How and Why Do Manufacturers Do It?

[Bustup15]

I have a Dethleffs and am generally very happy with the quality, reliability, finish and cconstruction BUT there are some things that are massively frustrating when needing to access areas.

Today's example.

Routing a vent pipe from underfloor to roof. Realised that the wardrobe has a false rear panel with the Alde reservoir and vertical cable routes behind it.

Easy peasy - oh no its not.

Remove. The 6 visible screws and panel is now loose but gets caught on the shelf supports screws into the side panels.

Remove these and a little more movement now but the panel can't be removed.

Remove wardrobe door to squeeze further into wardrobe and peer behind panel to find the Alde reservoir has a large black flex tube from the bottom towards the floor. This is attached to the panel I want to remove by a saddle clip screwed from the rear into the said panel!

1. How do they do this in the first place as the reservoir is screwed to the back wall and there is minimal movement.
2. The void is only 2-3 inches so getting a screwdriver in is impossible.
3. Why do it in the first place? If the reservoir needed to be replaced the panel has to come out somehow.

Rant over - almost feel better

 

[tonka]

Motorhomes get built from the inside out so its all easy when they put them together.
Like fitting big fridges, easy when there are no sides or roof.

 

[Podney]

If vehicle manufacturers made easy access their priority,we’d all be driving Morris Traveller’s!

But I guess it’s about 999th out of 1000 on their list.

 

[Clarky]

tonka has it in one.
The outer sides are the last thing to be fitted in the factory. All the internal furniture, pipe work and wiring are fitted first then the sides are lifted into place.

 

[Bustup15]

Motorhomes get built from the inside out so its all easy when they put them together.
Like fitting big fridges, easy when there are no sides or roof.

Agreed, but the pipe is screwed to the back of the wardrobe panel (from the outside to in), the reservoir is screwed from the inside to the inner wall behind the wardrobe, the two are interconnected with the main pipe work, very tight, then there is an outer wall beyond that?

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[David and Sally]

Agreed, but the pipe is screwed to the back of the wardrobe panel (from the outside to in), the reservoir is screwed from the inside to the inner wall behind the wardrobe, the two are interconnected with the main pipe work, very tight, then there is an outer wall beyond that?

Pre-assembled and then the structure added to the build?

 

[jako999]

After being on German factory tour’s and seen them built from start to finish I hate something to go wrong you stand no chance of getting to it. We were told by the tour guide all the important parts like pipes and cables are in single runs to the next access point but I’m not so sure especially if your van is getting older.

 

[gpat]

Much the same as houses.

 

[DumfriesDik]

I think it's about making it easy for the builder, not for the ease of the user. We have a similar features on our moho as well.

 

[berni109]

Podney Morris minor - those were the days when you could look at the engine and recognise all the bits and understand what they did.
Whatever happened to the KISS principle.

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[Jim]

I had a van that was built around the fridge, when it failed it was impossible to get it out without wrecking the van. Had to swap it bit for bit and rebuild it inside.

 

[Lenny HB]

I had a van that was buit around the fridge, when it failed it was impossible to get it out without wrecking the van. Had to swap it bit for bit and rebuilt it iinside.

There are some vans where the fridge won't go through the hab door.

 

[Garfields]

Whatever happened to the KISS principle.

That's the problem
They are made as simple as posable to build
Repairs are unlikely to be their issue

 

[Coolcats]

There are some vans where the fridge won't go through the hab door.

Just open the Double rear doors on a PVC and in it goes

 

[gus-lopez]

There are some vans where the fridge won't go through the hab door.

Fortunately on the last coach built the fridge went out through the cab doors after the seat was removed

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[Coolcats]

Fortunately on the last coach built the fridge went out through the cab doors after the seat was removed

Of course there is one other option if it won’t go through the doors just cut a bigger while in the roof to get the fridge in and out then make a panoramic skyline feature from the bigger hole.

 

[SpeedyDux]

There are some vans where the fridge won't go through the hab door.

Airstreams are built outside aluminium shell first (over 1600 rivets!). Everything inside must pass through the door. In small sub-assemblies. Which explains why they are so expensive. As seen in a video shot in their factory.

[I know, I know, it's only a caravan. ]

 

[CamperJack]

Reading this makes me pleased I built my camper myself. I reckon I could disassemble the whole thing in an afternoon.

 

[Guigsy]

Some manufacturers sell panel vans and coachbuilts to similar specifications. But the panel van costs a few thousand more. I assume it's because it's much more work to assemble a van compared to building a motorhome inside-to-outside?

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Podney Morris minor - those were the days when you could look at the engine and recognise all the bits and understand what they did.
Whatever happened to the KISS principle.

Indeed. My two year old car has a big plastic cover over the engine with an implicit 'don't even bother, you won't recognise anything' message.

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[GagaJ]

If the bits were easy to get to they'd make no money on repairs

 

[Gaston aires]

I said I would fit new spark plugs to my wifes VW new beetle. I couldn’t even find them let alone change them.
Phil

 

[makems]

The fridge failed on our Burstner Elegance and could not be replaced. The hab door was too small. The bedroom window was big enough but the door to the bedroom was too narrow. Removing the windscreen and taking it out that way was a possibility And another was disassembling the island bed to drop it into the garage and out the garage door.
in the end the heat exchanger assembly (basically the back half of the fridge) was determined as the culprit and could be replaced by removing the fridge from its housing into the kitchen area and turning it round to expose the rear. Parts cost was about £1200 if I remember.
Accessing the engine on that van even to Just check or top up oil and water was difficult
These vehicles are designed and built For ease of construction and without any thought to maintenance and repair..

 

[IRHP]

I said I would fit new spark plugs to my wifes VW new beetle. I couldn’t even find them let alone change them.
Phil

Maybe it’s diesel

 

[pandas]

The whole industry is compared to the cars a cottage industry. A simple example our new Hymer internal door pop out handles pop right out onto the floor because whoever drilled the holes hadn’t used the correct size drill. Loads of other examples.

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[ceejayt]

Having to have a new turbo and intercooler on my A class (warranty fortunately!). A bit of head scratching as to how they get at it all since the cab is built around it.
Doable though I understand.

 

[Emmit]

Fortunately on the last coach built the fridge went out through the cab doors after the seat was removed

What "cab doors"?
I give you our Burstner Aviano i727

 

[Gaston aires]

Maybe it’s diesel

Never thought of that

Actually it was a 2 lt petrol. Never did find out before we sold it.
Phil

 

[Badknee]

Our static van has the same carpet throughout. Chassis, board floor, carpet,internal partitions, bathroom, kitchen, walls, roof in that order. The carpet runs under everything and had to be cut out to change.