# My new MH and list of woes!



## david-david

Hobby 750 FMSE 2001

Week 1:

1. Kitchen tap not working -Cracked bracket and leaking. 
£ 19.99 new tap off eBay. Thread too short. Counter sunk under worktop and now works perfectly.

2. Kitchen window leaking - seal perished
£18.00 Tube of sikaflex. Dismantled window, cleaned, reapplied sika, watertight and works perfect. 

3. Home door drooping - Bottom hinge screws Too big and wobbly. 
Syringe full of araldite. Two red plugs. Left 24 hours. Correct stainless steel screws applied. Works perfect. 

4. High level break light not working. 
Removed sealant and screws. Cleaned contacts. Refitted. Works perfectly.

5. Windscreen wipers only work on fast setting. 
New motor off ebay £17.00 now work perfectly on all settings. 

6. Fuel guage not working.
After reading tips on MHF - re soldered joints on relay box. Works perfectly. 

7. Draughty cab.
MHF tips - taped up door vents. Worked perfectly! 

8. Horrible curtains and nets
My better half made cream thermal curtains. So much warmer!

9. Cambelt - was told it was done last year. No receipt so must presume not done.
£216 fitted with local garage for full cambelt kit.

10. Interior valeting - top down full interior deep clean using meguairs products and steam clean.
Roughly £10 on products and 2 days of my labour.

11. LED lights
Replaced all interior lights with LED. £15 off eBay

12. Broken wardrobe hook and rod latch. 
£4.99 from hobby dealer for new kit and closer. Works perfectly. 

13. Draught around fridge.
MHF tip - sealed around fridge with clear silicone. No more draught! 

Not bad for the first week!

Looking to get a bigger gas tank, change kitchen roof light for clear Heki, uprate single solar panel for 2x 100w solar, install rear view twin camera....

Already got a huge satellite dish which appears to work but dont watch much telly, must get a telly to see if it works.

Im actually loving this! Its finding stuff out personalising it that makes it fun fun me.

My other half just loved driving it and going out this weekend and cant wait to take it to Germany this summer. 

I just want to tinker with it!


----------



## metblue

*hymer*

A very BIG well done to you !! all these niggly jobs done you must be chuffed with your self.
Think everyone who get a replacement wants to make it "theirs" by sorting the various bits and adding the other bits and bobs that they wish to fit.
Congrats to the Boss her sewing skills too !!


----------



## DonA

Good job must be nice feeling getting jobs done yourself


----------



## Tony0851

Nice one


----------



## Zebedee

Well done David. :wink:

I'm another one - another David _(something in the name?) _and another who wouldn't think of taking the van back to the dealer for any small (_or not so small_) jobs I can do myself. I just don't understand the mentality of someone who would take a van back *on principle* to get a couple of those little plastic screw head covers glued back on - "_because it's up to the dealer to fix it_!!"

(I do not jest! I remember the whinge on here a couple of years ago!!)

Ours is not the same van as when we bought it, after a succession of minor fixes and quite a few modifications. Very satisfying it was too, but as a kid I was always in trouble on Boxing Day for taking my toys apart to see how they worked! :roll:

One of my most pleasing, if trivial jobs was to fix a cycle bottle carrier inside the back of the lower door pockets. Now we can have a bottle of water within reach, and I can get mine out and have a drink from its nozzle without ever taking my eyes off the road - and I can easily replace it "by feel".

Well done that man, and the Memsahib. An impressive list of jobs there.

Dave


----------



## happytraveller

Well done, I admire your DIY skills.

Enjoy yourselves.


----------



## jhelm

Brings back memories. Always something new to add or repair.


----------



## Westkirby01

david-david

Way to go! Motorhomes of any make are brilliant machines aren't they? The most enjoyable feeling is looking back and knowing,' I did that'! This really is our home now.

The first few months are the 'tinker' stage, then the next few are the 'sit back and relax a bit' stage, then the 'I think that that bit there could be better if I did it' stage.

Motorhoming is a stage that you never leave.

We are on our 9th and I am again in the first stage. Love it.

Enjoy the experience.

Regards


----------



## rosalan

It is easy to understand how all of these niggles occurred. Some little item goes wrong... not that important, then another and so on. All minor problems but collectively they detract from having a nice van.
When I first bought a 'decent' van, the engineer pointed out that vans are built down to a weight and I should expect small things to fail. He was quite right, many minor things require attention from time to time and I love sorting them out and making the van mine.
On your list of things you wish to do, could I suggest that if you have not already got these things, get an external silver screen, consider re-fillable bottles of gas and of course get a second battery for your extra solar power.
My own personal aim is to be independent of camp-sites, even though we do sometimes use them. Five campsites can mean £100 of extra equipment for the van.

Alan


----------



## raynipper

Well done. Fixing all these things gives you an insight into the beast and minor breakdowns en-route are often fixable and not terminal.

I guess I have been lucky with our 2000 Hobby as only tyres, cam belt and shower tap have needed replacing.

Ray.


----------



## Yaxley

Well done david-david.
I wish I had the know-how to do all of those jobs. I would have tackled some of them but not all. 
Ian
ps why post under Rapido Motorhomes ?


----------



## Zebedee

> Yaxley said: I wish I had the know-how to do all of those jobs. I would have tackled some of them but not all.


Hi Ian

Without wishing to sound like a smartarse, I didn't have "_the know-how to do all those jobs_" when I started.

Just think it all the way through very carefully before you start, and you will be surprised at what you can achieve. I've had no training of any kind, but I built three cars and they all passed the inspection first time.

You may surprise yourself with your own hidden talents. _(Of course, I was completely confident at all times!! :roll: :lol: )_

Dave


----------



## david-david

Yaxley, dont know what happened there! I thought I was posting this topic in motorhome chitchat. If theres a mod with a bit of free time maybe they could move it... please 

On the 'know how' point, I bet you could do everything I've done so far. I'm very lucky that I have tens of thousands of pounds worth of tools at my disposal and its all about the right tool for the job. The right tool for the job makes us all look like experts!

As zebedee rightly says, its all about confidence. My Dad always says "if it went in, then it will come out" it just takes a bit patience and lots of cups of tea while you sit there and work out how it was installed.

The van already has 2 extra leisure batteries (plus the original leisure battery) so I think I'm good on that front. But I only have a single small solar panel and if I'm going to be self sufficient to wild camp then I think I'm going to need more solar power. And maybe more fresh water storage?

My parents have had a Hobby750 for several years and I've watched my Dad transform it from a humble van to a bespoke living enviroment that can tour for several months without the need for EHU, water or gas. Never mind all the extras that he's put on it that I can only dream about!

This is our first motorhome and I must admit, when I fist saw my folks Hobby I thought it was way too big and not very practical. After looking at motorhomes for a whole year I started to see the sense in the Hobby and its layout. Even my better half very reluctantly came round to my way of thinking that the Hobby 750 was pretty much perfect for us. She was convinced it would be too big for the drive and too cumbersome for her to drive.

I drove it back when we bought it and my other half reversed it on the drive. She was surprised how nimble it drove and how easy it was to see with the big mirrors (and lots of arm waving from me!) But we really do need that reversing camera.

I drove it to Southport (parked up with the nice lady with the Winnebago even though it was blowing a gale and chucking it down, we got a lovely welcome) and my other half drove it back to Manchester. She loves it and says its very easy to drive. She even chose to drive it to the garage for the camblet change even though it was on tight roads in morning rush hour and I got to drive the car behind. She's very confident driving it, which is a bit odd as she refuses to my Mercedes S class as she thinks its too big! but she can drive a HUGE motorhome with no problems?....Woman logic!

Anyway, I'm loving everything to do with this motorhome and cant believe I dismissed my folks decision to get one as a 'silly phase' they would get bored of within the year and end up buying a villa instead. How wrong was I?

Its half term in Manchester this week and we're heading off to Tryada Bay (spelling?) for a few days this week. We cant wait and my other half cant wait to drive it there and back. 14 year old Daughter is a bit sceptical, she doesnt like the toilet in the motorhome. I cant wait. It'll be fun!

And maybe I can do a few jobs on it while I'm there


----------



## raynipper

I'm not sure if your year is the same as mine but my one big peeve is the shower curtain.!!!
Coming from large RVs everything is a compromise. But the shower curtain is just designed to wreck my day.

I removed the track and countersunk all the fixing screws. Wove more weights along the bottom. Washed the fabric in 'softener'. And still the thing grabs me as soon as the water becomes hot. Grrrrr.

Ray.


----------



## bigfrank3

Well done David, keep on fixing.

Frank


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> I'm not sure if your year is the same as mine but my one big peeve is the shower curtain.!!!
> Coming from large RVs everything is a compromise. But the shower curtain is just designed to wreck my day.
> 
> I removed the track and countersunk all the fixing screws. Wove more weights along the bottom. Washed the fabric in 'softener'. And still the thing grabs me as soon as the water becomes hot. Grrrrr.
> 
> Ray.


We've only been out in it for 2 days and one night (arrived 6pm saturday, left 6pm sunday) so not used the shower as yet.

I will have a shower in it tomorrow morning to see if the shower curtain grabs my naked flesh!

I dont think we will be too bothered. My other half just loves it. I mean really loves it! She is almost boiling over with excitement every time she looks outside and sees it. Its like watching a toddler at Christmas. She is mad for this motorhome! I havent seen her this excited for ages!

