Motorhome advice: fitting a bike rack, leaking cab floors, suspension issues and more

MMM magazine's team of motorhome and campervan experts are always on hand to answer your technical and practical queries.

So, if you have a tricky problem that you need help with, it’s worth reaching out to our team, to tap into their in-depth knowledge of all things motorhome. Collectively and individually, they really know their stuff.

You can read the latest technical questions from MMM readers below, with answers from the team. And, if you have a technical question of your own, please do get in touch – by emailing our experts at [email protected]. 
 

You can buy digital issues of MMM magazine here

Meet the MMM Tech Help Team:

Nick Fisher – Tech Help Editor and Base vehicle expert
Peter Rosenthal – General advice
Clive Mott – Electrical expert
Mike Hill – Bodywork expert
Barry Norris – Technical & legal advice
Brian Kirby – All round expert
Andy Harris – TV & 12V expert

Q Can I fit a bike rack to my campervan’s rear doors?

I own a 2019 WildAx Constellation 3XL on a Citroën Relay. I want to fit a bike rack to the right-hand side rear door. The racks are rated at a max load of 35kg and my two bikes weigh 31kg.

Is the door strong enough to take that weight? I’ve tried Citroën, WildAx and the rack manufacturers, with no avail.

A You can fit a bike rack to the barn doors of most Sevel-built (Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Relay) vans but, just because you can fit one, doesn’t mean you should. You’re asking a lot of the rear door panel and hinges. For a couple of really lightweight bikes (say, a couple of 8kg carbon racers), it might be fine, but for heavier bikes, you’re asking for problems.

The other point to make is that with barn door bike racks you have to use them carefully. We had one on test a few years ago and, as I opened the rear barn door, the end of the bike rack smashed the tail light! In high winds, or if you open the door past 90 degrees, you risk damage to the bodywork.

The good news is that there’s a much better way of carrying bikes that not only allows you to take heavier bikes safely, but also allows you to still access the rear barn doors – a towbar-mounted bike rack.

A towbar is not just for pulling little trailers – it’s far more useful than that and is best viewed as a multiuse attachment point for all sorts of things.

In terms of bike racks, you can get all manner of designs from as little as £50, but it’s worth spending a bit more to get an easier-to-use model (cheap ones use spanners to fit and straps for the bikes, while the expensive ones simply clamp on in seconds and use rigid bars to hold bikes in place).

I’d look at things like higher-end Thule models or my personal favourite, the Atera Strada DL3, which costs about £370 from  roofbox.co.uk and takes up to three bikes weighing a total of 45kg (or 63kg with an optional fourth bike attachment). It is a doddle to use.

It clamps quickly onto my campervan, has locks for each bike, and has a clever sliding mechanism that allows you to slide the whole rack rearwards with the bikes still attached so you can still access the barn doors. I’ve used an entry-level rack for many years, but this one is far easier to use and I wish I’d bought it years ago.

The other advantage of a towbar-mounted rack is that you can take it from vehicle to vehicle, as it’s not brand specific, so it’s only a one-time expense.
Peter Rosenthal

Q Can I rewire my reversing camera to work when not in reverse?

My Garmin GPS is linked to a reversing camera that is powered by the reversing light. It would be very useful to be able to power up the camera occasionally to see the idiot on my bumper, but obviously I don’t want the reverse light to come on. Is there a way to power the camera from an alternative source using diodes to stop power going to the lamp?

A The simple method is to use a changeover switch. Run a twin-core cable between the dashboard and the place where the camera connects into the reversing light.

Separate this connection and join the two ends to the twin-core cable.

Red to the reversing light and black to the camera. In the cabin, connect the black to the common of the switch. Connect the red to one side of the switch and the other side of the switch to a key-switched and fused battery supply in the cabin (like the back of the cigarette lighter socket). That’s it, but if in doubt, use a professional.
Clive Mott

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Q How do I keep my engine battery topped up?

I have a Yuasa HSB019 battery linked to my Numax 110V leisure battery with a Battery Master unit. This, in turn, is supplied by a 110W solar panel controlled with a PWM charger unit.

The problem is that the vehicle battery has to be charged up every two weeks by a 50m cable to the charger to keep it topped up. I have ordered a new PV Logic MPPT Pro unit as I thought this might equalise the power better. I also intend to install a 1,000W power inverter to charge my e-bike battery. Would I now be better to change the leisure battery for an AGM one? Could the new battery be damaged by this proposal?
 

A I presume the Yuasa HSB019 maintenance-free battery is the engine starter battery and that your Numax is a 12V battery for the leisure electrics. The published data for Ca-Ca batteries suggests 14.1V, but also up to 14.8V to enable the recombination process to properly occur. So, it is pretty tolerant to charging voltage.

