New Fairfrord on the Fiat Ducato Automatic

Our Ducato has a smaller diesel tank than our previous Boxer but it has a larger AdBlue tank. I’ve no idea why and I don't have the capacity info to hand at the moment.

Tinwheeler wrote:Our Ducato has a smaller diesel tank than our previous Boxer but it has a larger AdBlue tank. I’ve no idea why and I don't have the capacity info to hand at the moment.

the diesel tanks are the same parts used as to the capacity you req but the adblue will be a fiat part on your ducato and the boxer has its own adblue system .I had read that some camper vans now have a smaller fuel tank

Sorry for the delay on updating this but I have today received the updated plate for my Fairford.  I just need to send off the DVLA to get my V5 updated and the £105 refund. The numbers for the van were 3500, 6000, 1960, 2000. This is in the standard plate order. The new plate is 4000 , blank, 1960, 2240.

So good for me with both drivers having C1 and we now have a 500kg extra payload. I'm not sure if this affects anything else like insurance but there have been no modifications made to the van as it was just a paper exercise. 

The dealer funded the change based on some of the suggestions made on this thread. 

Good result in the end. Van going to dealer on Friday to fix some other issues but hey it's a new van so normal practice eh?

Does the blank weight section mean you can not tow anything

Good result - especially getting the rear axle upgraded.  I've long wondered if this is possible given the air suspension on AS PVCs.

Strange that your towing ability has been removed though (that's the consequence of the blank).  I'd have expected that to remain the same at 6,000.

It would be great if AS offered the upgrade free (or nominal cost) across the range.  It could be an easy way of differentiating themselves from the competition - and make the most of the fact that the air suspension is standard fitment.

I will enquire about the blank train weight though it is my assumption that it remains at 6000Kg as I have been asked to not obscure or remove the old plate but add the new one nearby. It makes no sense that suddenly the train weight is now zero,

Dave posted....
"The numbers for the van were 3500, 6000, 1960, 2000. This is in the standard plate order. The new plate is 4000 , blank, 1960, 2240."


notwithstanding Daves 'result', having 'discovered' that the front axles on these Ducato MQ versions have been upplated to 1960kg (Tinwheeler's van has the same plate details) it begs a few questions...
firstly, it might have been useful for them to be delivered (perhaps at customers request) with a MTPLM of 3960kg (the sum of the two axles, in lieu of 3500) which is exactly what happens when a light van ends up at 3850kg (1850 + 2000). this would have given pretty much the same result...just a thought.


however, the front axle upplate (we dont know if this is just a plate change or any other spring uprate was used) must have been done for a reason...
the van has auto, aircon and other packs, therefore its heavier and will reduce payload..
so, was this a upplate result of discussions between Marquis, AS and Fiat specifically for the MQ? 
we know (posted earlier) the fiat vans used for ''std" (non MQ) AS Auto fitted XLWB versions have 1850kg front axles.
surely AS/Marquis understand why these MQ vans are configured and plated differently? 
so why didnt this enter the purchase conversation with Dave (tight payload on the MQ but potential option to upgrade) nor have they any 'option' for that 3960kg total, despite the two axle weighs already being stamped on the plate.
Dave has acheived a great outcome, but why such hard work?

daveandcarolewinwood wrote:Sorry for the delay on updating this but I have today received the updated plate for my Fairford.  I just need to send off the DVLA to get my V5 updated and the £105 refund. The numbers for the van were 3500, 6000, 1960, 2000. This is in the standard plate order. The new plate is 4000 , blank, 1960, 2240.

So good for me with both drivers having C1 and we now have a 500kg extra payload. I'm not sure if this affects anything else like insurance but there have been no modifications made to the van as it was just a paper exercise. 

The dealer funded the change based on some of the suggestions made on this thread. 

Good result in the end. Van going to dealer on Friday to fix some other issues but hey it's a new van so normal practice eh?

Who did the actual up rating , was it SV Tec or Autosleeper

Hi Chris,

The dealer organsed it with SV Tech. I don't think that AS were involved.

Dave

Thanks Dave, if you phone SV Tec they will let you know about the towing weight ,  they are really helpful

My thoughts are that the uprated front axle is possibly a Fiat alteration to cope with the extra weight of the auto g/box. I doubt it's got anything to do with AS and I’m pretty sure Marquis don't understand it, even if they've noticed.
 

yes, perfectly plausible...but i was wondering why the 'ordinary' AS auto vans (non MQ) dont have the same upgrade.
anyway, it was only curiosity...

@Daveandcarolewindwood. How did you get on with the towing weight being blank, I was just reading the Motorhome fun forum of someone who has had a full refund of there purchase as there was a blank towing weight which ment they could not tow there car ,this was on the converters vin plate not the van producers vin

FreelanderUK wrote:@Daveandcarolewindwood. How did you get on with the towing weight being blank, I was just reading the Motorhome fun forum of someone who has had a full refund of there purchase as there was a blank towing weight which ment they could not tow there car ,this was on the converters vin plate not the van producers vin

I must admit I haven't yet called SVtech - I don't intend towing - no tow bar currently and nothing to tow but I'm interested to know and will update here when I find out. Issue at the moment is charging leisure battery as I just discovered I have a smart alternator!

daveandcarolewinwood wrote:

FreelanderUK wrote:@Daveandcarolewindwood. How did you get on with the towing weight being blank, I was just reading the Motorhome fun forum of someone who has had a full refund of there purchase as there was a blank towing weight which ment they could not tow there car ,this was on the converters vin plate not the van producers vin

I must admit I haven't yet called SVtech - I don't intend towing - no tow bar currently and nothing to tow but I'm interested to know and will update here when I find out. Issue at the moment is charging leisure battery as I just discovered I have a smart alternator!

Wildax had to recall all their recent Citroen based conversions to fit a dc:dc converter.

Tigger-tim wrote:Wildax had to recall all their recent Citroen based conversions to fit a dc:dc converter.

So it's not just A/S getting it wrong?

Liam wrote:

Tigger-tim wrote:Wildax had to recall all their recent Citroen based conversions to fit a dc:dc converter.

So it's not just A/S getting it wrong?

Start/stop systems have been catching a few of the converters out.

It's quite common for them to charge the (usually) AGM battery to just 80%, so that it has some spare capacity to absorb the extra energy created during braking.  The old split charge relays just don't work very well in these scenarios, and the leisure battery doesn't get much of a charge.  The voltage often wasn't enough to run the fridge reliably.

Wildax now fit a dc:dc convertor as part of the build.

I notice that Moran are saying that some of the 2021 manual gearbox models will be on a Fiat base.  I wonder if that's so they can use the lightweight chassis and gain a few Kg of payload.

I've not spoken with them, so it could just be a typo.  Seems to have the peugeot engine on a fiat badged van?

(PS. for people not aware, fiat, citroen and peugeot have recently merged.  I'm expecting so see some rationalisation happening over the next couple of years - especially engines - they don't need two very similar engine setups for the Ducato/Boxer range).

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

Someone  on the FB group said they were buying a Fiat based manual model and were offered either Fiat or Peugeot.

.