Making toast on a mad little flame thing - she loves it!

Making a cup of tea (which she insisted on doing when we got to the garage for cambelt change) she loves it!

Driving it - any excuse. She's in there driving it around the block taking the long route!

I liked the villa, but what can you do..... 

The problem is going to be the 14 year old daughter who is used to a family villa in Spain. Peeing and pooping in a very small space seems to be the sticking point right now.

I get it. She's a young woman and its not very 'cool' to be tooting while you're folks are reading the newspaper a couple of feet away.

I need to show her the benefits of motorhoming. I think she misses the privacey of a bathroom.

We're going to get one of her friends to come with us for a few days so hopefully when she's got a friend it will be a little easier for her.

Its a tough call when we love it so much but the little one doesnt seem to be enjoying it as much as we are. She's a really good kid and not prone to selfish tantrums so when she gently mentioned it, we listen.


----------



## Mumoffive

Would you like to come and stay for a week???
I could do a trache change or administer IV or subcut medication. Sort out manly wounds and even de-louse your hair in return for showing hubby how to sort the minor niggles. 
Hubby is very handy with wood screws and nails if you need any help. 
Feeling a bit out of our depth with the MH niggles.


----------



## sunseekers

Hi David i know where to come now when I need some work doing on ours  lol 
Sounds like your having fun already I must admit the roof vents are very dull we are thinking of changing ours we bought ours 8 months ago from a private sale & never took anyone with me to look it over apart from the wife
So far everything works fingers crossed

As for the camera it is a must I couldn't do without ours

We will give you a wave if we see another hobby in our direction


----------



## suedew

Well done David. Like your lady i love driving our van, wish I had her sewing skills.

sue


----------



## tony50

david-david said:


> Hobby 750 FMSE 2001
> 
> My other half just loved driving it and going out this weekend and cant wait to take it to Germany this summer.
> 
> I just want to tinker with it!


David David

of course you want to tinker with it ,the Hobby is "Your Hobby" :?

ps. sorry about the Pun ,and, my warped sense of humour, we have just got off a rotten Thomson Cruise ship with terrible food and one really rough day at sea ( nothing like paying out to feel seasick !) your post really cheered me up.
, like you I'd rather repair my own vehicle and get the satisfaction of knowing it's a job well done .

Tony A


----------



## chermic

Wow didn't you do well 

Hope you took some "before" and "after" pictures.

Wishing you all many happy miles of travelling.


----------



## david-david

Had a bit of a mishap with the kitchen tap I bought. Totally my fault! So used to working with copper and compression fittings in a domestic environment I didnt really understand the limitations of braided plastic hose. I was treating it like a hose pipe without allowing for hot water. Lesson learnt. Dont put undue pressure on the plastic pipe or plastic push-in fittings!

Noticed on the drive back from Anglesey one of the yellow marker lights wasnt working. After a quick rummage about tonight I found the fitting was loose. Two minutes and sorted. But...

Noticed some dribbling water just above marker light. On closer inspection, it looks like a stone has punctured the kitchen waste pipe and somebody has had a go at repairing by bunging a whole tube of sikaflex or silicone around it. This is no doubt why the kitchen sink drains so sluggish. Job for tomorrow is to replace kitchen waste and replace kitchen tap before we head off to Lytham for the weekend for a bit of wild camping and let the mad dog run around in the sea.

Now I just need to find out why my whale pump isn't working to pump fresh water in from the spare water carrier? Its very odd! There is power going to it but for some reason the light on the switch doesnt always come on.

I need to get my head around this motorhome and 12v - 240v and what works when on EHU and what diesnt and why!

Still very exciting and I find it quite therapeutic at the end of the day to have a little tinker with Cheryl and understand her (and her eccentricities!).....it sounds like my OH


----------



## havingfun

*Hobby750*

Hi David,
Hobby Manuals on my computer Saved files at home if you need them??You can download them to a disc.

Best wishes DAD


----------



## david-david

New tap arrived this morning. Fitted and working perfectly. 

Noticed windscreen water jets were running very sluggish. More of a dribble than a jet. 
Dismantled and removed motor and water container. Cleaned filter inside water container. Works perfectly.

Replaced aerial on cab radio. Now got radio reception yay! 

Got the whale pump to work properly after a bit of testing found a loose cable. 

Still cant understand why previous owner would put up with so many minor niggles.


----------



## MEES

Just a suggestion re the loo

1. Put a radio in there and everyone put it on when using the loo.
2. Let daughter choose niceties for bathroom room scenting things , fancy soap, etc etc.


----------



## teemyob

Mercedes Sprinter.

2007 Model Year.

Owned since 2010, driven 30,000 miles

Could have spent £10,000 with Mercedes in Repairs and Service.

EIS Unit £900 (Mercedes)
EGR Valve (x2) and Service £1,000 (Mercedes)
Handbrake and Brakes Repaired £1,300 (Mercedes)
Air Conditioning Evaporator £,3000 (I repaired with Merc Parts for £150)
Air Conditioning Condenser £1,100 (I replaced for £110)
B Service £346
Centre bearing on Prop shaft required £350 ish
Mercedes snapped Glow plug an quoted £3,000 for Engine out. After Educating them how to do it, they initially refused to pay for damage and I paid for plug.
Exhaust rear end rotted, another £350 needed.
Another Glow Plug failed (this one is staying blown).

Not to mention the heartache, misery and missed holidays.

Did I miss anything?

Leaning towards Fiat or Renault at this rate. But they don't do real Automatics.

Six Real Japanese cars (two Mitsubishis, four Toyotas). Half a million miles and we needed one distributer cap on one of the older Mitsis. 
We have a Ten year old Audi A2 that has needed an anti roll bar, some wear and tear and a relay. Still running a 14 year old egg shaped Toyota Previa (25 year old design) that has need next to hardly repairs other than oil, water, tyres and fuel.


Gutted, might have to go back to gears or tents!.

TM


----------



## nicholsong

Trev

If you can pull the strings on that airborne contraption of yours you could surely manage manual gears - or even guy-ropes, but I doubt you really want o go back to a tent :roll: 

I was always under the impression that Mercs were sturdy.

If I ever go to a heavier MH, for payload, I wonder what to go for? Iveco?

Is there anything in the MH market other than Fiat/Renault and Merc and Iveco?

Geoff


----------



## rosalan

raynipper said:


> I'm not sure if your year is the same as mine but my one big peeve is the shower curtain.!!!
> Coming from large RVs everything is a compromise. But the shower curtain is just designed to wreck my day.
> .


This is, so it was explained to me, all to do with static charge. If I remember rightly the plastic curtain gets negatively charged and rushes to your positive body. Its nice to be positive about something!

Alan


----------



## nicholsong

rosalan said:


> raynipper said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure if your year is the same as mine but my one big peeve is the shower curtain.!!!
> Coming from large RVs everything is a compromise. But the shower curtain is just designed to wreck my day.
> .
> 
> 
> 
> This is, so it was explained to me, all to do with static charge. If I remember rightly the plastic curtain gets negatively charged and rushes to your positive body. Its nice to be positive about something!
> 
> Alan
Click to expand...

Alan

I have seen other complaints about shower curtains but have never really understood the problem.

We have a curtain but it is no problem.

Maybe it is a question of space and how close one is to the curtain. Standing in the middle of our shower area we (either of us that is) are probably never nearer than 20cm to the curtain.

The other possibility is that the curtain material is different.

I certainly do not want one of the new designs that have the shower on one side of the MH and a separate toilet and basin on the other. They seem to sacrifice cooking and eating area to achieve it.

Geoff


----------



## drcotts

And good on you david
This is what you should do. Its how to get to know your van and feel comfortable with it
Well done both of you happy times you will love germany


----------



## david-david

Bit of an update -

Getting a bit concerned there's something horribly wrong with Cheryl.... 

Everything works. The engine fires up within half a turn of the key. She's warm. The toilet never smells (and we've had it full to the brim after a nasty curry!). We've never ran out of electric. We came close to running out of water, but I took the precaution of filling up the 40Ltr fresh water rolling tank that was in the garage when we bought her. The electric whale pump worked and pumped it in to the main tank within a couple of minutes and we were good for another day!

There MUST be something wrong with it??

I can't quite believe I've got all of this motorhome for less than the price of a new Fiat 500


----------



## david-david

Just a bit of an update...now I've figured out how to post pictures!

This is our first motorhome. Cheryl is one heck of beast!

She's great. I've got about £10,000 worth of stuff I want to put on her. Once she's finished I dont think I'll ever sell her. Funnily enough, my Dad says the same about his Hobby750 now he's got it to where he wants it.

So whats my 10k list?

1. Underslung gas tank (as large as possible) £900
2. Telair underslung genny (including fitting) £3,000
3. Replace basic solar panel with lots of solar £500
4. Metal back box (to fit on motorbike rack) £500
5. Extra USB points and sundry lovely things £500
6. Bigger fridge £500
7. Omni Step £250
8. Safari Room £300
And...

Chairs, tables, cadac, extra lesuire batteries, leather interior, memory foam mattress, carpetts (instead of horrible fitted carpet things that slide all over the shop!) Wifi boosters for teenager, Maybe a sat dish for teenager (this is under discussion! - I discussed we dont watch telly on holiday. End of discussion!)

