Arthur

Hi Denis You could try Calder Campers. They used to rent campers (I don’t know whether they still do) but they do import / convert Alphards. We bought our 3.0 litre AWD Alphard with only 15k miles on the clock from them in February 2022 and have been very pleased with our purchase.

So… disconnected the negative terminal on the car battery and left for 15 minutes to ensure all capacitors drained. Reconnected, and left ignition in position 1 for another 15 minutes then started the engine and took the car for a 30 minute blast up the motorway. Got back and turned off. No alarm sounding. No idea what the alarm was nor original cause for the battery to drain but everything seems to be ok 🤞

Hi. The room lights were off when power was restored and I don’t have non-factory fitted driving lights. Something had drained the ignition battery entirely as nothing worked for about 20 minutes after I jump started and the charge level improved through the alternator. I have a battery condition meter in the camper conversion which showed that the ignition battery was on zero whilst the leisure battery was on max. We’d been to Anglesey and back twice the previous week so everything should have been tickety boo and I had a new battery fitted by Calder Campers when we got the vehicle 18 months ago. Whether the ‘alarm’ is being generated by the current drainer or whether there is something else causing the drain I don’t know but nothing had been accidentally left on. The car came with an after market ‘remote auto starter’ (20 page instruction booklet in Japanese 🤷‍♂️) which I have never used but is obviously still connected and whether this is the guilty party only the auto electrician will be able to tell me. I’ll check to see if the car starts today and update the forum with investigation results.

Went to start up our 2007 3.0 Alphie today but the battery was completely flat. ☹️ Thankfully the jump start pack which I’d purchased for such an eventuality worked impeccably. 👍However, there is now a beep, beep, beep, pause sound emanating from the right hand side of the driver’s footwell. The ‘alarm’ stops when the ignition is started but starts again as soon as the engine is turned off. I’ve had the car since February 2022 and have not encountered this problem previously (but the battery has never been flat before). Before I seek the services of an auto electrician can anyone advise whether they have encountered a similar problem or suggest what the problem maybe - something that needs to be reset perhaps following reconnection of a re charged battery? I’m hoping someone can prove just how smart our fellow forum members are.

Hi Mark. Depends what you want from your awning and how you plan to fix it to your vehicle. Plenty of posts on this forum if you search for awnings. Ours is a Vango Faros Airbeam which is an inflatable driveaway awning and is secured by a roofrail on a pop-top camper with side conversion.

Hi Think I picked up my AWD 3.0 2007 Alphie from Calder a week or two after you. They initially told me that the Pioneer wouldn’t work with the steering controls but after I pressed them on the subject they managed to work out how to do it. The camera was replaced but everything else works as it should.

Hi. You say you’re on a campsite so I’ve assumed your Alphard has been converted to a campervan. If so, I’ve also assumed it’s a side conversion. Our campervan has it’s water storage tank in a compartment above and to the rear of the driver’s side rear wheel. Check to see if any of the hoses have become detached or if the tank was full it hasn’t slopped over during the journey. At least the fuel tank is on the passenger side so it shouldn’t be that.

Hi Syl. The glued awning rail hasn’t moved since it was fitted last year. We’ve had the awning up 17 nights this year in all sorts of weather and it’s never given any cause for concern. We use a Vango Airbeam Faros II and it fits well. Haven’t experienced any problems with the sliding door rubbing against the awning roof either. Just about mastered re-connecting the awning after we’ve done ‘driveaway’ exploring.

Hi Syl. I note that you’re in Wigan (I’m on the Wirral). H L Campers in Liverpool glued a rail to my pop-top campervan for less than £100 and I’m sure they’d be happy to advise you on your options. They do a lot of work with Gaz Tech who are Alphard specialists based in Warrington.

You need to get a rail fitted. The pop-top may prove a hindrance but it can be overcome. Search the forum for ‘awnings’ - there’s plenty of postings.

The jack and associated tools should normally be found in the storage compartment above the nearside rear wheel near the tail lights.

That’s why its worth the time and trouble to research the importers and converters before buying. We got a 2007 3.0 AWD with only 15k miles on the clock and had the cambelt and water pump changed at the same time as conversion to a campervan. Calder Campers are more than 250 miles away from our home and we visited 3 times in all to oversee the purchase/conversion but think the effort was worthwhile.

Just changed all 4 tyres on my 3.0 AWD - cost £480 incl VAT. Went for Hankook 205/65 R16 107T. As I have had the full side conversion with pop-top I went for the higher load and speed rating. The originals were rated 95Q and the ride is definitely much firmer/tighter.

Think you’re offering a bargain there. My spare is 15 years old (no sign of deterioration) but I’ve been quoted £300 upwards for a replacement. You might want to hang on to it afterall.

Hi Stevo Hope you got fixed up with your tyres. I have a 2007 3.0 AWD which has been converted to a campervan. With the additional weight I’ve gone for Hankook 205/65 R16 107T. The car came with Yokohama winter tyres with a 95Q rating but I’ve found the new tyres give a much firmer/tighter ride. Incidentally, check your spare tyre. Mine is 15 years old but isn’t showing any signs of sidewall cracking or other deterioration and my local garage say that it would be extremely difficult to source a new one in the UK (it has a 60 psi). I’m hoping I don’t get a puncture and have to use it 🤔

Don’t know what happened with the photos but yes the rail is flat bottomed and is made of aluminium. There are 2 sections with a small cut-out for the base of the pop-top hinge mechanism.

Hi Peter. HL Campers fitted a rail to my pop-top Alphie. It’s not in the gutter but between that and the pop-top struts and is hidden from view when the top is down. Like Phillix, mine is bonded to the roof. IMG_7389.heic IMG_7388.heic IMG_7552.heic

We joined the Caravan and Motorhome Club primarily because our insurer offered an extra discount on premium if we were members of a ‘recognised’ club. Costs £59 per year but that pays for itself after 5 nights stay on Club sites (compared to non-member site fees). The monthly magazine also provides interesting insights into other members activities/trips/ recommended sites.

I have a 2007 3.0 litre Alphard and the passenger mirror tilts when I select reverse. I thought it was a standard ‘feature’ not a fault 🤷‍♂️

I’ve looked at the Wolfbox G850 which retails around £150 on Amazon as well as a system advertised in the Caravan Club magazine for approximately £650. There are certainly plenty of systems available but I was interested to know if any forum members had any direct experience of installing/operating such things. I’m leaning towards the rear camera connecting by wifi to the replacement mirror (clipped to the existing mirror) rather than hard wiring and it may be easier to use an integrated dash cam system. I’m not interested in getting satnav on the mirror as I’m quite happy using an old I-phone connected to my Panasonic head unit which gives me access to ‘Here We Go’ mapping.

I’ve been using the Vango Faros ll driveaway awning - no problems.

You could try Calder Campers in East Calder, Livingston. They import/convert Alphards.

I have a 2007 AWD Alphard with the standard rear view mirror and have been thinking about getting a rear facing exterior camera to improve backward visibility. I’m not interested in a rear facing dashcam ie I don’t need a recording facility but would like to improve rear visibility. Rather than look through the car interior I was thinking about getting a system where the interior mirror acts as a screen for the rear facing camera. Has anyone got any experience of retro fitting the Toyota Digital Interior Mirror or a similar system? What installation did you adopt (hardwire or wi-fi) and what were the costs involved?

The key already has the chip so it will work the ignition. As it doesn’t have any buttons it doesn’t operate the locks remotely and so there’s no programming involved.

If you only want a key that works the ignition/locks ie nothing remotely, then Timpsons can provide you with a chipped key from their own range - cost about £70.