# Another Water Leak on The Tribute - Oh Joy



## 105062

Nice sunny day today so we decided to tour the North York Moors, calling in on "Adensfield" Goathland, Heartbeat Country, Fish & Chips at Whitby and a brew up watching the sea come in.

So a full tank of water ( I'll risk it) and off we go, enough water to brew up for the full cast of Heartbeat!

Gets to Goathland and pulls up outside Scrips's garage only to find the habitation area floor swimming in water so I opened the drain tap and dumped what was left of 80 litres of water in the gutter / drain. So if you see water running down the street on the next Series of Heartbeat you know where it came from, a leaky Tribute.

Got home and decided to tackle the problem (again) myself as finding someone to collect me and take back to the dealer a week later did not appeal. I had to remove the center bed extension and unscrew the top of the sofa box as the inspection hatch did not reveal anything. Filled the tank with water again.

As you can see from the pic it is the filler pipe thats leaking. I undid the pipe and pushed it further on and tightened the clip but it still leaks. What is happening is the type of pipe used is designed to be uncrushable hence not the best choice for the job. I am now leaving it until tomorrow and get a different type of pipe as it still leaks after several attempts to fasten it.

*Wife said to me a week ago as we drove home in our newly collected Tribute "It doesn't get better than this" well I can safely say it hasn't!!!
*


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## 100004

Oops 8O I have to say that I replaced my water fill pipe with exactly type of pipe and it's perfect :? i just got the clip between the ridges and screwed it with the electric 'driver. Hope this helps  H


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## sallytrafic

They have skimped it should be ribbed on the outside smooth on the inside. Otherwise mould etc can collect in the grooves as well as giving you problems with leaks.


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## 100004

Clever Bugger  H


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## 105109

*all your problems*

Hi Tribute_650,

Sounds like there is a jinx on your van.

Hope ours doesn't turn out the same!!

Like your sense of humour though 

Jacobite


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## 103763

Due to be picking our 550 up next week and hoping for less problems. The entire panel van forum seems to be taken up with Tribute problems :-( Really hoping we haven't made a mistake!

Well, I've built up an extensive list from the issues others have been having to try and check them before coming all the way back from the dealer. They're in Hampshire and I'm in East London! So don't particually want to be making that trip if I can avoid it......


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## 105062

*We could do with a Tribute Forum so all the other Panel Van owners don't have to put up with our ramblings*.

It is also not doing the Tribute image any good but I have found other posts useful as I hope others have found mine. IE we are so disappointed with the toilet area we seriously thought of selling but Lazza's post has given us a solution (excuse the pun)

In my view the Tribute problems are down to poor workmanship at the fitting stage, either an unmotivated or unskilled work force. You can bet if they had been made in China they would be perfect! The problems are not necessarily the same on each van but I note Lazza had the same problems as I with the Battery box which means mine was not a one off and as it could be potentially so destructive and dangerous I find that worrying. It begs the question "What else"
And what do you do if you can not or understandably don't want to have a go at stripping your new van and fixing it your self. I think it was Otto who sent his back to the dealer and was without it for 2 weeks and they did not fix everything. On that basis I would not be using my van till Christmas!
Going back to my first point :
*So Mr Moderator Can we Please have a Tribute Forum ?*


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## ingram

Tribute_650 said:


> *We could do with a Tribute Forum so all the other Panel Van owners don't have to put up with our ramblings*.
> ?[/b]


I am not putting up with it: I find it interesting and informative; I hesitate to say 'enjoyable' because it must be awful for those who are having such disappointing problems ........ if anyone doesn't want to read it they don't have to.
I don't see a real need for a Tribute Forum but I would certainly like *all* the 'specific make' forums to be given priority above the 'Off Topic' and 'Jokes and Trivia' forums. After all this MHF *is* supposed to be about 'Motorhomes'.

As an aside, I think that Trigano should sell the Tribute as a kit to be assembled by the buyers: that'd improve the quality, no doubt ........ oh! perhaps that should be in 'Jokes and Trivia' :?