I thought buying the bloomin' thing was the biggest expense. It turns out that was merely the start!

Its an expensive hobby. But I'm so glad I did it!

She will be parked up for 2 weeks while I crack on with work stuff but can happily say she has been out every weekend since we got her and she's done a big trip up to the Scottish Highlands and excelled herself. She didnt break down or throw up any problems.

Looking at previous MOT's we have did more miles in 4 weeks than the previous owner did in 12 months. We have almost done more miles in 3 months than the previous oner did in 2 years!

She's lovely 

Here she is in Scotland on her big trip. She was amazing.


----------



## david-david

And daft loving the sea!

Still cant believe English waters are so clear!


----------



## coppo

Cracking post.

Lovely to hear someone with so much enthusiasm and excitement about motorhoming.

Great list of accessories you have in mind, not so sure about the safari room though, a lot of folk seem to use them twice and then sell.

Paul.


----------



## peaky

any interior photos ??


----------



## K9d

Seems like you've been busy, I'm pleased to know I'm not the only one that tinkers a lot.

Had our Hymer for 6 months, its 25 years old but the interior is amazing apart from faded upholstery.

So far I've fitted front and rear parking sensors, reversing.rear view camera, fitted cruise control (best thing I've done the terrible throttle angle makes my ankle ache like mad). Given the engine a full fluid and filter change, changed gearbox oil. Changed front brake pads, painted the rusty wheels.

Replaced the wood between the dash and windscreen, its an A class, fitted soundproofing. Fitted various extra sockets, fixed a leaky tap, mended the fridge that didn't work on gas, this involved taking half the kitchen apart.

My wife has re-upholstered the habitation area and made new curtains all round.

Yesterday I spent 2 hours trying to find the break in the wire from the TV aerial, including standing on the roof trying to dismantle the aerial, only to discover that the lead I had bought had a break in it and the old stuff was fine. :lol: 

Bought a safari room on ebay that had no poles, bought some tent poles and made them fit.

I have no real experience in any of these jobs but as said above take you time and think it through and most things are possible, I spend more time thinking about a job than doing it, but then I only have to do it once.


----------



## Tucano

Great photos, good to see vans doing what they are supposed to do


----------



## nicholsong

david-david

Re your list of extras you want to fit, have you added up the extra weight to check you will still have enough payload.

As the MH is a tag axle you will probably be OK, but just check to be sure.

Geoff


----------



## Kev1

David
Sorry we missed this thread (We were away wilding in the Alps)
We have an almost identical van.

They are brilliant.
We agree with the smiles it puts on your face.
Our gas Gene is located in the locker under the bed.
Not sure about underslung. 
Loss of ground clearance 
and servicing once it's covered in road crap.

We did a 3 week tour of Scotland for our first big trip
We have almost identical photo's including our two labs swimming in the water.  

Enjoy the camper
They are stunning to use
Kev and Sue


----------



## david-david

And off to sunny Wallasy this weekend. Cant wait!

Nice beach and its got a Morrisons! what more could you want!!

I'll get some interior pics as well. Sorry, cant do any just yet as the MH is a pig stye due to me tearing the place apart to sort out the overheating Truma.


----------



## Gailey

Oh good grief .....I feel really inadequate...I'm going to have to learn to make curtains now 8O 
We too have a teenager...but I consider one of the reasons that we exist is to cause embarrassment to her :lol:


----------



## LucyCaitlynW

Well done  
Like your other half I'm replacing the curtains with ones I'll make myself!
Replacing cushion covers too  

Lucy


----------



## david-david

peaky said:


> any interior photos ??


Inside pics at last!


----------



## peaky

great pics david, I love to see inside other members vans, all too often you only see exterior, great looking practical layout and lovely condition you must be pleased as punch well done !!!!


----------



## raynipper

Yes David makes the interior look very comfortable and light. Of course now my wife has seen your decor she wants to change ours.!!!! Thanks. She is heavily into cushions and we still have the original blue curved end stops on the settee.

Can I ask where you got the small shelf at the bed head and what the towel rail is like on the outside of the bathroom door please?

I fitted a small microwave beneath the curved stacked shelf on the kitchen surface and now of course my wife says it's cut down on kitchen surface space???

Ray.


----------



## david-david

peaky said:


> great pics david, I love to see inside other members vans, all too often you only see exterior, great looking practical layout and lovely condition you must be pleased as punch well done !!!!


I know what you mean. I've seen some fantastic vans but only from the outside. It leaves you wondering what they're like inside and how 'workable' the layout is.....I did give Cheryl a good clean before I posted pics though 

We're really proud of her. She's fantastic and the layout is fabulous for us. I take my hat to Hobby for creating such an excellent vehicle. We've just tinkered around the edges.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> Yes David makes the interior look very comfortable and light. Of course now my wife has seen your decor she wants to change ours.!!!! Thanks. She is heavily into cushions and we still have the original blue curved end stops on the settee.
> 
> Can I ask where you got the small shelf at the bed head and what the towel rail is like on the outside of the bathroom door please?
> 
> I fitted a small microwave beneath the curved stacked shelf on the kitchen surface and now of course my wife says it's cut down on kitchen surface space???
> 
> Ray.


Sorry about creating more work 

The bed shelf was already there when we bought it. It seems to have been used to hold all the TV and satellelite controllers as theres lots of velcro pads stuck to the wall (and on the back of the controllers) We dont watch telly in the van but the shelf is really handy! I'm going to put a couple of USB sockets above the shelf for charging our phones overnight....I need to get around to removing those velcro pads this weekend.

Whoever thought of putting a towel rail on the door was a genius  ...it wasn't me I'm afraid.
It works really well. Even with our daughter in the van it still works as you have the sliding door/privacy screen for getting dry when you come out of the shower and you've got loads of space with the screen closed.

The colour scheme was my OH. She wanted warmth and light and an 'airy feel' when we closed the curtains. The original blue ones were very dark and oppressive and really did 'close in' the van and made it feel very small and very dark.

The curtains are thermal lining material (so not strictly curtains) They really hold in the heat and throw around the light in the evening. Turn on a couple of (LED) lights and it lights up the whole van! and it makes it feel very light and airy and very cosy 

We have a massive curved one piece back cushion that matches the rest of the van but we dont use it as its cumbersome to lift around when teenager wants to go to bed, so we use the spare 'flat back' cushion that came with it. The big one is lovely if its just two of you but a bit impractical if you need to make the lounge up as a bed in the evening. We're going to keep the big back rest for when teenager goes off to college and we can keep the lounge as a lounge full time.

The Hobby750 is fantastic.

I've spoken to lots of people over the last few months who have changed vans several times in a few years as they found they didnt quite like certain things. I can honestly say there is NOTHING I would change about Cheryl. It really is an outstanding vehicle...as long as you've got a drive long enough for her big bottom!


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> I fitted a small microwave beneath the curved stacked shelf on the kitchen surface and now of course my wife says it's cut down on kitchen surface space???
> Ray.


We've been having huge discussions about microwaves. I'd like to get one. My OH isnt that bothered and likes cooking in Cheryl.

My folks have the same van and my mum is fabulous cook too.

BOTH of them prefer the workspace over the speed of a microwave.

As I was told - we're on holiday, whats the rush 

I like creature comforts. But women tend to be a lot more practical.


----------



## david-david

And so it continues....

I've been looking at this little button on the dashboard and suspected I had air con but when I pressed it, nothing happended apart from a clicking noise.

So I got a mobile air con guy to come round today (£35 call out or £50 if it just needs re-gassing) He seemed to think I had air con.

And guess what...I have air con 

And it works 

And now it's really chilly 

It just needed re-gassing. The system is tip top and in great shape. He told me the gas just needs replacing every few years as it leaks away naturally.

As a side note,

I am still amazed at the amount of little things I'm finding that need very minor attention to bring them back to perfect when I'm looking at previous bills for £3,000 for a sattellite system. £1,500 for a Cat 1 alarm. Uprated (and updated) sofas in excess of £1,000...

Theres also DVD players and Sky box system installations and all sorts of stuff costing several hundreds of pounds!

This is what I'm thinking looking at the dates of reciepts - 

Mrs R. bought Cheryl second hand or most likely as an ex demo.

Mrs R. spent a considerable sum of money making Cheryl pretty much perfect with her list of after market added extras - air con, satellite system, Cat 1 Thatcham Alarm, Sky box system, TV aerial system, Large back rest sofa, Knee roll sofa, new fitted (colour matching) carpets throughout, reversing camera, DVD system, Quad radio sytem, solar panel, extra leisure batteries, etc etc...we're still finding stuff! 

Mrs R. obviously loved Cheryl.

I'm hoping she's reading this and she's still motorhoming. She passed on an amazing vehicle to me and my family and we're bringing her back to her former glory with a bit of TLC and a few pounds.

After Mrs R. it came into the hands of a couple of people who had no idea what they had.

Nothing further was spent on maintence or upkeep. Just basic things to pass the MOT (tyers, brakes, light bulbs) and the odd service.

Then she came to my family......

We cant stop spending money on her!

