New to Motorcaravanning?

[Derek Uzzell]

Internet forums like this one are excellent for feedback (good and bad!) on particular motorhomes, for specific information (anyone want to know the make/type/colour of sealant Hobby now use for their shower-compartments?), for holidaying hints, etc. But when it comes to offering general advice to new or prospective motorcaravanners, the subject is so broad-brush that you could write a book about it. In fact this has already been done, and for anyone new to the pastime, I strongly recommend that you obtain "The Motorcaravan Manual" by John Wickersham (Haynes Publishing - www.haynes.co.uk). This provides general background to selecting/buying/running a motorhome as well as easy-to-follow information about all the bewildering bits and bobs these vehicles contain. "The Motorcaravan Manual" was revised fairly recently (so make sure you get the latest version), is widely available in caravan/motorhome accessory shops or via the Web, and should really be on every motorcaravanner's bookshelf however experienced he/she is. (You may find it in public libraries too.) Also by John Wickersham and published by Haynes is "Build your own Motorcaravan". Essential reading if you are actually contemplating such a project, even if you aren't and your character has a streak of DIY in it, this book will be valuable for borrowing ideas from. The current RRP for each of these publications is £17.99 - a bargain in my notoriously tight-fisted opinion.

[david lloyd]

I second that. I have had 6 motorhomes now and received this book for Christmas - didn't put it down until it was finished! Most of the content was just reinforcing the things learnt over the years (which is no bad thing) but there was also other evry interesting and useful stuff that will be used for future reference too. david

[caradoc]

Managed to buy the Haynes book although I must say a lot of the info related to older vehicles- perhaps it wasnt the newest edition. Its making for good reading, and I thought I'd drop around WH Smith a look for some magazines as well. Can't hurt to read up! Luckily I was a Girl Guide many many years ago and still remember a lot of camping stuff, which should help. Above all, must remember the tea bags.... :-)

[Mel B]

There's one of the latest edition manuals on eBay at the moment for £13.97 plus £2.85 P&P if anyone's interested (item number: 4626207392). Mel B

[Derek Uzzell]

For buyers who have managed to whittle their choices down to particular makes (or even models) of motorhome, a visit to the MotorHome Facts website (www.motorhomefacts.com) may also prove worthwhile. This is generally a 'pay-to-participate' site, but its forums contain a "Motorhome Model Hints and Tips" area that is free for viewing only. Some useful information in there (plus some questionable stuff) and I noticed in passing in the Auto-Sleepers section a comment about regulators failing. This struck a chord as my near-new Truma 30mbar bulkhead-mount regulator had recently chosen to give up the ghost. (As I only discovered this 48 hours before we were due to go abroad I had been a very unhappy bunny.) The inexplicably faulty regulator has been returned to Truma for replacement under warranty and, hopefully, an explanation for the failure, but neither of the two caravan dealerships I contacted when the problem first showed was at all surprised. Both dealerships were carrying spare Truma 30mbar units in stock, which may be significant!

[Yorkshire Tyke]

We have been camping for over 50 years now, but still find out new things/ ideas particularly with new gadgets and communications advances I have been taking MMM for several years and have removed the technical bits and touring items Each is kept in a file So when we set of on holiday/or planning one; where do we start looking The technical file goes with us just in case ! another place ypu could try for information is Motorhome Today it is a free and friendly site (www.motorhometoday.co.uk)

[peterandirene]

Derek Re problems with regulator. Have a look at my thread on MHF " Propane Gas Problems". Peter

[Derek Uzzell]

I would, Peter, if I knew where to look! As I'm a MHF non-member the Search facility is unavailable to me and I'm extremely reluctant to page through MHF forum-sections on the off chance I'll pick your thread up. Perhaps you could copy it into this thread, please, as it sounds like it will be of general interest?

[peterandirene]

The full link in MHF is "Tech/Mech Chat", subject "Propane Gas Problems", posted in January 2006. The general outcome, my two last posts there are pasted below: A bit of an update on the regulator. When I was at the dealer the Service Manager, mentioned in passing that Truma and Calor are in dispute on who is to blame for the failing regulators. Apparently there is an "oil" additive in the gas which is fouling up the filter in the regulator - according to Truma; but Calor dispute this. The worrying bit is that he thinks that Truma are about to stop replacing the regulators under warranty. I did some investigating but could find nothing on the net whatsoever, so I emailed Calor to try and get some more info - wasn't very hopeful but thought it worth a try. Surprise, I got a phone call today from a guy in the technical department at Calor wanting to discuss the problem. He has acknowledged that there is a problem with Truma regulators but that it is happening with other gas suppliers also, Flogas, BP, etc. Calor have done extensive tests but been unable to replicate the problem and Truma are being "unhelpful" in supplying them with failed regulators. The really interesting bit is that my case is the first he has heard of where the problem has occurred with Propane, I have used Propane from day one! He asked whether the regulator was set up horizontally or vertically as most failures seem to happen in the horizontal plane, mine is vertical! He has gone away to chat with a colleague and will get back to me later in the week. I wil keep you informed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spoke to Calor again today, no satisfactory conclusion. Calor can't get Truma to speak to them about the problem, so us customers are sort of stuck in the middle. He did say that there have not been any problems with regulators made by CLESSE though. I would really like to hear from anyone with the same problem to use as evidence if the regulator fails again. The only other incident so far is Aarons Dad. Correct me if I am wrong Aarons Dad but aren't Butane and Propane regulators the same, just with different pigtails? Peter Hope that is of some interest. Peter

[Derek Uzzell]

