Rojie

1 hour ago, Angel said:

Thank you, just need to sort out what essentials I’m going to need to equip the van for touring. Any advice from members would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure you will receive plenty of advice. That is what our community is all about.

Help and advice, and opinion !

Can you elaborate on the type of touring you expect to do.

That should help us all provide sensible advice

2 hours ago, PaulB said:

Hello,

 

I have recently bought a 2004 Alphard. I'm planning to do a diy coversion with a R&R bed and a side kitchen. Does anyone have any recomendations for companies that supply the beds or kitchen. From what I can see there is Funky Ram and Leisure Guys on ebay. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Paul

I believe Clearcut Campervan Design  in Barnstaple do flat pack units.

4 hours ago, Angel said:

Hi just thought I would introduce myself. I am just getting back into touring after the untimely passing of my wife. We toured in a caravan for 15 years but had to give it up due to my wife’s health issues. Here’s hoping to some good times in my newly acquired Alphard.

Hello Chris,

Welcome to the Forum.

So very sorry to hear about your late wife.

Acquiring an Alphie is a good choice.

May you enjoy many a mile in her and reminiscing about your 15 years of caravanning.

13 hours ago, Jackie298 said:

I cannot search my vehicle details 2012 Vellfire 2.4 on Halfords website for MOT?

 

May I ask if it is possible to do the MOT through Halfords?

 

or if there are any other recommendations?

 

thanks

Any MOT station should be able to test your vehicle.

Taking corrective action, should any be needed, is a different matter.

Many official Toyota dealers will not work on imported vehicles.

However some will, so it's worth checking your local dealer.

There are less expensive approaches though

Any garage that is competent, and experienced, working on Toyota vehicles would, ihmo, be a far better choice than Halfords (or Kwik Fit).

2 hours ago, Alasdair said:

Hi Larry - We are getting an 8 seater converted to a 7 seat day van so the seats fold flat to create the sleeping area. Due to pick  the van up next Saturday and have a weekend away booked for the 15th-16th April. Just wanting to have something to go on top of the seats and already have the topper. Inflatable sounds like a good idea as it folds away smaller too so will give that serious thought.

Hi Alasdair,

From the plan above, your bed looks very narrow. 

Great for one, rather tight for two !

Is that a kitchen sink / hob behind the passenger seat ?

I ask as they are normally fitted behind the driver's seat.

That way, ingress and egress is to the safer nearside !

8 minutes ago, Alphard Club said:

adrian flux £365 for the ANH20... 1st series they can be quite competitive, not so much for the 2nd series, it first came back at 700. But i told them that is unrealistic and the lady went off to get a better price and came back at 365 with a 400 excess... was 500 but negotiated that down. Excess is a bit higher than i normally have it so took out excess protect to pay the excess.

Yes, good point Steve.

As they are a broker, they should be open to a little haggling; as in your case

2 hours ago, Gilly said:

I didn't....Will try to work out how to get the them?!

As Alasdair says. The messages should be there waiting for you.

2 hours ago, Happy camper said:

Hi , I'm thinking of selling and wondered if anyone could advise what to ask for her , she done 84k which is just over 52thousand miles , it's in great condition I had a rear conversion but i   didn't want the cooker or sink , it could be easerly added , but I didn't want the condensation or cooking smells in her , I have lots of storage instead and the rear bed bit where you use the middle swivel seats 

 On the insurance its classed as a camper in conversion , its got English speaking and all the other conversion Jap to uk stuff , it's very reliable,  I'm selling due to a broken leg last spring , and lose of camping friend , I only used it I season before my fall , its as new the conversion , I've not been able to drive untill Jan 23 so not done much since last MO , I will but 12 months on it to sell , what do you guys think ? Thank you oh its compliant  in 6 of the 8 zones for ULEZ too 

Hello Pauline,

Welcome to the Forum.

You have correctly put this in the Buy and Sell area. Thank you.

However, please read the information you are required to provide to sell through this medium.

You should also include a reasonable number of photos, to enhance your chances of interest.

Please add the required information, and, hopefully, you will get some enquiries.