We love Cheryl 

A full service the day after she was bought, New timing chain in the first week, Replaced all bulbs for LED's. Repaired that silly broken awning arm. Replaced that leaking kitchen tap. Repaired that leaky kitchen window. Flushed out the roof gutters...etc etc etc...

In the grand scheme of things - pretty much nothing to moan about. Just things we wanted to do or were due anyway. 

Between Hobby and Mrs R. they created a pretty special vehicle  

We always talk about Mrs R. and the van she created when we talk about things we want to do. I know it's ours but she gave us this van. 

And it's still amazing 

If you see us around, feel free to knock on the door and say hello  

We'll be at the Steam Rally and its my goal to turn up with the best looking van


----------



## david-david

And thats us 



See you at the Steam Rally!


----------



## makems

I would question why you would want loads of solar and then spend £3k on a Genny?
We have just under 400w of solar and even on dull, rainy days we are fully charged by lunchtime. 
Solar is a lot cheaper and much more socially acceptable. Most people that I know who have both find they never need to use their Genny.
My advice would be to install the solar and then see if you actually need a Genny before splashing out a load of money on it.


----------



## david-david

A week in Wales in January even with solar and we were just about on the limit. From what I've read, that situation won't change with more panels.

or am I wrong?


----------



## Kev1

Great pics and a fabulous vehicle
We love ours


----------



## jncrowe

*A handy man ??*

Which steam rally ??
I have just spent an entire evening reading your posts / blog Your wife is very lucky to have such a useful OH 
We want to get our vans cushions redone as the bed when made up is not comfy at all 
Thanks for all the posts and pics 
All the very best 
Cath


----------



## makems

david-david said:


> A week in Wales in January even with solar and we were just about on the limit. From what I've read, that situation won't change with more panels.
> 
> or am I wrong?


Depends on how many batteries and their condition. If the batteries are goosed then it's like having a hole in the bucket. The Solars put the juice in but if the batteries can't hold their charge the juice is just leaking away. 
Also depends on how much electricity you use! In winter the lights are on longer (you do have LEDs?) the TV can use quite a bit if it's on for hours and the heating system depending on which type can use a lot of juice too. And don't forget that running a couple of laptops from an inverter will use a fair bit too. 
We have 380w of solar and 2x 110AH batteries. Even on a cold wet rainy day our batteries are fully charged by 2pm. However we are fairly frugal with our usage but if I found we were starting to flatten the batteries I would just add another battery. 
A generator would be the absolute last resort because of the weight, the running cost and the fact that they are somewhat antisocial.


----------



## david-david

*Re: A handy man ??*



jncrowe said:


> Which steam rally ??
> I have just spent an entire evening reading your posts / blog Your wife is very lucky to have such a useful OH
> We want to get our vans cushions redone as the bed when made up is not comfy at all
> Thanks for all the posts and pics
> All the very best
> Cath


Hi Cath,

The Shabbington steam rally. Its on MHF in the rallies section.


----------



## david-david

Had a lovely summer using the motorhome but noticed the electric situation was getting more bothersome. And heres why...

I knew I had two Numax 110ah leisure batteries under the lounge seat. I didnt realise I had the original (14 year old!) 80ah lesuire battery under the drivers chair. I thought it had been changed or removed when the two Numax were fitted.

I am now the proud owner of two 250ah Banner leisure batteries. 

They're still sat on my drive at the moment as I need help getting them into position as they weigh nearly 8 stone each. 

Over-killl? Maybe, maybe not. I like belt and braces and Cheryl can handle the weight and I like electric.

This will do away with getting a generator which saves around £500 as well as carrying petrol in cans, noise pollution, fire hazards etc etc..

I should be totally self contained on solar now.

My dad says my solar panel doesnt need changing or uprating, its fine and in good order. I just need to update/uprate to the MPPT controller.. which I'm going to do when the batteries are installed.

Due to a very fortunate turn of events, Cheryl will be getting her underslung gas tank (housed in a steel cage, not straps!) in the very near future so she will have lots of gas! And I will have an extra storage cupboard


----------



## david-david

makems said:


> david-david said:
> 
> 
> 
> A week in Wales in January even with solar and we were just about on the limit. From what I've read, that situation won't change with more panels.
> 
> or am I wrong?
> 
> 
> 
> Depends on how many batteries and their condition. If the batteries are goosed then it's like having a hole in the bucket. The Solars put the juice in but if the batteries can't hold their charge the juice is just leaking away.
> Also depends on how much electricity you use! In winter the lights are on longer (you do have LEDs?) the TV can use quite a bit if it's on for hours and the heating system depending on which type can use a lot of juice too. And don't forget that running a couple of laptops from an inverter will use a fair bit too.
> We have 380w of solar and 2x 110AH batteries. Even on a cold wet rainy day our batteries are fully charged by 2pm. However we are fairly frugal with our usage but if I found we were starting to flatten the batteries I would just add another battery.
> A generator would be the absolute last resort because of the weight, the running cost and the fact that they are somewhat antisocial.
Click to expand...

makems,

You were right! we had a goosed 14 year old 80ah battery that must have been pulling everything away from our two 110 Numax, and they were over five years old too!

I have great faith in our two new Banner 250ah....


----------



## alexblack13

That ... Is the mutts nuts!

Love it.

ab 8)


----------



## david-david

That was a tight fit!

I did some very very accurate measuring first. They're on charge and all seems well, so I'll have to wait and see what how they perform.


----------



## david-david

And..

Thanks to Scottie I now have a Cadac free of charge!..my folks bought it for us 

Fitted a new DAB radio - after fitting a new aerial to the FM radio it was still proving poor on reception. New DAB radio is fantastic!

DAB radio - also comes fitted with a USB charging point/uploading point should you wish to listen to music off another device and a CD player (which I prefer!)

USB point - a neat little USB point fitted under the table to charge things without trailing wires everywhere. Very neat and unobtrusive.

Memory foam mattress - cant remember if I updated about this? I fitted a new memory foam mattress. I cant believe I spent so long on an ordinary mattress 

Bed support removed - the Hobby has a central support leg which sits in the middle of the garage to support the bed. It takes up space and makes it very hard to get things around it. With my dad's help, made a new metal support that runs the length of the bed thus removing the leg and freeing up space in the garage.

New double reversing camera - camera is amazing. It makes life so much easier. I was surprised how much I use it and rely on it now.

Think I'm getting towards the end of my wish list now....but keep looking at the bigger fridge


----------



## raynipper

Hi David.D
I have just replaced my ageing leisure batteries with two 150 a/h gel back-up batteries last week as one was failing. Yes they were heavy and yes they fitted in under the sofa really well.

But then I found out they just won't power the microwave via the inverter as their internal resistance limits their output to 20 or 30 amps.
Great for general 240 stiff like TV and Sky box but can't handle the 100 amps to the inverter.
Luckily the seller has refunded me and I am about to buy two Varta Silver Dynamic 110 a/h batts. Not quite the reserve you have but adequate and hopefully will power the inverted and microwave.

My wife is still banging on about your decor.!!
I know what you mean about the fridge but it copes. My one big gripe is the shower curtain. Damn thing has a mind of it's own when the hot water arrives.

Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> Hi David.D
> I have just replaced my ageing leisure batteries with two 150 a/h gel back-up batteries last week as one was failing. Yes they were heavy and yes they fitted in under the sofa really well.
> 
> But then I found out they just won't power the microwave via the inverter as their internal resistance limits their output to 20 or 30 amps.
> Great for general 240 stiff like TV and Sky box but can't handle the 100 amps to the inverter.
> Luckily the seller has refunded me and I am about to buy two Varta Silver Dynamic 110 a/h batts. Not quite the reserve you have but adequate and hopefully will power the inverted and microwave.
> 
> My wife is still banging on about your decor.!!
> I know what you mean about the fridge but it copes. My one big gripe is the shower curtain. Damn thing has a mind of it's own when the hot water arrives.
> 
> Ray.


Hi Ray,

Yes, I spoke to the guys in Rochdale who I bought the batteries from and they explained very clearly the discharging capabilities of the Banner range. They actually knew what 'wild camping' meant so I was very happy if a bit surprised. Cant remember the firm off the tgop off my head but they were really knowlegable and I would reccommend them....I'll post up the supplier when I find the bill.

It was explained these batteries have very little 'cranking amps' but massive 'slow draw' 12v amps.

I dont use a microwave/hairdryer or any other intensive power drains. I need long slow 12 volts that will last for days (if not weeks!). The Banner range seem to fit the bill. We shall see.

As for the shower curtain - I can honestly say I havent had a problem. The shower works well and the curtain works for me. It doesn't stick to me or interfere with showering. I'm 6 feet tall and 18 stone so if anything was going to stick I imagine I'd get it!

Maybe your rail needs re-positioning?

My phone was on its last bit of power but once its charged I'll post more pics of my updates.

Dave.


----------



## aldra

Thank goodness you live in Manchester

I'm compiling a list

You can come and tinker any time you want :lol:  

Aldra


----------



## aldra

pS

You might just to come and meet us  

Im happy to cook 

And more than happy to meet MHF members

Every one we have met

Has been so very special 

I hope lifetime friends

Aldra


----------



## david-david

URL=http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/loftlettings/media/20141008_155416_zpsa5p4tlxj.jpg.html]







[/URL] few new pics

1. Fabulous double reversing camera


----------



## david-david

The new camera. Bed support. USB point and DAB radio with usb charging point. .

