2018 broadway eb

Hi, Glad to be back on the forum, we are moving from a new 2020 Autotrail V-line to a 3 year old Broadway EB and would appreciate any pointers to things we should check when (or before!) we collect and pay the remaining for the van.

I checked round with my damp meter and all seemed fine except for a reading around the gas drop-out under the nearside bed near the gas tank filler inlet, it does not seem much and I am not unduly worried but can see no place for water ingress around the filler area, any info welcome on this and other things to look out for?

Fine van in excellent condition but missing the reversing camera head unit from the rear view mirror (I think this was part of a premium pack since the other items are present ie alloys, thule awning etc0, also did not see where the Truma iNet box is, no doubt answers to some of these questions should be provided by the dealer .

looking forward to posting and taking part in what I know to be a very informative forum.

Regards

Welcome back Old Lad, it's been 6 years, we've missed you, hope you enjoy your Broadway.
Boaby

Hi 
on my Broadway Eb the i net box was in the cupboard directly above the sink, yes there should be a camera , check the rubber seal for tv Ariel on the roof  they seem to degrade very quickly ours was knackered on our 2018 

HTH phil

Old Lad wrote:I checked round with my damp meter and all seemed fine except for a reading around the gas drop-out under the nearside bed near the gas tank filler inlet, it does not seem much and I am not unduly worried but can see no place for water ingress around the filler area

If the van has been driven in heavy rain recently it would not be surprising to find that area a little damp. Road spray gets everywhere under the van in those conditions, and I suspect it is normal for some of that to blow upwards through the gas dropout. On previous A/S conversions I've noticed that this area can get very dusty for that reason.

Thanks for replies,

 Much appreciated, 6 years!  can't believe how time flies, I spent 2 years sorting all the problems with my old 93 petrol Clubman then had to sell it because the dog would not travel in it and had a fit (old rough Collie) she has been ok in our Autotrail V-Line and so lets hope things stay ok .

 I did discover why she had a fit , the Clubman had a cover on the rear ladder and it made a clang when going on bad roads (of which there are many!!) and she is sensitive to loud noises.

I will have many questions no doubt when we get the van and look forward to conversing with you all at some point.

Regards (much older!) Old Lad (Bill), My wife also sends her regards but objects to be called "Old Lass" LoL.

Having suffered severe damp in our 2016 Broadway my only advice is to check the damp warranty. We traded ours in and I notice that Marquis are offering a 3 year warranty on it as a resale. Excellent offer.

Apart from the damp we had very few problems. Replaced the microwave and also the wardrobe door catch and that’s about it. I noticed that the edge trim on the bulkhead divider between cab and habitation had come unstuck again. Needs heat to stretch it before glueing so not entirely simple.

We have ordered a Bourton for delivery next year. Very similar habitation unit just a different cab/chassis.

Thanks for the info Born Again, where was your Damp problem on the Van and did you discover the reason?

Cheers 

Old Lad

Damp was on the near side and extended from the front of the bed locker exterior wall right to the back of the locker then over the wheel arch to the fridge. You could see the discolouration on the wall liner by looking in the locker. I don’t know what caused it but it looked quite bad.

As we have only owned our first Motor Home for 18 months, our experience with a 2011 Broadway EK when we replace it:

If you feel confident to fix small problems yourself and willing to purchase the bits required don’t go back to the dealer but watch out for Guarentee rules. 

Buy from a dealer close to your home if possible. Read any Guarentee carefully before you purchase. Watch out for pre conditions for continued Guarentee ie service or fitting PV panel with another supplier as an example.  
Ask for the dealer to contact the previous owner and ask them to contact you. That way you will find the truth about any previous problems. Ours was traded into the dealer, they had no idea about it’s history. 

We had little problems that we fixed ourselves as the dealer was 180 miles away. 

Our 2011 Broadway EK is a joy to drive and journey in.

Our late 2014 Broadway EB , purchased new, had a similar damp problem by the external gas point which the dealer picked up and repaired during the first service.  No other damp apparent even now over six years later.  I would ask your seller to provide a replacement rear view mirror fitting.  I personally find the camera very useful and have it turned on all the time when driving, not just for reversing.  So useful for spotting vehicles close behind where out of view from the wing mirrors.

