectors IMO I've seen in various Motorhomes are the WAGO ones used by the Hymer Group. They are robust and easy to make and they also make what are effectively extension outlets so you can have a supply in and multiple outs.
PS. I don't mean the WAGO 221 lever connectors, but the permanent plug and socket 770 range.

 

[wildebus]

Added the last touch to my back box yesterday ....

Papoose by David, on Flickr
Seemed appropriate when fitted to an Autotrail Cheyenne

Planned to go down to South Shields in the motorhome on Friday but the dashboard "battery" light wouldn't go off. Doing some diagnosis yesterday makes me think the Alternator is totally fubared. No current whatsoever going into the battery and as I add loads (turn on the lights for example) it is the engine battery that is supplying all the power whilst the voltage is dropping. And disconnecting the battery stops the engine (once the engine is started, the engine battery is essentially redundant and not needed - it really is just a 'starter' battery).

MOT due this week so asked the garage to replace the alternator while it is in. Bit paranoid with the Ducato air-bag ECU low voltage issue so leaving a mains charger connected to the engine battery all the time at the moment - I'll detach it when I actually turn the key to start the engine but will reconnect for the drive duration to the garage to make sure the voltage stays at a good healthy level during the journey.

 

[gasgas]

I ordered a Renogy 2000 PSW inverter (£176), and had a phone call from my garage. Actually that was Friday, not today of course. I had taken it to them with an oil drip from either the front gearbox oil seal or rear crankshaft oil seal. 50 years ago I would have removed the box and done those jobs but not now. Anyway my third very positive experience with this garage is that they called me and said it's not the front gearbox or rear crankshaft, there is a seal around the gearshift lever where it enters the box which is leaking. Cheap repair. Having prepared myself for a couple of hundred pounds worth of bills I told them to investigate clonks from the front suspension, and brake grinding noises when heaving on the brake pedal. I intend to go to Norway next year and I want the brakes to work.
Regarding rear boxes on bike racks, why not just get a 'garden storage box' from a garden centre and strap it on to the carrier? £20 or £30.

 

[wildebus]

I ordered a Renogy 2000 PSW inverter (£176), and had a phone call from my garage. Actually that was Friday, not today of course. I had taken it to them with an oil drip from either the front gearbox oil seal or rear crankshaft oil seal. 50 years ago I would have removed the box and done those jobs but not now. Anyway my third very positive experience with this garage is that they called me and said it's not the front gearbox or rear crankshaft, there is a seal around the gearshift lever where it enters the box which is leaking. Cheap repair. Having prepared myself for a couple of hundred pounds worth of bills I told them to investigate clonks from the front suspension, and brake grinding noises when heaving on the brake pedal. I intend to go to Norway next year and I want the brakes to work.

Regarding rear boxes on bike racks, why not just get a 'garden storage box' from a garden centre and strap it on to the carrier? £20 or £30.

Check out the price of how much "garden storage boxes" that are robust are. Also, it is a naff solution more suited to a lemon. Horses for courses, but to me, aesthetics do make a difference.

 

[AlyJay]

Added the last touch to my back box yesterday ....

Papoose by David, on Flickr
Seemed appropriate when fitted to an Autotrail Cheyenne

Planned to go down to South Shields in the motorhome on Friday but the dashboard "battery" light wouldn't go off. Doing some diagnosis yesterday makes me think the Alternator is totally fubared. No current whatsoever going into the battery and as I add loads (turn on the lights for example) it is the engine battery that is supplying all the power whilst the voltage is dropping. And disconnecting the battery stops the engine (once the engine is started, the engine battery is essentially redundant and not needed - it really is just a 'starter' battery).

MOT due this week so asked the garage to replace the alternator while it is in. Bit paranoid with the Ducato air-bag ECU low voltage issue so leaving a mains charger connected to the engine battery all the time at the moment - I'll detach it when I actually turn the key to start the engine but will reconnect for the drive duration to the garage to make sure the voltage stays at a good healthy level during the journey.

