Preparation for motorhome touring

SOG Cassette Toilet Unit fitted

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As we continue preparing the motorhome for our travels, in September 2017 I bought a brand new SOG unit from eBay for £112 including P&P saving £10

Our cassette toilet is a Thetford C200.

SOG charcoal filter cover

The SOG unit does not require any chemical toilet fluids like Aqua Kem Blue and Pink toilet flush, therefore a SOG unit will pay for itself because you don’t have to buy any chemical fluids.

It operates when you open the cassette toilet blade inside the bathroom, this action powers the small extractor fan, 12 volts, and draws the smell and oxygen through the flexi hose to the charcoal filter fixed to the outside. This action also breaks down the solids naturally. The valve ensures the smells are pushed outside and not back inside the van.

Benefits are:

  • chemicals are not used so therefore this environmentally friendly
  • no further costs, i.e. no need to purchase chemical fluids
  • easy enough to install if you take your time
  • the cassette toilet can be emptied in both chemical disposal points on camp sites and in standard toilets (please clean up though and keep motorhomers reputations intact)
  • no requirement for special toilet tissue paper, continue to use normal toilet tissue paper

Of course we all make our own choices but we are pleased with the SOG unit.

Installation and fitting I did myself and took about an 90 minutes, the instructions are comprehensive with photos.

I did the wiring first, no drilling yet, joined the spade connections and tested to ensure the unit works before fitting. All ok, now;

  • Remove the toilet blade mechanism, 4 screws, approached through the outside cassette door.
  • Next was to carefully saw, cut and sand the plastic blade part as per the instructions.
  • Now put this back in to the same position it came from.
  • Place the metal bracket with the micro switch in position, flick the switch with your finger ensuring it’s still working correctly.
  • Mark the position for the metal bracket, drill a 5mm hole through the toilet plastic white casing, it will go through in to the bathroom, this is normal.
  • Now inside the bathroom push the plastic pop rivet through the hole to meet the pre-drilled hole in the metal bracket, there are self sticky pads on the metal bracket as well to hold it in a permanent position.

The scary bit now, with a hole saw (20mm I think) drill a hole in the white plastic outside cassette door. Fix the fan using 4 screws to the inside of the door pushing the fan neck in to the new hole, connect the wires together, gently push the black flexi hose on the green plastic neck on the cassette and the other end of the pipe on the fan.

Fitted and working

Test the closing & opening of the door, flick the blade switch with your finger to test, then pop inside the van and test the blade mechanism, all working? perfect!

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

4G Wifi Broadband in the motorhome

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Whilst reading the motor-homing blogs of fellow travelers in Europe access to wifi and broadband is often discussed with many suggestions and solutions. Of course you can use free wifi in shops, cafes,shopping malls, etc as you can here but we wanted; a use anytime, anywhere solution, particularly if we were wild camping and we didn’t want to move off to find wifi.

We liked the look of the 4G mobile broadband – pack 2 from motorhome wifi, looked easy to use, very good reviews and good service. The owners, Adam and Sophie are young motorhomers, they started the business after traveling through Europe and struggling to find wifi and maintaining a suitable signal & connection on the road.

Although we decided on what which companies system to buy we weren’t in a rush to buy one yet.

At the Motorhome Show in February 2017 we saw Adam & Sophie at their stand, got chatting and we bought 4G mobile broadband (mifi) pack 2, I think we got a show discount of about £10, an extra £ SIM card and we saved on postage costs.The normal retail price is £299.99

Once home it was put away until Pogo came back from the repairers and we were ready to drill a hole in the roof!

When I was installing the 12 volt USB and running the 12 volt cables from the junction box a few weeks ago I also completed the 12 volt wiring for the mifi- wifi system, including an in-line 5 amp fuse. It was easy enough to do.

240v and 12v junction box, inside the wardrobe

The day to drill a hole in the roof came a few months later, I was concerned about drilling a 25mm hole through the roof though! I had considered removing the roof mounted Sat TV dish and using that roof hole instead, but upon reflection it might cause other problems. There is only one way, I will have to drill a hole!

