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Deneb

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  1. Me also. I had a "light service" at a Fiat Pro dealer at 2 years, as the van had a third year warranty, so I submitted it to get the book stamped. The FP dealer used Iveco oil. I have been using Fuchs ever since, changed annually.
  2. Looking at my maintenance record, I used Matryx 75W85 GL4 when I changed the gearbox oil back in 2020. I found a noticeable improvement in gear changes as a result. I saved the following from a post on this forum several years ago, which I admit influenced my decision. I can't find the original post now, maybe Derek might be able to? "The recommended oil is Tutela Experya SAE 75W-85 GL-4. The GL4 rating is important, other grades can compromise the syncro rings. On the 6 speed gearbox the listed quantity is 2.7 l, however the last new boxes I have fitted are engraved fill 2.9 l. There is an alternative fully synthetic oil, Tutela Matryx SAE 75W-85 GL-4 that I have used in this box with good results."
  3. That's correct, but it also relies on the input clerk transferring the information correctly. My van's Maximum Permissible Mass was shown on the original V5C as 3020kg, a figure apparently transferred from the MIRO entered on the converter's CoC submitted with the application.
  4. Mine are CO 0.548, NOx 0.234 and 0.273 combined - Fiat/Iveco 2.3 multijet 150HP. The two emissions categories at each level were explained to me by Fremtind customer services as dependent on whether the vehicle is a passenger car / light goods vehicle, or a heavy vehicle. It may well be self explanatory in Norwegian, but viewing the page via Google Translate in Chrome it wasn't as simple, because the codes displayed bore no relation to the emissions classes set out in EU regs, nor did they come up anywhere else via a web search. It appears that the heavy vehicle codes all have a "T" on the end. The application also required a CO2 figure, which is presumably on Norwegian registration documents, but not on our V5C which only gives a carbon monoxide figure. The system required at least one digit to be entered in the CO2 field, so I entered "0" and it has gone though without issue. My van is just over 4 tonnes MGW, but because it is a category M1 motorhome it is treated as a light vehicle for Norwegian toll charges and ferry fares, although I believe the latter are also dependent on overall length.
  5. Sorry, I'll try again. I inadvertently managed to post before I had finished typing and the forum won't let me submit my full reply after editing that post: I had intended to apply for the Skyttelpass, which costs 200 NOK for the tag, but with no ongoing charges other than toll fees. Howevere, when I tried to apply for it, their website uses a verification system involving a text code sent to the user's mobile phone, but on entering a UK number the system responds that they are unable to send texts to the UK at present. On contacting customer services, they told me that I could set up an account by submitting the necessary details by email, but I would not be able to login or view my account and charges. I had a rethink and have registered with Fremtind Service. Registration and application was straightforward, apart from the issue over selecting the correct emissions classification for the van as mentioned above. For foreign vehicles they also require a copy of the V5C registration document to be uploaded during the application, similar to the Crit' Air application process. There is no upfront cost for the tag, but they charge 5 NOK per month for holding it (about 8 GB pence). The account and agreement were set up quickly and I can see the details including my tag number on the account. Their customer services was very quick in responding to my emails too- almost in real time - whereas Skyttelpass took a day to reply. I haven't yet received the tag, although it has only been just over a week since my agreement was confirmed, and the suggested postal time from Norway is up to 14 days, which probably doesn't include the appalling Royal Mail delivery times that we now suffer from! I am also intending to link the tag to an Autopass Ferry agreement, but I am waiting until I have the tag in my hand before applying, as I have read elsewhere that someone with a Skyttelpass tag found the number on the tag differed from the one shown in their account, and they had to contact Skyttelpass to confirm which one they should use when linking the ferry agreement. I have also found that I am not going to be able to avoid the Skyttelpass login, because it is Skyttelpass who administer the Autopass Ferry agreement, and the login for that account uses the same text to mobile front end as the main Skyttelpass website, with the same issue that they cannot currently send texts to the UK. The ability to be able to login and view the account will not be as critical though, as the ferry system involves depositing 2000 NOK with AutopassFerje in advance. Ferry charges are then deducted from the account balance, and any funds remaining returned to the account holder if and when the account is closed. It is worth obtaining an Autopass ferry agreement and linking the tag, as it gives a 50% discount on ferry charges throughout Norway to private customers, which includes all motorhomes registered as vehicle category M1. For billing, Fremtind have arranged to invoice me by email, and I have set up an account with Wise which provides a relatively cheap method of converting sterling account balances to NOK and making IBAN payments to the bank associated with the Fremtind agreement.
  6. I had intended to apply for the Skyttelpass, as there
  7. My motorhome, registered in August 2016 and on a "16" plate, is shown as not compliant for both the congestion charge and ULEZ. It is a Euro 5+ vehicle, so that is as expected. My 2017 petrol car is compliant, and so is my wife's 2009 petrol car. I have just registered an agreement for a Norway toll tag, and was presented with two Euro 5 emissions categories to choose from during the application. I had to seek advice from the tag issuer as to which was the correct category for my van, as the terms used did not match the criteria according to EEC regulations. Having given the tag issuer my vehicle details however, they were adamant that as the vehicle was first registered in 2016, it should be registered for the Autopass scheme as Euro 6, which they have now done!