Trying upload things via phone so not as tidy as I'd like but it worked!


----------



## david-david

aldra said:


> pS
> 
> You might just to come and meet us
> 
> Im happy to cook
> 
> And more than happy to meet MHF members
> 
> Every one we have met
> 
> Has been so very special
> 
> I hope lifetime friends
> 
> Aldra


Hi Aldra,

We're a bit busy a the moment but we'll be free in a couple of weeks so if you fancy meeting up we'd love to meet up. We mainly go to the seaside as the daft dog loves the sea 

Dave & Karen.


----------



## david-david

aldra said:


> pS
> 
> You might just to come and meet us
> 
> Im happy to cook
> 
> And more than happy to meet MHF members
> 
> Every one we have met
> 
> Has been so very special
> 
> I hope lifetime friends
> 
> Aldra


Hi Aldra,

We're a bit busy a the moment but we'll be free in a couple of weeks so if you fancy meeting up we'd love to meet up. We mainly go to the seaside as the daft dog loves the sea 

Dave & Karen.


----------



## aldra

Albert can't drive the motorhome at the moment because of the staples in his arm due to a deep reoccurrence

Can't ride his bike either which bothers him more as he likes to cycle10 miles min a day

All in the fight against melanoma 

But if your free to come and enjoy a meal, meet the hound from hell, maybe later we could enjoy a trip to the seaside in our respective MH

Although I'm less than happy about the sand and salt in the hounds long coat 8O 8O 
The last trip to Wales left him scratching for days :lol: 

Clean rivers and lakes are my preference :lol: 

Aldra


----------



## david-david

Cheryl is booked in to get the underslung gas tank.

The MPPT controller is on its way.

I've ordered a couple of surface mounted USB points because I can't get behind the panels by the bed, so I'll surface mount them discretely.

And the biggy!!!...
I ordered the back box. A great big metal outside locker that will sit on the metal rail that was installed to carry a scooter.

I'm going to remove the satellite dish and controllers and bung them up on eBay.

I might think about some sort of aircon unit in the future. 

I think thats it. I can't think of anything else I want or need.

Cheryl is pretty much perfect and self contained now.

Or...maybe I'll sell her and do it all again  

OH doesnt like that idea one bit  I've got to stop tinkering and start enjoying.


----------



## raynipper

The thing about tinkering David is you learn about the beast and any problems on the road and you are familiar with the 'mechanics'.

I have now replaced my old leisure batteries with two new Varta Silver 110. plus another existing almost new 110 leisure. They look quite tidy under the settee with the inverter now. They also now can power the microwave.

But my next job of replacing the old but not defunct engine battery with a Varta Silver 100 amp is not going so well.
The battery tray is rusty and the bolts holding the battery clamps are just turning the captive nuts. As the battery tray is so bad I'm wondering if it's a replaceable item?

Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> The thing about tinkering David is you learn about the beast and any problems on the road and you are familiar with the 'mechanics'.
> 
> I have now replaced my old leisure batteries with two new Varta Silver 110. plus another existing almost new 110 leisure. They look quite tidy under the settee with the inverter now. They also now can power the microwave.
> 
> But my next job of replacing the old but not defunct engine battery with a Varta Silver 100 amp is not going so well.
> The battery tray is rusty and the bolts holding the battery clamps are just turning the captive nuts. As the battery tray is so bad I'm wondering if it's a replaceable item?
> 
> Ray.


Hi Ray,

Funny you should mention rust. I was talking g to my dad yesterday and he's got a £400 welding bill. The front cab area sills, inner wings and something else were rotten. Its a common problem on the Fiat Ducato.

I have a rusty battery tray too. Ive had a stab with a screwdriver on some panels and everything seems ok but I'm raking it in to get checked and the front cab area waxoiled.

You might want to have a look at the metal under the front end just in case.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> The thing about tinkering David is you learn about the beast and any problems on the road and you are familiar with the 'mechanics'.
> 
> I have now replaced my old leisure batteries with two new Varta Silver 110. plus another existing almost new 110 leisure. They look quite tidy under the settee with the inverter now. They also now can power the microwave.
> 
> But my next job of replacing the old but not defunct engine battery with a Varta Silver 100 amp is not going so well.
> The battery tray is rusty and the bolts holding the battery clamps are just turning the captive nuts. As the battery tray is so bad I'm wondering if it's a replaceable item?
> 
> Ray.


Hi Ray,

Funny you should mention rust. I was talking g to my dad yesterday and he's got a £400 welding bill. The front cab area sills, inner wings and something else were rotten. Its a common problem on the Fiat Ducato.

I have a rusty battery tray too. Ive had a stab with a screwdriver on some panels and everything seems ok but I'm raking it in to get checked and the front cab area waxoiled.

You might want to have a look at the metal under the front end just in case.


----------



## raynipper

As my van was owned originally by a man with terminal cancer, he parked it near the sea on the east coast until he died.
Sadly the van has some surface chassis rust and corrosion near some of the body joints.

My MOT man (Control Technique) pointed out my front cross meber was severely rusty and suggested I replace it. This was easier than I imagined after I bought an almost new one for €50 at a breakers. Ray.


----------



## raynipper

But back to the house batteries ............................... Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> But back to the house batteries ............................... Ray.


Thats a very nice battery set up Ray 

I do like a nice neat, tidy, well thought out bit of work. I bet some companies wouldnt have put as much thought and effort as you to get that result. You should be rightly proud of that job. I'm jealous!

My inverter was in the same position as yours (under lounge sofa) but it was such a kerfuffle to move back rests and lift up seat while OH leant under it to switch it on, then after you'd finished with it (maybe after watching a film a with a nice bottle of something) we'd have to go through the whole performance again. It got to be such a chore we stopped unsing it unless we really needed it. So I moved the inverter to the bottom shelf of the curved unit to make it easier to use.

Do you have to lift up the sofa to turn on the inverter or do you have another point to turn it on and off?

Shower curtain - just a thought....

I'm sure I've read somewhere people sew little plastic coated weights onto the bottom of their shower curtains. This makes them hang and not grab your naked flesh!!

No idea what weights or where to get them but it sounds sensible....Just wish I could remeber where I read it!


----------



## Spacerunner

Try a curtain/soft furnishings shop.
The weight are used to make window curtains drape well.
They are in the form of a series of tiny lead weights enclosed in a fabric tube.


----------



## Grizzly

david-david said:


> [
> 
> Shower curtain - just a thought....
> 
> I'm sure I've read somewhere people sew little plastic coated weights onto the bottom of their shower curtains. This makes them hang and not grab your naked flesh!!
> 
> !


Another way to stop the static that makes shower curtains cling is to buy one of the fabric type curtains and rinse it through a bucket of water with a good dollop of fabric softener added. You might be able to get the same effect by buying a packet of paper fabric softener sheets and wiping your plastic curtain with them.

G

Edit to add: this type of sheet:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=253987588


----------



## rosalan

I have external silver screens, which when the wind blows, rise up and flap against the windows. I did not know until Alan and Sue pointed out to me, that some screens come complete with magnets. I bought some extra powerful magnets (yes there are such things) off Ebay and sewed them into a little bag which is attached to my side screen on the two front doors. The magnets do no harm to the van but hold down the screen in the strongest wind.

Alan


----------



## Grizzly

rosalan said:


> ....and sewed them into a little bag ....
> 
> Alan


That is a stroke of genius ! Lateral thinking at its best.

Thanks; you've solved a problem for me !

G


----------



## raynipper

Hello again David.
Luckily my inverter has a remote switch mounted just beside one of the inverter powered outlets (we have four) as in the pic alongside the water heater electric switch.

My shower curtain has very low weights already along it's lower edge and thanks G but I did try the fabric softener but it only lasted a few days.

Ray.


----------



## Grizzly

raynipper said:


> My shower curtain has very low weights already along it's lower edge and thanks G but I did try the fabric softener but it only lasted a few days.
> 
> Ray.


Is there nowhere at all that you could fit a set of polycarbonate shower doors to replace the curtain ? Looking at ours they would not be that difficult to custom make a set from sheet and plastic edging. Failing that a let-down plastic-slatted venetian blind cut to size and attached above the shower.

G


----------



## raynipper

I keep looking at other vans with shower bi-fold doors with envy G.
I can't think it's possible on my van as the shower is also the loo.
The end with the loo has various plastic cupboards and the other end is the wooden door.
Either way without the curtian something will suffer and degrade being constantly deluged in water.

It's something I just have to live with and enjoy festering...... :roll: 

Ray.


----------



## david-david

Ray, I'm thinking out of the box here so bear with me!

OK, this is what I'm thinking...

Small magnet/metal weights sewed into bottom of shower curtain.

A long magnet housed in a plastic case, something like an intumescent strip - http://www.screwfix.com/p/intumesce... Ironmongery&gclid=CM7Kx-vWp8ECFesBwwoduE4Arw

That isnt magnetic, but you get the idea! - a long magnet in a plastic shell.

Or alternatively, how about running another rail along the bottom so when you draw the curtain its held securely top and bottom?

I havent looked very deeply into any of this, but I know theres a very simple answer somewhere and I bet theres off-the shelf stuff you can utilise.


----------



## david-david

An added thought!...

