upgraded from tent to MH a month ago and already done 3 trips and 1500 miles - love it! but have a few niggles....
3 way fridge doesn't work on 12v - where might i start to investigate to find what is at fault here?
Fiamma box - I think I need one to keep "dirty" stuff out of the MH interior - will it fit onto the rails of my bike rack (standard V rails as far as I can tell). And is it advisable to always have this weight (50kg max as stated on bike rack) "hanging" on the rear wall of the MH body?
Interior window blinds - I want ones made similarly to the large concertina thingy I got for my car in Halfords, but that stick to the glass with suckers. Am struggling to find ones for my vehicle model (1993 Talbot Express) - is there some kind of kit available to cut to shape perhaps?
Weight - I have plenty of payload (over 500kg) but weighing items and entering them onto a spreadsheet I created is a pain - is there a website or an app' that has already weighed every conceivable item you might want to take with?
I think I have more Qs but its late and I can't think of any at present.
Cheers
Welcome
Your 3 way fridge will only work on 12V with the engine running. When stopped you either use gas or 230V.
Sorry, no idea about your other questions.
the fiamma box bolts on so it's up to you if you want the hassle to keep removing it, i had one and left mine on as i didn't carry bikes, the fridge should work with the engine running, if not check the relay/fuse in the engine bay ussally near the battery, regards the window blinds do you mean the silver ones you can getthen they are called silver screens only get the exterior ones as the internal causes the windscreen to condensate.
thanks for replies - still deliberating on getting a rear box to mount on my bike rack, but I can't help but worry about the weight "pulling" at the upper fixings on the rear wall of 'van. not necessarily the weight itself but the multiplication of that weight when you go over a bad bump in the road. Am wondering if some kind of shock absorbing bungee strap from roof rail down to the carrier to remove some of the weight from the rear wall would be beneficial?
Ideally Id prefer one of those tow bar mounted carriers but, without a towabar fitted at present id be looking at double the cost to get setup.
You seem to be giving yourself grief over dirty stuff inside your vehicle.
Buy a plastic underbed storage box for your dirty gear, then when parked up, stick it outside under the 'van.
hmm - yeah - too big to go under a bed but I guess it could go into the toilet/shower cubicle stood on it's end. Especially as thats where I currently tend to put much of this stuff loose anyway.
'underbed' is what it's called for use in the house.
Once inside the storage box, you could stand it anywhere while travelling and it won't soil anything.
One of our previous vans came with a Fiamma rear box, bolted to a cycle rack..and it was very handy, although I only ever put very light stuff in it.(..levelling chocks, ehu lead, bucket, etc)..because if I pushed down on the bike rack rails, even lightly, you could see the back wall of the van flex a fair bit!
I did look into removing the bike rack and replacing them will basic wall brackets:
...and either bolt/strap that to the rack or strap it down inside the van(and then tether it outside the van, when on 'site).
Weight wise, I'd be loading the van in FULL "going away mode"(all kit, clothes, full water and fuel tanks, full gas bottles, food/beer, likely passengers etc ) and then get it weighed at a *local weighbridge(* ours charged me 7 quid) ..and then go from there.....
Remembering to get the individual axle loadings as well as the overall weight, as it's not unusual for coach built MHs to have an overloaded rear axle and do all that before you start hanging a rear box off the back.
cheers Pepe, you've hit the nail on the head there mentioning that flexing.
The cost of the Fiamma doesn't bother me - it looks like they hold a lot of value on the used marketplace anyway.
I'd put one on the roof but who wants to climb up there twice a day? - just adding to your chances of eventually falling off!
I just don't like the concept due to this flexing, so unless someone (who doesn't have a vested interest in me buying a box from them) satisfactorily explains why my worries are groundless, I think ill look to the alternatives as already suggested.
I had the 'van weighed, and with everything that usually stays in it (pans and & crockery, full gas, full fuel, EH cable,) in it, i still have 520kg payload. I then weighed everything that I took on a recent trip and all of that scarcely radded up to 300kg. In fact, the humans (and dog) were the majority of the added weight. So apart from the issue of MPG decreasing with weight added, I don't think I need to ever worry about being overweight with this vehicle.
Ive read about modern vans having precious little payload due to all the extra bells and whistles fitted these days....
A friend with a very new (2013) van also had his weighed and had only about 350kg to play with. With an extra person (child) and two extra bikes over and above of what I took with me I reckon he would then be very close to his limit, which made me wonder if people with modern vans must often be over their gross weight as a matter of course when they are touring round?
From experience we have always tried to avoid adding anything to back of van ...
