Aidan's tip of the week

Aidan_M_M · 16-07-2010 12:52pm #1

following from the Alko-chassis thread about greasing them , Peasant gave me the go-ahead to post a "weekly tip" , here's the first in hopefully a regular series of simple things I've picked up in the workshop. We start with the basics...

Most motorhomes I see are pretty clean , but still there's the few dirty ones out there . Crud , and mud , and sediment , if not shifted , builds up in the seams , seals and joints of the MH . Over time , this turns to a mossy type of growth , and can actually push the seams apart . And in winter , it holds moisture in the joint , which when it freezes expands even further , and rapidly makes the problem worse .
Regular cleaning , with a good Car-Wash type brush will prevent this . On the roof , where it can be worst , something a bit stiffer , like a sweeping brush , might be better . And don't let anyone tell you you can't use a Power Washer... You Can , as long as you exercise a bit of common sense .
Don't direct the high pressure spray into the edges of windows , vents , seams etc .

A bit of car-wash shampoo helps soften grime , or the likes of Fenwickes Caravan cleaner , or my own personal favourite , Traffic Film Remover (from the likes of Concept) .

And god forbid , if there is a dodgy seal or leak lurking secretly , if you wash the camper regularly , chances are you'll find it! Sure it's a nuisance , but better to find it and get it fixed than to leave it lurking , and quietly destroying the timberwork...

After the effort , your 'van will look better , and keep the smile on your face .

loobylou · 16-07-2010 2:54pm

The outer skin of my camper has a "dimpled" type finish. The "valleys" between the dimples hold dirt that at this stage is unshiftable. This gives the whole camper a very dull, grey look.
I have tried all types of cleaner but nothing seems to work. Have tried using a nailbrush and plenty of elbow grease to no effect.
Has anyone got any suggestions?

Aidan_M_M · 16-07-2010 3:23pm

Traffic Film Remover , or Cif cream on a nail brush .

coolvale · 16-07-2010 8:04pm

any tips on getting into the middle of the roof. what is the possibility of doing damage by walking on it ?

Aidan_M_M · 16-07-2010 8:51pm

invest in a proper carwash type brush , with an extendable handle . If in any doubt about the roof , work off of a scaffold or ladder . bit Awkward , but better safe than sorry .

Most factory builts are fine to walk on , in the area behind the Overcab section , but if in doubt , keep close to the edges . Also make sure you've no pebbles or stones trapped in the grips of your shoes .

Aidan_M_M · 22-07-2010 12:43pm

A lot of customers tell me they leave the Camper plugged into main at home permanently , between trips away . The thiking being that it keeps the battery topped up , and the fridge cold , maybe also a little Dimplex type heater turned on to keep it aired out . Good idea you'd think? No , it seems.
From what I've seen , even though the charging system should tail off to a tiny charge , all batteries prefer to go through cycles of charging and discharging . Whereas constantly charging , even at a trickle , will eventually cook the battery cells . I've seen it with Dry Cell , Calcium , Gel , Acid , Leisure and ordinary types , none of them seem to like it . They'd be fine for a few months , maybe a year , then they seem to deteriorate .

Also , fridges..... I've discussed it with the tech guys in Dometic/Electrolux , and Thetford , and they say Motorhome fridges aren't designed to be left on permanently . Sure they'll work , but the life span of them is a lot less than a typical household fridge . So being on constantly means they may last only a few years , rather than a decade .

What we find works fine is to plug in the camper for a day or two a week , it's plenty to keep a healthy battery charged , and to keep a fridge in good working order . Also in these times of income worries , you'll lower your ESB bill a wee bit .

If you do like to keep a heater working over the winter , see if you can disable the charger , or else run an extension lead through the window for it .

Hope that is useful to ye.

coolvale · 22-07-2010 1:21pm

what about solar panels. some campers have them connected all the time to keep the leisure battery up ?
your advise is welcome.
thanks

Old Timer · 22-07-2010 1:41pm

coolvale wrote: »

what about solar panels. some campers have them connected all the time to keep the leisure battery up ?
your advise is welcome.
thanks

If you cover the solar panel or panels with some heavy duty black plastic that should stop them working.

spaceHopper · 22-07-2010 2:11pm

coolvale wrote: »

what about solar panels. some campers have them connected all the time to keep the leisure battery up ?
your advise is welcome.
thanks

If you have a good solar charge regulator it will switch off the charging when the battery nears full.

