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Hi Kate, There appears to be some variation in the figures. I found the following figures for our 2007 Alphard, via the jltechno lookup: http://www.jltechno.com/en/alignment-data-lookup/40016/Toyota.html Alignment Data Lookup->Toyota->Alphard/Vellfire:H10 Series:MNH10W Alignment Specs Parameter MIN spec Standard spec MAX spec Front Total Toe -0.17 0.17 FL Toe -0.09 0.09 FR Toe -0.09 0.09 FL Camber -1.42 0.08 FR Camber -1.42 0.08 Rear Total Toe -0.25 0.25 RL Toe -0.13 0.13 RR Toe -0.13 0.13 RL Camber -2 -1 RR Camber -2 -1 Left Caster 1.67 3.17 Right Caster 1.67 3.17 Left SAI N/A N/A Right SAI 0 0 To complicate matters, our wheel alignment specialist found alternative figures for 2002-07 Alphard, after searching Japanese data. They're a more extensive set of figures, but for some values the tolerance range is narrower than the figures above: Toyota->Alphard H10 Series:MNH10W Wheel Alignment Specification Parameter Minimum Maximum Front Total Toe -0.10 +0.10 FL Toe -0.05 +0.05 FR Toe -0.05 +0.05 FL Camber -1.25 +0.05 FR Camber -1.25 +0.05 FL Caster +1.40 +3.10 FR Caster +1.40 +3.10 FL SAI +10.05 +11.35 FR SAI +10.05 +11.35 FL Included Angle FR Included Angle Front Cross Camber +8.40 +8.40 -0.45 +11.40 +11.40 +0.45 Front Cross Caster -0.45 +0.45 Rear Total Toe -0.15 +0.15 RL Toe -0.08 +0.08 RR Toe -0.08 +0.08 RL Camber -2.0 -1.0 RR Camber -2.0 -1.0 We chose to go with the figures that had less tolerance, on the basis that we'd be conforming with both sets of figures. Worth noting, whilst the rear values are quoted, there's no adjustment because the rear axle is fixed. However, it could prove a useful check to see if the alignment is correct for the whole vehicle (we found ours wasn't,due to a poorly assembled wheel bearing retainer - 2 of the 4 nuts were missing so the leading edge of the wheel was facing slightly outwards...)

Hi Wayne, We got ours (used for a bike rack) from PCT Automotive in Sheffield [0114 251 1000] - their model no. for Alphard 2002-07 is TY3565. It may not be the same tow bar model if your Alphard is a different year, but you could contact them to see.

Hi Dragondrummer, Our 2007 Alphard was pulling left regardless of road camber. 4-wheel alignment showed Nearside rear (NSR) toe was 0˚05' [OK] but offside rear (OSR) toe was -0˚38' [definitely not OK]. There was no play in the rear bushes and everything looked fine. As you know, the rear axle is fixed, so can’t be adjusted. In the end I discovered that the OSR toe-out was due to a poorly assembled wheel bearing retainer - 2 of the 4 nuts were missing (nowhere to be seen I was told by our mechanic, but not in the hub, where they would have been if they had worked loose / sheared off), so the leading edge of the wheel was facing slightly outwards; not enough to notice initially, but gradually getting worse! There had been no work on the wheel hubs since being imported, so it seems this was a longstanding problem inherited from the Japanese owner, or possibly even from leaving the factory. I don't know if this will be relevant to your situation, but it might be worth checking the rear wheel bearing retainers to see if they’re aligned/secured. Incidentally, as part of the process, I found two different sets of wheel alignment figures (take your pick…) http://www.jltechno.com/en/alignment_specs.php?brand=Toyota&ModelName=Alphard/Vellfire:H10 Series:MNH10W&ModelID=610365 Alignment Data Lookup->Toyota->Alphard/Vellfire:H10 Series:MNH10W Parameter MIN spec Standard spec MAX spec Front Total Toe -0.17 0.17 FL Toe -0.09 0.09 FR Toe -0.09 0.09 FL Camber -1.42 0.08 FR Camber -1.42 0.08 Rear Total Toe -0.25 0.25 RL Toe -0.13 0.13 RR Toe -0.13 0.13 RL Camber -2 -1 RR Camber -2 -1 Left Caster 1.67 3.17 Right Caster 1.67 3.17 Left SAI N/A N/A Right SAI 0 0 And from our 4-wheel alignment specialist: Toyota->Alphard H10 Series:MNH10W Wheel Alignment Specification Parameter Minimum Maximum Front Total Toe -0.10 +0.10 FL Toe -0.05 +0.05 FR Toe -0.05 +0.05 FL Camber -1.25 +0.05 FR Camber -1.25 +0.05 FL Caster +1.40 +3.10 FR Caster +1.40 +3.10 FL SAI +10.05 +11.35 FR SAI +10.05 +11.35 FL Included Angle FR Included Angle Front Cross Camber +8.40 +8.40 -0.45 +11.40 +11.40 +0.45 Front Cross Caster -0.45 +0.45 Rear Total Toe -0.15 +0.15 RL Toe -0.08 +0.08 RR Toe -0.08 +0.08 RL Camber -2.0 -1.0 RR Camber -2.0 -1.0 If you want to see, the complete thread is at https://uk.alphardclub.com/forums/topic/1041-pulling-left-rear-wheel-alignment-problem/#comment-7608

