Whats the most iritating design feature on your van? (1 Viewer)

[JJ]

An interesting thread which has got me thinking (only a little mind you.)

When is it a design fault and when is it operator error?

For example.

Once again, as I put the kettle on and turned to put the lighter back in the drawer this morning, I hit my forehead (gently) on the overhead cupboard handle. I suppose I could complain that this is a design fault and that they should have considered forgetful 6' 4" people when positioning the handle in their design stage or...

... I can blame myself for nutting the handle for the 3,768th time.

JJ :Cool:

PS. Frankie never hits her head on it.

 

[Barclaybasher]

The habitation door catch seems to be a common problem.Anyone got a fix for this? I tried putting tape on it to bulk it out but it still doesn't hold and slams at the slightest breath of wind!

Bunjee cord out the window, right round door and back.

 

[Styx]

Bunjee cord out the window, right round door and back.

That's what we are doing for the time being

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chatter]

The habitation door catch seems to be a common problem.Anyone got a fix for this? I tried putting tape on it to bulk it out but it still doesn't hold and slams at the slightest breath of wind!

Surely a replacement catch can be bought and fitted, even buying and fitting a better designed one, we had to do that on a static we once had.

 

[chatter]

The habitation door catch seems to be a common problem.Anyone got a fix for this? I tried putting tape on it to bulk it out but it still doesn't hold and slams at the slightest breath of wind!

can you not change it for a better one,
I have one of these on mine

http://www.starspangledspanner.com/...entry-t-catch-3-5-plastic-white/prod_822.html

available from our fellow funster Duncan
I realise it says out of stock but might be worth a phone call

 

[Reallyretired]

I've just ordered one of these. It looks a bit more substantial.

[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/W4-3784R-VIVA-DOOR-RETAINER/dp/B003LXAE7C/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_5[/ame]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ericonabike]

The ONLY thing I dislike about our Starburst is the shower tray. To be precise, the fact that it only has one drain hole. In the middle. So that unless you're perfectly level it don't drain away. For the sake of having two holes, one in each corner, it seems a design fault to me. But as that's the ONLY thing I dislike, I'm a happy bunny after the first six months of ownership.

 

[keith]

I don't have a problem with things that start to annoy me, I find a way to fix it so it dosn't become a problem. Think outside the normal and it can be a simple matter either alter/replace the crap design or find a way to stop it happening.

A few on this thread seem to have done the same. :thumb:

 

[kaybee]

The only thing that seems to be a bad design is the wardrobe being sited behind the passenger seat. At certain right hand junctions it completely obstructs your view to the point of you literally not being able to see anything approaching from the left. Anyone got any clever ideas on this one? Other than that I love the van.
Kath :Sad:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[kiwi]

annoying

i have a bessacarr 745,and the wonderfull makers put the leasure battery under the drivers seat so if you want to maintain or witerise you have take the whole seat off,also when driving my eyeline is 1 in below the windscreen.
im 5ft 10 when it rains i have lower my head to see and passenger /sing reader have lean half way across the cab .and who thought putting a plasic surround to the stove.why when we make stuff here we dont bother with the niceseties like allthe window plasic surrounds are joined at the bottom in the middle of the window ,(now have gaps.)i would have put them on the side or top so covered by the blinds etc.:Angry:

 

[grumps147]

I was going to say the hand that turns the air con off the second I turn it on.
But really, it's the roof drains opening right over the kitchen and dinette windows for me.

 

[froghopper]

Hickups

May have been that,,,, now it must be the alarm

All the best
FROGHOPPER

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jim]

The grey waste drain tap is situated under the door right by the step! crazy

 

[MHVirgins]

The hab.door catch and the ones on the garage doors of our Rapido that retain the doors open------absolute rubbish

This problem used to annoy us when we had the caravan, but the Autoquest has a strong magnetic area which protects the side of the van from getting a wallop. So far so good, it's been strong enough to hold the van door open in strong winds:thumb:

 

[grumps147]

May have been that,,,, now it must be the alarm

All the best
FROGHOPPER

They did ask about your van frog hopper, again a thousand apologies for the grief my new alarm gave you both and many at Malvern. Awaiting a call from Dave/Jackie re the fix.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MHVirgins]

Our toilet washroom is the same, the light switch is high up in the far corner. As SWMBO is vertically challenged I fitted a small self adhesive LED light from Ikea on the ceiling. £4 if I remember correctly.