  8. Yes, I always enter the base vehicle make and model e.g. Fiat Ducato along with the correct dimensions for my particular vehicle.
  9. There shouldn't be any claims related increases to individual premiums with the NFOP scheme, as the premium is a set rate applied consistently to all scheme members.
  10. I have the Exide EA1000 fitted to my Ducato. Very happy with it.
  11. ITVx is available on Amazon firestick, Roku and NowTV stick and similar streaming devices, along with many other channels. I haven't bothered with a separate TV aerial for several years. EE can be quite expensive for mobile data. Popit (EE network) is cheaper and can be paused when not used. Ditto Smarty (Three network) although signal coverage is not as extensive.
  12. I fitted a Ctek flylead to the battery in my Ducato, running it from the battery box beneath the floor covering to emerge beneath the passenger seat by the front leg. It's then a simple matter to connect a Ctek charger at any time without removing the battery cover or opening the bonnet. The van has a mains charger that can also be switched to the vehicle battery, but I don't like to leave it connected for any length of time as the float voltage is a little high for the current best thinking at 13.6 volts. I can confirm that the "lighter" type sockets on the dashboard are only live with ignition on.
  13. As I indicated in my previous reply, tethering to your mobile phone (which if connecting by wi-fi is the same as a hot spot) is the cheapest option as long as you have a good signal. If you always go to places where a good mobile signal can be relied upon, and/or a mobile connection is nice to have but not necessarily critical, that will probably do you. If however, you go to remote places where a phone signal is not always available on your mobile, you wont't be able to tether anything. A Mi-Fi router connected to a 2x MiMo external antenna via dual antenna leads will in my experience be able to find a network signal almost anywhere, SIM operator dependant. In Scotland a few years ago, we arrived at a croft off the beaten track, where we found on arrival that we needed to contact the owner by phone to turn up and allow us access. The notice explained that a mobile signal could be obtained by following the road back to the top of a hill, about a mile away. Neither of us had a signal on our phones, but after turning on the MiFi, we got a good connection on EE and used wifi calling to contact the owner from outside the site gate. We were also able to stream TV whilst we were there.
  14. I've no knowledge of the Falcon kit, but I have a Huawei E5577C router and Panorama "Great White" LTE 4G/5G MiMo roof antenna, which I installed myself, although it is similar to the equipment that was being sold as a complete kit by Motorhome WiFi at the time I bought it. I am very happy with it, having been able to obtain internet connectivity almost anywhere including some very remote locations in the Scottish highlands. It cost me about half the price of buying the complete kit from Motorhome WiFi and was a fairly straightforward install in my PVC. If you have a coachbuilt van however, and want an external roof aerial (essential IMO if you want a connection in more remote areas) you may be better off speaking to MH WiFi because they supply a longer extension for the aerial mount to allow fitting to the thicker coachbuilt roof panel. The extension is difficult to obtain by itself, but not required for a PVC with a sheet metal roof. If you are simply going to rely on a router inside the van, without a connection to a roof aerial, you may as well save some money and simply tether through your phone, as the reception through the router is unlikely to be much if any better. Connectivity is also dependent on the phone network availability which varies in different locations. To that end I carry both a Three and a Popit data SIM. Both are quite reasonably priced. The data plane for each can be changed on renewal of each rolling monthly contract if desired, and they can also be paused when not needed. Three allow the subscription to be paused for up to 6 months without losing the SIM number, and a new monthly subscription can be started on any day of a month within that period. Popit are slightly less flexible, in that the monthly renewal date is fixed, but the SIM can be paused for a holding fee of £1 per month, but a bit of forward planning is needed when restarting it, as it needs to be taken off of pause on the fixed monthly day preceding the envisaged usage. Three's network coverage can be poor in more remote areas, although it has improved a lot in the last few years. Popit piggyback on the EE network which I find generally has better coverage where Three fails. It's a fairly simple matter to swap the SIM in the router as and when required. I tend to subscribe to Popits 100GB plan when required, and carry the Three SIM as a backup so that I can start a new monthly subscription "over the air" if I find myself somewhere that I have no coverage with Popit. Popit charge £25 per month for 100GB data, with the full allowance available when roaming. Three charge £20 per month for unlimited data, but if I recall correctly they restrict roaming to a maximum of 12GB per month. Both companies offer cheaper plans with lower allowances. Popits phone app is pretty poor though, but I have received prompt replies from their customer support on the couple of times that I have contacted them.
  15. For my car insurance, I always run a quote through the main comparison sites each year. It is interesting on each site to see the insurers that decline to quote, as well as those who do quote but give a premium of £6,000 plus. But I invariably seem to end up see-sawing between Saga and John Lewis for alternate years, or have done for several years now. They aren't the cheapest quotes by a long way, but I subscribe to the view that cheapest isn't necessarily best. Even though the discounted quotes for new business were supposed to have ceased, I am still finding that I can get a lower quote by switching after 12 months with each insurer, and fully comp with a few add-ons was still below £300 at last renewal a couple of months ago. I've never tried a quote for third party cover, but thought it was generally the case now that premiums are usually higher than fully comp because of the perceived risk of the customer base. For the van, I've been with Comfort for several years now. I haven't found any other quotes that come close, the renewal has never gone up dramatically and a couple of years ago actually reduced!
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