Kingham modifications

Given the ongoing interest in the Warwick Duo Modifications thread and the increasing number of Kingham Owners registered with the forum, I thought a similar thread may be of interest to us.

In addition to the Autosleeper Premium and Winter Packs already on the van, here's the modifications we've already made to our 2017 Reg Kingham:

-Replaced front REMIS roof-light with HEKI equivalent - forced on us when the winding mechanism failed and couldn't be repaired / replaced
-Removable Midge screen for the sliding door - made with no-see-um mesh and attaches with magnets
-Microwave and housing removed - the housing was coming away from adjacent cupboards anyway. The shelf above the microwave remains and the isolater switch has been replaced with a 3 pin, 230v socket. This opened up access to the sink and, more importantly, the view through the sliding door.
-Shower room extractor fan pull cord switch - fan does not now come on automatically with the light
-Tow bar - with vehicle specific electrics
-Rear door bike rack - Thule version
-Michelin Agilis Crossclimate tyres - all around
-Uprated / Replated to 4500kg - this was a paper exercise only

I'd also consider (none of these have been seriously researched / investigated yet):

-Replace standard radio with all singing, all dancing unit
-Kari-Tek High Lift rack - for carrying sea kayaks
-Spoiler for HEKI rooflight - it can be noisier at speed than the OEM unit
-Upgrade Solar Panel - from 80w to 100/120w
-Upgrade Leisure battery - currently Hankook marked as 105Ah

Tommy.

Our 2014 van started with the same Premium/Winter packs, we've added:

- Scooter Rack (custom by Bridgewater trailers)
- Additional 3pin socket between bed and fridge for TV
- Long arm TV mount to enable TV to swivel between rear(bed viewing) and lounge viewing
- Insect mesh on side door (magnets/bar hangar)
- Uprated to 4500Kg
- Moved extinguisher to side door pillar
- Telescopic rail for towels, etc in bathroom
- Roadpro Satdome
- Magazine rack by bed (on bathroom wall)
- Folding worktop extender

Possible future mods:

- Tyres (current originals nearing sell-by date!)
- upgrade to SurFlo water pump
- Rear storage box (when not carrying scooter)
- Modify heater vent feeds to improve heating in living area
- Improve insulation/covering metalwork particularly around side door
- Mod handbrake mount to improve clearance when rotating drivers seat

Nick

We are looking at buying a Kingham , i'm very surprised to read they can be uprated to 4500kg
My current MH could only be uprated to 3850kg ( based on the Ducatto )
What are the new allowed axle weights for 4500kg
Thanks

Only the rear axle sees the limit raised, by 200kg.

The XL chassis comes with Airtoppers at the rear and larger wheels, which allows the up-plate to 4500kg without any further modifications. Mine was a paper exercise only.

Super  glad to read this Kingham

Very interested in fitting a midge screen in our sliding door, do you have any photos?

Our Kingham is up-plated to 4250.

We also have the long arm TV mount, a Sat Dome, solar panel, tow bar with an Atera Strada bike rack that allows the back doors to open with our 2 electric bikes on the back.

Mirrorguard wingmiror protectors.

We had extra sockets added at end of sofa in cab end, and a hole in the vanity cupboard top to allow cables to come through from the sockets beneath, added sockets inside cupboard too.

We had a conventional water hose filler added as ours only came with the whale filler, so now we have both options.

Not a modification but I love my nest of Ingenio saucepans that store in the oven.

Husband brings Alexa and various remote control plugs with us so can switch on a fan/heater or the kettle from the bed!

Downsized from an 8.6m tag axle and would not go back!

Milliways wrote:Very interested in fitting a midge screen in our sliding door, do you have any photos?

See here. 

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Weegie wrote:

Milliways wrote:Very interested in fitting a midge screen in our sliding door, do you have any photos?

See here. 

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Weegie, 

I eventually got round to buying some black insect mesh and a set of magnets last week. My OH is actually sitting at the table as I type, finishing off sewing the magnets in to place 

Thank you, very clever and definitely worth a go.

Just seen your piccies - looks good in the black.

On my 2018 Kingham I've made the following modifications

- Moved the extinguisher to the side door pillar 
- Fitted the shower room extractor fan with a pull cord switch (on advice from Weegie) 
- Small home made box fitted next to bed on the offside external light access cover using the existing screws,  to hold a book, phone etc
- Magazine rack (elastic string type) on bathroom wall
- 2 TV mounts. One each side of wardrobe using common slide bracket which stays on TV. Still allows bed to be raised with TV in place.
- Home made shelf in cupboard under vanity mirror
- Removable wooden board bridging gap between the settee and drivers seat extending settee to make a single bed with aid of an infill cushion.  
- Boxed in the heating pipes under the bed with ply to protect them from being crushed
- Small ply partition fitted around the water pipes and pressure switch under the settee to protect them from damage.
- Fly screen for sliding door using extending sprung shower pole fitted across the metal sides of the door frame to hold black mesh, with magnets down two sides and lead rope to weight the bottom. The mesh came fitted with magnets from B&M bargains. Sewed 2 together. Mesh can be drawn back like a curtain. 
- Perspex panel to protect the rear window blind. Props on the door handle and cut around handle to stop it moving, held by Velcro at the top.
- Halfway door stop to sliding door. Small piece of angled metal screwed to bottom rail (same profile as end stop already fitted). 
- Awning winding handle relocated to the panel inside the rear doors along the bottom of the bed using existing brackets. 
- Sausage type draught excluders made from an old pillow to reduce cold air at the bottom of the sliding door and the side by the sink   

