Ducato windscreen drainage

[Deesider]

We have a 2013 Autotrail Apache 632 on the standard 2013 Ducato chassis.

In the drainage channel below the windscreen there are two drainage holes. On the r.h.s. (off side) there is a large drainage hole which is no problem. On the l.h.s.(near side) there is a short section of channel which is drained by a small hole of only about 3-4mm diameter. This hole drains via a tube which constantly blocks with the result that water overflows via the wiper housing onto the engine components below. Does anyone have a good solution to this problem which must affect many Ducato owners?

[lennyhb]

If you use the search facility you should find quite a few threads referring to this. I believe a few people have drilled a much larger hole and fitted a plastic pipe fitting with a drain hose. Wether it causes a problem is down to where you park, angle of your drive etc. our last, van was 2008 I don't think it had a drain hole on that side never caused us any problems obviously liked the angle of our drive.

[Rayjsj]

Deesider - 2014-11-09 11:03 AM

 

We have a 2013 Autotrail Apache 632 on the standard 2013 Ducato chassis.

In the drainage channel below the windscreen there are two drainage holes. On the r.h.s. (off side) there is a large drainage hole which is no problem. On the l.h.s.(near side) there is a short section of channel which is drained by a small hole of only about 3-4mm diameter. This hole drains via a tube which constantly blocks with the result that water overflows via the wiper housing onto the engine components below. Does anyone have a good solution to this problem which must affect many Ducato owners?

Yes, great design eh! I just keep mine clear by threading a piece of net curtain wire down it, same for the similar sized hole by the drivers side wiper shaft, which also blocks easily. Looked at an x290 and the system looks better. Whoopee.

[mikebeaches]

Yes, ours gets blocked both sides, so keep a piece of wire handy in the glovebox to clear it when necessary. But, it is a poor design.

 

Pleased to hear the new X290 is better.

 

Mike

[Rayjsj]

I think the Guy who 'looks after' keeping water out of the engine bay/rainwater drainage was off sick when the X250 was designed, just as long as they 'honour' the warranty for any parts (fuel filter != Engine/ECU ) that might get destroyed by water ingress into the engine bay, then i'm fine with it. Ray

[Southender]

Rayjsj - 2014-11-09 2:38 PM

 

I think the Guy who 'looks after' keeping water out of the engine bay/rainwater drainage was off sick when the X250 was designed, just as long as they 'honour' the warranty for any parts (fuel filter != Engine/ECU ) that might get destroyed by water ingress into the engine bay, then i'm fine with it. Ray

 

 

The he must have been away with the fairies when he did the X244 which is considerably worse.

[grahamw]

I've pushed a small plastic cable tie into the drainage hole which with the head standing proud stops leaves settling right into the hole and blocking it as frequently as it used to. Interesting that Fiat in all its explanations of improvements in the X290 fail to mention the redesign of the scuttle. I think the explanation must be that they have been professionally humiliated by the absolute mess they made of the original scuttle design and prefer not to draw attention to it.

[Derek Uzzell]

Deesider

 

As your motorhome ia a 2013 model, it should incorporate all the modifications Fiat have introduced to the Ducato X250 range since 2006 to address complaints about under-bonnet water-ingress. (That doesn’t mean Fiat have been able to cure the problem completely - just that your motorhome should have all the bits and pieces Fiat have employed to minimise the effect of the ingress.)

 

You might want to consider doing as lennyhb mentions and modify the drain-channel so that a larger diameter drain-tube can be attached to it. Otherwise, I think you are going to have to do as others advise and regularly keep the resent drain-tube clear using a piece of wire.

 

There is a good deal of earlier forum discussion about this, but identifying it via the forum’s (hopeless) search facility will not be straightforward. Instead I suggest you carry out a GOOGLE-search using the following "drain windscreen under bonnet site:www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/“ (omitting the quotes). This should retrieve a a fair amount of relevant stuff.

 

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

grahamw - 2014-11-09 4:05 PM

 

...Interesting that Fiat in all its explanations of improvements in the X290 fail to mention the redesign of the scuttle...