If you sew small magnetic weights into the shower curtain you only need a metal strip (stainless/galvinised metal) for the weights to catch at the bottom.

Ooohhh, you've got me thinking now!


----------



## raynipper

Thanks for the thoughts David.
I do feel that just slightly more weighty bits along the bottom of the curtain will solve the problem. 
As and when this niggle rises to the top of the "ToDo" list it will get attended to. I already have some old fridge door magnets in a drawer in readiness to get cut up and sewn into the hem.

But as we don't use the van as much as we should. The problem only rears it's head about twice a year. Next year with the planned trip to Turkey it could become important or at least more pressing.

We have been spoilt with large luxury RVs. And everything is somewhat of a compromise in Euro vans that have to be adapted to.
Our van has had more maintenance and attention this year than the past 6 years. 
I keep wondering after every expenditure how much more on such an old van. Especially when my wife sees something younger and more expensive. But I like the old van and it fits our budget even with it's compromises.

Ray.


----------



## Penquin

Just a thought before you all rush off for magnets and stainless strips.....

AFAIK stainless steel is NOT always magnetic....

it depends upon the composition, structure and how it has been worked....

If you want more details before deciding, a basic stainless steel has a 'ferritic' structure and is magnetic. These are formed from the addition of chromium and can be hardened through the addition of carbon (making them 'martensitic') and are often used in cutlery.

However, the most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. *It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic. *

So the answer is yes and no, the magnetic properties of stainless steel are very dependent on the elements added into the alloy, and specifically the addition of nickel can change the structure from magnetic to non-magnetic.

GCSE chemistry strikes again......

Dave


----------



## raynipper

Thanks Dave for the info.
But my use of the fridge magnet strip was purely for weight and not any magnetic benefit. 
It's easily cut, flexible and apparently impervious to moisture. I guess I could always use small lead weights but not being a fisherman, don't have any.

Ray.


----------



## Mathew1

*Job Well Done*

The feeling of fixing the things on your own is superb. Good to hear there are more people like me, who likes to fix things on there own. Also a big cheers to your better half far her sewning skills. 

The DIY feeling is something different. The rush to find things on own. To fim them on own and make it wrk and when it makes the sweet sound, the feeling is awesome.


----------



## nicholsong

I am interested in why this shower curtain can be a problem - it is not for us.

We have a cutain where the diameter of the rail is 28cm across and the nearest point of the curtain to the shower head is 26cm.

Are the dimensions for those with the problem signifigantly smaller.

Another difference may be that our curtain trails on the floor and is therefore more or less held in place in the water in the tray.

Another thought is the curtain material or its treatment with anti-static spray - although after 11 years I am sure a spray would have lost its properties.

As I said we have no problems, but I am interested for when I look at other MHs, because I doubt that one could be allowed to test the shower before buyig :roll: :lol: 

Maybe I am just not attractive enough for shower curtains - but that could not apply to Basia

Geoff


----------



## raynipper

Hi Geoff.
Not sure about your dimensions. Mine are about 60cm across the shower and 100 cm fore and aft.
Good point about your curtain sitting in the tray and probably the water soaking and weighting the curtain down.

Mine is a few cms above the shower tray and will hang straight down with no problem all the while cold water is being sprayed. But as soon as the water hots up you can see the curtain heading inwards. 
I tried this standing outside the shower and the same thing happened. So it's not my 'magnetism'.....  

Ray.


----------



## nicholsong

Ray

Your magnetism is not in doubt but +ve or -ve?

On dimensins - My squint must have been reading inches - so about 70cm diameter.

However if you only have a problem with hoy water it is starting to sound like the heat is producing an upward thermal current in the 'tube' formed by the curtain and sucking in the curtain.

Maybe N+B knew that when they fitted the longer curtain.

Geoff


----------



## raynipper

Yes Geoff.
I would tend to go along with all that.
It's a small gripe in the general scheem of things. But I still hanker after RV showers like this...........


----------



## david-david

After fitting new massive Banner LB's we took Cheryl away for a couple of days (and one night)

The batteries were on EHU for 4 days before we went away so I presume fully charged (as indicated on zig board)

We were still very cautious but I thought we'd better use this system as we intend so started by charging phones via new USB points. Then set up the telly in the evening and turned on several LED lights. The Fox display indicated we were at 13.9 then 2 minutes later, 13.8, then 2 minutes later 13.7....oh dear! we're using power FAST!... Why?

After another look, I see we're using a 3000 watt invertor to run an 800watt telly. I quickly changed the invertor to a 1900 watt invertor.

Then everything seemed to stabilise at 12.5

We left the telly running until 2am. Fell asleep and didnt bother turning anything off with a phone still on charge. Checked this morning and its still showing 12.5

We made 4 pieces of toast using the toaster (on 3000 watt invertor) which we have NEVER been able to do. and its holding steady at 12.5

Within an hour of the sun coming up we're back up to 13.4

The batteries seemed to perform perfectly. Not a single warning beep and fully charged within an hour of the sun coming up.

I think we have lots of power


----------



## rayc

> david-david said:
> 
> 
> 
> After another look, I see we're using a 3000 watt invertor to run an 800watt telly. I quickly changed the invertor to a 1900 watt invertor.
> 
> 
> 
> Would that make much difference to the current being drawn from the batteries? it's an 800w load so is there any difference in the quiescent current the inverters use for their operation?
Click to expand...


----------



## david-david

rayc said:


> david-david said:
> 
> 
> 
> After another look, I see we're using a 3000 watt invertor to run an 800watt telly. I quickly changed the invertor to a 1900 watt invertor.
> 
> 
> 
> Would that make much difference to the current being drawn from the batteries? it's an 800w load so is there any difference in the quiescent current the inverters use for their operation?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Ray, I have no idea!
> 
> I do know large invertors draw lots of power just to maintain themselves.
> 
> I have a Fox D1 that monitors the battery useage alongside the the zig board.
> 
> I dont know whether we naturally dip down to 12.5 then everything steadies out or whether I'm doing something wrong?
> 
> The Fox D1 and zig board both dipped down to 12.5 quite quickly (within 30 minutes) then when I changed to inverotr everything steadied out at 12.5 and never moved no matter how much electric I used...and I tried to use lots!
Click to expand...


----------



## rayc

> david-david said:
> 
> 
> 
> I dont know whether we naturally dip down to 12.5 then everything steadies out or whether I'm doing something wrong?
> 
> 
> 
> I doubt anything wrong. 12.6v is fully charged so the 13.8v that you had initially was a bit of charge voltage that was rapidly dissipated.
Click to expand...


----------



## david-david

Just another little update -

Fitted a roll of LED cool white lights. They seem incredibly bright in the pictures. I dont think they're that bright in real life.

The roll of waterproof LED fits perfectly in a channel on the underside of the awning so its protected from the elements and does'nt interfere with the winding out of the awning.

Its on a seperate switch so can be turned on and off without triggering the sensor on the door hab light.


----------



## nicholsong

david-david said:


> Just another little update -
> 
> Fitted a roll of LED cool white lights. [/quote
> 
> Why?
> 
> Geoff


----------



## david-david

nicholsong said:


> david-david said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just another little update -
> 
> Fitted a roll of LED cool white lights. [/quote
> 
> Why?
> 
> Geoff
> 
> 
> 
> We were sat at a show with my folks and we had the awnings out. It was a lovely evening and we were eating outside. It got dark and we couldnt see a thing!
> 
> Even on a summers evening its nice to have a bit of light.
Click to expand...


----------



## hogan

How did you get the feed wire inside ?thinking of doing this mod myself.


----------



## JackieP

I've just read this whole thread through and have thoroughly enjoyed every post. It's so inspiring reading about others' work on their vans. We're in the middle of doing all that you have done only in a very low key low budget kind of way. What a smashing job you've done with that Hobby David - it's a credit to you.

With regard to the weighing down of the shower curtain. I've just made some and used this from Amazon. It's worked very well but it was a little too heavy to use the whole way around so i cut it into small pieces. If I was doing it again I'd choose a lighter weight. 28 grams would have been better.

I've tried to post a link but if it doesn't work, search on Amazon using the text below.

100g 1 Metre Curtain Lining Lead Weight Fabric Hem Tape

Weighted string


----------



## david-david

hogan said:


> How did you get the feed wire inside ?thinking of doing this mod myself.


I already had a small external light so had the power already rigged up.


----------



## david-david

Just a little update...

The van is amazing!

The big gas tank works a treat. The Banner batteries give us more power than we know what to do with!

Never quite understood what a "winterised" van was all about until now. Yep, its warm and cosy and holds the heat really well even in this horrible weather. Its a pleasure to be in even in the depths of winter!

Slight problem with the fridge not working on hook up but works fine on gas. I think I need a new part which I will order this week. Hopefully fifty quid and it will work. I'll fit it myself, of course!

It sailed through its MOT last week. No advisories. No problems.

This first year of motorhoming has been fantastic.

We've had it out most weekends come rain or shine. We love it. The dog loves it. The little person still doesn't like it but that's OK...she's got a boyfriend now and she's all loved up and wants to spend time with him and doesn't want to be spending time with us "old folks"......we're still in our forties. That isn't "old" is it????

We've met some lovely people over the last year. That's probably been one of the best things so far. We've parked up for the night and ended up chatting to some really nice people. Motorhomers really are a nice bunch of people.