2 hours ago, Declan C said:

Hi All, my name's Declan and I'm about to take delivery of my 58 plate anh20 alphard. Can't wait! It's got the home theatre system and original head unit. I'm just wondering, how does the rear screen open up? Do you push a button on the head unit or is it a manual operation (I.E reach up and pull it open)? 

Sorry if that's a daft question, I searched and found the translated manual but couldn't see that basic step among the 400 or so pages! I also bought the translated owner manual from jpnz but that didn't really have any info on the entrainment system. Thanks in advance for any help! 

Hello Declan,

Welcome to the Forum.

The JPNZ Owners Manual is excellent, but, as you have discovered, it is pretty grim regarding 'in car entertainment'.

If you still have the OEM HDD system, try eightseater.blog.com, as he covers it in English very well.

3 hours ago, Alasdair said:

Just taken out insurance for our 2.4 Alphard. Me and my wife to drive fully comp and its £197. I know that insurance can vary immensely depending on where you live but very happy with the quotes that came through on a comparison website and chose Adrian Flux.

Wow. That is a good price.

Their quotes seem to vary wildly.

Just be a ware that Adrian Flux is a broker; you should enquire who the actual underwriter is and check them out.

7 hours ago, Ian Thomson said:

Can anyone recommend touch up paint for my 2006 Alphard ? The colour code is 042. I bought some from eBay but the colour is a hopeless match. Also any advice on actually repairing a fairly deep but small scratch.

Hi Ian,

Have you tried your local official Toyota dealer, or Toyota Direct ?

20 hours ago, Rojie said:

 

I have sent you a PM.

Hi Gill,

Did you receive my personal messages ?

6 hours ago, Gilly said:

Hi... Would the guy in Exeter be able to change the configuration of the seats/seat belts around.We would like two seats facing two seats with a collapsible table in between?

Thanks Gill

 

 

 

I have sent you a PM.

13 minutes ago, Tylersm90 said:

Thanks Roger,  I have the Laptop and WiFi in the van so as long as I have working internet I could stream TV.  I would only need to buy a DVD player for when there is no internet.  It's  real pain that modern laptops don't come with one!

 

 

Thanks for the reminder.

As a BT customer we have access to the BT WiFi Hotspots, although, actually, have never used any of them.

Something else for me to work on. Should be easy .

I bought a second PC just for the van. I use the older Dell XPS, very robust.

I have been thinking of a small sound bar, but storage on the move is a real issue as my dog takes up so much room.

23 hours ago, Gilly said:

Hi.

I have just bought an Alphard van. I would like some one to fit a rear kitchen and wondered if anyone had a recommendation. Thanks Gill

Hello Gilly,

Welcome to the Forum.

I can recommend a rear conversion specialist who does exemplary work, at reasonable cost. BUT

They are near Exeter !

If you need a 'must have' reason to use him I could send you (privately) a photo of my fully veneered Maple rear kitchen.

And, btw, some members believe you cannot cook 'indoors' with a rear kitchen. You can (but not a fried breakfast).

All you need is a EHU and a induction hob.

11 hours ago, Tylersm90 said:

I'd like to put a 22" TV with DVD (or projector & tuner) in my van.  I used to think Cello was the way to go but looking at reviews and alternatives now I'm not sure!

 

I have a side  conversion with pop top and go off grid most of the time, so power needs to come from the 12v cigar lighter.   I was looking at Sniper, Ferguson (Cello), Unispectra & Sharp - Avtex are much more expensive!

 

I have a Samsung currently but although it has a 12v cigar lighter adapter it eats juice - probably because it really wants 17v not 12v !   

 

Does any one have any real life recommendations - either to consider or discount?

 

Hi Nigel,

We use a 17" PC with DVD, and an attached HDD. The PC uses a cigarette power adapter running from our leisure battery.

I did look at Cello, but went with the HD PC that I already had. Plus, where do you store a delicate TV when travelling?

I was going to fit a TV gizmo to the PC, but, so far, haven't needed to.

My wife watches films mainly. News and directions we get from our phone.

The PC sits nicely on our rear kitchen and our rear facing Captains seats provide armchair luxury.

Sound is by Bose noise cancelling wireless headphones (benefit is I can read !).

As the van is, effectively, a Faraday cage, you will need a very good aerial.

