Swift Mondial - water heating and winter use.

[ennerdale]

Hi. I've recently purchased a Swift Mondial RL 2008 model. So far so good, except that the water heater seems to have a mind of its own. Some days it provides hot water quickly. Other days it does nothing at all. Of course, on the days I take it back to the dealer it works fine, so they can't see a problem.

Anyone else had this trouble?

I intend to use the van in the winter. But the water system is designed to drain automatically when the temperature drops below 3 degrees. The manual makes vague reference to an adaptation for an internal water supply. Does anyone have any advice on how I can use it in the winter without risk of freezing the system?

Richard

[Derek Uzzell]

It might be helpful if you could say which water heater your Mondial has.

 

I've looked at the July 2008 MMM article on a Mondial GT and (although the report doesn't seem to say so) I'm pretty sure that has a common-or-garden Truma Ultrastore water-boiler and that doesn't have any anti-frost self-draining capability. Truma 'combination' air + water heaters do (normally) have such a capability, so perhaps your Mondial has one of those. However, I think some diesel-fuelled air + water heaters will also self-drain to protect themselves in very cold weather.

 

I believe your Mondial's fresh- and waste-water tanks are external, so insulating and/or heating them adequately is likely to prove tricky. Adapting the present water system to operate from an internal water supply should be easy enough if you've a) got the space inside the vehicle for the water containers and b) some DIY skills.

[Derek Uzzell]

A quick follow-up...

 

It seems from Swift's website that the Mondial RL has a Truma Combi 4E (gas + 230V) combination air/water heater.

 

These heaters will heat water much more slowly when air-heating is being carried out simultaneously. Where heating a tank of water from cold to hot via gas might take 20 minutes when water-heating alone has been selected, it could take 80 minutes if air-heating is being used at the same time. This is perfectly normal.

 

I usually run my Truma combination heater in water-heating mode first until the water has heated up and only then do I select air-heating. Otherwise you can end up with a comfortably warm motorhome interior and a still near-cold tank of water when you come to take an early-morning shower.

 

Don't know if that helps, but it seems to me you either haven't yet come to grips with these heaters' funny little ways, or your heater actually has got something wrong with it. As the dealer apparently can't find a fault with it, I suspect it's the former.

[rupert123]

The Mondial should have an auto drain. The tanks although underslung can be made fairly UK winter proof. The fresh water tank in insulated and Swift can supply a heater. I did this on my van and it has never frozen since, I only use it in the UK in winter do not think it would stand the Alps. Telephone Swift they are very helpfull and your dealer should give you a fitted price. I know the 2008 Sundance is around £150 fitted would not think the Mondial would be much differant. The waste tank just leave the drain open with a container under it.

[Mike88]

I think Derek is correct. My combi boiler on a 2010 Swft Mondial has a blue coloured switch under the rear locker and adjacent to the boiler for manually draining the system.

[Derek Uzzell]

Mike88 - 2010-08-17 6:49 PM

 

I think Derek is correct. My combi boiler on a 2010 Swft Mondial has a blue coloured switch under the rear locker and adjacent to the boiler for manually draining the system.

 

It might be worth quoting Truma about the drain valve fitted to current Combi appliances...

 

 

"FrostControl safety and drain valve

 

The currentless safety and drain valve automatically empties the boiler via a drain connection if there is a risk of frost (at approx. 3 °C)

 

The drain valve also opens if the pressure is excessively high

 

Draining takes place in stages so that the outlet cannot freeze

 

The drain valve can also be opened manually if required

 

The drain valve cannot be closed until the temperature of the FrostControl is in the frost-free zone again (approx. 7 °C)

 

Currentless operation relieves the strain on the vehicle battery

 

Truma can supply a heating element as an accessory that heats the FrostControl to approx. 10 °C. The boiler can therefore be filled after a short time, irrespective of the temperature in the installation compartment."

 

It's the "The drain valve cannot be closed until the temperature of the FrostControl is in the frost-free zone again (approx. 7 °C)" feature that Combi owners may well find a nuisance when initially filling their water systems in cold weather or resetting the drain-valve after it has opened to provide frost protection.

 

With the 12V-powered valve fitted to the earlier C-Series heater range, you could override the 'cannot be closed' inhibition just by switching on the heater. That's not possible with the FrostControl valve - you either need to add the heating accessory or jam the valve shut in the time-honoured manner.