Instead of pluging in all the time, plug in a day or so before you go and freeze a few bottles of water at home then put them in the fridge as well to get it cold then stock up before you go with food and drinks from your own fridge so it's cold.

Aidan_M_M · 22-07-2010 3:56pm

Solar panels don't charge constantly folks.... what about when it gets dark?

I like them for that reason .

defike · 22-07-2010 8:49pm

I intend to put up solar panel to charge and a dehumidifier on a timer maybe 2 hours a day to discharge the battery.

peasant · 22-07-2010 9:01pm

Aidan's tips now new and improved ...condensed and stickied

Aidan_M_M · 22-07-2010 11:18pm

defike wrote: »

I intend to put up solar panel to charge and a dehumidifier on a timer maybe 2 hours a day to discharge the battery.

Have you a 12v Dehumidifier?

defike · 23-07-2010 3:04pm

Argos sell a small 220v one which is actually 12v when you remove the transformer and rectifier.

NCG · 28-07-2010 2:26pm

defike wrote: »

Argos sell a small 220v one which is actually 12v when you remove the transformer and rectifier.

Could you tell me which one? They have a few and obviously don't get into the voltage details on the website. Thanks.

defike · 28-07-2010 8:40pm

I can't tell you the exact name as i gave the one i had to my brother for his van and he sold it last year with the dehumidifer in it .He tells me it was something like Challenger Midi.
I was going to buy this one and as Argos offer 14 day money back guarantee I could easily change for the next one if its not the 12v one.

Aidan_M_M · 29-07-2010 12:39pm

Tip No.3..

Gas today... Anyone with screw on connections to the gas bottle , if it's a Threaded nut with a rubber seal/washer in it , it should be only a little more than hand-tight . Put away that vise-grips!:D Over tightening damages the seal , causes it to break up . Also , check your flexible pipe , if you're lucky enough to have a "normal" Kosangas type regulator , a lot of people have pipes that are perished and cracked , and don't realise it . The standard flexi pipe you get in the hardware is supposed to be changed every few years . It's normally dated .

Aidan_M_M · 05-08-2010 12:38pm

Do you know where the camper gets it's main 12v feed from the battery? On Ducatos pre 2002 it's usually beside the engine battery , from 03-06 under the passenger seat . This should be a fused link , often 2 separate one , one for the charging , one for the fridge 12v . Well worth looking at , and making sure that they're not corroded , melted , or loose . They carry lary amounts of current , often enough to overheat , and melt the plastic around them.

Aidan_M_M · 12-08-2010 12:49pm

Are ye still interested in these tips folks , or am I boring ye?

Malta1 · 12-08-2010 1:01pm

Keep them going.....we may not like what you say (eg this thing about having to wash the van

)....but it has to be done

Knowledge is no load to carry

coolvale · 12-08-2010 2:06pm

by all means keep em coming.please. we never know it all.

demoreino · 12-08-2010 5:58pm

Keep them coming.
They're very good.

TigerTim · 12-08-2010 11:02pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

Do you know where the camper gets it's main 12v feed from the battery? On Ducatos pre 2002 it's usually beside the engine battery , from 03-06 under the passenger seat . This should be a fused link , often 2 separate one , one for the charging , one for the fridge 12v . Well worth looking at , and making sure that they're not corroded , melted , or loose . They carry lary amounts of current , often enough to overheat , and melt the plastic around them.

Yep, you're right Aidan. On my 1998 Ducato/Hymer, which I sold earlier this year, the fuse holder near the engine battery melted & I had to replace it with a motor factor replacement fuse holder..

Tim

Aidan_M_M · 13-08-2010 3:34pm

Aerosol tins of spray grease are your best friend! Gear linkages on Ducato's , all the moving parts of the awnings , the electric Step , the wiper linkages , the bonnet hinges and latch.....anything that moves , a shot of grease makes all the difference . Regularly giving any of them a quick spray , means they all work freely . It's especially noticeable on the Ducato gear linkages , on the '88-'94s and the '03-to current models .

Even a press catch , or toilet catch with the top and bottom clips too . If you find the grease is "dirty" , a smear of Vaseline.

allthatGlitters · 15-08-2010 12:35am

Please keep the tips coming

Even though we have had the camper over 2 years now, its all a learning curve - thanks Aidan

Aidan_M_M · 17-08-2010 6:17pm

You know , it's funny... I work on campers every day , yet to think up useful tips is hard!

