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Discussion
surveyor said:
On the electrics front if you were trying to boil with a modern domestic kettle you may simply have overloaded on the amp circuit. Low powered camping kettle or gas on the hob is the way to go...
Good luck. There is always something to do....
Agreed - you need something below 2kW. Most camp sites only give 6 - 10A supply: 1.2 - 2.5kW....Good luck. There is always something to do....
DOH! And another - o/s front tyre sprung a puncture. Thankfully ATS to the rescue. Two guys grappled with the very good looking, but ball-ache to remove, Euroliner trims and finally managed to get the trim and wheel off.
Turns out a thorn had made its way through the carcass and therefore causing a slow puncture. All repaired and all tyres nicely topped up. £22 lighter, but less than the cost of a new tyre. Although I will need a new set soon - current set look almost new but are in fact 2008 vintage.
ATS chap quoted me £600 fully fitted and old ones disposed of for Michelin Agilis Alpin's. Ok, so running winter tyres all year round might result in more wear, but at least safer during the winter. Will steel myself for a new set come September/October.
Have fitted LED bulbs throughout the van now, since if the 230v is irreparable tomorrow, then at least we'll be kind to our leisure batteries.
We'll see what tomorrow brings to the Hab side of things and Thursday with the turbo - although touch wood, no further issues since Saturday. Interestingly, this seems to happen after I've filled up with Premium Diesel!!
Turns out a thorn had made its way through the carcass and therefore causing a slow puncture. All repaired and all tyres nicely topped up. £22 lighter, but less than the cost of a new tyre. Although I will need a new set soon - current set look almost new but are in fact 2008 vintage.
ATS chap quoted me £600 fully fitted and old ones disposed of for Michelin Agilis Alpin's. Ok, so running winter tyres all year round might result in more wear, but at least safer during the winter. Will steel myself for a new set come September/October.
Have fitted LED bulbs throughout the van now, since if the 230v is irreparable tomorrow, then at least we'll be kind to our leisure batteries.
We'll see what tomorrow brings to the Hab side of things and Thursday with the turbo - although touch wood, no further issues since Saturday. Interestingly, this seems to happen after I've filled up with Premium Diesel!!
Thanks Livster.
Thanks Glen - problem is, I need 7 of the buggers! Well, six at least. Did manage to get ATS to quote under £500 for equivalent summer tyres. Decisions, decisions.
I run summers and winters on my BMWs but don't have the space (or patience) to run a second set for the motorhome, so hence considering going winters all year round on the motorhome.
Thanks Glen - problem is, I need 7 of the buggers! Well, six at least. Did manage to get ATS to quote under £500 for equivalent summer tyres. Decisions, decisions.
I run summers and winters on my BMWs but don't have the space (or patience) to run a second set for the motorhome, so hence considering going winters all year round on the motorhome.
GlenMH said:
chopper602 said:
In my experience outside screens are more effective than inside, especially when it's cold outside (winter use). Silver screens are the brand of choice . . .
Thanks!£299, not cheap, but next day delivery and seem well made and pack down nicely into their own little bag. Small enough I can pack them easily under the sofa. Top product so far.
Well, that was annoying. Just got the van back from M&G caravans in Royston (thoroughly nice people, BTW). Nothing obviously wrong with it, but checked all the sockets and connections and everything was working ok.
Got some time on my hands (can't go back home as we've got house viewings, trying to sell the house ATM) so head back to Hertford C&CC site. Having a nice chat with the lady and she mentioned how much of a pain it was the electrics going down on Sunday!!!! Turns out the fault was not with my van but the bloody site!
Suppose it serves me right not checking the hookup at home before I booked it in for a repair, but never even conceived that the electrics had gone down at the site.
Anyway, £60 lighter but at least a fully working van. Just the turbo to get checked now and hopefully we'll be on our way on Saturday.
Got some time on my hands (can't go back home as we've got house viewings, trying to sell the house ATM) so head back to Hertford C&CC site. Having a nice chat with the lady and she mentioned how much of a pain it was the electrics going down on Sunday!!!! Turns out the fault was not with my van but the bloody site!
Suppose it serves me right not checking the hookup at home before I booked it in for a repair, but never even conceived that the electrics had gone down at the site.
Anyway, £60 lighter but at least a fully working van. Just the turbo to get checked now and hopefully we'll be on our way on Saturday.
Doh! Doh! Triple-Doh!
