Ducato heating (1 Viewer)

[Lenny HB]

There is just too many places that have a draft in our Autotrail (2015 model). We have plugged the holes each side underneath at the front but this has made little difference. The cold comes in all around the bench seats as well the door wells. When it is this cold it is like being exposed directly to the outside with nothing in between. We end up putting draft excluders round everything and in the door wells. It does help but it is still drafty. One of the main reasons i am looking forward to the next MH which has Alde Heating and also under floor heating. In the new one i can also use the hab heating whilst on the move which will be a god send,cant wait.

As it is a 2015 model why not take it back to the dealer and get it sorted under warranty. It can't be normal, our last Hymer was a low profile on the standard Fiat camping car chassis never had any draughts in the cab area.

 

[Steve devon]

As it is a 2015 model why not take it back to the dealer and get it sorted under warranty. It can't be normal, our last Hymer was a low profile on the standard Fiat camping car chassis never had any draughts in the cab area.

I think you will find it's just Autotrail poor build quality, ours was a2015 model, got rid of it , I can only describe it as a chicken coop lashed onto a fiat chassis, we have an adria now, the difference is unbelievable

 

[robnchris]

Autotrail claim their motorhomes are fully winterised, that is a myth the have more holes in them than a bloody colander.

We have a 2013 Apache the design behind the cab seats is a solid wall so I screwed some plastic "U" channel section on each edge as high as the overhead bed, three pieces of Plyboard slide in completely closing off the cab, brilliant in the winter as all the heat with no drafts is kept in the habitation plus no warm air gets to the cab windows so we never suffer from condensation.
For driving we use two boards so the cab heating has less space to heat up and no cold air comes forward from the habitation.

Top Tip definitely blank off the open vent in the chassis under the passenger side door., the one on the drivers side should be blanked off as the exhaust pipe runs past it.

Biggest draft spot after that is around the step well in the habitation currently we just place tools around the door but I`m going to cut a section of 2" polystyrene to fit the step aperture, a bit of a faff if you want to step out but anything to decrease the drafts.

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[Jo662]

Depends on your model, some have great big vent holes in the doors, also the slot where the seatbelt comes up through at the side of the door can let in a lot of draught too. I assume by 'bung' under the cab you're talking about the holes under the rear of the cab seats?

There is a vent hole under the cab about 6"by4" and has flaps that
must be to let air thru one way.I have gaffer taped that up but I still get a
lot of draughts.I will look at other vent holes in doors.Thank you
for your help!

 

[Jo662]

We run the hab gas heating on low while driving. Gas heating is safe to use while in motion as long as you have a crash safe regulator.

Do you have to have a special feature on your heating to be able to
use it while travelling.Apart from the crash safety regulator obviously?

 

[jezport]

Do you have to have a special feature on your heating to be able to
use it while travelling.Apart from the crash safety regulator obviously?

No, just the regulator

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[Lenny HB]

Do you have to have a special feature on your heating to be able to
use it while travelling.Apart from the crash safety regulator obviously?

It has to have a balanced flue with fan which a Combi is, in addition to the crash sensor (Secumotion) regulator you need either anti rupture hoses or gas bottles with anti rupture valves.

 

[two]

Be careful how many floor vents you block up. You need ventilation to stop condensation, and to be able to breath.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think you will find it's just Autotrail poor build quality, ours was a2015 model, got rid of it , I can only describe it as a chicken coop lashed onto a fiat chassis, we have an adria now, the difference is unbelievable

Autotrail claim their motorhomes are fully winterised, that is a myth the have more holes in them than a bloody colander.

We have a 2013 Apache the design behind the cab seats is a solid wall so I screwed some plastic "U" channel section on each edge as high as the overhead bed, three pieces of Plyboard slide in completely closing off the cab, brilliant in the winter as all the heat with no drafts is kept in the habitation plus no warm air gets to the cab windows so we never suffer from condensation.
For driving we use two boards so the cab heating has less space to heat up and no cold air comes forward from the habitation.

Top Tip definitely blank off the open vent in the chassis under the passenger side door., the one on the drivers side should be blanked off as the exhaust pipe runs past it.

Biggest draft spot after that is around the step well in the habitation currently we just place tools around the door but I`m going to cut a section of 2" polystyrene to fit the step aperture, a bit of a faff if you want to step out but anything to decrease the drafts.

"I don't believe it"
I often get criticised on here for promoting German vans and saying what I think of British vans and here we have owners of British vans slagging off their own vans. OK one of them has seen the light.

I rest my case m'lord.

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[Jaws]

We put curtains up behind the seats and blocked all the huge vent holes around the cab !
I would suggest you do not put the heater on recirculate though.. Ours gets warmer with the air from outside ! No idea why but it works on the 2006 models and the 2007 face lift ones too

 

[Jaws]

Reading the above.. A lot of folk miss the door vents on the Ducato chassis
I know some of them do not have them but an awful lot do.
Open the cab doors and see if there are louvred vents in the side of the doors..

 

[TerryL]

The louvred holes in the doors seem to be the biggest culprit, once the big hole under the passenger seat is covered. When we first got our 07 Ducato, the drafts in the front were bad, but just sealing up the door vents transformed it. Have to say that the heating is fine, perhaps there is a problem with that, on the lines of what used to happen to motors long ago - the engine thermostat stuck open.

Interestingly, we've got an additional heater in the box under the drivers seat - fan is operated by the top left switch, marked with a fan symbol, on the lower right dash panel (where the display controls are). It's obviously designed to heat the habitation area when on the road and is very efficient - we usually have to turn it off! Not seen another like it so must have been an aftermarket addition - we got the van pre-loved.

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[two]

I had an underseat heater in a previous m/h (Merc) and that was very effective, but I ducked that option to save weight this time around.
So long as the Fiats produce the heat, I guess it's simply a matter of putting it into the right places and preventing draughts. It should not be too much of a problem in an A-class as the doors have been replaced.