The Numax L110 leisure battery is a wet-cell non-sealed battery.

Your PV Logic MPPT Pro solar regulator is an auto-selecting (12V/24V) model and is designed to charge two batteries, so I guess this is the reason you have ordered it.

As your main concern is about keeping the starter battery topped up by your solar panel, you could install a switch so that, when laid up, the output of your existing solar regulator is directed to the starter battery.

You will need to switch this back to ‘leisure’ when the camper is once again in regular use.

As for e-bike charging, some of these chargers will work OK from a modified sine wave inverter, others will cause such an inverter to fry. The only sure way is to use a pure sine wave inverter capable of the starting load of your charger.

Most quote 100/240V AC input voltage and a running current of 0.7 to 1.4A for the 2A charger and double for the 4A charger. So, the worst case on start-up might be 672W. Most inverters have a peak rating well in excess of their continuous rating so I would go for a 500W or a 600W pure sine wave inverter.

But, be wary of claims for ‘surge’ power as not all live up to the claim of surge being double its normal maximum rating.

A reader had 2A chargers for his e-bikes and, after finding some that did not work as claimed, he looked for another. He found a pure sine wave, 500W, 1,200W soft-start one on eBay for £49.99. “Well, to my surprise, it worked, so I wondered if it will charge two bicycle batteries with both transformers in use at the same time. And, yes, it did quite happily,” he reported. 

This inverter is no longer available but there is a similar but more costly one here.

If you want to use the inverter for charging the e-bike and perhaps a laptop every couple of days in the summer then your existing leisure battery arrangement should be sufficient. If you are planning extended off-grid winter camping then it could do with enhancing.  
Clive Mott

Q What is causing our cab floor to leak?

My 2004 Auto-Trail motorhome with a 2.8-litre diesel engine has sprung a leak in the cab on the passenger side where the passenger’s feet would be.

About four weeks ago I started the engine and moved the vehicle up and down my driveway (it is SORNed) to circulate the tyre positions. I ran the vehicle for nearly an hour to get it nice and warm and had the heater selected to position two in order to bring some heat into the cab.

So, it’s now been standing idle for four weeks and doing a check around the motorhome I have found a wet carpet in the passenger footwell and a small puddle that shows it is an antifreeze mixture. In the engine bay, the water in the header tank has dropped noticeably to the lower limit level.

Where is this water coming from and how can I repair it?

A I am afraid to say that there is no doubt about it – you do have a leak from your heat exchanger, or matrix as it is often referred to.

Adding some Radweld or Bars-Leaks can sometimes help to reduce a minor leak enough to get you home, but it will not solve the problem and it will get worse.

Breathing in the fumes from hot engine coolant is not healthy and the windscreen will steam up, too, so it is going to need to be replaced.

There is no sugar-coating this – it is a horrible job. The heater box has to be removed and this entails removing the entire dashboard and steering column. There are hundreds of screws to remove and it cannot be rushed.

We did many of these in our workshops and, even with experience, we could not get it done in an eight-hour day. It takes around 10 to 12 hours of skin-stripping, back-stretching, painstaking patience.

While you can get a pattern heater unit from aftermarket sources, these have been found to be of varying quality so, if there is a Fiat genuine item available, I would insist on that.

It will come ready to fit, while some non-original items require you to fit the plastic connections yourself, which just introduces another element of risk of leaking and having to do it again. You definitely won’t want to have this done twice!

I would also advise that you need to get this done by a reputable garage that will guarantee its work and has done such things before.
Nick Fisher

Q Does my motorhome need upgraded suspension?  

I have recently bought a 2012 Romahome R20, Citroën Berlingo-based motorhome. I am generally very impressed with this downsized vehicle, but I do have a concern.

We have, on several occasions, experienced grounding problems when negotiating speed bumps and some off-road parking. It would appear that the rear steadies, even though fully wound up, are coming into contact with the floor.

The ground clearance when the vehicle is parked on a flat surface is approximately eight inches. I’ve tried to contact Romahome, but have been unable to do so. Do you have any advice on this subject, as I am considering a MAD suspension-type spring assistors conversion.

A I remember road testing the Romahome R20 when it was new. Even then the large rear overhang meant that the rear springs and dampers had to work hard to control the body over the bumps.

So, if your motorhome is still running on its original springs and dampers, then replacing them with some uprated MAD springs is a good call. The company offers various spring ratings for the Berlingo so I’d give it a ring and see what it suggests.

The springs are progressive, meaning that the spring rate increases as the spring is compressed – this will certainly help ground clearance.

I’d replace the dampers as a matter of course – especially with stiffer springs. Fit a decent brand of damper such as Bilstein, Koni, Sachs or KYB. If you don’t, you’ll simply get a bouncy or harsh ride on the stiffer springs.