Hi pipsyp, Just to add, we replaced our rear wiper blade with a Bosch, No. 3 397 013 431 (400mm/16") - also known as an SP16

Hi all, Just to add, we replaced our rear wiper blade with a Bosch, No. 3 397 013 431 (400mm/16") - also known as an SP16

Hi Eamonn, Our tow bar was fitted professionally as part of the campervan conversion by Wellhouse, Barnsley. I notice that PCT Automotive provide fitting instructions on their website which you can download, so if you don't have a local Alphard expert I would guess that a garage that specialises in fitting towbars for any vehicle would be able to use these instructions. Good luck!

Hi Lorraine, Our split charge relay (SCR) is located at the back of the engine compartment (Durakool, far RH side in the photo). As you probably know already, the purpose is to split the charge from the alternator to the main starter battery and the leisure battery. The actual SCR can be quite small, it's likely to have 4-5 spade connectors, and hopefully you'll be able to find it by tracing cables from SCR to alternator and both batteries. We installed a second SCR to charge the starter battery over winter or other periods when not in use. A mains-EHU cable charges the leisure battery, and the second relay (a CBE CS2, LH side in photo) then tops up the starter battery when EHU is connected, but switches off when the leisure battery voltage drops (to avoid the leisure battery discharging totally in the event of a faulty starter battery). It uses the existing cabling between the two batteries, so the only new cabling required was under the bonnet next to the existing SCR. Very useful over winter, just plug the EHU in for a day once a week or so....

Hi Fab, Just as a precaution, it's worth noting that campervan conversions typically have mains electricity, gas and water, all in a relatively small space, and it's worth having an annual habitation check (rather than just gas) to ensure there are no problems/leaks, electrics are isolated/insulated, ventilation is OK, smoke/CO alarms are functional etc. Our insurers also stipulate that we have a fire extinguisher handy.... I guess some people may be able to do habitation checks themselves, but for peace of mind we've had our annual check done by our local garage/campervan hirer in Yorkshire - so not much help for you in South London I'm afraid!

Hi Kim, We also have a bike rack fitted to a towbar. We bought an Atera Strada Evo bike rack, which has a roller pull-out system, when unlatched the rack can be pulled away from the rear with the bikes still on to allow enough room to lift the tailgate. T'was a great find! I think there would be a problem with suspending bikes on the tailgate itself because of the additional weight, lifting it and keeping it held open.

Hi Gary, Just found your post from a few months ago. We have a Drivelodge roof for our Gen 1 Alphard, which was fitted as part of a full conversion. It's a simple manual pop-up, but works well. Drivelodge are based in Keighley, which of course is is nowhere near you, but they have a map on their website for UK fitters. Of course, you may have already found what you want...

