Broadway FB

groundhog wrote:OUr 120W solar panel does not keep batteries topped up during a UK winter when the van is parked for long periods, we live in an area which has the brightest light in the country but our batteries will still go flat. We previously owned a van which had 3x100w solar on the roof and that DID maintain the batteries though.

Hi groundhog

Yes mate this is another problem as I couldn't "plug into mains anymore" due to council banning me from plugging in outside our home after doing so for 8+ years!!! From what knowledgeable replies that answered this query about batteries not keeping charge in winter is something to do with using the Sargent EC 500 controller drawing too much current - as stated never ever had this problem on any other m/h owned!!

groundhog wrote:OUr 120W solar panel does not keep batteries topped up during a UK winter when the van is parked for long periods, we live in an area which has the brightest light in the country but our batteries will still go flat. We previously owned a van which had 3x100w solar on the roof and that DID maintain the batteries though.

I'm a bit baffled by that. Our motorhome lives in an outdoor secure storage unit when we're not using it. During the last three winters it has been parked up and static for the best part of 8 weeks at a time in a place that is not known for great sunlight. The solar panel has kept both our batteries charged between 13 and 14v.

I don't see much point pushing you for further reasons for getting rid but would be very interested to know what you've now gone for. You said at the beginning that you've part-exd, so new or used and what make/model. Stay with us and let us know a few months down the line how you've got on.

Askit wrote:

groundhog wrote:OUr 120W solar panel does not keep batteries topped up during a UK winter when the van is parked for long periods, we live in an area which has the brightest light in the country but our batteries will still go flat. We previously owned a van which had 3x100w solar on the roof and that DID maintain the batteries though.

I'm a bit baffled by that. Our motorhome lives in an outdoor secure storage unit when we're not using it. During the last three winters it has been parked up and static for the best part of 8 weeks at a time in a place that is not known for great sunlight. The solar panel has kept both our batteries charged between 13 and 14v.

Hi Tony

You are extremely lucky sir. Mine would go flat within few weeks to the extent the vehicle battery wouldn't charge sufficiently to start the thing and we have very good (almost sunny) weather during winter months. Peter very kindly posted kind instructions on how to (hopefully) overcome these problems this coming winter but we had such a brilliant offer on this m/h we couldn't refuse!! Only time will tell if we've made the right decision!!!?

Best wishes

Askit wrote:

groundhog wrote:OUr 120W solar panel does not keep batteries topped up during a UK winter when the van is parked for long periods, we live in an area which has the brightest light in the country but our batteries will still go flat. We previously owned a van which had 3x100w solar on the roof and that DID maintain the batteries though.

I'm a bit baffled by that. Our motorhome lives in an outdoor secure storage unit when we're not using it. During the last three winters it has been parked up and static for the best part of 8 weeks at a time in a place that is not known for great sunlight. The solar panel has kept both our batteries charged between 13 and 14v.

Cant throw a lot of light on that I am afraid.....

Leisure battery stays fine but engine battery doesn't. it was the same on our previous non A/S as well? It is fine in the Summer by the way!

If you have a dual controller you can change the ratio of charge that goes to each battery . Often they are set at 90:10 in favour of the leisure. Perhaps change it to 60:40 or even 50:50 when in storage.
If charge goes through Sargent system this may not be possible.

Thanks Paul
We just leave it on a timer plugged in to the mains so it gets an hour a day charge, seems to work like that.

Anyway, back to A/S quality being a load of tosh!......

Paulmold wrote:I don't see much point pushing you for further reasons for getting rid but would be very interested to know what you've now gone for. You said at the beginning that you've part-exd, so new or used and what make/model. Stay with us and let us know a few months down the line how you've got on.

Hi Paul

I just spent 20 mins replying to this but couldn't have hit the reply button so apologies if this double posts!!!

We had the most difficult and long decision to make - we wanted to keep to AS but couldn't find model/price near enough!!!

It was also more sensible to go Fiat as eldest daughter is class 1 licence/mot tester and technician for Fiat professional here on the Island so meaning any Fiat problems can soon be sorted!!!

A friend of ours purchased this make new three years ago and did have a few problems that were soon sorted and has ordered another new!! We have to wait until Sept for new reg and in fact can't pick ours up till 13th due to work commitments!!!!

To put you out of your misery/mystery we have purchased 2018 Auto Trail Tracker LB as it's the nearest we could find to give us probably 99.9% if not 100% - certainly on spec and testing/viewing. There I expect that's made you all gasp and call/think I'm a silly boy   

I thank you very much for inviting me to stay on this forum as you are all such a wonderful group - as long as I don't get a rollicking for talking about a different make!!!?   