Just got off the phone to the Merc dealership and they have traced the issue down to the turbocharger itself. Hopefully it'll be covered by the warranty, but actually the cost wouldn't bother me even if I did have to pay it myself (albeit, it would hurt) but it's more the fact it won't be ready until Wednesday next week and we're booked on the ferry on Saturday!
Gutted.
Looks like our first big adventure is thwarted at the first moment.
Just got off the phone to the Merc dealership and they have traced the issue down to the turbocharger itself. Hopefully it'll be covered by the warranty, but actually the cost wouldn't bother me even if I did have to pay it myself (albeit, it would hurt) but it's more the fact it won't be ready until Wednesday next week and we're booked on the ferry on Saturday!
Gutted.
Looks like our first big adventure is thwarted at the first moment.
Thanks chaps. Yes, it is feeling a little cruel at the moment.
Unfortunately I can't rebook the holiday since we're only a small team at work and all of our holiday has been carefully dovetailed to allow sufficient overlap whilst each of us is away. If I delay now, I'll have to postpone until September.
Also just heard from Mercedes, the warranty company is playing hardball and won't authorise any work until they've had the turbo investigated by one of their approved refurbishers. They say if it is faulty then they'll pay for a reconditioned unit but if they can't see any issue them I'm lumbered with the cost of dismantling the van to get the turbo out and put back together. So far not impressed with the warranty company whatsoever, since they refused the first claim and now making life difficult on this one. I certainly won't be renewing the warranty and I will be chasing Travelworld if I'm left with yet another bill since the warranty at the moment seems less than the value of the paper its written on.
Currently muchos pissod off.
Unfortunately I can't rebook the holiday since we're only a small team at work and all of our holiday has been carefully dovetailed to allow sufficient overlap whilst each of us is away. If I delay now, I'll have to postpone until September.
Also just heard from Mercedes, the warranty company is playing hardball and won't authorise any work until they've had the turbo investigated by one of their approved refurbishers. They say if it is faulty then they'll pay for a reconditioned unit but if they can't see any issue them I'm lumbered with the cost of dismantling the van to get the turbo out and put back together. So far not impressed with the warranty company whatsoever, since they refused the first claim and now making life difficult on this one. I certainly won't be renewing the warranty and I will be chasing Travelworld if I'm left with yet another bill since the warranty at the moment seems less than the value of the paper its written on.
Currently muchos pissod off.
Thanks kneetrembler - sadly we had to come away in the 118d, which I will confess has done a sterling job but rather limited our travels whilst down here. V disappointing.
What's more disappointing than that is Travelworld's radio silence - not having had a response on this for over two weeks and I'm now getting to the stage of transporting the van to their premises and forcing the issue of resolution.
I love the van but the fact we haven't been able to use it as planned and there's seemingly no-one willing the take responsibility for the issue means I'm feeling somewhat let down.
What's more disappointing than that is Travelworld's radio silence - not having had a response on this for over two weeks and I'm now getting to the stage of transporting the van to their premises and forcing the issue of resolution.
I love the van but the fact we haven't been able to use it as planned and there's seemingly no-one willing the take responsibility for the issue means I'm feeling somewhat let down.
Have now agreed that I will drop the vehicle off on Saturday and leave it with them to carry out the work required (both getting to the bottom of this turbo issue and also repairing the main hab window and awning light).
Fingers crossed we're making progress and we'll be able to properly use Harry for what he's designed. It's been really saddening to tour France seeing not only all the other motor homes but also how well set up the country is for motor homes.
Fingers crossed we're making progress and we'll be able to properly use Harry for what he's designed. It's been really saddening to tour France seeing not only all the other motor homes but also how well set up the country is for motor homes.
So, in fairness to Travelworld, I've just returned home from France to find three voicemails from their Service Manager trying to contact me last week before I eventually managed to get hold of him, so they were trying.
Unfortunately, just having endured a 750mile return drive to Blighty as well all the delays at Calais with the ferries, none of us can summon the energy to head from Essex to Telford tomorrow, so will postpone until next Saturday.
Picked up the van from Mercedes today, however, and more light shed on the problem. Mercedes tracked the issue down to a kinked actuator and coking on the pivot which controls the variable vane geometry. So it is a new turbo needed, in their opinion. Sounds like a far more straightforward assessment to what we had feared. But I'll leave with Travelworld and their local Merc dealer to sort it out (and pay for it).