The other thing to consider – which you could do instead of fitting the MAD springs or in conjunction with them – is to fit an air-assistance system.

These work really well and have the added advantage of being able to raise and lower the rear of the vehicle at the touch of a button – so you can not only set your perfect ride height, but also tune the rear suspension to give you the perfect balance between roadholding and comfort.

MAD also sells these kits so might be able to help sort one of these.
Peter Rosenthal

Q Is it safe to walk on a motorhome roof?         

We’re relatively new to motorhoming and I want to clean the roof of our 2008 Elddis Autoquest 120. Is it safe to climb onto the roof to do so?

A In general, we advise not walking on roofs, which are typically built with aluminium or fibreglass finish sheet.

Although a solid roof will take the average weight of a person, it can never be guaranteed. Some good reasons for not walking on a roof are:

1. Ageing vehicles may have structural issues such as unknown damp, so damage can be caused with extra weight, which produces low spots and therefore water collection. Water collection on any roof can also start further leaks and, in the winter months, turn into ice sheets, which can fly off when on the road.

2. Aluminium roofs will dent and scratch easily, so can start corrosion patches.

3. Fibreglass roof sheets can crack with weight, and again start water leaks and degrading of the roof structure.

Some roofs have storage bars as standard, which we advise to use if you need to load from an existing rear ladder, or free-standing side ladder.

For cleaning, use a long extender brush to keep roof areas well maintained. Ideally with water running through the brush, as the use of a high-pressure hose can cause roof window seal failures and degrading of joint seals. If you need to use a high-pressure hose, then use from a distance as a general wash down after brush cleaning, to get the excess water off the roof only.

Finally, if you really need access onto the roof, then spread your weight as evenly as possible. Try sitting instead of standing. Be sure to use extra padding such as a large cushion, or an old bed quilt to prevent damage to the roof finish sheet.

If you are intending to work on any roof, never do so without someone else being there – working at height is very dangerous and needs extreme care.
Mike Hill

Even the most able-bodied can get into dangerous situations working at height. Trying to clean the roof from a ladder or stepladders is too hazardous so should not be attempted. Getting onto the roof safely requires specialist equipment so if you do not have this, then do not try.
Nick Fisher

Q How do I drain my Alde heating system in my Hymer motorhome?

I have a Hymer Starline S with an Alde 3020 HE heating system. I need to drain the system and replace the fluid as it is five years old. I have not been able to find the drain-off point on the boiler or anywhere on the heating pipework. I have only got the booklet for operating instructions that came with the vehicle and it is not shown in there.

A The draining points for the antifreeze (HTF) in your Alde system are specific to the vehicle and there may be one or more drains to prevent HTF being left in the system after draining because the pipes step up and down.

Alde suggests contacting an Alde-certified service agent to do the job. If you want to try yourself then you will find several bleed-off pipes, which are important when you refill the system to let all trapped air escape. These are at the high points so not that useful for draining down. There should be a drain-down pipe with a fitted bung underneath the motorhome not far from the Alde boiler.

You will likely need to remove the filler cap from the header tank first. Then squash the drain-down pipe flat with mole grips so you have some control while you remove the clip and bung. Have a catching tank ready in place.

I found this video of an Alde-trained engineer carrying out the fluid change and it took two hours  Are you sure you want to do this yourself?
Clive Mott

Q Can I use a solar panel to charge the engine battery?

I have a 2011 Bessacarr E510 on a Fiat Ducato and have solar panels installed. I wanted to confirm if it is possible to charge the engine battery off the panels.

I was told by the installer that, if I did this, it might cause a problem with the electronics on the dashboard, but I’m not sure why this would be. Any advice would be gratefully received.

A There’s a simple reason why the person who installed your solar panels told you that. It’s that they don’t have a clue about installing solar panels or motorhome electrics!

It’s not only possible to install solar panels in this way, but I strongly recommend it.

In order to charge both leisure and starter batteries, a special kind of regulator is needed. The regulator is the box that the panels are connected to and which, in turn, is connected to the leisure battery. I hope your installer used one. If he didn’t, your batteries are going to need replacing very soon.

It transforms the voltage from the panels, which is likely to be in the region of 17V-21V, to a voltage suitable for charging a battery, around 13.8V.

Most can only be used with the leisure battery, but there are plenty available that can be set to charge both the leisure and the starter batteries: these are known as dual-output solar regulators; some are better than others.

Installing a regulator is a simple job, but running the wires to the starter battery can be tricky if you want a neat job done. A reputable installer will be able to do it for you or you may be able to do it yourself if you have the tools.