Harvey


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## 105062

Thanks for that info Frank. Got the pipe off this morning and it is smooth inside which I would not have thought to check.

They had over tightened the clip and split the pipe either that or had started to cut the pipe and realised it was going to be too short so gave it an extra couple of inches... I would not put anything past these cowboys.


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## Waleem

When putting the pipe back on, it is worth using a little smear of silicone sealer round the tank stub before tightening. Belt and braces approach!!


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## 103763

Just been informed by my dealer that due to the Flooding that Tributes have been delayed indefinitely! 

I spoke to Autotrail just the other day and there was no apparent delay, they said I should have mine within 7 days. Not sure what's changes in the last few days. I think the rain was already over when I spoke with them

Perhaps there was a leaky pipe in the factory :evil:


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## 105109

*van delays*

I believe that is the case. Our dealer told us a couple of days ago he is waiting on 5 vans, they were in some holding place or something, the floods in England are holding up delivery of these vans, also, it is not known if some vans will have been damaged by water.

Doesn't sound good for folk waiting - either that or it is a good excuse!

Jacobite


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## maddie

Hi I think they are all at grimsby with the doors wide open and the wind blowing thru to dry them out :lol: (like the car dealer up the road whos entire stock was 4 ft deep in water)  :wink: 
terry


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## oldenstar

My commiserations to 650 who really does seem to have acquired what those of us late of the midlands, and familiar with the old Longbridge ethos, would call a 'Friday afternoon van'.
He also makes a good point-he and several other posters, notably Lazza with his heroic Washroom modification, are obviously very 'hands-on', and are able and willing to do their own mods and repairs.
Whereas I, and I'm sure many other MHF'ers (What the hell are we in the plural) tend to be more of the 'stand and watch' type-or rather the 'sit in the showroom while the dealer fixes it' type.
So I agree that all of us of the latter type should be making a list of all these faults and making sure that the dealer checks them out on our vans, or if still waiting for delivery before they are accepted.
After all we have just forked out, or are about to, around £30000 for these vehicles.
Another good reason for choosing a local dealer if at all possible. Mine is
5 miles away.
On the subject of the Panel Van Conversion Forum I think many of us rather resent the fact that we come at the bottom of the bottom forum. In fact it is probable that many quick browsers will never find us.
And is there any reason why Panel Van Conversions are all lumped together? After all there is a long list of makers names before we appear at the end-Is not Trigano a makers name?
Personally I think it would be better if our Forum section was installed under the Mech/Tech heading higher up, rather than on its own at the end.
Sorry, rant over
BTW doesn't this rash of problems and niggles, (not only the Tribute-I see other much more expensive vans with problems here) show the value of this forum-No sooner does a problem appear on MHF than we rush outside to check our own van.


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## 105668

Ahh that explains the delays in Tribute supply, they only make them on a friday Afternoon! :wink: 

Jesting aside I can sympathise with all you folk, I have had my 650 3 weeks and its been back to the dealer 3 times and is still outstanding some probs. I have resorted to fixing it myself, its not hard, the problems have all been to do with bits that screw on. I have had 3 water leaks. There are 9 yes 9 pushin water connectors alone under on side of the sink and that does not include the tap and drain pipes. All that was needed was a great deal more care when putting the kit together. The kit and the Fiat are 1st class in my view.


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## Melly

Sikaflex 512 was recomended to me to seal joints and its what I used to install my Heki rooflights and they have'nt leaked and believe me they have certainly been tested to the limit these last few months.


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## sallytrafic

oldenstar said:


> clipped ... On the subject of the Panel Van Conversion Forum I think many of us rather resent the fact that we come at the bottom of the bottom forum. In fact it is probable that many quick browsers will never find us.
> And is there any reason why Panel Van Conversions are all lumped together? After all there is a long list of makers names before we appear at the end-Is not Trigano a makers name?
> Personally I think it would be better if our Forum section was installed under the Mech/Tech heading higher up, rather than on its own at the end.
> Sorry, rant over
> BTW doesn't this rash of problems and niggles, (not only the Tribute-I see other much more expensive vans with problems here) show the value of this forum-No sooner does a problem appear on MHF than we rush outside to check our own van.


