Mikebs Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 I am looking for help to identify a bracket on my 2007 Autocruise Starspirit exhaust system. When driving I heard an unfamiliar noise and on checking the van noticed that the clamp holding the secondary pipe to the main pipe was missing. The two pipes were knocking together when traveling and hence the noise. I don't know the purpose of the smaller secondary pipe as shown in attached picture. I have made a temporary fix but if anyone knows what type of fixing/clamp bracket I should be looking to buy I would be most grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 What is the secondary pipe for? Do you have a diesel heater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 The secondary pipe is the end of the exhaust system of a diesel-fuelled heater (Webasto or Eberspacher), as part of the exhaust's silencer is clearly visible in the top-left corner of your photo. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/Space-heater-on-Autocruise-Starspirit-2005/26349/ It's unlikely that a purpose-designed clamp/bracket could be bought 'off the shelf'', but it should be very easy to DIY something suitable using the appropriate diameter exhaust-pipe clamp and some metal strip. https://www.fastenright.com/general-fixings/exhaust-clamps/ub11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikebs Posted September 17, 2020 Author Share Posted September 17, 2020 Thanks for the replies. To the best of my knowledge my heating is of the blown air variety and as far as I know I don't have a diesel-fuelled heater system, so it remains a mystery, at least to me. Thanks Derek, I'm happy to make a DIY solution and will check out your link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 The small pipe looks like the outllet of a NPS. Nuclear power station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Doing a couple of Google searches reveals that the diesel fired blown air heating was a standard feature of Starspirits of around your age. Follow the flexible exhaust pipe under the MH and see where it goes! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Mikebs - 2020-09-17 6:22 PM ..To the best of my knowledge my heating is of the blown air variety and as far as I know I don't have a diesel-fuelled heater system, so it remains a mystery, at least to me... The following link shows the result of a GOOGLE-search using “autocruise starspirit diesel heater” as the search-term. https://tinyurl.com/y2nuharr It will be clear from this that the Starspirit model was usually fitted with a diesel-fuelled blown-air heater - either a Webasto “Airtop” or an Eberspacher “Airtronic” unit - with, presumably, a gas-fuelled boiler for water heating. The Webasto and Eberspacher heaters look similar (photo of an Eberspacher unit attached below) and there will normally be the maker’s name on the control panel/switch that operates the heater. (I notice that some Starspirits had an Eberspacher “Hydronic” air/water heater, but that was also diesel-fuelled.) There’s no doubt whatsoever that, in your photo, the secondary pipe and the silencer it connects to relate to a diesel-fuelled heater, though there is the (small?) possibility that the Websto/Eberspacher heater might have been removed and been replaced with a gas-fuelled equivalent, making the pipe & silencer superfluous. (I note that you’ve owned your Starspirit for at least 4 years and, as diesel-fuelled heaters tend to produce a fair amount of exhaust noise (plus ‘clicking’ from the fuel pump), I’m surprised that - if your motorhome does have a diesel-fuelled heater - that you would be unaware of this.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikebs Posted September 18, 2020 Author Share Posted September 18, 2020 Hello Derek, thank you for your full & comprehensive reply, it seems everyday is a school day and I'm learning something new all the time. I have checked the manuals that came with the van and indeed it does have a Eberspacher Airtronic system installed. In my ignorance I thought that motorhome diesel heaters were the type that were fixed upright to a wall or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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