Hi Michael, There appears to be some variation in the figures. I found the following figures for our 2007 Alphard, via the jltechno lookup: http://www.jltechno.com/en/alignment-data-lookup/40016/Toyota.html Alignment Data Lookup->Toyota->Alphard/Vellfire:H10 Series:MNH10W Alignment Specs Parameter MIN spec Standard spec MAX spec Front Total Toe -0.17 0.17 FL Toe -0.09 0.09 FR Toe -0.09 0.09 FL Camber -1.42 0.08 FR Camber -1.42 0.08 Rear Total Toe -0.25 0.25 RL Toe -0.13 0.13 RR Toe -0.13 0.13 RL Camber -2 -1 RR Camber -2 -1 Left Caster 1.67 3.17 Right Caster 1.67 3.17 Left SAI N/A N/A Right SAI 0 0 Firstly, these are different from the figures listed on the webpage that Picasso offered, and it may be that the variation relates to Malaysian data. To complicate matters, our wheel alignment specialist found alternative figures for 2002-07 Alphard, after searching Japanese data. They're a more extensive set of figures, but for some values the tolerance range is narrower than the figures above: Toyota->Alphard H10 Series:MNH10W Wheel Alignment Specification Parameter Minimum Maximum Front Total Toe -0.10 +0.10 FL Toe -0.05 +0.05 FR Toe -0.05 +0.05 FL Camber -1.25 +0.05 FR Camber -1.25 +0.05 FL Caster +1.40 +3.10 FR Caster +1.40 +3.10 FL SAI +10.05 +11.35 FR SAI +10.05 +11.35 FL Included Angle FR Included Angle Front Cross Camber +8.40 +8.40 -0.45 +11.40 +11.40 +0.45 Front Cross Caster -0.45 +0.45 Rear Total Toe -0.15 +0.15 RL Toe -0.08 +0.08 RR Toe -0.08 +0.08 RL Camber -2.0 -1.0 RR Camber -2.0 -1.0 So, we chose to go with the figures that had less tolerance, on the basis that we'd be conforming with both sets of figures. Worth noting, w hilst the rear values are quoted, there's no adjustment because the rear axle is fixed. However, it could prove a useful check to see if the alignment is correct for the whole vehicle (which we found ours wasn't, due to a poorly assembled wheel bearing retainer - 2 of the 4 nuts were missing so the leading edge of the wheel was facing slightly outwards...)

Sorry folks - you'll find eric140253's thread is listed in May 2022, not Oct 2021 when it started - I forgot the date is the last entry in the thread.... Also, our underseal was, of course, 'not too pricey', rather than 'procey' [fat finger to blame]

Hi Winter1, We've had our Alphard undersealed - not too procey and certainly gives peace of mind. There was a thread about this in Alphard Technical guides last year, which you may find useful - see eric140253 14 Oct 2021

Hi Dick, We also have LPG and use 2 options for the spare. When not pushed for space (e.g. shorter trips) the spare goes under the R&R bed; but we have a side conversion, so it's out of the way generally - which I guess wouldn't be so easy with a rear conversion. Alternatively we can put the spare on the (towbar-mounted) bike rack - 2 bikes & spare wheel on a 3-bike rack. We had to fabricate a steel clamp which has a bar on one side (to mimic a bike bar) and wheel bolts on t'other side (to mimic a hub). The spare then takes its place as the third bike; also rachet-strapped to eye-bolts (in place of the bike wheel wedges) as an extra precaution (not shown in photo...). Good for long trips - the only downside is that the spare has to be last on the rack, so not so easy to get the bikes on/off quickly. Incidentally, I'd recommend the Atera Strada Evo or DL bike racks - they have a roller pull-out system so, when unlatched, the rack can be pulled away from the rear with the bikes still on to allow enough room to lift the tailgate. T'was a great find!