Many thanks to all for replies/advice and help from such a knowledgeable kind group

See you all soon - hopefully!!!

I hope you had a look online about water ingress with Auto Trail Motorhomes, seems their nickname is " water trail".

I do hope they have sorted this problem on the 2018 range and wish you all the best with your new purchase.
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Richard

Same parent company now. Perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to criticise.

Paulmold wrote:Same parent company now. Perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to criticise.

Hopefully they'll have learnt a lot from AS then!! 

There must be an explanation for the solar generation differences as my broadway has a 100w panel and it kept my vehicle and habitation batteries at a constant 12.9 last winter without the need for a seperate charger. The van had only a 10 mile run each month to keep it ticking over and the alarm was constantly on. I have had many issues namely pumps (easily accessable Sureflow to replace submersible) new habitation door, leaking water, toilet leak, etc etc though to be fair AS has always been very helpful and has collected the van from home and returned it (90 mile round trip) and can you blame AS when all makes of van use Truma etc products which they do not manufacture themselves. My numerous problems seem to be sorted now, except the unsightly black mould on the mastic panel joins, so I am optimistic that I can enjoy less inconvenience.it remains to be seen but I love the thing and expecially when it is all working.

Sunbeampizza wrote:There must be an explanation for the solar generation differences as my broadway has a 100w panel and it kept my vehicle and habitation batteries at a constant 12.9 last winter without the need for a seperate charger.

I would guess that the explanation is that your van probably has an EC328 power system that is much more efficient off hookup in the winter then the later EC500.

Hi, my mom has a autotrail tracker, all be it an older one, 2009, and it's a very nice van, well made and only the odd small issues as with any van and my brother's van is a autotrail Cheyenne, also a very good van for age, only minor issues also , so I'm sure you will be very happy with it, hope there still made as well as there's are, haven't looked at any newer ones so can't comment on newer models

Matt

We very nearly bought the Trackers cheaper cousin, the Trigano Tribute 615. I now know the difference between budget and better quality. The Tribute had no pull-out or electric step. The under bed storage had only loose plywood beneath the seat cushion, no hinged access. There were other cheap construction methods which put us off. The Tracker is much better fitted out. What I do love about all Auto-trails though is the washroom. I hope Wightman will be happy with his Tracker and let's us know his opinion once he's had chance to use it.

We had an older Tracker from 06 to 12, and had only minor issues with it. On older vans the habitation door was notorious for faults, but otherwise it was well built and after six years everything still worked well, and it was damp free. The only reason we didn’t get another one was the increase in width and length which would make parking on our drive tricky. Agree too, the bathroom is nice.

Good luck with it Wightman.

Wightman wrote:

Paulmold wrote:Don't suppose you'd like to divulge which dealer you've dumped it on, so we can avoid it?

Hi Paulmold

I can say that it's at a dealer on the south coast (central), it would be unfair to name them as they may have difficulty to sell!!!

I'm was extremely happy with the AS but got sick of all the problems

Broadway FB for sale at Dolphin Motorhomes in Hampshire, interestingly IOW just across the Solent.

I’ve owned my Corinium fb for a full year, in that time I’ve had a number of faults.
Microwave over heating has been the main fault...it’s been changed by AS but it still over heats and trips out..this is in my opinion a genuine design fault.
The roof strips do come unstuck.
A few other minor faults.

However non of the faults has persuaded me to change the motorhome, and I’m my view that’s the point!

I’ve met several owners who absolutely loath the fact that faults arise and are not satisfied with the dealers approach or the effort it requires to get repairs carried out satisfactorily.

It’s not always about the faults, it’s often about the individuals approach to life!
Some have high if not unreasonably high expectations and that’s fair enough, after all they are a lot of money.

The sad truth is that our motorhomes are a compromise between low cost relatively speaking and quality expectations..
I’m not surprised at all that faults occur, in fact I know that some things will fail.
I’m not being defeatist or complacent but in perspective, non of the faults listed are major...just bloody irritating!
It’s how I choose to approach the faults I have with mine, if AS can’t fix them, I’m savvy enough to fix them myself and I have done on several occasions.
I love my Corinium, if it developed a major fault that threatens my safety or my enjoyment, I’d moan like billio I guess.

Ray

That Broadway at Dolphin looks suspiciously like my old van..............