I must have measured the spot at least 10 times both inside and outside on the roof for a couple of days beforehand, I stood in the bedroom looking down on the roof, I was up the ladders as well. You only get one chance to do this properly so I have to get it right first time.

The mifi (motor-home-wifi) fitting instructions said to ensure there was a 20cm radius from the hole for the roof mount antennae to receive the strongest signal, I thought it might be too close to Sat TV dish and the bathroom skylight, after more time measuring I decided it would be okay.

A week later, here goes then, it is a dry warm day and will be for a day or two, picked up the aluminium base plate, held it up in position in the wardrobe, marked it, got the drill and drilled a 5mm pilot hole (not the hole saw pilot) upwards from inside the wardrobe, stopped once through. I go outside and up the ladders, heart beating fast, hoping all is ok on the roof and I haven’t cocked it up! Ahhh it looks okay and has come out in the right place where I had hoped it would come through! Down the ladders grabbed the drill, put the hole saw in the drill, up the ladders and drilled downwards slowly but on a very high speed, stopping about half way through, it’s advisable to stop and check the hole ensuring there are no wires running through the roof cavity near by, now inside the wardrobe and drill upwards with the hole saw, pop! I am through and I can see the blue sky! (forgot to take photos!)

Clean the roof around the hole in preparation of sticking the antennae in place, wires through the hole in to the wardrobe, through the hole in the aluminium plate. Peel the backing tape off the roof antennae and stick it down on the roof, back inside, screw the plate on the threaded shaft, tighten up. Check the roof and seal, looks okay, now connect everything up, sim in and test……. bingo, it’s working perfectly.

4G wifi in the wardrobe

Jason from Our Tour has a video of his installation on you tube here.

It’s a great piece of kit, can’t wait to use it in Europe, we have used it in the UK and it works brilliantly.

Dave

Radio Speakers – one has blown!

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The new PURE radio works a treat but we have found that one of the speakers is damaged! Now we have got to buy new speakers, we need – 4 ohm & 40 watts minimum.

That is straight forward enough we thought, we go on-line to buy replacements, it can’t be that hard can it? Well it proved to be a little more difficult that expected.

Most new radio speakers at the retailers are oval shape and hardly any are circular, also the ones in the motorhome have a large diameter of 9″

spkr9

How big are they?

We didn’t want to adapt or change anything, we wanted to just buy speakers and put them in the same holes.

After a few searches without success we left it for a day or two. I tried to find the exact same brand of speakers, Welltech model 20363, 4 ohm and 120 watts, I saw some in Europe via eBay, also did a search for the company Welltech, based in Germany hoping to source some from them.

spkr2

I was looking and searching again a week later and found a set of brand new speakers by Welltech, they were exactly the same model, complete with sub woofers, never used & still in the box. The seller was in Chester with reasonable postage, I clicked the checkout button immediately and I felt very pleased with myself.

spkrnew

Very pleased with myself!

Fitting was is easy, 4 screws, used the same electrical connections, it’s a great sound and a great result!

Dave & Cathy

 

 

 

 

Heki roof-light & roof rail repair

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Pogo has a Heki roof-light over the double bed, we suspected that there might be a small drip after I removed the frame to fix the roller blinds. The roller blinds needed tightening up so they run smoother back to the closed position.

I removed the trim easily enough, 4 screws, slowly lowered the frame and this is what we saw.

heki drip2

Well I need to fix that!

Removed some more trim, stood on the bed and took the grey smoke roof light off. It was held on by two plastic removable clips.

heki

Stripped back, canopy & shelving

heki drip1

Where is that coming from?

Popped my head through the wider opening so I can work on the roof from the outside.

sky drip2

Close up shot

I spent the next 3 hours removing the black sealant outside, the wrong type of sealant might been used previously. I need a very clean surface to apply the correct sealant to.