----------



## raynipper

Glad to hear the continuing good news David.

Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> Hi Geoff.
> Not sure about your dimensions. Mine are about 60cm across the shower and 100 cm fore and aft.
> Good point about your curtain sitting in the tray and probably the water soaking and weighting the curtain down.
> 
> Mine is a few cms above the shower tray and will hang straight down with no problem all the while cold water is being sprayed. But as soon as the water hots up you can see the curtain heading inwards.
> I tried this standing outside the shower and the same thing happened. So it's not my 'magnetism'.....
> 
> Ray.


Ray,

I was tinkering around in the shower and picked up the shower curtain to put it to one side side and guess what I found...Somebody had already stitched some of those weighted plastic beads in to the bottom of the shower curtain. They work really well and are unobtrusive. I've had the van over a year and never noticed them! And the curtain never sticks to me.

...And the Big One (and the most annoying for me)

After sitting looking at this huge, expensive, beautiful, satellite dish for a year, I finally decided to to have a proper look at it and invest some time to research how and why satellite dishes work and how and why they go wrong.

Oyster have a good reputation and the system did seem to work. It went up, it swivelled around, you could manually control it, it did everything it should apart from show me sky telly or a signal.

After much research I came to two conclusions,

1. Cable fault
2. LNB fault

1. I checked the cable by wrapping the outer sheath around the inner core cable at the control end (after disconnecting) then got on the roof and put a multimeter on the cable and outer sheath. It pinged! The cable is sound.

2. I ordered an LNB. A very quick and easy job to change involving 2 screws.

I fired up the dish and hey presto! I have a signal 

A bit of fine tuning was required as I'm working with the old Oyster box (map of Europe) that cannot be updated, thanks to Oyster Tech it was very easy -

1. Auto search Astra1
2. Dish Locks on to Astra1
3. Go into manual control
4. Two clicks down in manual control
5. Seven clicks left in manual control

Telly fires up!

Fixed.

Total cost - £13

£8.99 Universal LNB
£3.99 self amalgamating tape (waterproof tape - seal cable at LNB)

This is a huge pat on the back for me. I had no idea how satellites work. It might as well have been wizards and magnets that made Sky appear on my telly!

So I now have a £3,500 satellite system (3k cost + £500 fitting as shown on bills) working for £13.00







I am so chuffed I want to buy a bottle of champagne 

We don't even watch that much telly, but when you're sat there looking at something so expensive asking yourself "why doesn't it work, it should work!" then finding the solution is so rewarding. I know a proper engineer would have located it in minutes but that's not the point. Its my van and* I did it*


----------



## david-david

....And a lot of help and encouragement from Gaspode


----------



## HermanHymer

I'm exhausted!!!


----------



## raynipper

Again, well done David.
I am happy to keep using my portable sat system bought and acquired at total cost €15.99.
I find it more flexible when surrounded by trees or buildings and keeps me busy and out the way when dinner is being prepared.
My Sky box like yours is 240v. but the tele is 12v. I do carry another 12v. sat tuner for as and when we lose the Sky signals outside their footprint.
Plus of course a multitude of cables and adaptors.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

Phew I need a rest now after reading all that, you'e have done really well on a self build > >


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> Again, well done David.
> I am happy to keep using my portable sat system bought and acquired at total cost €15.99.
> I find it more flexible when surrounded by trees or buildings and keeps me busy and out the way when dinner is being prepared.
> My Sky box like yours is 240v. but the tele is 12v. I do carry another 12v. sat tuner for as and when we lose the Sky signals outside their footprint.
> Plus of course a multitude of cables and adaptors.
> 
> Ray.


Where do you put your Sky box?

I've put the telly on a swivel arm so we can watch it in bed or in the lounge but the problem I've just noticed is, if I swivel the telly into the bed area the Sky box will also need to be turned around otherwise the remote control wont change channels.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

david-david said:


> Where do you put your Sky box?
> 
> I've put the telly on a swivel arm so we can watch it in bed or in the lounge but the problem I've just noticed is, if I swivel the telly into the bed area the Sky box will also need to be turned around otherwise the remote control wont change channels.


*I have the dual version, one goes on the PVR, the other on my Sumvision Cyclone 2*

Simply use your remote to see where it lights up the box, then place the sticker over it.

Another Techno100 tip.


----------



## raynipper

My tele is an old CRT one and swivels 180* on the orginal slide out.
The Sky box I think is a Grundig and is the exact size to slide into the small cabinet over the foot of the bed. This allows cables like power and scart to pass through wardrobe.
As long as the cabinet door is open the Sky remote works from a 45* angle.

Ray.


----------



## raynipper

Like this.
Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> My tele is an old CRT one and swivels 180* on the orginal slide out.
> The Sky box I think is a Grundig and is the exact size to slide into the small cabinet over the foot of the bed. This allows cables like power and scart to pass through wardrobe.
> As long as the cabinet door is open the Sky remote works from a 45* angle.
> 
> Ray.





Kev_n_Liz said:


> *I have the dual version, one goes on the PVR, the other on my Sumvision Cyclone 2*
> 
> Simply use your remote to see where it lights up the box, then place the sticker over it.
> 
> Another Techno100 tip.


Brilliant! thanks guys,

I've been thinking about all sorts of crazy places for it. I'm going to try the cupboard and see if it'll catch a signal from the bed and lounge. This would be perfect to run all cables unobtrusively like you did.


----------



## david-david

And another couple of updates -

I bought an EcoFlow shower head as they claim it uses 50% less water than a standard shower head. I checked this with my old shower head (ran for 1 minute in a bucket) and it does indeed use almost half of what the standard head uses. But the neck of the Ecoflow isn't compatible with the roof mounted shower holder. So I bought a nice chrome adjustable rail off eBay for a tenner. Best part is my OH can now adjust the shower fully so she doesn't get hair wet.

Hose end is a standard fitting so you can just remove old pipe and attach new shiny pipe.


----------



## david-david

LED strips in kitchen.

We always found the kitchen very dark in the evening which made it difficult to see what you were cooking and it felt very gloomy in that area.

I put LED strip under the cupboards and across the bedroom privacy door area. They work really well and are independently controlled so you can choose ordinary lights, ordinary and some LED or everything.

They not as bright as the pictures seem.


----------



## david-david

And re-tensioned and cleaned the roof lights. Horrible droopy netting is now nice and taught....and clean!


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

david-david said:


> Brilliant! thanks guys,
> 
> I've been thinking about all sorts of crazy places for it. I'm going to try the cupboard and see if it'll catch a signal from the bed and lounge. This would be perfect to run all cables unobtrusively like you did.


The PVR is on top of the fridge in it's own enclosure, but invisible from where we watch TV, I did have it in a cupboard, but it was a bad use of the space, the Sumvision is inside a closed cupboard, but if the remote cable/lead jobby is long enough they can literally be anywhere even under the bed, think about cooling though, and dust getting in the appliances cooling fan.


----------



## raynipper

Ah well done again David.
My roof lights are drab and one has the catch missing. But like so many things, I only think about it when we go away and hid gazes up at it and tells me.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

raynipper said:


> Ah well done again David.
> My roof lights are drab and one has the catch missing. But like so many things, I only think about it when we go away and hid gazes up at it and tells me.
> 
> Ray.


What you need to do is come up with something to occupy her in bed, then she won't have time to gaze at the lighting arrangements, some one will think of somethign >


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> Ah well done again David.
> My roof lights are drab and one has the catch missing. But like so many things, I only think about it when we go away and hid gazes up at it and tells me.
> 
> Ray.


The missing catch - Try these guys (Hobby main dealer) http://www.hobbycaravansuk.co.uk/

Tel: 01773 853 900

I have two broken catches on the lounge blinds (red button type) I ordered two new catches from them for the princely sum of £3.00 each

Really nice guys and _VERY_ knowledgeable on our older vans and knew exactly what I was talking about. They can get parts for everything.

I placed the order and sent pics via email just to confirm they were the right ones, they called me back straight away and the order was despatched.

I've used them a few times now for odd things (door catches, rod catches etc) I couldn't find anywhere else and these guys come up trumps every time.

Cant recommend them highly enough.


----------



## david-david

Kev_n_Liz said:


> What you need to do is come up with something to occupy her in bed, then she won't have time to gaze at the lighting arrangements, some one will think of somethign >


Sky telly of course >


----------



## Matchlock

This is the first time I have read this thread, I now understand why I subscribe to Facts.
I do look in on Fun, OAL, Owners, and other sites and not forgetting FC but for all it's misgivings Facts gives me the banter and all the information I desire which I cannot get elsewhere.

Long live Facts!

Barry


----------



## raynipper

David. One of your pictures sprung to mind today while perusing a boot sale. The shower head support bar. I came across a white one looking all forlorn and unwanted so after much haggling picked it up for €0.50. 
Now of course I will have to find the time to securely attach it to the shower wall.
How do you get on with the curtain with this mod? Do you just draw the curtains up to the bar and hope?

Ray.


----------



## raynipper

Hi David.
Just an update on one of my 'woes'.
Tried calling the Hobby Caravan people you recomended to ask about the missing catch. Guess they were busy as no answer and I intended to call back later.
In the meantime I dismantled the kitchen vent as per your instructions and not only was there a disgusting amount of dirt and crap up there but the missing catch attached to the vanished fly screen.

