Clementine Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 "Motorhomes are getting far too complicated. Manufacturers need to go back to basics. What's wrong with an on and off switch"? As overheard in the reception area of a Motorhome Service Company, spoken by the Service Manager when one of the clients complained about the Control panel giving conflicting messages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Isn't everything getting more complicated, especialy if you are also ageing ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilf Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Can you expand please!! What is your point!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 colin - 2012-04-12 7:39 PM Isn't everything getting more complicated, especialy if you are also ageing ;-) ....you mean some people aren't? 8-) It's a point of view I have a lot of sympathy with. Electronics in particular have much to answer for. Gone are the days when diagnosis and fixing were a fairly simple task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Clementine - 2012-04-12 7:36 PM "Motorhomes are getting far too complicated. Manufacturers need to go back to basics. What's wrong with an on and off switch"? As overheard in the reception area of a Motorhome Service Company, spoken by the Service Manager when one of the clients complained about the Control panel giving conflicting messages! Absolutely right - it's all needlessly complicated these days. Our early vans had a simple on / off switch for the self fitted leisure battery fed from the alternator via a self fitted split charge relay which powered the fridge on the road and the pump, lights, tv socket and heater fan on site - all controlled by a simple on/off switch on each item. Simples! It rarely gave trouble and when it did it was easy to put right because it was so simple! Progress eh? Doncha just love it???????? Bring back electronics free motorhomes I say!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Robinhood - 2012-04-12 7:43 PM colin - 2012-04-12 7:39 PM Isn't everything getting more complicated, especialy if you are also ageing ;-) ....you mean some people aren't? 8-) Not me - 60 later this month and getting younger and younger (just don't look at the picture in my loft!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Yep :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Not Complicated. Its called added value. I looked at 2 campers with Identical layout both made by trigano at grimsby. The first was £36,000 the second was £52,000 Both had 10 years water ingress warranties. The second had sat nav, tv, outside BQ point , outside shower point, solar panel as standard,fresh water digital display with colour They were the t615 tribute and the other was the eks autotrail tracker. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Electronics are splendid until they malfunction, which, especially when installed in slap-dash fashion (yes - you! motorhome manufacturers), they are prone to do. I've personally voted with my feet on this one having read accounts of overlanders being stranded literally in the middle of nowhere because the ECU of their 'modern' trucks took exception to dirty diesel - or even to the fact that a brake light bulb had blown too many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I can remember diesel engines before Electronic Control Units, Dual Mass Flywheels, etc. Noisy, smelly, sluggish, gas guzzling underpowered things that shook you to bits and left your ears ringing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Peter James - 2012-04-13 10:09 AM I can remember diesel engines before Electronic Control Units, Dual Mass Flywheels, etc. Noisy, smelly, sluggish, gas guzzling underpowered things that shook you to bits and left your ears ringing. I think the OP referred to the habitation side rather than the engine side but seeing as how you mention it - Fair comment on refinement - but do you honestly consider that catalytic converters, dual mass flywheels and diesel particulate filters are the best way forward. These are not elegant engineering solutions - they are politically and commercially motivated botch jobs to reach a political end and all of them continue to backfire not on the makers and legislators but on the poor owners who have to foot the repair bills. No wonder the makers and politicians love them! Am I the only one to think this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickydripin Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Yes Motorhomes are getting more complicated but as others have said I am getting older. I carry around all the instructions to everything or place them where I can see them. I had a new motorhome after having an old 1992 Autotrail and it takes me a couple of days each trip to Figure out how things work. Would I swap my new one for the old one NO CHANCE!! But what Tracker says below I think his comment is spot on. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fair comment on refinement - but do you honestly consider that catalytic converters, dual mass flywheels and diesel particulate filters are the best way forward. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Tracker - 2012-04-13 10:23 AM Peter James - 2012-04-13 10:09 AM I can remember diesel engines before Electronic Control Units, Dual Mass Flywheels, etc. Noisy, smelly, sluggish, gas guzzling underpowered things that shook you to bits and left your ears ringing. I think the OP referred to the habitation side rather than the engine side but seeing as how you mention it - Fair comment on refinement - but do you honestly consider that catalytic converters, dual mass flywheels and diesel particulate filters are the best way forward. These are not elegant engineering solutions - they are politically and commercially motivated botch jobs to reach a political end and all of them continue to backfire not on the makers and legislators but on the poor owners who have to foot the repair bills. No wonder the makers and politicians love them! Am I the only one to think this?It would appear so. It's called progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I think the new system for filling your water is a very good example of making a simple system complicated *-) Ideal if you intend moving from one super pitch to another 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Peter James - 2012-04-13 10:09 AMI can remember diesel engines before Electronic Control Units, Dual Mass Flywheels, etc. Noisy, smelly, sluggish, gas guzzling underpowered things that shook you to bits and left your ears ringing. I think that battle was won about the time of mass produced direct injection. Diesel engines can be pretty refined without electronic control. It's also the case that common rail injection, ECUs, and dual mass flywheels improve efficiency and refinement even further - until they go wrong! It's a difficult one to pin down is this one because even doing away with electronic control panels and distribution units many on-board systems are still controlled electronically, like the vast majority of space heaters for example. I am certainly not anti-refinement or anti-progress but there does, I believe, come a point where systems are made unnecessarily complicated for little benefit. When fickle electronics decide to inexplicably throw a wobbler we, as consumers, are left without a hope. If a switch, a relay, and a warning light will do the job, I see no good reason to make life more complicated than it actually needs to be. Especially when it can spoil a trip. Progress - fine: unnecessary complexity - no ta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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