IMG_1649

Took ages to remove this black gunk, used white spirit and a pan scrub

Advice taken from the Motorhome Fun forums reference the correct type of sealant to use, recommendations were Sikaflex EBT from Screwfix and W4 Mastic Sealing Strip available widely from caravan accessory shops in different size widths.

Just took my time, thoroughly cleaned it all off, applied the W4 tape, and place the outside frame on top of the tape, fastened the frame up from the inside so it squeezed both the inside and outside together to form a tight, perfect seal. Then I used the Sikaflex EBT to seal the frame to the roof on the outside.

It looks good hopefully it has cured the problem.

On one of our outings we checked the repair I had done and it seems there is a very small amount of water seeping in and settling inside the roof light frame once again and some towards the front sloping headlining.

Once we got home we decided to water test the front roof rail by spraying water on the roof rail and testing the inside.

water test

Water testing in the rain!

 

The roof rail might not be water tight, I’ll have another look in the dry weather.

Next steps were to remove the black plastic weather strip and check it properly. I stand on the bed and put my body through the roof light so I can work on the rail.

rubber strip

Clean up and reseal required!

I am doing another cleaning up and old sealant removal on the rubber plastic strip and the metal rail, it took a few hours, but cleaning it thoroughly is the only way to provide a good clean seal.

During the cleaning and a very close inspection I think that water is creeping in through this hole, it looks like another screw has been used next to the original hole.

culprit1

Could this be the problem?

I find two holes like this, hopefully this is the problem and I can now make a permanent repair.

Taking my time I clean it all back including the rubber strip, let it dry off, applied  Sikaflex EBT and filled the whole rail from left to right all the way across, pushed the black rubber strip down back in place and sealed that as well.

clened up

Cleaned up ready for fresh sealant

 

Let it dry off for a few days, completed a water hose pipe test once more, fingers crossed, a close inspection inside and no signs of water ingress, breathe a sigh of relief as it looks like it has cured the problem.

Our perseverance has paid off!

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Water system in Pogo isn’t working!

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Here we are at Cathy’s sisters house in Oxfordshire, parked up on their drive for a family visit and party.

We go straight inside to greet everybody and after a few hours I go back to the van to set it up for the night, we are sleeping in it.

Now I discover the water system isn’t working, no flow of water, no pressure and I can’t  fill the Truma hot water heater. It is not essential for tonight but it is annoying all the same though, we put the EHU (electric hook up) on.

I’ll look at it again tomorrow.

Please look here at our Weymouth trip to continue with the story.

Dave

Whale Water Pressure Switch

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We knew there was a problem with the low pressure in the water system, the toilet flush was weak, the kitchen sink taps and shower head flowed slowly.

When the mobile repairer came to fix the list of jobs including the badly wired 240 volt electric socket, the above problems were on the list to remedy (August 2017)

He discovered the micro switch in the shower tap was faulty and has to be replaced, circa £30, whilst we considered what he had told us, he mentioned that if the other tap micro switches fail it will be £30 each time, there are two kitchen and two bathroom taps with micro switches.

Whilst Cathy and I talked about this latest problem, the repairer suggest that we could fit an in-line Whale water pressure switch, the benefit being that even if the other tap micro switches fail later on, the pressure in the water system would remain the same and continue to work as normal.

Well that’s it then, lets fit the in-line pressure switch and eliminate any potential problem further on, how much will it be ? £35 including fitting came the reply, ok please do that then.

The repairer cut the water pipe close to the water pump outlet, amended the wiring and installed the pressure switch.

pressure6

Whale Water Pressure Switch

In our outing to Oswestry in October 2017, we felt there was a difference but only slightly in the water pressure and flow. It was reassuring though that any potential problems with micro switches will not affect the water system.

Dave

 

Sat Nav – Garmin Camper 760 LMT- D

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Well we need a good Sat Nav for our journeys in the UK & Europe, one that works using specific vehicles dimensions, height, weight, and width and this Garmin model fits the bill.

garmin

£259.50 from Ebay

Bought this one from eBay, brand new still in the box, never been used for £259.50 including P & P in July 2017.

rev cam sat nav

A large colour 7″ screen, Cathy can see it from her seat easily enough as well!