Thanks for doing that, Peter. Over the last 3 or 4 years I've seen several mentions in French camping-car magazines warning of "oily deposits" or "oily residues" in bottled LPG. These contaminants have never (as far as I can recall) been cited as the cause of problems with regulators, but have been blamed for clogging up the electrically-operated control-valves of gas appliances. Particularly vulnerable were said to be Truma's C-Series "Combi" heaters. (If you search this forum (all posts) on keyword "swan" and author "Derek Uzzell" you'll retrieve a couple of my earlier comments on this.) In early-2004 the Combi heater on my previous (Herald) motorhome refused to ignite the gas. On taking the vehicle to Truma(UK)'s HQ for remedial attention I was immediately asked whether I had changed between gas bottles just before the heater fault had occurred. I was told that there had been occasional cases in which 'dirty' bottled gas had led to heater gas-ignition failure. When I said I hadn't swapped bottles, the next educated guess was that the insulators on the gas igniters might have cracked and, when the heater had been stripped down, this was indeed found to be the cause. Oily muck in LPG bottles appears to be a well recognised phenomenon in France and, obviously, in that country we are not talking about the Calor, Flogas, etc. canisters obtainable over here, though (at least where motorhomes are concerned) the French gas involved will normally be propane. I'm aware of three 'preventative' strategies: 1. Turn full gas bottles upside down and leave for a while, then open the valve and vent out the contaminants. The rationale behind this wheeze is that the 'oil' is heavier than the liquid gas and gravity will cause it to collect at the valve-end of the inverted bottle from whence it will be spat out when the valve is opened. I've no idea whether or not this is good science or whether the idea is effective, but it sounds very iffy to me. 2. Use a long flexible hose to connect the gas bottle to the regulator (for fixed regulator systems), or to connect the regulator to the leisure-vehicle's rigid gas pipework (for systems with a bottle-mounted regulator). This suggestion is also based on the theory that gravity can separate the oily deposits from the gas (though in this case gas vapour, not liquid gas, will be involved). The logic is that the long hose will form a 'swan neck' shape and the mucky stuff will collect in the lowest part of the loop. Every now and again the hose is removed and any oily deposits cleaned out. Once again I've no clue as to this ploy's effectiveness but, as a long hose is much the same price as a short one, I chose to use the former when I installed my fixed Truma regulator that, to further exploit the 'gravity' theory, was fitted with its gas-feed connector facing downwards. 3. Fit a gas-filter. These are made by Borel and are available in French caravan-accessory outlets at approaching £100. The unit is quite small and intended to be replaced after 600kg to 800kg of gas (butane, propane or 'autogas') have passed through it. Its stated purpose is "to trap solid or liquid particles (oily deposits preventing the proper functioning of electrically-operated valves)". The filter is installed in-line in the LOW-PRESSURE side of the gas system 'downstream' of the regulator, so, if it's true that regulators are susceptible to harm from these oily contaminants, this type of filter won't protect them. The Borel filter-body carries identical 20 x 150 male threaded-connectors and modification to existing motorhome/caravan gas pipework will probably be needed to fit it. (This hints to me that the filter's original function did not relate to leisure-vehicles.) The problem with my own Truma regulator was odd - it didn't stop working as such, just suddenly wouldn't co-operate. Our motorhome is customarily unused from November through February. During the 2005 pre-Xmas period, the refillable LPG bottle was replaced (the original was found to have a sticking valve) and I carried out a major revision of the vehicle's blown-air ducting layout (necessary due to Hobby's poor design and a conversion construction fault). Naturally, when the factory-fresh replacement bottle (newly filled with UK autogas) had been re-installed and the heating layout had been re-jigged, I had confirmed that the gas system was working OK. At that point, the regulator was definitely allowing gas to pass through it as normal. However, when I next checked the system (March 10, 2006) no gas would pass through the regulator. Now, you'll note that I use autogas not bottled gas, so, if my regulator fell victim to 'oily deposits', then the implication is that these contaminants must be present in autogas LPG too. It should also be emphasised that, at most, 20kg of gas had passed through the regulator up to the moment it ceased operating, so there was little opportunity for muck to have built up inside. (I also checked the feed-hose for any sign of 'oil' and there was none.) I obtained a replacement regulator from a local caravan accessory shop and, when I mentioned the problem, the chap at the counter straightaway said "Oil in the gas". However, on being asked to explain further, he admitted to knowing nothing about gas systems and that his instant diagnosis was based purely on hearsay. Even though this proves that accepting advice can be hazardous, it also indicates that the 'oil in gas' thing is widely known. I've a theory about my own regulator's failure, but I fully accept it may be unfounded. My previous Herald's gas system used bottle-mounted Gaslow-marketed regulators with pressure gauges. When I used to shut off the gas at the bottle-valve, the pressure in the system would gradually fade to zero after, say, a half-hour. With the Hobby's system and a bulkhead-mounted Truma-marketed regulator (also with pressure gauge) the in-system pressure after shut off diminishes over time but never falls to zero. So the Truma regulator always has some gas pressure being applied to it. This MAY cause the regulator's moving parts to 'jam' if the vehicle it is mounted in remains unused for an extended period (near 3 months in my case). Just in case this theory has any validity, when I know I won't be using the 'van for a while, after I've shut off the gas bottle I now de-pressurise the gas system by running a hob gas-burner until the flame goes out. Probably a total waste of time, but it can't do any harm. (Supposedly) Truma will investigate the reason for my regulator's early demise and (hopefully) I shall be awarded a replacement under warranty and (with any luck) be given a credible explanation for the cause of failure. That will leave me with the new regulator I was forced to fit before I went on holiday, plus a back-up spare, plus the original German-standard on-bottle 30mbar regulator that can, in extremis, be encouraged to fit on to my refillable LPG bottle. Surely lightning can't strike thrice!