Link Removed

It takes 3 rechargeable AAA batteries. It has a small PIR sensor fitted. So everytime you open the door the light comes on automatically. Batteries last about 6 months between recharges.:thumb::thumb:

Perfect for those nightime visits for a comfort break........:thumb:

We got two of these from Wilkinsons recently, have stuck one at the inside of the habitation door because there is no courtesly light outside the van.
But will need to get rechargeable batteries for ours instead of the standard ones that we bought.oh:
Great things:thumb:

 

[MHVirgins]

The ONLY thing I dislike about our Starburst is the shower tray. To be precise, the fact that it only has one drain hole. In the middle. So that unless you're perfectly level it don't drain away. For the sake of having two holes, one in each corner, it seems a design fault to me. But as that's the ONLY thing I dislike, I'm a happy bunny after the first six months of ownership.

Argh! Ours annoys me, but it doesn't annoy OH, so I have a shower first, then he has his, then I let him get rid of the water
The only trouble with that is, that he doesn't get it all away and I usually end up down on my knees with a cloth to get it thoroughly dry.........by that time I'm in a really bad mood:Blush:
I suppose that's one of the annoying problems that you don't discover until you've bought and used the van. Oh and shower curtain sticking to a wet bottom:Blush: But I've bought 2 metres of leaded curtain tape for that problem, must get that on before we set off next week.
Margaret

 

[callumwa]

The ONLY thing I dislike about our Starburst is the shower tray. To be precise, the fact that it only has one drain hole. In the middle. So that unless you're perfectly level it don't drain away. [HI]For the sake of having two holes, one in each corner[/HI], it seems a design fault to me. But as that's the ONLY thing I dislike, I'm a happy bunny after the first six months of ownership.

2 Holes, one in each corner, ......... so only 2 corners then....... an unusual shower tray.....

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[maroom2]

passenger seat

my passenger seat is a pain.it lets the wife sit somewhere and as no ejector button!!!!!!!!!

 

[johnp10]

The only fault with ours is the door.
It dont keep ShiftZZ out.

 

[Rayb182]

Can't think of a single thing !!!!:Cool::Cool::Cool:

I can.........you cant get one of them plastic white chairs in through the door

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ojibway]

We had a Rapido Aclass.
Fridge/freezer needed repairing. Couldn't get it out through the door which was 10mm too narrow! We had to remove it from it's housing and work on it in the confines of the motorhome!
Also, the fridge/freezer was incorrectly installed - they hadn't followed simple procedures as shown in the instructions that were supplied with the F/F. Amateurs or couldn't care less?
Obviously the motorhome had been constructed around the fridge/freezer.
How stupid is that?!!

 

[Styx]

We had a Rapido Aclass.
Fridge/freezer needed repairing. Couldn't get it out through the door which was 10mm too narrow!

We had our fridge/freezer serviced by a (freelance) dometic engineer recently and, according to him, this is the case for a lot of vans

 

[Gromett]

As I have a self build only myself to blame.

Only one hole in the shower in one corner. I always end up parked with that the highest. In 3 years I have only ever parked once where the hole was at the right end of the slope.

I need to get my tools out and fit a second plug hole at the diagonally opposite corner...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jaygee]

My van is absolutely perfect - anyone want to buy it

 

[motorhomelover]

the back seat driver

 

[robnchris]

grrr points.

Electric step right in front of the rear wheels, no protection from the road spray so when you get to your pitch the step is covered with anything that you have driven through.
Come on Autotrail a basic design fault back in 2006 and you still haven`t cured the problem in 2012 and that`s on the top of the range £70k plus Frontier motorhomes.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SuperMike]

My van is absolutely perfect - anyone want to buy it

Only if it's 23' 9".

23' 8" or 23' 10" won't do, sorry.

 

[Minxy]

The only thing that seems to be a bad design is the wardrobe being sited behind the passenger seat. At certain right hand junctions it completely obstructs your view to the point of you literally not being able to see anything approaching from the left. Anyone got any clever ideas on this one? Other than that I love the van.
Kath :Sad:

Get a small 'blind spot' mirror and stick it on your existing mirror at the correct angle so you can see.

 

[Minxy]

In our current van there are 3 things which are:

1) Hold-back clip for habitation door - the Chausson ones are very expensive (about £15!!!!) so we changed it when it broke for the second time for a much better designed one.

2) Circular shower screen - always moved when we were driving as the holding metal 'button' type thing (glorified press-stud) always came undone, replaced it with a strap with a plastic push together clip.

3) Battery under the cab seats ... only way to check their levels is to remove the seats completely!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}