External locker drivers side Broadway EB

bolero boy wrote:as the locker is fully external, presumably it sits under the floor, i can see that keeping it fully dry might not have been the designers priority...it is, as Peter says, a 'wet' locker for chucking wet kit...
unfortunately, stored wet kit wont dry there, it merely wont get anything else inside the van wet...
having said that, i would still have expected the locker to have been built with sufficient integrity to have had a waterproof seal...

Even kit stored in there when it was dry grows some wonderful grey mould.

Being in the aluminium skirt it could have been a tough, dry, pull out storage place like some of Continental M.Homes have. We get a flimsy fiberglass flap on a moulded fiberglass box with holes drilled on the bottom to let the water out, in theory, they don't in practice.

First my apologies for questioning your 'driver's side'. I had not thought about the EB which, I guess, doesn't have enough room between cab and habitation door and step mechanism for the wet locker. All is explained!
I think that A/S's current problems stem from their current design team and knee-jerk reactions as much as their recent poor quality control. The wet locker is a good example. In 2012 they introduced the latest Nuevo shape in order to put in the new fashionable cab skylight. Part of that deal was the loss of the overcab lockers. Presumably, for cost reasons or perhaps because the prototype new shell forgot it, the wet locker was omitted. Both of those have been restored but as afterthoughts. The skylight is covered by a.black bolted on patch and the cupboards are half the height of those in 2011 vans. The wet locker also appears to be a flimsy patch. We have seen the same lack of forethought with the new door - we must have a flyscreen but don't notice that the new design stops the cutlery drawer from opening. The EC500/700 were both introduced without soak testing - hence charging and Mercedes interface issues
Every van has its teething troubles. We had some issues when ours was new. But they were not structural. We refused to have the 2012 body shell and had a 2011 shell to preserve overcab storage and locker. Both are perfect - big overcab lockers and wet locker is totally dry because it doesn't flex - oh and it hinges at the top so there's less chance of ingress.
This is not a rant - it's disappointment that A/S are losing their way - probably part of Mark's reason for moving on - he had to try to correct all the new problems that the 'design team' introduced.
Sad - isn't it?

marconi wrote:

bolero boy wrote:as the locker is fully external, presumably it sits under the floor, i can see that keeping it fully dry might not have been the designers priority...it is, as Peter says, a 'wet' locker for chucking wet kit...
unfortunately, stored wet kit wont dry there, it merely wont get anything else inside the van wet...
having said that, i would still have expected the locker to have been built with sufficient integrity to have had a waterproof seal...

Even kit stored in there when it was dry grows some wonderful grey mould.

Being in the aluminium skirt it could have been a tough, dry, pull out storage place like some of Continental M.Homes have. We get a flimsy fiberglass flap on a moulded fiberglass box with holes drilled on the bottom to let the water out, in theory, they don't in practice.

i dont have a pull out box like that you describe, they seem handy...our 'wet locker' is a 2.5 cu mtr heated garage, with a clothes rail for drying wet gear....
the nearest we have (in construction) to a smaller wet locker is our gas bottle locker. 
despite the bottom section being open to allow any leakage, its construction seems to me to be how a 'wet locker' should be built..double sealed at the top line and 3/4 down down both sides...so that 'wet' could get out, but not in.  
Ron and PWB mention AS lack of design, quality and execution...at close to £70k for a fully loaded auto Broadway EB, elements like 'wet lockers' shouldnt be (poorly executed and flimsily built) after thoughts....

Plymouthwelshboy - it appears you have a 2019 model purchased in September 2020.  Had it been pre-owned or in the dealership a for a long time before you bought it?  You mention front mudflaps.  These weren't on my 2019 Nuevo when I bought it.  I have subsequently fitted them and yes they could do to be bigger but they are a standard Boxer/Ducato item so not really as A-S matter.

Ours is a 2020 Broadway EB and the “wet locker” is also on the drivers side, but unlike yous seems to be keeping dry at the moment.  So far the only main issue is a defective winding handle on the roof light, waiting for the workshop to reopen to have it fitted.

I thought you all might like an update - I haven't learned how to post photos here yet so am giving you my blog post address for the update - if you have any comments or advice - please post a comment - thanks everyone for your help 

Steve 

https://wherenexthun.blogspot.com

Very good to have your report. Incredibly frustrating.  I'll have a look inside my (dry) locker in the morning to see if there are significant differences.  Given the amount of water which accumulates in yours, surely it must be off the bodywork e..g. Draining off the roof. Where I park ours, the roof drains tonthe front NS and runs down the bodywork alongside the locker. Is the external vertical seam properly sealed?