Hi all, We run fully laden at around 2450kg, 2 people, gear, full LPG, 1/4 tank petrol & bikes on rear towbar rack - which feels OK for stability/braking etc. So the 3300kg GVW as an upper limit just gives peace of mind and, to be honest, I wasn't going to query the figures as they were above what we actually needed. Re engineers, we tried SVTech, but they couldn't help because Alphards weren't in their dataset, then contacted John Ruffles at JRC Consultancy (based in Bury St Edmunds). Uprated rear springs were made by Springcoil in Sheffield. Process took a while, started before but then ran into the pandemic period...

So, we were looking for uprating to 2500kg GVW, with an absolute max of 2650kg. We agreed the calculations for the upgraded springs, but for some reason the engineer authorised a final GVW of 3300kg - way above our requirements!

Gareth - An extra 10kg? – that’s almost a fifth of a person, so we probably need to be grateful! To answer your question though - I didn’t know about the potential weight issue until after campervan conversion. I put our converted Alphard on a weighbridge, front first, then fully, to calculate the separate unladen/laden front/rear axle weights. Campervan furniture added just short of 300kg to the original unladen vehicle weight, although a proportion of that increase was due to the LPG tank that we also added as part of fuel conversion. After conversion, the overall unladen weight distribution front/rear was 50:50 (compared to heavier front end unladen for the original vehicle) – so the conversion loaded almost entirely on the rear axle, as you would expect. On import, ours was registered with DVLA with the original Japanese GVW from the export certificate (although I understand that, as it was registered in the Motor Caravan/PLG category, there was no actual requirement to list a revenue weight/GVW if under 3500kg – don’t know why…). So, faced with the possibility of overloading, we asked an engineer to assess it, who specified upgraded rear coil springs, and then submitted the new (increased) GVW figure from his assessment to DVLA to modify the V5C certificate. So that helped address the payload question, but all in all it was a palarver! There’s an interesting post on another forum that explains the opaque differences between weight figures on the V5C: https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/revenue-weight.154170/

Hi Gareth, I can't address your general question, but the Japanese de-registration document for our Alphard Gen 1 (MS model, 7-seater, 2007) states unladen (kerb) weight 1870kg and gross weight 2255kg. So the difference between unladen & GVW is 385kg, suggesting that the calculation for average weight of a Japanese citizen is 55kg - considerably less than the average UK bod I imagine, but consistent with your 440kg figure for an 8-seater. Weight distribution unladen was 1070kg front / 800kg rear. Ours was converted to a campervan on import and I was concerned at the time that the fixed furniture etc. would take the new unladen weight too close to the GVW.

Hi Jr86, Yes, one filler for both LPG fuel tank and Gaslow bottle. We had a separate manual valve fitted to the inlet to the Gaslow bottle (located alongside existing outlet valve at top of gas cupboard for easy access), which needs to be closed after filling to ensure that the two parts of the system are then isolated from each other when in use. I gather that autogas in the UK is propane, which gasses at a lower temperature than the Butane used in our original Camping Gaz bottles - so a potential bonus for winter camping... From memory, Gaslow bottle and T-off/valve fitting by our local LPG guy cost under £300 overall, so, even though autogas is significantly cheaper than camping gaz (approx 1/8 of the cost currently?), it'll still be a while before we break-even on cost - unless we increase our cooking a lot! However, there's a real advantage in taking away a full Gaslow bottle each trip, rather than faffing about with partially-full Camping Gaz bottles and having to check access to refills when on the road. If needs be, we can also use gas an an alternative for evening heating if no EHU.