In AS defence, we had the van for 3 years and covered over 22000 miles. Any faults or niggles were fixed promptly by me, AS or our dealer and I was very pleased with the response I got from AS every time I contacted them. They even posted a new water pump out to me in France that arrived in a couple of days.
The curling seam tapes were an ongoing problem, but the wind noise from the front roof light was not there when we had the van. Maybe the dealer we sold it to did something to cause it.
We had planned to keep the van for many years and only sold it to raise cash to help the ongoing refurbishment of our house in France.
I was sorry to hear of Wightmans problems with the van and his decision to sell, but if you aren’t happy with something, then keeping it would be silly if you can afford to replace it.
Anyway W, good luck with the new van, I hope it fulfills all your needs.

Gromit...in reply to your comment about Pilote forum....Ive just taken a decko....the vast majority is really old vans and the first page dates back to 2016 telling me there are not many issues at all or not many pilote owners.
And you are right about every van having issues, Ive had 9 now and oddly enough the two French ones were by far the best (ouch, that hurts)...I actually liked the AS Broadway regardless of its issues...I would go back to one if I had to..nice vans, and local dealer too lol

ajrm wrote:That Broadway at Dolphin looks suspiciously like my old van..............

In AS defence, we had the van for 3 years and covered over 22000 miles. Any faults or niggles were fixed promptly by me, AS or our dealer and I was very pleased with the response I got from AS every time I contacted them. They even posted a new water pump out to me in France that arrived in a couple of days.
The curling seam tapes were an ongoing problem, but the wind noise from the front roof light was not there when we had the van. Maybe the dealer we sold it to did something to cause it.
We had planned to keep the van for many years and only  sold it to raise cash to help the ongoing refurbishment of our house in France.
I was sorry to hear of Wightmans problems with the van and his decision to sell, but if you aren’t happy with something, then keeping it would be silly if you can afford to replace it.
Anyway W,  good luck with the new van, I hope it fulfills all your needs.

Hi Allan

"but the wind noise from the front roof light was not there when we had the van. Maybe the dealer we sold it to did something to cause it."


Funny someone else complained about wind noise from front skylight on theirs - can't see what the dealer could or would do to "put it there" - but we are talking John Cross here

It's all unfortunate that it came to what it did and I think that John Cross did a lot to put us off this van plus the travelling to get them to do anything and after they had supposedly "done it" we can honestly say nothing seemed to be improved on what they have supposedly repaired/fixed

We tried for two years "to live with the niggles" but when AS admit the problem with the seam tapes but can't appear to fix it - they tried twice on yours Allan - it was the final straw and enough was enough as they say - great shame but one has to move on from these situations

At least the new one when we collect won't have to go halfway across the country and then make you feel it was a complete and utter waste of a day + plus fuel etc!!!

Strange you've never gone for another AS Allan as you are now on a Swift aren't you?

Best wishes all

Paulmold wrote:Don't suppose you'd like to divulge which dealer you've dumped it on, so we can avoid it?

Hi Paul and everyone

Can I just put the record straight and say we've NOT "dumped it" on anyone.

The unit has beautiful bodywork and full working order, drives superbly and has full service history with no expense spared - if it required it, it got it!!

It was just not for us anymore 

Best wishes all

Wightman wrote:

Paulmold wrote:Don't suppose you'd like to divulge which dealer you've dumped it on, so we can avoid it?

Hi Paul and everyone

Can I just put the record straight and say we've NOT "dumped it" on anyone.

The unit has beautiful bodywork and full working order, drives superbly and has full service history with no expense spared - if it required it, it got it!!

It was just not for us anymore 

Best wishes all

So what's all the fuss about?

rgermain wrote:


So what's all the fuss about?

Hi rgermain

Not with you on this one mate

I've not made a fuss about anything except explain how very disappointed we've been with the Broadway and how there are (some people call them "niggles") that are fully known by AS but have chose to ignore them.

All this "talk" about how good their build quality is then I think a company of their size and reputation should have addressed these problems

They are or were (will it be the same now they are not AS on their own?) in the upper price league but I think they have not listened to their purchasers

Best wishes to all

Agree with Wight an to an extent but on balance my Broadway is top class quality spoiled only by persistently failing equipment such as Truma, Thetford etc. Perhaps AS should be insisting more on the manufacturers' reliability and robustness of their products. Surely this must affect all van and caravan producers who use them.That said one or two blatently obvious AS faults should have been sorted at the design stage. e.g.  Who would screw a towel hook into the back of a thin plywood bathroom door !! I still would not change the broadway and I know of several Swift, Auto Trail, etc owners who suffer the same problems.