Clutha

2 hours ago, Ben23 said:

I appreciate it, thanks.

I've never heard of doing that routinely. Doesn't it risk wearing your brakes faster as you're effectively accelerating before the brakes have fully released?

17 minutes ago, Ben23 said:

I appreciate it, thanks.

I've never heard of doing that routinely. Doesn't it risk wearing your brakes faster as you're effectively accelerating before the brakes have fully released?

It’s a bit like clutch & throttle balance on manual boxes.

TBH as soon vans in D and I’m pressing accelerator we’re off. For the split second between releasing brake and moving of I’ve never had the van roll back if the slope is mild.

I did go out practicing a lot on proper steep hill starts to get used to the ‘foot parking brake’

Spent a lot of time during HGV training doing this as instructor insisted we move off in 2nd gear 🤔

Probably I’ve never noticed creep due to changing to neutral when stopped & idling temporarily on the level.

Drummed into us in my youth to save fuel in a fluid flywheel auto box.

In our Alfie you can hear a slight change (drop) in idling revs going from N to D

I was very surprised after getting van & researching do’s & don’ts on line re auto boxes to read advice to stay in D, I never do when idling.

I’ve got an AH10, I’ll get back to you tomorrow after a check on the flat.
If I’m pulling away from stopped I usually have my (left) foot on the brake, select drive, accelerate away as I release brake.

Look what I found!

Quell embarrassment 🫢🫢🫢

Picasso,

reg SE52LDN, imported from Japan & converted by Direct Campers at Kilmarnock.

Gamith, thanks. Might be onto something, head unit is displaying two separate grey sections, never seen this before, maybe camera display.

On the right side switch panel behind steering wheel I have a few unmarked push switches, investigations under way 🤓

Thanks,

I’m sure I don’t have a front camera 🤔 But I seem to have what look like parking sensors front and back, up to now I’ve never had any audible from them.

Reversing camera works. 
Any idea where the front camera is?

Fiddling about with fog lamp switches (we’re having peasoupers up here) I now have a green lamp on instrument cluster that I’ve never seen before. Vehicle shape, two wee arrows at each front corner, translated handbook says they’re to do with ’hidden corners’ .

Anyone able to expand on what brings on green light? No audible noted.

Well done!

Mine jammed & I found a small lever on the bottom mechanism had jammed, a bit of silicon lube spray sorted it.

BTW WD40 is not a lubricant, it’s a water dispersant.

Water

Dispersant

40th formula

Buchanan on Cambuslang Rd Glasgow/Rutherglen were very professional when I used them for a car tow bar installation. (Some years ago)

campervanco.com In Denny are Alphard converters although recent reports say they’re pricey.

So, here we are safely moved from the wilds of Argyle & Bute to chilled out East Dunbartonshire.

10 mins along the road a garage was found for van MOT, passed with minor comments. 
Advised a Velfire in the area also frequents said garage, maybe a group will be formed!

New gaff a big improvement, excellent dry garaging for bikes & van fettling. Surrounding countryside a bikers joy.

Life is good 😎

Great choice, enjoy!

5 hours ago, Alex87 said:

Hi everyone,

As my Elgrand E51 got written off by insurance, I'm widening my views also for an Alphard, most probably a 10 series. 

 

Good luck, never been in an Elgrand, but our Alphard is streets ahead of our Mazda Bongo. (Apart from 4WD!)

Tape not a brilliant idea re amount of water deposited on rear door.

Our 2002 ‘G’ model has camera above yours on horizontal ledge above number plate, original Toyota set up I believe.

I’d try Halfords for new 3m double sided sticky pads in the meantime. The ones we had with our Viofo camera were very good although inside, but condensation never affected them (motorhome btw)

On 6/26/2024 at 9:19 AM, philip klein said:

Thanks for that kind regards.Phil.

A real gem of place did ours & highly recommended getting welded seams coated with a different product. It is very thick and they’ve found the best application method is fingers 😂 Too thick to brush on. It hardens and needs dry warmish weather at application.

I may have to wait a long time up here!

On 7/1/2024 at 9:04 AM, dezufo said:

change your tyres for car tyres, you won't see a range rover with C rated tyres and they are heavier than an Alphard, if you have a camper conversion then you could get XL rated tyres to reduce the roll on corners

https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk
This is the place that sorted my issue out. I’d been back to car supplier, powder coater (a body repair place expanding into wheel repair) and tyre supplier/fitter. All 3 had missed the tiny nail causing the issue. The size of the company that fixed it re branch numbers + the thorough explanation re heat transfer being affected & researched by BMW re wheel design convinced me they knew exactly what they were talking about.

Dumping, 😂

3 Alphies in the council recycling facility in Helensburgh today! 
(not to be recycled I might add)😂

Try an email to Gendan.co.uk

They got me sorted out with correct gear for a motorhome.

Slightly off subject but just found out where alloy wheels butt against hub they should not have any powder coating on them.

I’d taken car to an alloy wheel specialist on my 4th attempt to get the source of a very slow air leak checked out.

Initially the car supplier thought it was corrosion due to dissimilar balance weight metal and ground out area.

Anyway long story short, the excellent wheel specialist found a tiny nail lodged at an angle through the tyre. A body shop who now do powder coating as well covered the whole wheel.

Heat dissipation from brakes is inhibited if centre of inner side of wheel is coated, it should be masked off.

As my wheel is on rear I’m not overly worried, but I thought y’all should know! 😎

Our 2002 2.4 G picks up vibrations via tyres on slightly rough surfaces like Shellgrip.
When I first got it I thought it was from engine.

Our tyres are van spec rather than car and the strange thing is on a very rough tar & chip stretch frequently used they are quieter than our car.

Welcome MichaelS!

Come & join the many NL tourists in our glens 😉

Had same issue with car, ran it max speed for a bit and it cleared, suspect tree light debris had got in, noise at low speed was light.

Discussing with better half the (left foot) parking brake.

I’m encouraging her to drive our (automatic) van and sometimes getting tied in knots re explaining hill starts. 

Now we’ve had it over a year I feel comfortable with the procedure only getting occasional issues on mini roundabouts on steep hills 😂

Anyway my question is does this brake operate on two wheels & is it fronts?