When parking your motorhome up for the winter/long periods , empty the waste tank , fresh tank , toilet tank (if you have one) , drain the boiler , then turn on all the taps for a few seconds to purge the water pipes . Then , turn off the pump , leaving the taps in the On position . This helps prevent them bursting in frost .

meercat · 18-08-2010 4:23pm

aidan m m,keep the tips coming.and all your other helpful replies.thanks

peasant · 18-08-2010 5:10pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

You know , it's funny... I work on campers every day , yet to think up useful tips is hard!

I can change the heading from week to month (or year :P), if you like

wonderworm · 19-08-2010 1:51pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

You know , it's funny... I work on campers every day , yet to think up useful tips is hard!

When parking your motorhome up for the winter/long periods , empty the waste tank , fresh tank , toilet tank (if you have one) , drain the boiler , then turn on all the taps for a few seconds to purge the water pipes . Then , turn off the pump , leaving the taps in the On position . This helps prevent them bursting in frost .

park the van up on leveller ramps, it stops the water from ponding on the roof!

*Kol* · 19-08-2010 3:27pm

wonderworm wrote: »

park the van up on leveller ramps, it stops the water from ponding on the roof!

That's exactly what I do ( a few 6' x 2's nailed together into a stepped ramp gets a nice slope on the roof!!). A good tip.

stapeler · 19-08-2010 5:48pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

You know , it's funny... I work on campers every day , yet to think up useful tips is hard!

When parking your motorhome up for the winter/long periods , empty the waste tank , fresh tank , toilet tank (if you have one) , drain the boiler , then turn on all the taps for a few seconds to purge the water pipes . Then , turn off the pump , leaving the taps in the On position . This helps prevent them bursting in frost .

On the parking for the winter subject, I leave the MH in gear with the handbreak off. Found that keeping the handbreak pulled causes it to stick a bit. Any thoughts?

peasant · 19-08-2010 6:16pm

stapeler wrote: »

On the parking for the winter subject, I leave the MH in gear with the handbreak off. Found that keeping the handbreak pulled causes it to stick a bit. Any thoughts?

Yepp, that tends to happen.

Never leave the handbrake on myself when the van gets parked up for longer

SARZY · 22-08-2010 6:52pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

You know , it's funny... I work on campers every day , yet to think up useful tips is hard!

When parking your motorhome up for the winter/long periods , empty the waste tank , fresh tank , toilet tank (if you have one) , drain the boiler , then turn on all the taps for a few seconds to purge the water pipes . Then , turn off the pump , leaving the taps in the On position . This helps prevent them bursting in frost .

And then take it for a spin to dislodge the remaining drops in my experience.
Thanks for the tips.

Aidan_M_M · 23-08-2010 12:30pm

If it's a Front wheel drive , like a Ducato ,Renault , Transporter etc , and the handbrake does get stuck on , it'll "unstick" easier , in reverse.

dfbemt · 24-08-2010 2:13pm

Keep on going Aidan. Your tips are always handy. Maintaining a camper is a lot more difficult than owning one !!

Aidan_M_M · 28-08-2010 1:22pm

Truma heating system not seeming to work as good as it used to? The strength of the warm air not as strong out of the vents as it had been?

Have a look-see around the bottom of the Heater/Boiler , the pipes dusting the air out around the camper regularly pop off , they're normally just pushed into place with no mechanical fixing.

Aidan_M_M · 28-08-2010 1:23pm

dfbemt wrote: »

Keep on going Aidan. Your tips are always handy. Maintaining a camper is a lot more difficult than owning one !!

Ha! You have it handy , I've to maintain 100's! :P And I'm supposed to remember the location of the fuses , pumps , heaters , etc in them all!

Aidan_M_M · 02-09-2010 6:37pm

If your fridge isn't working well on gas , and in particular if you get a nasty , almost cloyingly sweet smell around it or from the vents, your flue is choked with carbon .
This is common on fridges left on gas while driving , and also on modern fridges with separate freezers . The burner and flue need to be stripped , cleaned , and the jet cleaned or replaced . Beware , for Dometic/Electrolux fridges , there are 3 different jets!

Also , if its a home build , or one you've had to remove the fridge from , the rear of the fridge should be sealed from the inside of the van , and there should be a vent or two in the floor , near the burner .

MicktheMan · 04-09-2010 10:03pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

If your fridge isn't working well on gas , and in particular if you get a nasty , almost cloyingly sweet smell around it or from the vents, your flue is choked with carbon .
This is common on fridges left on gas while driving , and also on modern fridges with separate freezers . The burner and flue need to be stripped , cleaned , and the jet cleaned or replaced . Beware , for Dometic/Electrolux fridges , there are 3 different jets!