You might be interested the following repairs done under warranty:

- New water pump in the freshwater tank, in a better position to prevent air locks on refilling after drain down. Apparently a bit of pipe angled the wrong way causes the airlock. Got fed up of sucking on the kitchen tap or driving around on bumpy roads to release the airlocks!!  
- New pressure switch fitted. Unable to set the last one.
- Crushed small bore heating pipe replaced where it exits the bed base. Like that from new
- New bed base in grey GRP. The light brown leatherette was coming away on the original 
- New ratchet mechanisms fitted to the bed frame  
- Rattling sliding door blind fixed with adhesive pads
- Wobbling small table fixed by screwing the step together properly.
- Water dripping from vehicle cill when filling the fresh water tank with a hose was found to be due to the overflow inside the filler pipe not fitted correctly
- External aerial not working. Roof top one was fine. Found to be due to wrong connections behind the wardrobe. Apparently a "known" problem created by the factory. 
- Faulty front roof light winding mechanism replaced
- Fabric trim to window reveals re glued
- Second hand worn spare wheel was replaced by the dealer with a new one of same make. Pinched from another van I expect!
- Slow draining waste  "improved" not brilliant though, unless you fill the sink with water and then it vanishes in seconds!!  

Many of these repairs were sorted by Marquis but I had a much better response from the AS service centre at Willersey and we went there to get some of them sorted properly. The new Mark …. Alan and his workforce were very helpful. Unfortunately it seems AS are still not learning from their own mistakes and sloppy workmanship in the factory 
Tim.    
 
        

Improvements made to our 2021 Kingham and also to our previous Kingham

Up plated to 4000KG
Cat 1 Alarm
Double extension ballbearing runners to kitchen drawers including the pan drawer which had to be made 8mm narrower
Stay fitted to under sink flap
Gasit gauge moved next to control panel with a switch
Replaced cab cup holder with the older type locker
Dash cam
LED lighting strips behind pelmets
Fire extinguisher fitted to B pillar
Insulation to B pillars, cab steps, behind control panel and floor panel under table pole mount
Insulation to floor of cupboards (avoiding vents) and under carpet with foil insulation. Working on a draught excluder for sliding door
Extra pockets on o/s/r door, n/s pillar and bed side of wardrobe for phones, glasses, etc
Re-adjusted all the door catches to stop rattles
Removable swan neck towbar and electrics for thule bike rack
Extra USB point
Left the large free standing table in the loft, no more rattles!!
I made a larger table top to use in the cab, stored under the sofa for the last van, so far its still in the shed
Awning winder shortened and now fitted in overacab space
Bungee chords in most lockers
Custom made cup and plate holders
Smell traps fitted to washroom waste pipes
Painted door mirror covers
Reduced tyre pressures as per Continental's guide
Chrome wheel nut covers
Outside Shower
Spot reading lights in cab
Kitchen roll holder
Extra oven shelf
Mud flaps
In tube custom fire blanket holder fitted in over cab space
Fridge vent fans
Avtex TV
Wind Blocker curtain for side door
Halfway side door stop
Roof light with fan over bed, fitted by Auto-Sleepers
Switch for washroom fan fitted by Auto-Sleepers
Trigger shower head to save water
Soap dispenser
Boxed in the mass of water elbows under the sofa, rather prone to damage from stored items
Extra cupboard made over the toilet cassette hatch

Not very happy with Whale heating system, I have lagged all the ducting and boxed it in, added extra vents to o/s cab seat box and under table mount.
Performs better as there was a lot of heat loss under the van.Still considering swopping it out for the Truma Combi with the mods from previous van.

Warranty faults so far, front heki cracked, washroom light glows when switched off and faulty leisure battery.
A few other minor faults fixed by myself

Interesting that you have moved gasit gauge and added a switch. There has been a recent post questioning why it’s fitted to read only with ignition/engine on.
Do I assume correct that you have provided it with a switchable 12v supply and all works well?

I don't know why Auto-Sleepers fit the gas gauge so low on the dash. Gasit make a switched gauge (expensive) I moved mine next to the control panel together with a 12v switch from my electrical box. My gauge had spare cable under the drivers step, I then blanked off the live feed (engine running) extended the other 2 and ran them under the table mount floor and up the n/s B pillar. I then took a live feed from the over cab strip light to the new gas gauge switch. Wiring diagram on gasit web site. With the control panel switched on just switch on to read tank level.