It had obviously come off the guide rail and been allowed to vanish up inside the frame. Now although I have cleaned but not yet lubricated the guide channel as I don't want both the blind and fly screen to retract too easily.

Now I have bits spread all over the inside of the van and no vent covers on. The mechanic I have been waiting for 2 months to replace cam belt etc. Has just called and wants to come tomorrow. Innit amazing?

Ray.


----------



## david-david

raynipper said:


> David. One of your pictures sprung to mind today while perusing a boot sale. The shower head support bar. I came across a white one looking all forlorn and unwanted so after much haggling picked it up for €0.50.
> Now of course I will have to find the time to securely attach it to the shower wall.
> How do you get on with the curtain with this mod? Do you just draw the curtains up to the bar and hope?
> 
> Ray.


Hi Ray,

If you're mounting the shower rail on the same wall as mine and your rail covers the screws then it should be fine. The wall is covered in some sort of waterproof wallpaper material. Just give that wall and material a good check to make sure its sound and won't let water through to the wood panel beneath.

The shower curtain will pull around the left and right to meet at the shower rail.

You'll find the shower rail gives a lot more control than the roof fitting so its much easier to angle it where you want it and away from walls.

....And well done finding that fitting!


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

A dollop of sealant might not be a bad preventative measure.

I have a similar rail for mine, but it relies on two bolts going through the wall into the wardrobe, then grub screws holding the rail brackets to the bolts, I got it from Magnums, all Stainless and it makes a very good grab rail too.


----------



## raynipper

Yes Kev, understood but my query to David was about the gap in the shower curtain at the head support. Our vans still have the pull round curtain that sort of overlaps and keeps all water and splashes off the walls, cupboards and toilet.

Who knows, after all these jobs I might even get to use the van in the next couple of years.!!!!

Ray.


----------



## david-david

Kev_n_Liz said:


> A dollop of sealant might not be a bad preventative measure.
> 
> I have a similar rail for mine, but it relies on two bolts going through the wall into the wardrobe, then grub screws holding the rail brackets to the bolts, I got it from Magnums, all Stainless and it makes a very good grab rail too.


Thats a good point and I did consider a blob of silicone in the screw holes before fastening up but I went against it as the support fully covers the holes and it might tear the waterproof material if I ever want to remove it.



raynipper said:


> Yes Kev, understood but my query to David was about the gap in the shower curtain at the head support. Our vans still have the pull round curtain that sort of overlaps and keeps all water and splashes off the walls, cupboards and toilet.
> 
> Who knows, after all these jobs I might even get to use the van in the next couple of years.!!!!
> 
> Ray.


You'll find you have far more control on where to aim the spray and because the ecocamel has a longer neck it sprays directly down into the tray. With the old shower I tended to find no matter which point I angled the curtain everything would be wet after we'd both had a shower. Not soaking, but lots of condensation. Only way I could overcome this to a degree qas to leave window open and shower curtain open near window...Not great if people are walking past the van!

You've just reminded me - I'll do a video on resealing the tray/ttoilet/wall silicone joints so we have a nice water tight environment.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

raynipper said:


> Yes Kev, understood but my query to David was about the gap in the shower curtain at the head support. Our vans still have the pull round curtain that sort of overlaps and keeps all water and splashes off the walls, cupboards and toilet.
> 
> Who knows, after all these jobs I might even get to use the van in the next couple of years.!!!!
> 
> Ray.


Sorry Ray I wasn't responding to your post, but without actually seeing the layout I wouldn't hazard a guess, but do you have a place where you could move a rail to where it was less of a promlem.


----------



## david-david

....And back to my list of woes!

Went away for a few days and just happened to press the zig board on the last day to see how we were doing for fresh water. No water. Empty!

But we haven't used any. Well, hardly any. And I was expecting to show half a tank at least. Looked outside and no puddles and the tarmac was dry. I'm dumping water from somewhere.

It isn't that notorious dump valve as that has a nappy pin holding it up and the weather has been above 5 degrees.

Job for tomorrow after I get home from work is found out why I'm dumping water and where from.

And just to round off a lovely few days, I managed to clip the back corner when I was putting it back on the drive. So I now have a lovely scrape on the back corner.....Aaaarrgghhhh! Stupid and careless. No one to blame but me.....But I'm still trying to think how I can pin it on the OH or the dog for 'distracting' me


----------



## raynipper

Talking of water David.
My onboard tank is quite large under the settee but has no drain. OK you can allow the frost valve to drain the boiler but nothing comes out of the tank unless pumped.
Someone said there is a drain in the bottom when you unscrew the inspection hole. Yes there is but there is no drain and if opened it would just flow out across the floor on mine.

Mine also has minor scrapes at the rear that were there when I bought it.
But ironically today while waiting for the mobile mechanic to come and replace the cam belt, accessory belt, oil and filter. I backed our Golf out of the way and managed to scrape a small amount of paint from the front wing. Had to own up and take the stick.

Ray.


----------



## Kev1

Hi all
just caught up with this thread
Ray
Our onboard tank under the settee
To drain it I have to unscrew the big round hatch in the top Our water level sensor is on this.
(wise to seperate the cable plug to it to stop it twisting)
Thenwhen the hatch is off I have to reach in with my arm
and the Brass screw bung is situated towards the rear of the vehicle in the corner nearest to where I am kneeling to get at it all. (if that makes sense)
Unscrewing it allows water to flow out underneath the camper a small plastic tube goes through the floor.

Hope that helps
Kev


----------



## A14GAS

Hi all.
My water tank is also under the settee in my van and has a similar screw top which allows access to the inside of the tank.
Attached to the screw in cap is a cable which leads down to the bottom of the tank and a plug which is similar to a bath or sink plug.
When pulled out this drains the tank through a pipe under the van to allow for a full winter drain down.
When I refill the water system I have to check the plug as sometimes it leaks if not seated squarely in the outlet.
Alex.


----------



## david-david

A14GAS said:


> Hi all.
> My water tank is also under the settee in my van and has a similar screw top which allows access to the inside of the tank.
> Attached to the screw in cap is a cable which leads down to the bottom of the tank and a plug which is similar to a bath or sink plug.
> When pulled out this drains the tank through a pipe under the van to allow for a full winter drain down.
> When I refill the water system I have to check the plug as sometimes it leaks if not seated squarely in the outlet.
> Alex.


I found the big drain plug thanks to you and Kev1. That's going to be useful in the future if I have any problems. I had a good look under the van at the point it was draining.

Where my water was dripping from was not at that point. It was further towards the Truma heater and from a different tube. It wasn't pouring out, just dripping constantly.

It isn't dripping at the moment.

I think it might have been because I ran the water down then when I filled up the water tank I fired up the hot water that I had air in the system and it was venting?

I didn't bleed the kitchen/sink/shower. Maybe that was it?

I'm at a loss right now. Everything seems to be working and I'm holding water as normal. Nothing is dripping. Everything is working as normal. I've fired up the heating and water and everything is normal. No dripping.

Very odd!


----------



## david-david

My folks are back! Wahey! 

I like having them around. Someone to crack the whip over me to make sure I'm doing my job!

Anyway,

I've seen their van in the flesh. The paint job is bloomin' marvellous. I don't mean it's good for the money, it's a good job full stop.

They use their van a lot and it had the scars to prove it. Six months every year abroad in all sorts of conditions - Tight country roads in Ireland. Horrible roads in Morocco. Baking sun in Spain. Snow up in the mountains. It had it's fair share of digs and bangs and tree scrapes!

It looks like brand new. Nice clean lines around the white and blue paint. All that horrible aluminium rust gone. Crisp lines around the silver stripe. Crisp lines around the black borders. 

This is definitely a job I want doing in the future. My van isn't that bad and always looked better than theirs. Now their van looks better than mine!

They (very wisely) didn't get it cleaned in Morocco. They waited to until they were home so I could give it a proper clean and a proper coat of wax.

That's another video - don't go attacking your van with a yard brush!

I need to clean their van because I want my dad for a few days to help me put my amazing new back box on and help me sort out the rear lights and move up the cycle rack.


...Yep, even I need to call in the expert when it gets too technical!

Daaaaddd....help!!!!!!


----------



## A14GAS

Hi david-david.
If it is not the main cold water tank that is leaking maybe it is the thermal valve on your Truma water heater that is leaking, open and close it a few times and check it is seating properly,
Just a thought ,
Alex.


----------



## david-david

A14GAS said:


> Hi david-david.
> If it is not the main cold water tank that is leaking maybe it is the thermal valve on your Truma water heater that is leaking, open and close it a few times and check it is seating properly,
> Just a thought ,
> Alex.


Do you mean the dump valve? The little red button that releases if it gets too cold? I checked that and its not coming from that overflow. Its coming from an overflow directly underneath the boiler next to the gas inlet pipe for the boiler.

Its not dripping at the moment and didn't drip when I checked the boiler the other day.


----------



## A14GAS

Hi david-david, yes I did mean the dump valve,mine was a bit temperamental after I had uses it to drain water heater but seems ok now after a couple of opening and closings.
I am not sure of any other overflows except maybe the one at the top of the cold water tank
for when you over fill it.
Will look at mine and see if I can find any others.
Alex.


----------