Ideal for us. No installation hassle, easy portable storage with folding laptop. HD films, DVDs, etc'; and no aerial issues.

Food for thought, maybe.

On 3/15/2023 at 3:45 PM, kazarp said:

Hi I live in Devon, can you tell me who you used please.

Karen if you still need this service, the guy I can recommend will come to your house and program the keys and demo them.

2 hours ago, Alph-bard said:

Hello Roger, nice to meet you! 

 

I have no idea, could you let me know how I confirm that please? 

 

Cheers Dan 

You will have a separate fob for it. Just three buttons. Lock, unlock and tailgate.

The reason I ask is it can, when programmed through the head unit, perform all kinds of tricks with the locking system.

I was just wondering whether it has some bug or other malfunction; perhaps needing a new fob battery.

Doors can be programmed to lock after you drive off, etc.

Is your rear hatch electrically assisted?

On another line of thinking, I believe the rear hatch has obstruction detectors. perhaps there is a malfunction there.

I am just guessing, as no-one else (in my recollection) has reported such a situation  ! 

On 2/10/2023 at 1:15 PM, Eddie Dawson said:

Is it possible to change the language on the sat nav or is a new sat nav required and if so where can I get one

You don't need to change the head unit, if that's what you're considering, to use a Sat Nav.

There are phone apps or discrete Sat Nav units

50 minutes ago, The Menace said:

What oil, and quantity should I put in an automatic transmission for a 2003 2.4 litre Alphard. Thanks. 

Hello Nigel,

According to the JPNZ Owners Manual (highly recommended, available on ebay).

8.6 litres, Toyota Auto Fluid type T-IV

2 hours ago, jpiech said:

Hi everyone,

 

I'm curious about the changes made to the model with the 2012 facelift. I've been doing some research online, but I haven't been able to find a definitive list of updates.

 

I know that the Alphard/Vellfire underwent some cosmetic changes with the facelift, such as a new grille, redesigned headlights, and a revised bumper. However, I'm also interested in any changes that were made to the interior, technology, or mechanical features.

 

Also, are those changes worth looking for 2012 models or not?

 

Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide!

Hello Jarek,

Welcome to the Forum.

16 hours ago, Alph-bard said:

My goodness! I have been hearing more noise from the rear of my Mk1 this week. Like a window was open, and a rattle. The rattle was really irritating me, so I sat in the back while my wife drove. To my horror, the rear door unlocked by itself! I have tried this in a few conditions now. 

 

Static: I manually closed the rear door. Within 40 seconds it unlocked itself, to the point I could put my fingers behind the door and wobble. It appears to still be on the latch, but very concerning. 

 

I then tried it electronically, which closed the boot, locked it. Then unlocked it and the boot moved slightly, again leaving finger space so I could wobble the boot door. 

 

Slowly moving: both manually and electronically I closed the boot door. Jumped straight into the Alphard, Staithes engine and pulled off. I can get about 20 metres and the same result. The boot door unlocks. 

 

 

Disabled electronically assist doors: manually closed and then Jumped in Alphard. Locked all doors with the lock button inside the drivers door. 

 

I moved off, maybe drove 50 metres and the door unlocked itself again....

 

Any suggestions? 

 

Cheers Dan 

Hello Dan,

Do you have the Smart Lock System ?

On 6/23/2022 at 1:36 PM, Alphard Club said:

Someone went overboard on the bling.

Darth Vader's transport !

On 3/19/2023 at 9:39 AM, Karl C said:

I just tried asking ChatGPT, it says I need a 4D-67 transponder!

I was under the impression the 4D67 chip was introduced on the Gen 1 facelift, as was not 'fitted' to the early Gen 1 machines.

I expect Chris.ac can confirm, or refute, this.

10 hours ago, Gareth said:

I filled in their online enquiry form and got no response, that told me all I needed to know about them

i have a long term relationship with a different local garage who I will use as required

I visit mine personally. Drink their excellent Hot Chocolate, and normally get excellent service.

The only downside is that, as an official Toyota dealer, they are not cheap !

I will continue to recommend Snows, but not the Honiton branch (although, I suppose, your form may not have 'gone' to Honiton).