Cymro

Cymro - you have been so helpful - greatly appreciated. My view is it has to be coming down the vertical wall - so that means that the sealant on the outside must have gone as well - or horror of horrors - the seals on the roof have gone and its running down the inside - nah - that cant be possible - so it must be external somehow.  What I could do with knowing is how many holes yours has in the base; and what is the sealant like inside?

Plymouthwelshboy wrote:I thought you all might like an update - I haven't learned how to post photos here yet so am giving you my blog post address for the update - if you have any comments or advice - please post a comment - thanks everyone for your help 

Steve 

https://wherenexthun.blogspot.com

Steve you photo below which I think is the top R/H side of your locker.

Does the staining on the sealant and the marks on the underside of the van floor (arrowed) indicate anything.

good spot - i am very ignorant about motorhomes being a newbie - if that was staining - is that water coming down the exterior vertical wall panel or is it water coming down the inside of the exterior panel - any thoughts?

this is the sort of box Marconi referred to earlier, this one is on a Pilote van....the box is self contained but on sliders with a waterproof top lid.
similar after market ones were made by BeenyBox but im struggling to find a link.
there was a site where a factor would make these for customers, he mentions BeenyBox but it is not their site...he calls them GenieBox but the pic looks more like wood than aluminium..
https://www.jhcaravan.com/contact
perhaps yours could be converted to a slide out?....and dry.

ps....i think some AutoTrails have these now, perhaps a call to the sales office might yeild more info, has to be better than what you have...unusable

Plymouthwelshboy wrote:Cymro - you have been so helpful - greatly appreciated. My view is it has to be coming down the vertical wall - so that means that the sealant on the outside must have gone as well - or horror of horrors - the seals on the roof have gone and its running down the inside - nah - that cant be possible - so it must be external somehow.  What I could do with knowing is how many holes yours has in the base; and what is the sealant like inside?

I've just checked my locker and it was wet under the rubber mat but not on top of it.  I have noticed this before and came to the conclusion the water was getting in around the somewhat flexible hatch so I take care when I shut it.  I keep my levelling wedges in there but have stopped putting them in their bag as it was showing signs of mould.  As in the various photos, I've also got copious amounts of sealant along the vertical joins on each side of the hatch which can only be seen with a mirror.  I've also got two large drain holes (8mm perhaps) in the two bottom corners of the locker furthest away from the hatch.  If you are missing these it might be part of the problem.  When I opened the so called wet locker hatch on the first Nuevo I ever inspected at the dealer, it was awash with water.  The salesman said he had not seen this before!

Plymouthwelshboy wrote:good spot - i am very ignorant about motorhomes being a newbie - if that was staining - is that water coming down the exterior vertical wall panel or is it water coming down the inside of the exterior panel - any thoughts?

I would have thought exterior of wall panel to locker seal, once there water can track along according to slopes etc.

There is more evidence of water marks in yours than in mine. I think there are only 2 drain holes in the rear corners I remember probing to see if there is any path for water to drain at the front I think not.

You could do the tissue test by sellotaping pieces of kitchen roll to the top sides of the box to try and prove the entry point into the box.

I went out to take a look at mine there was a little water right at the front, so I have cleared it out, ended up cleaning my ramps which went away with a bit of grass on them, I shall clean and dry everything and make sure I shut the door properly. Thanks, it needed doing. 

with the usual Sevel 'nose down' attitude, the drain holes really need to be as far forward in the locker as possible, and kept clear.
by all means do the tissue test, it may help...
however, i think id really want the option to put bulky outside stuff in there that i want kept dry...with all the probable 'flexing' of the lid (motion, heat, etc) id try and see if something more akin to the Pilote example could be built....nice slide out rails, waterproof lid etc...
either way, good luck

PlymouthWB:  have sent you a pm

I confirm that my locker has the same characteristics as those described by Caraman above: (a) one drain hole in each of the 2 corners furthest away from the opening hatch; and (b) when I lifted the rubber mat, there was damp on its underside, and the beginnings of mould on the top side, as well as on the sealant.  A screwdriver was starting to rust. So mine isn't as dry as I thought.

I pushed a cable down each drain hole: no obstruction, and cable appeared below the van. 

I was able to stick my head in (and my iPhone for photos). Sealant had been added to the top horizontal edge of the locker. If you look at the photo posted above by Marconi, see the lower arrow: I'm referring to the horizontal seam running from the nice white sealant near the tip of that arrow, towards the top left of the photo.  That sealant on mine seemed newer than the rest, and it may therefore be the sealant added by AS under warranty. 

I'm glad you gave me reason to empty my locker as I was blissfully ignorant of its dampness. I've sprayed the mat with bleach (and rinsed) to prevent the mould from spreading. The underside of the mat seems to absorb water - it's hard to dry.