Until I asked for it there wasn't a panel van forum at all  and I saw it as a catch all for those of us with low population vans.


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## oldenstar

Due gratitude Frank, and I wouldn't really disagree with that.
As the Tribute is a high volume new vehicle there is naturally lots of talk about their shortcomings so we tend to be monopolising the forum at present, but accepting that Panel Van Conversions remains as a single heading for all of us, it is still hard to find.
However in the Community Forums there is a section for American RV's.
I don't wish to pick a fight with them but I feel that there are a hell of a lot more Panel Van Conversions about the UK than RV's.
So could we not have our generic section in the main Forum with them?
You will find that our discussions are not just mechanical and technical, so why not?
It is a motorhome site as Harvey pointed out recently, Panel Van Conversions are a rapidly growing percentage of motorhomes as many people downsize, so it is likely to be a popular section for visitors to the site-if they can find us. Hence more members :wink: 
Come on lads, back me up here.
Paul


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## sallytrafic

Melly said:


> Sikaflex 512 was recomended to me to seal joints and its what I used to install my Heki rooflights and they have'nt leaked and believe me they have certainly been tested to the limit these last few months.


On these forums you often see Sikaflex 512 mentioned but it doesn't stick to some plastics. It does stick very well to some others and to metal though. This gives a problem when used to secure roof lights/vents to a metal roof. If the sealant doesn't stick to the plastic you have a real problem revoing the sealanr from the metal before using a non-setting mastic instead. Hoses should IMO be dry fitted.

On the matter of seperate forums I use the forum summary page as the start point for reading/skimming all interesting posts. you can see the last 10, 20, 100 or 1000 that way. If you only go into the individual forums you may miss stuff.

For example its not just panel van conversions that have the problem that started this thread, a kontiki had similar not so long ago. So where to put it? You could make a case for it to be in several forums. If it was about sticking plastic to metal bodies then this would be the perfect forum..... only...... some RVs and big euros have metal skins.


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## 105109

*panel van forum index*

I agree with the others who have mentioned that the Tribute should have its own section.

We traded in our Autosleeper Trooper to buy our Tribute 550. It was just a panel van - Autosleeper have their own section, why not Tribute.
Autosleeper have a lot of panel van models as do various other makers.
Because of the prices Autosleeper are asking nowadays, plus other makers, I would think the Tribute will be more popular once the niggles are sorted out.

I wonder if they read this forum. It would certainly give them something to think about!!

Jacobite


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## 105062

Well I have said it before, I think the Tribute needs its own Forum as high up the tree as it can get. I'm not sure about calling it Trigano though which was suggested somewhere as we will get the Tents, caravans and what ever else they make, bit like calling it Fiat I guess.

I dismissed this site when I first found it because all I could see was the American RV Forum, I had got bored of looking at the headings and did not get to the bottom of the pile! 

If you look at some of the makes that have their own Forums some of our individual posts have more reads than their total combined reads!. 

Are the forums based on the Founder Members interests ?


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## grumpyman

This subject has now been highlighted for months yet what I find strange is the total silence from the people who make the decisions. I would hope all would accept any decision as long as it is backed up with reasons, and yet as I have commented on before, Total silence.?


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## sallytrafic

grumpyman said:


> This subject has now been highlighted for months yet what I find strange is the total silence from the people who make the decisions. I would hope all would accept any decision as long as it is backed up with reasons, and yet as I have commented on before, Total silence.?


Hi grumpyman

If you are refering to having a seperate forum what you do is send a pm to nukeadmin. He is the only one that can change things. Leaving a request on the forums like this presupposes he reads every forum - he doesn't, few do.

If you don't mean that well sorry for butting in but you have lost me.

Oh and PS if you do want your own section you stand the chance of non-tribute/trigano owners ignoring the forum and they might have been able to answer your question or at least contribute to an answer.