 

In fact, there is a throwaway line in Fiat’s ‘camper ‘ advertising for the X290. It’s the last sentence here:

 

"INTELLIGENT DESIGN

The new design focuses not only on style, but also on functionality. The cab is designed to optimise safety and quality. The front end of the Ducato has been entirely redesigned to facilitate access to the engine compartment and maintenance operations and to improve the engine cooling. The trim under the windscreen protects the engine compartment from the outside, helping the correct flow of water."

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, the only sensible solution is to enlarge the tiny drain hole, and fit a new drain pipe similar in size to that on the other side. I went to B&Q and looked in their plastic plumbing bits and pieces, and found a suitable plastic pipe fitting. I carefully enlarged the original drain hole with a tapered grinding wheel to be just big enough to permit the fitting to be a tight push fit into the hole and to project about half an inch on the underside

 

at the local caravan accessory shop I bought a 2 metre length of the corrugated sink drain pipe of a suitable diameter to be a push fit over the projecting plastic fitting, and use a zip cable tie to secure it to the projecting piece of plastic. The corrugated pipe was carefully threaded down past the electrics etc, and cut to a suitable length underneath and then secured again with zipties to keep it safe and secure underneath.

 

at the scuttle end, the fitting was sealed to the scuttle around the hole and water now disappears down the new pipe .

 

problem solved.

 

tonyg3nwl

[Gram]

As an aside - sorry - what is the X290 and is there an X260, 270 and 280?

 

G

[Derek Uzzell]

The ‘X’ number is used to designate a specific generation of Citroen Relay/Fiat Ducato/Peugeot Boxer vehicles (which are built on the same assembly lines in the same Italian factory and, to a large degree, can be considered to be the same vehicle).

 

X230 and X244 were used for Relay/Ducato/Boxer vehicles built from 1994 to mid-2006. X250 for Relay/Ducato/Boxer vehicles built from mid-2006 to mid-2014. X290 for Relay/Ducato/Boxer vehicles built from mid-2014 onwards. Historically, the number has changed when a completely new design has been introduced (eg X244 to X250) or there’s been a significant design revision (eg X250 to X290).

 

(As it happens X290 was also used for Relay/Ducato/Boxer vehicles built from 1984 to 1993, but let’s ignore that!!)

[Gram]

Thanks, Derek.

 

I won't get into further discussions here - it'll wreck the thread.

 

I'll do a bit more research.

 

G

[motorhomefromhell]

We set this website up to share my experience of the motorhome we bought for our retirement. For forty years our dream was to own a new motorhome in our retirement.

 

In October 2013 we ordered a Burstner Brevio 645 from Camper UK at the N.I.C. caravan and motorhome show in Birmingham. It was delivered in April 2014. There were numerous snagging issues, the main one being a leaking back window.

 

In August, after four months of waiting for the repairs to be carried out, we decided to reject the motorhome. However, following negotiations with Camper UK, we accepted £5,000 in compensation on the understanding that all the snagging issues would be addressed. Unfortunately, the snagging issues were not all addressed. The back window leaked again and further snagging issues became apparent.

 

In November 2014, we discovered water pouring all over the engine and electrical components causing substantial damage. We found, via the internet, that this was a major design fault on motorhomes built on a Fiat Ducati chassis and has been for over several years. John Dabek, a Forensic Engineer who has carried out work for Watchdog in the past, examined the vehicle as Camper UK would not accept the damage this had caused. They only offered a modification to the bonnet seal. The report was very damning but we cannot show it as the matter is now in litigation.

We would not wish this nightmare on anyone. 80% of all motorhomes are built on a Fiat Ducati chassis. Water ingress is a major design fault and is causing thousands of pounds of damage e.g. ECU units, throttle control valves, turbos, various other electrical problems and blown engines. They should be made to reimburse all the unsuspecting customers the thousands of pounds they have cost them after the warranty has run out.

 

We want to warn others that are interested in buying one of these motorhomes on a Fiat Ducato chassis. Take a look through the pictures, videos and forensic engineers report. Bursnter, Fiat and Camper UK are too big to care that they are selling faulty goods. Offering people further poor repairs is just not good enough. We feel the pictures and videos speak volumes.

 

Please visit our website and leave a comment in our Forum to help stop the dealers and suppliers selling such misery.