Are today's shiny new motorhomes fit for purpose? (1 Viewer)

[LostInSpace]

I think not.

A shiny new Fiat based motorhome purchased new this year has been off the road for two months, unable to start the engine.

Why?

Because the start/stop system went start/stop start/STOP on lane two of a busy motorway - not to start again and has since been on the back of 4 recovery trucks. The tracker people keep ringing to ask why is it moving without the engine running?

In addition to that, before it STOPPED, the regenerative braking system was ridiculous - at best, only charging the starter battery to 12.2 volts. In some cases, the start/stop system was discharging the battery faster than the alternator could recharge it.

After being recovered from lane 2 of the motorway, the dealer told me that the engine battery was probably dead/dying when we bought it because it had been left uncharged in various places after the battery manufacturer made it. Quite probably for years before we got it.

The prospect of a low leisure battery being charged above 12.2 volts was non exsistant. (and that battery had probably suffered the same fate as the starter battery)

 

[Lenny HB]

Me too. It will have in the not too distant future.

What model is it?

 

[LostInSpace]

What model is it?

Sterling Power circa 2017, not the new one.

 

[chaser]

I think not.

A shiny new Fiat based motorhome purchased new this year has been off the road for two months, unable to start the engine.

Why?

Because the start/stop system went start/stop start/STOP on lane two of a busy motorway - not to start again and has since been on the back of 4 recovery trucks. The tracker people keep ringing to ask why is it moving without the engine running?

In addition to that, before it STOPPED, the regenerative braking system was ridiculous - at best, only charging the starter battery to 12.2 volts. In some cases, the start/stop system was discharging the battery faster than the alternator could recharge it.

After being recovered from lane 2 of the motorway, the dealer told me that the engine battery was probably dead/dying when we bought it because it had been left uncharged in various places after the battery manufacturer made it. Quite probably for years before we got it.

The prospect of a low leisure battery being charged above 12.2 volts was non exsistant. (and that battery had probably suffered the same fate as the starter battery)

If you are only getting 12.2, obviously the alternator isn't working at all ,it should read 14 odd when the engine is running simply because that's what it should be putting in even if the battery is dead..
I would say that's the cause of all your problems.
Daft question.
The fan belt isn't broken or slipping is it.

 

[Pausim]

Hmmm.
OK, so my system reads low. It is still a long way from 12.8.

The smart alternator system doesn’t want the battery at 12.8V and will deliberately let the voltage drop to a lower level. It wants room in the battery to recover energy when the vehicle is slowing down. It is not regenerative braking from the brakes but increased engine braking energy that is recovered.

Some people with manual gearboxes have been taught to knock the vehicle into neutral when slowing down and not use engine braking. I think this comes from some advanced driving courses. It occurs to me that if you do this with a smart alternator you could be effectively disengaging the engine and alternator at the very time that it is designed to work hardest at charging the battery.

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[Lenny HB]

Sterling Power circa 2017, not the new one.

Doesn't sound like a Hymer model to me.

 

[The Wino]

Is it a brand new MH?

 

[LostInSpace]

If you are only getting 12.2, obviously the alternator isn't working at all ,it should read 14 odd when the engine is running simply because that's what it should be putting in even if the battery is dead..

That is not the way smart alernators work. Things have changed since your amulance was built

 

[Guigsy]

Too many gizmos too complicated. We re all gasping at the continual comfortmatic failures, just wait till the adblue problems start. KISS!

People have been saying this for decades. Meanwhile cars are more reliable, lower maintenance and longer lasting than they've ever been.

 

[LostInSpace]

Is it a brand new MH?

It was when we bought it.

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[chaser]

I have just read through this thread again, and there is nothing in it that points to anything but flat battery and knackered alternator, have these been checked by anyone?

 

[Guigsy]

Some people with manual gearboxes have been taught to knock the vehicle into neutral when slowing down and not use engine braking.

That's been pointless since electronic injection.

 

[chaser]

That is not the way smart alernators work. Things have changed since your amulance was built

They don't sound very smart to me.

 

[funflair]

They don't sound very smart to me.

They are fine in a car or van with one starter battery the way they were designed, the problems start when somebody put a load more batteries in the back and doesn't tell the system that controls charging that they expect these batteries to charge as well.

 

[Lenny HB]

Some people with manual gearboxes have been taught to knock the vehicle into neutral when slowing down and not use engine braking.

That is a good way of increasing fuel consumption. Also less control of the vehicle when coasting.

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[Guigsy]

They are fine in a car or van with one starter battery the way they were designed, the problems start when somebody put a load more batteries in the back and doesn't tell the system that controls charging that they expect these batteries to charge as well.

