Herdwick Willy Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 With an ever increasing tendency for Towns and Cities to apply Emission Zones, what do members feel is the best course of action for we owners of older M/H. Do we jump now and invest in a more modern petrol vehicle or look for some sort of exhaust system that will reduce our pollution levels to be acceptable.(should a system exist ??) or is it possible to replace the existing engine with a Euro 5/6. Our vehicle is thirteen years old, but with only 17000 on the clock we are loath to make the wrong decision. What do you members think.?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 Hi Willy, Well we too have a thirteen year old Euro 3 Diesel and from previous research it would be cost prohibitive to make it legal for the LEZ for example. From memory it was several thousand pounds and then yearly re-certification. Our decision, as we also do not want to change MH's, is to avoid any city which has an emission zone. If they don't want us then we don't want them! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herdwick Willy Posted May 19, 2017 Author Share Posted May 19, 2017 Thanks Keith We have been doing that too,London has banned us for some years and getting to Crystal Palace is a long way around my concern is, having heard last night that six more areas in the south are considering implementation of the zones it is an ever closing net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 Herdwick Willy - 2017-05-19 3:41 PM . Do we jump now and invest in a more modern petrol vehicle or look for some sort of exhaust system that will reduce our pollution levels to be acceptable.(should a system exist ??) I would be very surprised if there are any petrol engine MHs around at present......other than very old ones, so you may need to wait for a few years to see what developments there are in that field? I agree, as far as UK is concerned just avoid towns which have these charges, or stay on sites outside the areas, and use public transport... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 I think one has to try to be realistic. The zones are being introduced to try to improve air quality in large towns and cities. It seems to me that the trend will be for more and more such restrictions, and it also seems that the manufacturers of motorhome base vehicles (basically light - medium delivery vans) will have to respond, but are presently committed to use of diesel power. Some may have petrol, or even gas or hybrid power plants, that they could fairly easily swap into delivery vans, but others will need to develop new power plants, and that will take time. So, in the meantime, uncertainty reigns. As they are now a few years old, so will by now already have suffered the major initial depreciation, and are generally exempt from the restrictions at present, I'd think the current prudent option would be to go for a Euro5 power plant, which should have fair future life expectancy, and then see what comes up as time passes. That way you can limit how much you are spending now, but will still have to accept restrictions, or a further change of vehicle, at some point in the future. Just don't expect government to legislate to bring clarity to the situation any time soon, and certainly not before the whole Brexit issue has finally been settled. But, that's just my best guess - and I'm claiming no special insights to back that! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 I would hang on for the arrival of the electric van, which won't be long with the speed the technology is developing. Or you could convert one of these https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/e-nv200.html No oil changes, injector problems cam belts, EGR or DPFs to worry about either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herdwick Willy Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 Thank you Brian Well reasoned as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKen1 Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Just out of curiosity how many Modern motorhomes have Petrol engines ...from the ones Ive seen they seem to be pretty old models ??? Brian K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaven Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 I'm currently on a cycling holiday in Holland in our 03 plate 2.8JTD X244 Fiat. I'm seeing lots of older vans such as mine in sites and on the road. All seem to be in good condition with a lot of life left in them. I, for one, will not be in any hurry to be changing owing to the perception that things may get tougher for us from emissions point of view. I couldn't possibly afford it for one thing, and reading about the complications ensuing from the employment of ever more intricate Euro compliant engines, with even the manufacturers and their agents not being able to agree on oil specs., I'm so happy not to have even an EGR , catalyst or DPF, let alone a canbus system after reading the horror stories here and on Fiat Forum. I'll happily stay out of emission zones and carry on until the old girl fails an MOT big-time, or I become too arthritic to make up the bed, whichever happens sooner. I think, and its only my opinion, that we in the U.K. are far too ready to change our vans in the hope and expectation that somehow by doing so we will increase our enjoyment of our chosen hobby. Even buying new seems no guarantee that a perfect product arrives on your drive, and buying pre-owned can sometimes be acquiring someone else's previous problems. Holland's terrific for cycling by the way. We've only scratched the surface after 3weeks. It helps having electric bikes though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herdwick Willy Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 Thank you all for informative comments. Having used this and other Forums I am minded to simply lay back and think of England and see what the future holds. Many thanks.HW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Herdwick Willy - 2017-05-19 3:41 PM With an ever increasing tendency for Towns and Cities to apply Emission Zones, what do members feel is the best course of action for we owners of older M/H. . If they charge you to go in to the Emission Zone, Get your money's worth. Tie a string to your waste drain valve and pull it to empty your tanks as you drive through :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 No problems, just get a V6 petrol engined van. https://www.ramtrucks.com/en/2016/ram_promaster/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Our Pilote is 20 years old and has only covered 42000 miles. There is no way we could afford to replace it even if something future proof was available, we just have to drive around anywhere that doesn't want us. Am I right in thinking that local authorities are not allowed to cut off major transport links by including them in these zones unless there is a viable alternative? AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Both my vans are older diesels. They were built with Diesel engines because they produce less pollution we were told this by people with far greater knowledge and understanding than the peasants who would end up buying them. The people who gave this advice will cost us a great deal of money. They are called politicians.... or baffoons, and have no conception of real life. What ever way you decide to jump it will be the wrong way...... eventually. I have lost touch with the latest information and news in the UK but wasn't it Boris Johnson who floated the idea of a dock for cruise ships in the middle of London? (Sorry about the pun). I'm watching one of these cruise ships in a dock now and it's engines will not be turned off while it is in the port. In that time it will have produced more pollution than my vans will in their life time. Cleaning up engines is a good thing. The production of more vehicles which causes pollution in its self is not. Natural wastage for me would be a sensible and reasonable way to go as most vans only have a life span of 10 years. It's only the motorhomes that can expect to keep going for 20 years or more. But then what has sensible and reasonable got to do with anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Archiesgrandad - 2017-05-21 8:51 PM Our Pilote is 20 years old and has only covered 42000 miles. There is no way we could afford to replace it even if something future proof was available, we just have to drive around anywhere that doesn't want us. Am I right in thinking that local authorities are not allowed to cut off major transport links by including them in these zones unless there is a viable alternative? AGD this is a classic example of the pollution zones causing more pollution. It might cause less pollution in one area (depending on which way the wind is blowing) but creates more pollution in another as a longer distance has to be traveled taking more time. A sort of double whammie. Is it me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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