manuals

[aljen]

I am looking for a manual for a Compass Cruiser Having bought our first motor home and found no manual for the converson apart from, the basics, im struggling to find anything to confirm the payload etc amongst the paperwork. i have tried to contact the explorer group but as yet have not had a reply. does anybody know if these can be bought or be veiwed anywhere? alan

[Brambles]

Hi Alan, Try this link for te explorer group archives. http://www.explorer-group.co.uk/archive.asp Put in/select your year and away you go and hopefully will help you. There should also be a rating plate somehere on vehicle showing weights. Jon. Edit - just had a look at the link I have given - only gives basic summary of specifications - thought it might be a full hand book but no!! Sorry.

[Derek Uzzell]

What year Compass Cruiser? I've got a redundant, rather scraggy, Compass & Herald Owners Handbook that's probably late 199os. (It's definitely pre-Explorer Group but there's no actual date on it.) These books are generic with the very occasional reference to a specific model (eg. a particular wiring diagram). I don't think any of them will have printed details of a particular motorhome's payload - this was normally provided on a separate loose-leaf insert and there is a section in the handbook that allows an owner to 'write in' such information for easy reference.

[aljen]

Derek Thanks for the reply, year is 2002. on a Peugeot 2,8. I have found the manual that shows various motorhomes within the explorer range, but sadly all but the one i need. the section you refer to has been left blank by the previous owner. Alan

[Derek Uzzell]

Amongst my old motorhome magazines I've found a January 2002 copy of Which Motorcaravan. The WM Checklist gives statistics for three Compass Cruiser overcab models. Cruiser 740: Chassis/Motor - Peugeot Boxer/2.8TD Length - 6.50m Width - 2.17m Height - 3.05m Berths - 4 No. of Designated Passenger Seats - 1 Mass in Running Order (MRO) - 2844kg Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) - 3400kg Price - £34950 Cruiser 750 and 760: Chassis/Motor - Peugeot Boxer/2.8TD Length - 7.25m Width - 2.17m Height - 3.05m Berths - 6 No. of Designated Passenger Seats - 3 Mass in Running Order (MRO) - 3048kg Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) - 3850kg Price - Cruiser 750 - £41950, Cruiser 760 - £41250 (Apparently Which Motorcaravan published a test report on a Cruiser 750 in the February 2001 issue and you may still be able to order a back-copy if you're interested.) Based on these data a Cruiser 740 would have a payload of 556kg (3400kg-2844kg), while a 750's or 760's payload would be 802kg (3850kg-3048kg). However, there are pitfalls in blindly accepting such figures as gospel truth. There's never any guarantee that magazine technical details are accurate (in fact WM's Cruiser data are mildly flawed) and it also needs to be appreciated how motorhome manufacturers define MRO. In 2002 UK manufacturers would have included no weight allowances for what's now sometimes termed 'essential habitation equipment' (ie. 'domestic' water and gas). The MRO would have been the weight of the motorhome with a full (or near full) fuel tank and a notional 75kg driver. If a particular model of 'van came in lighter or heavier versions motorisation-wise then the MRO would relate to the lightest variant (eg. if a model could have a 1.9 litre motor or a 2.8 motor, then the MRO would relate to the small-engined one). Nor would the MRO include allowances for factory-fitted options for the base vehicle (eg. cab air conditioning), factory- or dealer-fitted conversion options (eg. awnings, bike-racks, tow-bars, etc.), passengers or luggage. It's also quite common for a 'get out clause' to be included in manufacturers' brochures saying that the stated MRO figure may vary by several percent due to factory line building techniques. This is why canny motorcaravanners put their fully loaded vehicles on a weighbridge to obtain genuine overall and individual-axle weights. That way you'll discover how closely your motorhome approaches (or exceeds!) the permissible limits shown on its VIN plate and, should you wish to seek advice on tyre pressure adjustment (to obtain a softer ride perhaps), you'll also have the weight information that the tyre manufacturer will require.