22 model Adria Twin Supreme 640 SLB new owner review

[royandsharont]

After driving and playing around with the dashboard settings I have now managed to permanently display the odometer, at the expense of not showing the date . It appears you cannot have both.

Also found out the electric brake does not appear to hold you either way unless you apply it manually. If applied then there is no need to take it off manually just accelerate and it self releases, so that’s a bonus to hold the van.

Still having trouble understanding the Emergency Braking System feature of the Safety Pack. When you start the engine all the warning symbols appear briefly on the screen, as usual with most cars I think. The emergency braking warning light, saying Off, comes in briefly. So is it off or just showing you the warning is working. Unlike the lane departure warning, which is illuminated when on, the braking one is not but it is switched on in the vehicle settings via the Uconnect display. I shall have to switch it off next time I’m out to see if it shows all the time. Getting there and loving the van more each time I drive it.

 

[dash300]

After driving and playing around with the dashboard settings I have now managed to permanently display the odometer, at the expense of not showing the date . It appears you cannot have both.

Also found out the electric brake does not appear to hold you either way unless you apply it manually. If applied then there is no need to take it off manually just accelerate and it self releases, so that’s a bonus to hold the van.

Still having trouble understanding the Emergency Braking System feature of the Safety Pack. When you start the engine all the warning symbols appear briefly on the screen, as usual with most cars I think. The emergency braking warning light, saying Off, comes in briefly. So is it off or just showing you the warning is working. Unlike the lane departure warning, which is illuminated when on, the braking one is not but it is switched on in the vehicle settings via the Uconnect display. I shall have to switch it off next time I’m out to see if it shows all the time. Getting there and loving the van more each time I drive it.

Thanks for the update and interesting re the electronic brake; at least it auto releases which is useful!

 

[Andy MacD]

Emergency braking, mhhhh. Feel brave enough to drive up to a brick wall to see if it works?

 

[Mr porky]

Emergency braking, mhhhh. Feel brave enough to drive up to a brick wall to see if it works?

Just drive at the Harry Potter Wall outside of Kings Cross platform 9 3/4

 

[dash300]

Emergency braking, mhhhh. Feel brave enough to drive up to a brick wall to see if it works?

Having driven a little too fast into a parking space with a concrete back and the auto brakes jamming on is an experience not to be missed!

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[royandsharont]

Yes it is a strange feeling when it engages. My Skoda suv has it. We have a gravel drive and I was reversing onto it from the garage when Sharon walked behind the car. The brakes applied instantly and the car skid on the pebbles. It shocked me as I didn’t even see Sharon walk behind me, so a good example of it working. I’ve had it brake too when I was trying to get very close to something but I was wanting it to happen then, a whole different feeling

 

[berni109]

Mr porky the wonders of modern cinematography. If he did try it at kings cross it think he might actually hit the wall, didn't the Hogwarts Express leave from paddington and then miraculously cross the glenfinnan viaduct in NW Scotland.
But then I might be completely wrong.

 

[Mr porky]

Mr porky the wonders of modern cinematography. If he did try it at kings cross it think he might actually hit the wall, didn't the Hogwarts Express leave from paddington and then miraculously cross the glenfinnan viaduct in NW Scotland.
But then I might be completely wrong.

I'm not that much of a Potter head to know

 

[berni109]

Me either! But I did like the films as a bit of fantasy escapism and always been a bit of a steam buff.
Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Howard B]

If you want more room i the hab area, ditch the table. I made a fold out table similar to the one in the attached picture. Just unclips from the rail and the leg folds down for transit

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[CamperManLez]

royandsharont, you mention 'It didn’t have LED headlights or running lights' if by 'running lights' you mean the daytime front sidelights that all vehicles have these days you may find they are switched off, there is an option for this on all 'Sevel' vans. Just switch them on, you will have to consult the handbook for that.
I am a bit surprised they did not supply the factory handbooks, the van came with them when new.

 

[royandsharont]

Still having trouble understanding the Emergency Braking System feature of the Safety Pack. When you start the engine all the warning symbols appear briefly on the screen, as usual with most cars I think. The emergency braking warning light, saying Off, comes in briefly. So is it off or just showing you the warning is working. Unlike the lane departure warning, which is illuminated when on, the braking one is not but it is switched on in the vehicle settings via the Uconnect display. I shall have to switch it off next time I’m out to see if it shows all the time. Getting there and loving the van more each time I drive it.

Ive picked the van up today so tested my theory Re the EBS system. When you start ignition all the warning signs display then go out, unless there is a fault. My EBS came on when I switched the system off via the Uconnect and went off again when I activated it, so at least I know now it is there and appears to be working

The van is covered in dust from the hay bailing etc so we’ll see how it cleans up with the ceramic coating when I wash it ready for the off

 

[royandsharont]

royandsharont, you mention 'It didn’t have LED headlights or running lights' if by 'running lights' you mean the daytime front sidelights that all vehicles have these days you may find they are switched off, there is an option for this on all 'Sevel' vans. Just switch them on, you will have to consult the handbook for that.
I am a bit surprised they did not supply the factory handbooks, the van came with them when new.