Hi OldLad. One thing I would do if your Broadway is the same as my Nuevo is to get underneath and wire the rear lights properly as A/S should have done. On mine, the wiring loom from the chassis was connected to the rear lights via some open choc blocks. So not only do the choc block connectors go rusty but the water gets into the wiring and corrodes the copper wires. Cut the choc blocks out and put them where they belong in the bin and get some waterproof connectors and do the job properly, or better still strip the wires back to clean copper, solder them and enclose them in self amalgamating tape.
Also if you have LED rear lights as I did, there is a resistor at each side underneath which is, like the choc block connectors, strategically positioned behind the rear wheels so there is a cluster of rusted / corroded wiring in that area. You need the resistor to run the LEDs so you have to protect it against the water spray somehow.
To be brutally honest I was so saddened to see this, and other poor build quality items that it was one of the reasons I got a different make of motorhome with a far far superior build quality.

We like our Broadway EB - hope you enjoy yours too. We have hd it for 2 years and here is a list of things we have found / fixed

--- The MH is registered July 2017, however the base vehicle left the line in May 2015 and the certificate of conformity (obtained from AS) is dated Aug 2015. This means the vehicle was 2 years old before it was registered. The tyres were also 2015, which means I had to replace them earlier than I expected - you may want to change the tyre date.

--- Solar was not working. This was due to a connection issue at the back of the Sargent unit. Others have reported similar problems so you might want to check to get a solar reading on the control panel over the door. I mentioned this at collection and the dealer said it doesn't show on  hook up, but when I got home it wasn't working at all - so might want to take the van off hook-up and see if it works

--- On fixing the solar I found out that the Sargent control unit in the cupboard cannot be removed easily. I still have not found out how to do this without major dismantling of the cabinets. If it is an AS dealer, might be worth asking how they would replace the control unit if it failed (I amongst others would be interested in knowing this)

--- Small issue but someone had replaced the battery with an 85AH rather than the original 100AH

--- Replace the TV Ariel due to the amplifier failing, but as mentioned above, the seal was already going which is why I did the lot.

--- As a tall person, installed a lower seat base. The combination of the window blinds and the higher seat due to the swivel can reduce visibility if tall. Can now see much better when driving and no longer have to crouch.

--- Don't use the Whale filler system. There seems to be an issue with the float valve cut-off and water just keeps running and pours out of the tank. Again, a common problem I understand.

--- Drain holes under the bonnet can block - might want to check these are free running and if not, have the dealer to unblock them.

--- I have an annoying problem with the lights. When I brake with the headlights on I get an error on the dash suggesting that the side light is failed. This is not the case as we have checked and all lights work as expected. I understand this is a common problem too caused by stray currents due to poor electrical connections under the MH.

--- The step is in an awful location - just behind the rear wheel. It gets blasted with road muck and water all the time. Mine has just started to make an awful noise and suspect a problem with the position switch shorting or a failed gear. Thinking of removing it actually.

--- The last trip the WIFI ariel started to drip. Contacted MotorhomeWiFi and they said it is likely the seal due to slightly off-centre installation. 

This seems like a lot, but overall the van suits us fine and works well. Just got back from a trip of just under 1500 miles and loved every minute. 

There is more details on the above posted elsewhere, but if you need more info, do let me know.

Gary

Lights: as I described, you need to do the job that A/S should have done in the factory.

Step: The step is very useful, as the floor is quite high. This is a result of the fact that the base vehicle is a full chassis, which adds to the height of the floor. The A/S chassis is a full box section made of two half 'horse shoe' shaped steel pressings welded to each other, one on top of the other. Some other coachbuilts are built on a chassis cab where the chassis is the bottom half of a 'horse shoe' plus a metal floor pan welded right across the tops of the two lengthways horse shoes.  I guess A/S use the full chassis with the associated increase in floor height in order to fit the LPG tank and it gives better clearance for things like the waste water tank.
Getting back to the point of the step, they are fairly easy to remove, dismantle and repair. I have done this and there is nothing complicated, just undo the nuts bolts and screws and you can clean and re-grease all the gubbins inside. They are pretty well made, nothing goes twang snap in the renovation process.
Oh by the way when you are underneath it is a good idea to smother the gas tank, pipes and on/off lever with waxoyl. Those tanks can go rusty, though mine was nearly new so hadn't got that far. I sprayed Waxoyl all over the underneath of my Nuevo.