1. Increases length - can increase ferry prices.
2. Can, and often does, damage bodywork or rear doors.
3. Something for petty thieves and vandals to play with!
4. Something for police (esp Spain) to take a look at!
5. Can impact a lot on rear axle loading.
6. Just doesn't look nice - imho of course!
Had a Mobilvetta Driver 52 for a few years - had a well-made roof rack and rear ladder. We never used it - too inconvenient but roof rack was good for fixing Solar panel though.
Plastic/see thru' boxes stored under dinette table always works for us.
Edit - Agree about payloads etc - especially rear axles - one report suggested that during a spot check of Motorhomes and caravans, 80% were overloaded. Perhaps a certain irony that the 'better made' vans can be the worst offenders weight-wise. (proper wood instead of lightweight laminate panels etc? )
Also many people will add very weighty stuff without ever checking on a weighbridge - wind-out awnings are very heavy as are air-con units, extra batteries etc. And salesman very rarely say "Have you considered the effect on payload before you buy this ...." !!
Post last edited on 28/08/2014 23:32:25
Post last edited on 28/08/2014 23:43:22
------------- The older I get the better I used to be.
I had the 'van weighed, and with everything that usually stays in it (pans and & crockery, full gas, full fuel, EH cable,) in it, i still have 520kg payload. I then weighed everything that I took on a recent trip and all of that scarcely radded up to 300kg. In fact, the humans (and dog) were the majority of the added weight. So apart from the issue of MPG decreasing with weight added, I don't think I need to ever worry about being overweight with this vehicle.
Hi again macuser ..
With that sort of margin, it sounds like you should be okay?..but it isn't just about the vehicle being "overweight", as has been said, it's the axle loadings, more usually the rear , that you need to keep an eye on..and especially with a coach-built with a rear kitchen/rear shower room layout...
If you really want some outdoor storage (for ehu leads, levellers etc), maybe look at the feasibility of a Beenybox?
http://www.beenybox.co.uk/ (..at least then,the weight is kept between the axles, rather than hanging out the back).
..and it does show a couple of images of A/S Talisman(..'mans?..'men?) in their "..previously installed.." section. But of cause, unlike a Fiamma box, once fitted, they'd have to stay with the vehicle when sold...
Talismans have GRP bodywork so I don't think beenyboxes are an option.
Buy a couple of plastic survival` bags (orange) and put your dirty stuff in them. Around £5 each.
I have a storage tent about 2 x 3 metres which all my dirty stuff goes in - and things like outdoor table and chairs. Takes me 15 minutes to put up and peg out and cost me about £50. Weighs next to nothing.
Currently on a rare weekend NOT away in the van so I got various of that 'dirty' stuff i've previously mentioned now satisfactorily sorted....
camp chairs are now stowed in the closed loop between the rear wall and the bike carrier. Windbreaks fitted neatly behind the ladder. EH cable and ramps inside a sealed box on the shower tray and plenty space left in it for muddy boots, dirty washing, dog towel etc.
I certainly liked the look of those Beenybox drawers - shame if my 'van can't accept one though - I wouldn't have minded paying a few hundred for such a feature.
Also today, I've made my spare EHU into a semi-permananet fixture by putting 13A plug on one end of it, plugged into a normal wall socket in the shed, then a site type hookup socket on the other end of it and fixing that to the house wall - the remaining length of the spare cable I put the original ends back on so now have a short lead of perfect length for hooking the van up to my new socket when its on the drive, and makes an extension to the 25m EHU, if needed, on a site.
I also replaced one of the roof-vent things which was old , cracked and leaking and the fly screen was torn - can't believe how simple a job that was - been putting it off for weeks!
another Q now - can any explain exactly what this SR8M unit is.........
its in a top locker just under the Solar panel so I presume its to do with that.
The display shows 13.8V, which, as it doest show a lesser figure when its dark and therefore NOT getting any solar charge, I imagine is the state of the leisure batteries ( I have also seen it display a lower figure when I have used lights, pump etc)
But I have no idea what this unit is - is it my battery charger or just a metre showing battery health? Also no idea what the 96 LBN means.
To be honest, the electrics is going to be my stumbling block in this 'van as Im not at all familiar with auto electrics (or any electrics for that matter). Oh, and the engine, i'm not at all familiar with mechanics either. to be honest part of the reason I lingered so long before getting a 'van was 'cos I knew It'd have to be an old one and therefore likely to need more attention/repairs etc than the modern vehicles I'm used to at work etc. But then I figured I would NEVER end up with one so took the plunge...... so far so good.
and whats that "ping" noise I hear from time to time? its very reminiscent of when a microwave oven is finished cooking
Its only when I'm on EHU and seems to be coming from somewhere in the vicinity of the wardrobe I think. Water heater is near to there so could it be some kind of alarm to let us know the water has heated up to temp?
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Topic: a few newbie Q`s