When you exceed the speed limit the mph display turns red, mobile speed trap warnings, displays motorways lanes you should be in, especially useful where motorways merge across 4 or 5 lanes. Plus it is pre-loaded with ACSI camp sites data base.

It is positioned close the reversing camera, we are pleased with it so far.

Dave

 

 

 

Starter battery replaced

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It transpires that the starter battery needs replacing, it’s not holding enough charge to start the engine, we did a few tests and yes we need a new one (October 2017).

Go on the PC to source a suitable replacement battery, again we went on the Motorhome Fun forums, lots of advice, tips, prices, technical info and best places to buy.

Popped the bonnet to get the specifications of the old battery, jotted them down and back to the computer to purchase a new starter battery.

Current Battery Info & Dimensions

355mm length

175mm width

190mm height

90 Ah

C.C.A. = 800 (Cold Cranking Amps)

Unusually there wasn’t a date stamp on the battery.

Whilst researching and checking out prices and suppliers I saw a comment about the terminal layout on the battery, urmm what does that mean exactly? A bit more checking and I need the terminal layout to be RH+ (right hand positive).

Ok, this is the right one for us, Varta Silver Dynamic H3 600 402 083. The correct sizes & dimensions, with higher CCA at 830, 100Ah and with RH+ terminal.

I called Battery Megastore to confirm that it’s the correct battery, and their price was £113.95, back on eBay and the exact same battery from Battery Megastore – same company, was only £107.95 including free next day delivery. Saved £6!

varta battery

Fitting a new battery

It took me about 30 mins to fit, how I did it is here on Motorhome Fun

Another job done and I am pleased with myself!

Dave

 

12 volt USB & Cigarette Lighter Points & Switch

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We decided to fit a 12volt USB point near the dining table so we can we can be plugged in and charging whilst we use our mobile devices, iPads and other equipment.

I bought the parts from eBay and wired this in to the van 12 volt electrics myself including the switch and an in-line 3 amp fuse.

usb1

Conveniently there is a 12 volt junction box in the wardrobe, out with the multi meter checked the circuits, etc. I turned the 12 volts off at the control panel, wired the USB and switch together, tested it before fixing them in to the wood panel, it makes sense really.

The reason for turning the 12 volts off is that it prevents me blowing a fuse whilst working on it “live” and if a fuse blows it makes it easier to locate the problem.

It was relatively straightforward, I was a little nervous making holes in the van wood panel, but I just took my time.

The 240 volt socket in the photo was installed by the mobile repairer using CBE parts, it is handy there for our 2 kw electric heater when we are on sites with 240 volt hook up.

(PS  – ensure to use the correct cable flex for this type of circuitry 12 volts, purchased from Auto Electrical Supplies here part no.010723 @ 68 pence per metre)

A few months later I decided to install another 12 volt aux point this time a dual one with a cigarette lighter style and USB.

usb cig

Behind the passenger seat

We needed a 12 volt cigarette lighter charger point that runs off the leisure batteries fed by the roof mounted solar panels for our laptop, our portable Bose speaker and the other 12 volt equipment, we didn’t want to use the cigarette lighter point in the cab as it draws power from the vehicle battery. I mounted it in a discreet position, easy access and close enough not to over stretch the devices charging cables.

Dave

 

 

 

Dodgy 240v socket wiring

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The habitation report that was done on the motorhome in August 2016 noted that the 240v electric socket didn’t work when tested, so we knew it needed repairing. There were a few other jobs that needed to be done as well so we contacted a local mobile motorhome repairer.

P1120286

no earth!

The strange thing is that under the worktop there is a factory fitted 240v junction box, this meant it was an easy fix with discreet wiring that can’t be seen.

We are safe now and it’s another job done.

Dave