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## teljoy

[quote="As you can see from the pic it is the filler pipe thats leaking. I undid the pipe and pushed it further on and tightened the clip but it still leaks. What is happening is the type of pipe used is designed to be uncrushable hence not the best choice for the job. I am now leaving it until tomorrow and get a different type of pipe as it still leaks after several attempts to fasten it.[/quote]

Hi

Have a look at this website. You will see a double wire waterhose clip. I bought a pond filter a few weeks back which came with these type of clips. They fit into the grooves of the pipe and do not require as much tightening as the clips that you have and do not crush the pipe. They make an excellent seal.

Teljoy

http://www.pumpsandspares.com/other-items/hose.php


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## grumpyman

*if you do want your own section you stand the chance of non-tribute/trigano owners ignoring the forum and they might have been able to answer your question or at least contribute to an answer.*

Thanks for the advice but does that mean that those vans with specific groups already are disadvantaged as you state Tributes would be if they agreed to this.?


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## sallytrafic

grumpyman said:


> *if you do want your own section you stand the chance of non-tribute/trigano owners ignoring the forum and they might have been able to answer your question or at least contribute to an answer.*
> 
> Thanks for the advice but does that mean that those vans with specific groups already are disadvantaged as you state Tributes would be if they agreed to this.?


Well I for one tend not to look at the specific makes threads unless someone I know starts it or there is a clear plea for help about, for example, solar power in the title.

Also different people navigate this site differently. Some stay on the home page looking at the last 30 posts and ignore the forum page. Some go to the forum page and click on the forums that interest them. Some do as I do and just navigate from the most recent 10 back 10 at a time until they are bored.

Still at least you now know what to do if you want a specific one for your make/manufacturer.


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## grumpyman

PM sent to Nuke for his consideration thanks for the advice.


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## drcotts

*hoses and clips*

Hi tribute and all
It may be advantageous that i work for a company thay uses this type of application in its pond filter systems (Hozelock) so may be able to impart some advice.
The main problem of leakage from this type off application - and let me say that your picture looks exactly like the connection of one or our filter systems - is down to the fact that a worm drive (jubilee) hose clip is used on a hose that has a convoluted outer diameter. Unless you are very lucky when tighteneng the clip the srirol effect of the strengthening worm on the outside of the hose causes the hose to distort in shape and so develop a leak path. When we supply hose clips for filters we also supply 2 strips of foam approx 2mm and 15mm wide which are placed between the clip and the pipe to reduce the effect. So i wound suggest putting some sort of cusioning material between the pipe and hose clip.

Anothe thing to try is to wrap a few layers of boss white (PTFE) tape around the connection on the tank to give a tighter fit between hose and 
tank connector.

hope this is of some help to you.

phill


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## grumpyman

was going to post again about total silence but can see everyone very pulled out dealing with far more important topics.Clique, Clique? sorry mouse got stuck


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## oldenstar

Yes I see the other posts too Grumpyman.
I guess the boss is very busy at present dealing with all that, so I think we need to cut him plenty of slack at present.
Wouldn't like to lose the site-far and away the best Motorhome site and excellent value for money for members.


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## nukeadmin

> PM sent to Nuke for his consideration thanks for the advice.


This post has been pointed out to me by the other staff, sorry but MHF is such a huge forum that I simply couldnt read every post on the site all the time.

As for your PM I never received anything from you, are you sure you sent it ? A common error is people omit the subject line and then the PM vanishes into the ether.

I did get a PM from someone else about this though

Having looked more in depth at what you are saying i think it wouldnt be an issue to move this section up into community, and Tribue_650 the forums aren't based solely around my interests lol I don't even have a van atm, so would be a pretty desolute empty forum if it were 

Will move this section up into community now


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## sallytrafic

I'm not sure that was what was wanted but perhaps I misunderstood. I've pm'd grumpyman anyway to check


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## grumpyman

If you have seen my PM you will probably do better asking the others if it is ok as my Van is as the Independent Engineers who examined it a mess and I should be paid out. If so will not be purchasing a Panel Van and so think others should make the comments. Nuke you are right no PM in my out box and so I apologise and should get my own use of a computer in order before making comments.


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