Hi all, I received a response from Toyota GB Legal & Compliance department, confirming that the Airbag recall for our Alphard was completed in 2016 prior to export. So.... good news for us! By way of an update for anyone wanting to follow up their own vehicle recall history: 1. The toyota.co.jp/recall-search is still operational, to check by frame no. 2. A CarVX report may be useful for confirming the Toyota Japan result, but cannot be relied upon (as in my case) to be accurate. 3. If there's a discrepancy, I wouldn't bother with Toyota GB customer relations ('chocolate' and 'fireguard' are the words that spring to mind), however Toyota Legal & Compliance department are both helpful & efficient (coc@toyota.co.uk and Emma Lione is still the Vehicle Certification Administrator) Incidentally, my CarVX report indicated in the title page summary that there was a problem of contamination risk. Further in the report, however, it showed that the vehicle had been used in a contaminated region (Fukushima, Miyagi, Ibaraki or Tochigi), but had passed the mandatory radioactive contamination test prior to export. So, maybe the CarVX headlines need a bit of interpretation rather than being taken at face value....

Thanks Steve - into pester-mode I shall go!

Hi Neil, Our converter (Wellhouse) fitted a Thule Omnistor 4900 wind-out awning alongside the pop-top. Not sure if the brackets were standard or customised for the roof slope - you may be able to see from the photo. Incidentally, I've taken to referring to it as a 'canopy' rather than awning, which more people now call the drive-away tent structure fixed to the side - can make a difference where campsites charge extra for awnings..... In terms of use, we've found that extending it only part-way out is useful for shelter from rain when side door is open, and robust enough to hang wet gear etc., but fully extended it just needs more attention to manage flapping / pooling with water. Also, setting the rear leg slightly shorter than the front leg gives a rain run-off. Not had sufficient sun on a windless day yet to need it fully extended for shade! We can still dream...

Hi Steve and all, Steve, did you get anywhere with resolving the differences in your reports? By way of update, I e-mailed both Toyota Japan & GB to query the inconsistencies between the toyota.co.jp/recall-search result and the CarVX report for our Alphard. The Japan e-mail address (ap-overseas@mail.toyota.co.jp) no longer appears to be operational (as I see GavinM said some while back….) I had a very friendly, but unhelpful, response from Toyota GB Customer Relations (cr@toyota.co.uk), which said: "The only contact details we have for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan is an address for you to write to, or a contact telephone number, they do not have an email address. These are as follows: Head Office1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-8571, Japan . Phone: +81-565-28-2121" Toyota GB do not have e-mail addresses for Toyota Japan! It’s hard to believe there's no way of contacting the department which deals with compliance issues at Toyota Japan and, if I ring, it's difficult to imagine successfully getting through to the right department from a general switchboard number; given the added language barrier. I guess my next step will be to try the Toyota GB legal & compliance department – unless any fine and knowledgeable forum members have an up-to-date japanese e-mail address….

Hi all, I’ve accessed the toyota.co.jp/recall-search for our Alphard, which (when translated from Japanese) appears to show that the two airbag recalls in 2015 were addressed. However, the CarVX report flags up a recall problem - it lists both airbag recalls, but gives no details about whether either/both were addressed, except to state generally ‘problem found’. Has anyone else had conflicting info from their reports? Also, neither the toyota.co.jp/recall-search nor the CarVX report mentioned the 2010 Fuel Pump & Brake Fluid/Servo recall. Curious…. Here’s the info from the reports: toyota.co.jp/recall-search No. Details Notification date (start date) Implementation status 1 Recall of TOYOTA Takata airbags November 25, 2015 Notification completed 2 Recall of TOYOTA Takata airbags June 25, 2015 Notification completed CarVX Report Manufacturer recall: Problem found MANUFACTURER RECALL HISTORY HISTORY Date reported Data source Affected part Details 2015-06-25 MLIT Airbag In the passenger seat one-stage deployment control type air bag inflator (expansion device), but the cause is not known, since there is a possibility that the inflator container may be damaged at the time of air bag deployment, as all vehicles a precautionary measure, the inflator Exchange. 2015-11-25 MLIT Airbag In the inflator (inflator) of the one-step deployment control type airbag for the front passenger's seat, the inflator container may be broken when the airbag is deployed, causing fire and fire and injury to the occupant.

Hi Chris, We got ours (used for a bike rack) from PCT Automotive in Sheffield [0114 251 1000] - their model no. for Alphard 2002-07 was TY3565 (but check to be sure...).