I got the smell for the first time this weekend

How difficult is it and what tools are needed to strip, clean etc the burner, flue and jets? Or is this specialist work?
Thanks

Aidan_M_M · 08-09-2010 6:10pm

MicktheMan wrote: »

I got the smell for the first time this weekend
How difficult is it and what tools are needed to strip, clean etc the burner, flue and jets? Or is this specialist work?
Thanks

Because it's a Gas issue , and because the jet is so delicate if it's stuck , I'd rather not go through how it's done , in case Anyone has a fire! Sorry about that , but as most people here know I'm in the business of repairing MHs , if anything was to happen it would appear to be my fault .:(

Macspower · 14-09-2010 2:06am

MicktheMan wrote: »

I got the smell for the first time this weekend
How difficult is it and what tools are needed to strip, clean etc the burner, flue and jets? Or is this specialist work?
Thanks

I did this before but I'm well used to working on my MH... it wasn't a very easy job. I damaged the jet taking it out and had to replace it. I would say have a look at it and see what you think. If not confident refer it to a specialist

Aidan_M_M · 15-09-2010 12:33pm

Macspower wrote: »

I did this before but I'm well used to working on my MH... it wasn't a very easy job. I damaged the jet taking it out and had to replace it. I would say have a look at it and see what you think. If not confident refer it to a specialist

We'd always have jets in stock , think they're 12 Euro.

If it's an MH with a decent access to the burner , an Air Compressor , fine sandpaper , 5mm and 2.5mm drill bits , an 11mm pipe spanner , a 13mm open spanner and a medium sized Philips screwdriver are all thats needed, usually.

Aidan_M_M · 15-09-2010 12:38pm

'Nother simple tip...

Seitz style blinds getting sticky ? Get a tin of WD40 , attach the straw and direct a spray into the corners of the frame . if you can get the blind to move up and down a bit , the WD40 works its way into the recoil , and 7 times out of 10 frees it up to normal.

Malta1 · 15-09-2010 3:14pm

Maybe a silly question but what are "Seitz style" blinds......which ones are they?

Aidan_M_M · 15-09-2010 3:35pm

The really common ones like in most coach builts , like Adrias , Dethleffs etc . the ones where the blinds are in the frame , one from the top and one from the bottom.

Malta1 · 15-09-2010 4:16pm

sound....cheers

dfbemt · 15-09-2010 10:33pm

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

'Nother simple tip...

Seitz style blinds getting sticky ? Get a tin of WD40 , attach the straw and direct a spray into the corners of the frame . if you can get the blind to move up and down a bit , the WD40 works its way into the recoil , and 7 times out of 10 frees it up to normal.

Simple tips are usually the best ones. Will definitely try this.

Thanks for all your tips. Keep going until we store all for the winter

Aidan_M_M · 23-09-2010 9:28am

Some of the braver , more dedicated souls here polish their campers , not just the cab , but the "house" and all . It's a tough job , time consuming ,but by Gosh the results are worth it . The camper will be a lot easier to wash , and will stay clean for longer , and if you use a good Wax , it'll help protect it. Take a lazy week to do it , take the cab one evening , the rear another day , and half a side yet another day still . And any good quality Car polish will do , like CleanCar.ie's Chemical Boys , AutoGlym , Sonax even Turtle Wax.
Also , get some rubbing compound , I favour Farecla G3 or G6 , to remove scratches or particularly dull paint .

You can perfectly safely use both rubbing coumpound and Car polish on the Plastic windows , and it freshens up the look of an older motorhome massively. I do it regularly .

Macspower · 24-09-2010 10:21am

Good advice on the waxing.. It's definately worth the effort.. For those really dedicated you can build up the coats of wax by doing it a few weeks in a row

I know some of you store them for the winter and I would definately get a coat of wax on to protect it during storage.

I use Meguires Tech Wax or Zymol but they are prop OTT for the MH.. but years of showing cars and owning some fine machines has me hooked on waxing.

coolvale · 24-09-2010 5:23pm

do those digital performance diesel tuning kits to increase bhp & fuel economy work ?
are they worth thinking of fitting.we do app 5,000 mls per year in our motorhome,a fiat ducato 2.8 turbo.
thanks

killalanerr · 24-09-2010 9:48pm

waxing is one of my least favorite jobs they are just so big haven't done this van yet but will get to it before i store it,

Aidan's tip of the week

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