In spite of everything still remaining unsolved, felt great to get back in Harry today. We had considered chopping him in for a 2009 Merc Hymer at Travelworld whilst we were away mulling things over, but I'm now far more keen on just getting him sorted and enjoying him as I believe there is a really solid van under all the niggles.
Unfortunately, just having endured a 750mile return drive to Blighty as well all the delays at Calais with the ferries, none of us can summon the energy to head from Essex to Telford tomorrow, so will postpone until next Saturday.
Picked up the van from Mercedes today, however, and more light shed on the problem. Mercedes tracked the issue down to a kinked actuator and coking on the pivot which controls the variable vane geometry. So it is a new turbo needed, in their opinion. Sounds like a far more straightforward assessment to what we had feared. But I'll leave with Travelworld and their local Merc dealer to sort it out (and pay for it).
In spite of everything still remaining unsolved, felt great to get back in Harry today. We had considered chopping him in for a 2009 Merc Hymer at Travelworld whilst we were away mulling things over, but I'm now far more keen on just getting him sorted and enjoying him as I believe there is a really solid van under all the niggles.
So, just received a call from Travelworld which was not entirely as I suspected. The van was delivered to them on Saturday together with a copy of an invoice from Mercedes main dealer, confirming that the route cause of all of my issues was the turbo, which they had recommended to be replaced. It turns out that upon plugging in the diagnostics, the ECU was showing "Low Boost Pressure". Upon physical examination of the turbo, the control arm was NOT bent(!) but one of the intercooler pipes was loose and the jubilee clip which would secure it was missing. There was also evidence of an oil leak, which would've been sucked from the sump by the turbo (which would also explain why it had been loosing a bit of oil).
They re-secured the intercooler pipe, plus jubilee clip and took it on a roadtest - 40miles to Shrewsbury and back (from Telford) and did an ongoing diagnostics check which showed 2bar of turbo pressure during the run and no fault codes were thrown. Problem solved, it seems and evidently the van "pulls like a train", which is what these vans should be doing, which is interesting as I had noticed a bit of shove missing against my old van - I'd just put this down to a heavier base vehicle.
Anyway, I also mentioned that mpg had been dismal and the Tech suggested that now it is burning cleaner, it should show a slightly better mpg (I'm guessing around the 25mpg mark).
So this leaves me with a sporty conversation to be had with Mercedes main dealer in Essex, who it appears have gone for the most expensive (nuclear) option of turbo replacement without checking the basics. Travelworld will be supplying me with all their supporting documentation so that I can claim back the money I paid to Mercedes for the incorrect diagnosis. I don't think I'll get away with getting the boost valve controller money back but given that's a weak point in the system, good to know that is new and shouldn't cause any issue going forward.
On other matters, the n/s main window locking unit was a bit knackered when we bought it and they'd promised to replace the mechanism but now going to replace the whole window. The awning light will be replaced and the buzzer warning for the step extension has been sorted too. Problem is, they have to wait for the former parts from Germany, which will not come for 10 days and we won't be picking up the van until next Saturday at the earliest.
But fair play to Travelworld at this stage for getting the van sorted.
They re-secured the intercooler pipe, plus jubilee clip and took it on a roadtest - 40miles to Shrewsbury and back (from Telford) and did an ongoing diagnostics check which showed 2bar of turbo pressure during the run and no fault codes were thrown. Problem solved, it seems and evidently the van "pulls like a train", which is what these vans should be doing, which is interesting as I had noticed a bit of shove missing against my old van - I'd just put this down to a heavier base vehicle.
Anyway, I also mentioned that mpg had been dismal and the Tech suggested that now it is burning cleaner, it should show a slightly better mpg (I'm guessing around the 25mpg mark).
So this leaves me with a sporty conversation to be had with Mercedes main dealer in Essex, who it appears have gone for the most expensive (nuclear) option of turbo replacement without checking the basics. Travelworld will be supplying me with all their supporting documentation so that I can claim back the money I paid to Mercedes for the incorrect diagnosis. I don't think I'll get away with getting the boost valve controller money back but given that's a weak point in the system, good to know that is new and shouldn't cause any issue going forward.
On other matters, the n/s main window locking unit was a bit knackered when we bought it and they'd promised to replace the mechanism but now going to replace the whole window. The awning light will be replaced and the buzzer warning for the step extension has been sorted too. Problem is, they have to wait for the former parts from Germany, which will not come for 10 days and we won't be picking up the van until next Saturday at the earliest.
But fair play to Travelworld at this stage for getting the van sorted.
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