A word of advice: check the panels have been installed correctly before proceeding!
Andy Harris

Q How do I renew my driving licence?

A recent article on the anomalies of driving licence classes for motorhomes over 3,500kg in this current medical crisis illustrates a problem I am having over the renewal of my driving licence.

I am a 67-year-old Type 2 diabetic. I started injecting insulin in 2017 and, after telling the DVLA about my condition, a decision was made by the medical unit to prematurely curtail the validity of my driving licence at the age of 64.

However, in 2017, the DVLA granted me a restricted three-year licence to drive vehicles up to 7,500kg, which expired in May 2020.

Some months ago, (prior to the first lockdown) I applied to renew my licence for a further three years and, in order to hasten the application, I paid for a DVLA D4 medical examination, including an optician’s report, which I sent to the DVLA with all the other relevant paperwork.

The DVLA was in possession of all the facts needed to adjudicate on my application before the lockdown.

I have since written to the DVLA to try to get a response. No reply. I went through the complaints procedure: no reply.  I wrote to the Chief Executive of the DVLA on three occasions. 

The DVLA alleges that the NHS and GMC have told the DVLA that medical examinations for licences have been stopped due to the pandemic, but I have written to the NHS in Wales and the GMC and both deny sending out such an edict.

I have a £70,000 motorhome sitting in my front garden that I am not allowed to drive. Where on earth can I go from here?

A The DVLA announced an automatic extension of driving licences expiring from 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020 for 11 months. Looking at the DVLA website, things aren’t so clear cut for some. Certainly, for standard car licences the automatic extension applies; however, this situation is complicated because of the medical condition and possibly that the  Group 2 licence (C1) was acquired by virtue of passing a car driving test before 1 January 1997.

It appears that a Group 2 licence – which the DVLA website refers to as lorry and bus licences – and a medical condition disqualifies someone from the automatic extension.

On contacting the DVLA, it has confirmed the following:

• Where a driver has already submitted an application to renew a licence, the extension does not apply. If a driver submitted an application prior to the original lockdown and has not received any response, contact the DVLA
• Where we are notified of a medical condition that may affect driving, we will investigate. In complex medical investigations, we will often be reliant on receiving further information from a third party – such as the driver’s GP or consultant – before we can make an evidenced decision to issue a licence.
• Drivers may be able to continue to drive while their application is being processed, provided that they are fit and well and have not been told by a doctor or optician that they should not drive.
• Renewal of a Group 2 licence must be made through a paper application and will require a D4 medical examination report completed by a registered medical practitioner.
• If a driver is renewing his/her driving entitlement at the age of 70 or over, and wishes to retain the C1 and D1(101) entitlement, he/she must complete a D2 application form. This must be accompanied by a D4 medical examination report completed by a registered medical practitioner.
• In circumstances where the extension does not apply, or when applying to renew after the extension has ended, applicants must complete a D2 application form. This must be accompanied by a D4 medical examination report and the applicable medical questionnaire in order to retain the C1 and D1 (101) entitlement.

Clearly, in your case, the extension does not apply and, while the DVLA press office was unable to comment on individual cases, it has taken your details and so hopefully your application will be chased up shortly.
Barry Norris

Q Why is my motorhome clutch sticking?

My motorhome recently developed a clutch problem, which is proving hard to diagnose. The symptoms are: after driving for about half an hour, the clutch becomes sticky on release to such an extent the clutch pedal remains depressed at traffic lights or is delayed to the out position on changing up or down gears. I have used my foot to release the pedal.

I searched the internet and, after discussion with my garage, we both agreed to have the slave cylinder renewed (£200).

A test drive after the repair led to the same problem occurring, albeit after a 45-minute drive. Both I and the garage are at a loss as to what to do next. Once the engine has cooled, the problem disappears. The next option is to replace the master cylinder (£200) and, if still not working, replace the clutch (£1,000). I would appreciate your thoughts on this issue.

A A year or so ago I had a query from a reader with the same symptoms, but it was not until we got into a long conversation that I figured it out. His wife liked the heating directed to her feet in the winter, because she always had cold feet but he wasn’t concerned about that when he was driving.

The heater vent in the passenger footwell points directly at the clutch master cylinder. This gets much warmer than it is happy with and starts to deform. Only slightly – but enough to make it stick.

Initially, they tested my theory by requiring the wife to wear thicker socks and tuning the heat down a little. This worked well.

Later, I believe they asked their garage to fabricate some sort of heat shield to direct the heat away from the clutch pedal and/or insulate the master cylinder. Now, I understand that the wife can sit in open-toed shoes even in the depths of winter!

First I would reduce the amount of heat diverted into the footwell and, if the problem goes away completely when the warmer weather arrives, you have your answer.
Nick Fisher