No mine only has halogen lights, this is not down to the design or what should be there it is a problem in that Fiat cannot get the micro processors to fit the LED lights, even running lights, so they decided to fit the halogen system again.

The Fiat factory handbook did come but they only supply a quick guide book with a Q code to download the full manual. This is the way now.

Ive managed to save some weight by getting all the manuals, as up to date as possible, for all that came with the van in pdf format online with tge exception of one only, the Schaudt Elektrobloc manual which appears to be not available and mine is in German. I got their other 2 easily in English too

 

[royandsharont]

Thought I’d just add a few photos of things we have been doing in preparation for using the van properly.

We are used to having beautiful Icelandic long hair sheepskins in the last van, find them warm in winter & cool in summer but they were very dark brown and they didn’t look right. Bought them in Innsbruck as they were long, will end up selling them now, probably offering on here first. So Sharon fancied replacements and we got the grey ones from Dunelm. She is very pleased now

We also wanted a cover for the TV and bottom of the dinette seat, which is a very awkward shape to cover properly, so we settled for these fire retardant upholstery material ones sewn up by my sister. Just need to get the slot up the back the right length now to cover the sound bar properly.

Then we realised how easily the rain would soak the bedding when we had to open the rear doors to access almost everything. Our previous separate garage meant we didn’t have such a problem. I had seen another member talking about putting up a waterproof curtain lined with a nice front to the interior. We decided to use a slightly posh but plain shower curtain and after experimenting decided to buy Dunelm’s own flexible track which just filled the gap between the overhead lockers and the doors when closed. I had hoped to be able to draw the curtain from the inside with the doors closed but there simply isn’t enough room. I’ve used Velcro to attach it to the bed frame to stop it blowing in the wind and it can be pulled to one side easily once the doors are open Sister did the sewing again.

Lastly I would have liked a second USB socket fitting at the other side of the bed but at a cost quoted of £270 I decided against it as it was not needed and there were ample other sockets in the rest of the van Now Sharon has decided she wants to try the slightly longer side of the 2 beds there is no power for her USB fan so I got a braided USB extension cable and some sticky ties for a few quid and ran it around the back of the cupboards out of general sight from inside. Her clip on fan just fits perfectly too on the side window frame. I hope I can manage the shorter bed

Well that’s all for now, getting close to the shade time for washing the van

 

[Secrethills]

Hi Royandsharont

Another Adria 640SLB van owner here. We ordered it in October 2020 for delivery in April 2021 and finally took delivery in September 2021. We are very pleased with our dark grey van with the 160 auto engine but have had a few teething problems. These include the door flyscreen coming off track, several plastic locker catches breaking (replaced by metal ones), the dpf needed replacing and, more seriously, a replacement alternator fittedunder warranty as it wouldn’t charge the battery. The lower rear mirrors are no good and the front window blinds don’t always stay up

However it is a great van with loads of space, very comfy permanent beds and so many cupboards and storage space. Like you we opted for the 84ltr fridge with hanging wardrobe and it’s fine for our needs. We like the layout and don’t miss a separate lounge and prefer to have permanent beds. And yes I have bumps on my head from packing the big under bed storage area

One area have problems with is the rear camera which came with one of the additional packs. The view is very over- exposed and it’s hard to distinguish anything if there is bright sunshine and it is also inaccurate in terms of van placing. The dealer has offered to fit a separate screen but I wonder if anybody else has experienced this problem and got the original camera and screen sorted

I also do t find the steering wheels intuitive and I’m still learning about the control panel

Bob

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[ontheroadagain]

We don’t have a PVC but the rear camera on our Adria Compact has the same problem. Over exposed and a very narrow field of view.

 

[Secrethills]

Thanks for your reply. My dealer seems to think it is an Adria rather than Fiat problem. My little 7 year old Fiat Berlingo has a brilliant camera so it’s about time Adria sorted out their camera setup

 

[royandsharont]

Thanks for your information Secrethills I shall keep these in mind. So far I’ve found my camera fine, I thought mine was a Fiat fit.

I washed it today for the first time and was so impressed with the ease (apart from the roof) & finish I added an update to my ceramic coating review HERE if anyone is interested.

