# Duetto queries



## 89358

We have recently purchased a 1994 Duetto (see Overdrive photo album), I have a couple of queries, following our first outing - Italy!

The sliding door blind on ours only has a flyscreen, is this usual having no blackout / sun blind roller on the top ? Anybody know where I can purchase the sun blind material to replace the flyscreen ?

The main two roof vent handles are not in line, the pantograph on the front one has the handles front to rear, whilst the rear one side to side - no problem with this other than it opens wider one way that the other when half open. Are your handles parallel and if so which way ?

The Thetford toilet cassette gauge does not work, and the flush is not brilliant and ideas ?

Any tips on space saving mods, or items which fit cupboards well?


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## peejay

Hi overdrive,

had a look at your piccys, looks a very nice van...

The sliding door blind is strange, might be worth a call to the assc for advice or seitz, i thought all blinds were fitted with both the net and the blind itself.

Re the cassette toilet, It usually only registers red just before its full! not very helpful but i think they all do that.

With regards to the rooflights, i think they are square as in 40cm x 40cm, someone must have put the top on incorrectly, so it might be just a case of refitting the rear one so it opens front to back.

some useful links,

http://www.dometic.com/templates/ContactSearch.aspx?id=628 
for queries about blinds (dometic now owns seitz)

http://www.motorhomeservicegroup.co.uk/ 
for any A/Sleeper queries, they are normally happy to help with queries over the phone

pete.

ps, hope the coachlines and paint were ok.


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## 89002

Hi Overdrive. Until a few months ago, we owned a 1998 Duetto which is identical to yours apart from minor revisons.

Yours looks in good condition in the photos. It also suffered the same affliction that most diesel Duettos do - namely the bit of trim below the fuel filler has fell off. Luckily I found ours on the drive after it had been washed one time. It seems that the fuel must wash the glue away after years of filling up.

The blind on the door is correct. If you look there is not really enough room to fit the top roller bit due to the way the door curves in. To keep the morning light out, we made a bit of silver blind to put behind the fly screen before bedtime, easy and cheap to do. Also make sure the metal hoops on the door that the top of the flyscreen hooks on to are not gouging out the plastic panel when the door is opening, as it leaves horrible marks.

As Peejay said : the toilet cassette indicator barely worked on ours too. If it was totally full, ie up to the seal, then the indicator would move about 1/8th of an inch. We adopt the practice of looking into the toilet, and if it is more than half full, go and empty it when possible.

Also as Peejay says, the roof-light must have been changed, as on ours they were both the same. Oddly though the bathroom one was reversed. It matters not one jot really. 

We did 20,000 miles and 100 nights+ in two years in our van, and were planning to keep it forever, but got the chance financially to swap to a new one. I am not sure if it was really the correct decision. 

If you have any questions, please fire away, I would be more than happy to help.


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## 89358

Pete

I thought all blinds had a blackout and a flyscreen too - but Milemuncher has confirmed my suspicions! would really like to replace the flyscreen now with the blackout blind.

The Mobilvetta 52 we had a few vans back, toilet gauge registered very well and accurate - I just wondered if Duetto's had a problem. After emptying the cassette and filling with water it still shows a green gauge! The flush is more of a dribble! 

I will also have to change the front roof vent cover round to match the rear - I think - from the look of my photos the front opens higher than the rear!

The coachlines are slimmer than on the Duetto but the right colour, so will do - unfortunately the spray is the wrong colour - but thanks PJ.

Thanks Milemuncher for the offer of help - I will take you up on this I am sure.

I had noticed the piece of trim missing below the fuel cap, but thought I might overcome this by removing the rears and replacing the rear corner bumpers from a later transit which appear to cover the rear quarter valances. I could then cut down a rear piece to fit - and have another spare!!

David


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## 88810

You can buy the Autosleeper stripes direct from their parts department always very prompt and good to deal with. They would also point you in the right direction re paint codes.

With the flyscreen cover an easy option till you source the parts is to make one from an car windscreen shade. Silver and available in Woolworths and various pound shops. Unpick the binding round some of it cut to size and sew the binding on (really boring) and it works. Left the one we had made in old Duetto when we sold it.


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## 89358

I think I have solved the toilet gauge last night.

Having removed the cassette and given it a good clean, I removed the sliding trapdoor. Removed the 8 screws below which retain the trap door seal. The seal was found to be quite perished on the underside so probably just as well I did this, and will need to get a replacement soon.
Opening the trap and feeling around (gloves on) I located the gauge float mechanism and removed a very sodden piece of cork - about the size of a bottle cork only square. Placing the cork in a bucket of water, it sunk to the bottom of the bucket :roll: - maybe the toilet chemicals are destroying the buoyancy properties of the natural cork over time.
In the garage I located a piece of high density polystyrene packing which I cut to size, and squeezed it into the retaining clip of the float mechanism back in the cassette. I reassembled the seal and trap door and placed back in the van.
Returning with a clean bucket of water I tipped it in to the loo and watched the gauge gradually turn from green to half red - the second bucket of water filled the cassette, and the gauge went to fully red - success! :lol: 

At this point I was getting a bit warm, and opened the roof vent - one the pantographs (the leading one) immediately separated from the vent top cover (lucky this did not happen on the motorway) ....... so tonights job........... 8O


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## 89358

Jana
Thanks for A/S comment - I had not gone down that route yet for two reasons.
1. The Handbook with the vehicle has a handwritten comment in pencil from previous owner that the stripes are no longer available, so assumed he had already been down that route.
2. Visited our local Marquis dealership who said stripes would not be supplied in small lengths, and one side could cost £200+, but he never even looked at van. Then I saw PJ's offer for £1 and accepted.

I intend to join A/S owners club soon, but will contact A/S spares direct as suggested.

Thanks
David


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## 89358

Had a closer look at my wayward roof vent last night before the heavens opened. Originally the top cover appears to be fixed by melting plastic spigots on the pantograph handles over the top covers - the melted plastic has deteriated - UV I guess. What I need to fix I think is some roofing bolts in Stainless steel or brass.

Anybody else out there had to do a similar repair ?

David


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## 88810

I would give the parts department a ring as they are very helpful. The older stripes were available by the metre at last club and company rally. They can only say no.

We even bought a "Duetto" decal for the outside ass it was missing and bought some of the cream woven fabric known as cockcroft.


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## 89358

*Bring on the Sun!*

Finally got around to removing the flyscreen and replacing with sun blind today on the Duetto sliding door. Quite an easy job really - once I got the material cut to size, fitted the material with the silver side out, rewound the roller the wrong way, refitted the spring!! At least we have sunblinds all round now - just bring on the sun!


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