Cymro

Thanks folks. I am wondering about a box with sealable lid which just goes in and out.....I shall go investigate further. Appreciate all your help guys. This motorhome malarkey eh?

I forgot to add:  the rubber mat in the locker has a riged side (ridges running along its width left to right) and a smooth (somewhat absorbent) side. The ridged side is uppermost.

But thinking about it, when the smooth side is down, lying flat on the grp floor, it's not going to be easy for any water to flow to the edges and thence to the drain holes. So as an experiment I've inverted my mat so that the ridges are down.  We'll see!

Cymro

PS: PlymouthWelshBoy: my p.m. to you should be in your inbox. See Messages tab, immediately below the blue Forum banner at the top of the page.

Cymro wrote:I forgot to add:  the rubber mat in the locker has a riged side (ridges running along its width left to right) and a smooth (somewhat absorbent) side. The ridged side is uppermost.

But thinking about it, when the smooth side is down, lying flat on the grp floor, it's not going to be easy for any water to flow to the edges and thence to the drain holes. So as an experiment I've inverted my mat so that the ridges are down.  We'll see!

Cymro

PS: PlymouthWelshBoy: my p.m. to you should be in your inbox. See Messages tab, immediately below the blue Forum banner at the top of the page.

I'll give that a go as well.  It's in the sun drying at the moment.

put mine in the tumbler for 10 minutes: no sun here!
Cymro

Cymro wrote:put mine in the tumbler for 10 minutes: no sun here!
Cymro

I'd not get away with doing that here!

I've got the mobile man coming to do a hab service on Monday so I put some water in the van using hose from the tap then decided to check that the submersible pump filler was ok. Opened the wet locker to get it superficially all is bone dry BUT the rag I keep in there is soaking so will have it all out tomorrow for a good look.

Cymro wrote:I forgot to add:  the rubber mat in the locker has a riged side (ridges running along its width left to right) and a smooth (somewhat absorbent) side. The ridged side is uppermost.

But thinking about it, when the smooth side is down, lying flat on the grp floor, it's not going to be easy for any water to flow to the edges and thence to the drain holes. So as an experiment I've inverted my mat so that the ridges are down.  We'll see!

Cymro

PS: PlymouthWelshBoy: my p.m. to you should be in your inbox. See Messages tab, immediately below the blue Forum banner at the top of the page.

A-S owners across the UK are out checking their wet lockers.

Surely the deep groves across the width of the locker will hold more water and prevent it flowing toward the drain holes, whereas the smoother textured side will only trap a very thin 'skin' layer of water as it almost adheres to the gel coat. Interesting thing to test difficult to clarify the results.

Cleaning the groves in the mat is difficult, using your toothbrush is ideal, you can always wash it out before you need it tonight. 

never did i think asking about the wet locker swimming pool would generate so much interest and experimentation 

No external wet locker, either side, on the 2021 Broadway EL.

i dont know why uk/continental vans are so polarised when it comes to providing decent external storage...
you mention the Broadway EL...ive just watched the video, nice rear lounge but woeful storage under the rear side seats with no external access to the these seats at all, and the external 'toilet cassette flap' sized access under the rear seat is 'small' in the extreme.
with one of the lounge side seats taken up with 'electricals' that only leaves the other side seat for bedding.....and everything else...the outside 'cassette hole' perhaps takes a folding camp chair or two and pair of levelling blocks....certainly not a 'proper' outside chair.
perhaps uk converters think we don't need easy to access external storage and that bringing all your wet, bulky outside gear into the interior of your nice new van is OK?
the Broadway EL looks a nice comfortable van, when sitting in the lounge, but for sleeping (making the bed up every morning/night) and carrying stuff it all falls away...
my wife watched the video and thought 'nice lounge' which is obviously the USP, but this was immediately followed by 'where do you put everything', 'oh, it doesnt have a proper bed' and 'what about our bikes'....obviously noticing the dubious spacing of the two rear rack mounting bars...
nice van, but others with same layout (eg Eura Mobil HS 650) manage external storage (and bed arrangements) far better.
the 'review' (as ever) makes much of outside bbq/electric point etc (which can be added at anytime) but fails to address/critique the fact you cant get anything in it.
so many converters think that 'improving' a van means adding a TV point or a set of pull up 13a sockets.

Sheesh, BB, how on earth do you think those of us with PVCs manage? Storage capability really isn’t an issue even without any outside lockers, neither is unrolling sleeping bags to make beds. I realise it's not your way but many of us are used to employing ingenuity having started with tiny caravans and progressing to where we are now so we see no problem at all.