There have been quite a few people with 3-way fridges finding their hab batteries were discharging while driving. Smart alternators don't understand the additional load as a panel van doesn't normally have a fridge in it. A B2B device is required that will still pull current even when the voltage drops to kick the alternator into supplying the required power.

 

[chaser]

That is a good way of increasing fuel consumption. Also less control of the vehicle when coasting.

I was always told it was against the law to coast.

 

[PaulW2]

That is a good way of increasing fuel consumption. Also less control of the vehicle when coasting.

Yes, when I read this I wondered why it would be taught

 

[FrankNicklin]

That is a good way of increasing fuel consumption. Also less control of the vehicle when coasting.

My Auto in Eco mode goes in to coasting mode when you take your foot off the accelerator, the revs drop to idle speed. I was always taught on manual never to go in to neutral until the vehicle is stationary as you lose the additional support of engine braking as well as wheel braking. That said brakes are cheaper than engines when it comes to stopping.

 

[FrankNicklin]

I was always told it was against the law to coast.

I thought so too as it was classed as not being in control of the vehicle, but not on the latest Autos. Mine coasts in eco mode when you take your foot off the accelerator.

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[Lenny HB]

I was always told it was against the law to coast.

Must have some funny laws up north.

 

[Lenny HB]

I thought so too as it was classed as not being in control of the vehicle, but not on the latest Autos. Mine coasts in eco mode when you take your foot off the accelerator.

That's not very Eco it will use more fuel, if its in neutral the engine will be running on tick over burning fuel, if it's in overrun the injectors shut off so no fuel is consumed.

 

[ctc]

People have been saying this for decades. Meanwhile cars are more reliable, lower maintenance and longer lasting than they've ever been.

On mine the level sensor failed, so it needs a new tank £2200 and none available throughout Europe for the foreseeable future. In Scunthorpe there is a yard full of vehicles awaiting adblue parts.

 

[chaser]

Must have some funny laws up north.

Ok maybe I was told wrong , but

 

[Guigsy]

On mine the level sensor failed, so it needs a new tank £2200 and none available throughout Europe for the foreseeable future. In Scunthorpe there is a yard full of vehicles awaiting adblue parts.

Any different from VWs eating dual mass flywheels 20 years ago? Or BL cars needing to be repaired at the dealership just to get them off the transporters?

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[FrankNicklin]

On mine the level sensor failed, so it needs a new tank £2200 and none available throughout Europe for the foreseeable future. In Scunthorpe there is a yard full of vehicles awaiting adblue parts.

New tank to repair a faulty sensor, that doesn't seem right surely. Tanks are't made with sensors already fitted therefore they can be removed. Is this grey water or fresh water.

 

[Lenny HB]

Any different from VWs eating dual mass flywheels 20 years ago? Or BL cars needing to be repaired at the dealership just to get them off the transporters?

On here loads of people have a go a Fiats but forget up until recently 75% of Motorhomes were built on the Fiat chassis so you will obviously see more problems on here. Also loads of Motorhomes are low mileage and left standing around for long periods which encourages more problems.

 

[Pausim]

That's been pointless since electronic injection.

That is a good way of increasing fuel consumption. Also less control of the vehicle when coasting.

I agree it is pointless and bad practice. However a friend of mine went on an advanced course and was told to use the technique so that the correct gear for accelerating away was always only one short shift away. Perhaps it was just one daft instructor rather than general practice.

 

[Guigsy]

I agree it is pointless and bad practice. However a friend of mine went on an advanced course and was told to use the technique so that the correct gear for accelerating away was always only one short shift away. Perhaps it was just one daft instructor rather than general practice.

Is shifting from neutral easier than shifting from gear? Synchromesh gearboxes exist.

 

[Pausim]

Is shifting from neutral easier than shifting from gear? Synchromesh gearboxes exist.

I agree, I am only reporting what I was told.

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[Tigger-Tim]

If you are only getting 12.2, obviously the alternator isn't working at all ,it should read 14 odd when the engine is running simply because that's what it should be putting in even if the battery is dead..
I would say that's the cause of all your problems.
Daft question.
The fan belt isn't broken or slipping is it.

It's not that simple. The electrics are happy to leave the starter battery at 12.2v (under light load) when it has sufficient charge.

I did a 200 mile trip in my van recently, where the starter battery sat at 12.2v the whole journey - except when I was going downhill, or braking - when it briefly went to 14.7v. When I stopped, the battery rose to about 12.4v.

Despite the apparent lack of charging, My B2B was outputting 13.4v - so the leisure battery topped up its charge.

On a 30 mile trip this morning, it decided the starter battery needed a boost, so went straight to 14.8v.

All seems strange to those of us brought up on old fashioned 'always on' alternators - but seems to work fine.