Check your supply cable coming out of back of alt hasn't rattled loose & that terminals are clean. Although I'm not doubting its probably a knackered alt as you say, I have seen the cable being loose causing this also, especially if its a bolt on type and not the 3 pin push on one.

 

[wildebus]

Check your supply cable coming out of back of alt hasn't rattled loose & that terminals are clean. Although I'm not doubting its probably a knackered alt as you say, I have seen the cable being loose causing this also, especially if its a bolt on type and not the 3 pin push on one.

Trying to access or even see the Alternator from the top or the bottom has proved virtually impossible. I can't even see if the belt snapped and is missing as a possibility
I've done as much checking as I am able (as well as the stuff in the initial post, I checked all the fuses in the under bonnet box and attempted the visual checks) so will have to see what the garage finds? I trust them to tell me if it was a loose connection if it happens to be the case but given the age I have to suspect part failure really. But thanks for the suggestion - appreciate it.

Ordered a new Bosch Alternator to be fitted (or at least available to be fitted in case not a connection issue ) and will take that with me. The garage by default will just replace part like-for-like but I want a higher output than what would be fitted to a standard van 17 years ago.

 

[wildebus]

Just been around the van and checked all the lights are working ready for the MOT tomorrow. even checked the numberplate lights which I usually forget! Washers and Wipers ok.
Have to remember to put the handbrake on and off a few times on the 10 mile drive there to free up the shoes (always a problem for a van that sits around too much ) and hope all the rest is good.

 

[wildebus]

Got round to chucking some stuff in the Papoose Rear Box to see how much will fit ...

Ultrabox 360 - Interior by David, on Flickr
Put in the Sunbrella XL Umbrella, a Screen House 4 Mini Gazebo and one of my new Camping Chairs and Footstool. These have taken up maybe 1/3rd of the space available so the second chair and footstool will be no problem to pack in with room available for the Cadac Safari Chef and a Windbreak and the folding firepit with some wood as well hopfully. These are all things that I want to have with me available to use but don't really want to carry inside the living space as bulky and gets in the way so having the Ultrabox is going to be really useful I think.

 

[2cv]

We’re not up to washing the van now, so got a valeter round and he washed it (including the roof!) with ceramic shampoo. Looking great again, hopefully get to use it soon.

 

[gasgas]

Ceramic shampoo. That's just what I need for my head to make it shine brighter.

Never heard of it ! !

 

[2cv]

Ceramic shampoo. That's just what I need for my head to make it shine brighter.

Never heard of it ! !

I googled it and got;

More durable than traditional waxes or sealants. Creates a hydrophobic barrier, which repels water and contaminants. Protects against UV rays and other environmental factors. Makes cleaning your car easier and keeps it looking newer for longer.

Basically it protects the paintwork and visibly repels moisture. Certainly I’ve found that cars thus treated remain clean looking for longer and are easier to wash.

 

[gasgas]

That sounds like the stuff that car and motorhome dealers give you when you refuse to pay their asking price? They say it is worth £650 ish including the labour of applying it. I had that on one new motorhome I bought. They allegedly applied it before I collected it, then they gave me a Very Posh satchel sort of bag with lots of ceramic coating sounding stuff with lots of made up chemically names. It has some of what I think must be the ceramic polish. I kept it when I got rid of that camper so one bright day I might apply it to Hardly.

 

[trevskoda]

Just been around the van and checked all the lights are working ready for the MOT tomorrow. even checked the numberplate lights which I usually forget! Washers and Wipers ok.
Have to remember to put the handbrake on and off a few times on the 10 mile drive there to free up the shoes (always a problem for a van that sits around too much ) and hope all the rest is good.

Its the rear w cylinders that seeze up with sitting long times, shoes do also as you say require a bit of a burn in, rolling road is the only true way to test brakes.