Thanks for all your replies, Very useful, I will check things out when I get the van.

It is such a pleasure being back on a forum which has so many helpful owners, the last forum I was on (which shall be nameless but is for van conversions) cold not compare with this one (although the contributors were much the same as this one).

Regards

Older Lad

gassygassy wrote:Lights: as I described, you need to do the job that A/S should have done in the factory.

Step: The step is very useful, as the floor is quite high. This is a result of the fact that the base vehicle is a full chassis, which adds to the height of the floor. The A/S chassis is a full box section made of two half 'horse shoe' shaped steel pressings welded to each other, one on top of the other. Some other coachbuilts are built on a chassis cab where the chassis is the bottom half of a 'horse shoe' plus a metal floor pan welded right across the tops of the two lengthways horse shoes.  I guess A/S use the full chassis with the associated increase in floor height in order to fit the LPG tank and it gives better clearance for things like the waste water tank.
Getting back to the point of the step, they are fairly easy to remove, dismantle and repair. I have done this and there is nothing complicated, just undo the nuts bolts and screws and you can clean and re-grease all the gubbins inside. They are pretty well made, nothing goes twang snap in the renovation process.
Oh by the way when you are underneath it is a good idea to smother the gas tank, pipes and on/off lever with waxoyl. Those tanks can go rusty, though mine was nearly new so hadn't got that far. I sprayed Waxoyl all over the underneath of my Nuevo.

Thanks for this....

Lights: Already have the waterproof connectors to sort this....

Step: Understand what you are saying but I'm not convinced an automatic step is the best solution in my case. I believe in the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid (not calling you stupid I hasten to add:smile!:). Why not ditch the auto step and use a cheap, lightweight folding caravan step that is stored in the van when travelling and outside when parked? I can fix this no problem (having a lifetime of self-repair of modern and classic vehicles), but as I get older I'm less inclined to find crawling under a vehicle as 'fun'. At less than 3 years old, I can see this being a regular 'chore' I'd rather avoid if possible!

We only had our motorhome 18 months and on our first escape to a fabulous site Carbon Downs. Unfortunately opposite us a couple didn’t use an electric step, it was portable step they moved outside. One day an ambulance was outside the husband had seriously broke his ankle by the step twisting and his wife was unable to assist. Please make sure you buy a step that will not tip easy to one side.

Ooh err that sounds awful John. I was going to say that the large grey caravan plastic steps are firm and rigid - but I too have come adrift using one. I was unhooking the curtains in my lounge, standing on one of those steps. Unfortunately I temporarily forgot my (whose laws were about forces, equal and opposite reactions, coefficient of friction?) laws, the step slipped sideways and on the way back down to earth my body twisted round and my spine landed on the window sill of our bay window. I lay unable to move in unutterable pain for quite some minutes - but fortunately after a bit of time I recovered.
I think also I might add that if the husband had had an electric step that might not have prevented him slipping and breaking his ankle. So I think you could slip and fall whatever kind of step you have.
Like gpilky I am beyond 'a certain age' and have to get down to the ground sideways as my knees give me an unwanted injection if I kneel. However I am reluctant to finally give in to the 'I can't do it any more' syndrome. I've just renewed pretty well all of the brake system on my Volvo- handbrake cables, calipers, discs, pads, shoes, everything except the master cylinder. I have also renovated an Eriba Puck caravan, starting with cutting, bending and welding steel chassis tubing, and working upwards to the roof from there.

Oh by the way if I am allowed to say so, the Eriba Puck in the photo that I have just finished is for sale .

Is that the before or after photo

Here's a bit of the chassis 'before':




I have tried to get rid of the streak marks down the outside, but nothing I have tried yet seems to work. If anyone has some ideas please let me know.
In case you don't know, which I didn't, these Eriba Puck caravans have a cult following, like old VW campervans so they are worth renovating.

Steps are hazardous things, and serious injury from falls from them depressingly common. I didn't mention this aspect before but the position of the step on the EB means it gets covered in road grime and mud, which can make it slippy. And the Thule step is a bit narrow for my size 12 feet. This was also on my mind as well as the maintenance aspects.

I have an adjustable step I'm thinking of using as it folds up and can also be adjusted for sloping / uneven surfaces >>> 

Here is the same chassis 'after':