 

[Bobbydaisy]

Hi Royandsharont

Another Adria 640SLB van owner here. We ordered it in October 2020 for delivery in April 2021 and finally took delivery in September 2021. We are very pleased with our dark grey van with the 160 auto engine but have had a few teething problems. These include the door flyscreen coming off track, several plastic locker catches breaking (replaced by metal ones), the dpf needed replacing and, more seriously, a replacement alternator fittedunder warranty as it wouldn’t charge the battery. The lower rear mirrors are no good and the front window blinds don’t always stay up

However it is a great van with loads of space, very comfy permanent beds and so many cupboards and storage space. Like you we opted for the 84ltr fridge with hanging wardrobe and it’s fine for our needs. We like the layout and don’t miss a separate lounge and prefer to have permanent beds. And yes I have bumps on my head from packing the big under bed storage area

One area have problems with is the rear camera which came with one of the additional packs. The view is very over- exposed and it’s hard to distinguish anything if there is bright sunshine and it is also inaccurate in terms of van placing. The dealer has offered to fit a separate screen but I wonder if anybody else has experienced this problem and got the original camera and screen sorted

I also do t find the steering wheels intuitive and I’m still learning about the control panel

Bob

Bob, you say the DPF ? , the Diesel Particulate Filter? , needed to be replaced on a new van like this , that’s really unusual . Or do you mean just the faulty sensor issue that most Ducatos experience around 2k miles , usually the PMS ( particulate matter sensor) .

 

[Secrethills]

Sorry yes it was the sensor that was changed at around 2500 miles. A red warning light had been showing on the screen and the dealer explained what it was. I had it replaced at the same time as the alternator

Do other owners find their engine battery voltage drops when the engine is running? Mine is charged by B2B from a solar panel when at rest (and the sun is shining of course) and currently shows around 12.7v or more but when I drive the vehicle this can drop to 12.4v or less and I’m not sure if this is ok or indicates a fault with the battery which may have suffered damage by running low on charge when the alternator was faulty

Bob

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[Wireworld]

We have an Adria 640 SGX delivered in Sept 2021 like yours and most of your comments apply except our Fiat fitted reversing camera is fine. We had the PM sensor failure at2k miles and the fly screen mod but we have had no problem with battery charging. As it’s a smart alternator it may not charge unless there is a load demand so maybe try turning on the lights and look again.
Other than that you do eventually learn to duck in the right places most of the time.

 

[ontheroadagain]

This DPF pressure sensor problem has me worried.
Our motorhome is currently sitting at 2000 miles but we will be heading for France/Germany at the end of Aug and expect to do another 2000. Just hoping we don't have this problem when away. Does this fault put the engine into limp mode if you keep on driving?

 

[Wireworld]

Ours didn't and the garage said ok to keep driving as the sensors were on back order. The only drawback was that if something else had gone wrong we may not have known as the engine warning light stayed on until it was fixed. We did about 400 miles between the light coming on and it being fixed as we were away when the fault occurred but the part only took 2 weeks to source once we could get the van to the garage upon our return to verify the fault.

 

[berni109]

(Not trying to teach granny to suck eggs) the underbed storage area on a twin is enormous (it was on our old 2007 twin anyway and that was just a swb).
The best tip I got from a couple of european tourers on here was to get multiple big plastic storage boxes (different sizes) to fill the space and dedicate each box for a specific purpose. Much easier to pull a box out than have to grovel into the space and bang your head.

 

[Bobbydaisy]

This DPF pressure sensor problem has me worried.
Our motorhome is currently sitting at 2000 miles but we will be heading for France/Germany at the end of Aug and expect to do another 2000. Just hoping we don't have this problem when away. Does this fault put the engine into limp mode if you keep on driving?

No didn’t go into limp mode , was no problem to continue to drive , only done approx 150 miles from campsite to home then Fiat Professional garage to get it fixed.

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[Andy MacD]

The dealer has offered to fit a separate screen but I wonder if anybody else has experienced this problem and got the original camera and screen sorted

I have a wireless camera / screen and it works fine as a rear view camera and supplements the Fiat standard fit unit. Very little interference and powers from the usb socket at the back. While I’d like a hardwired rear view camera feeding a wire is just too much hassle.

 

[Andy MacD]

Schaudt Elektrobloc manual

Go to their website and you should be able to download a pdf copy, or pm me a photo of your unit and if it’s the same as mine I can email you the manual.

 

[Andy MacD]

several plastic locker catches breaking (replaced by metal ones)

Hi, is this the roof lockers, I have two which just pop open when driving and one very difficult to open. Which metal ones did you replace the Adria ones with?

 

[royandsharont]

Latest hiccup is the NDS sun controller does not appear to be working Nigel the after sales manager at Peter Roberts has pulled all the stops out to help so we can get away with peace of mind on Monday by arranging to fit a Truma controller on our way to Strathclyd. Great news

Just another thing I thought I would mention to those with clumsy fingers, like me, The latest Fiat remote key fob is so small and full of closely positioned buttons I have been catching them inadvertently in my pocket or around my neck, setting the alarm off! I’ve had them in a small single key size Faraday pouch I use for my car keys for the past few days and it means the signal cannot reach the van, what a bonus

 

[Secrethills]

Hi Andy MacD

In my van it is the boot lockers and the 2 cupboards below and to the rear of the fridge. The actual catches are fine but the little plastic strips in the cupboards break of easily. My dealer replaced them with metal ones. I did have a problem with a roof locker not always keeping shut but it is ok at present. The supporting strut in another roof locker fell apart but I found the bits and managed to put it back together

Bob

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