ASK THE EXPERTS
Burning questions about motorcaravanning? Our expert team can help! Simply email one of the addresses below or contact practical.motorhome@futurenet.com, and we’ll do our best to answer it in an upcoming issue
CAN I CLEAN THE TAINTED WATER TANK IN MY 2008 MOTORHOME? Q
I recently bought a new-to-me 2008-model motorhome, and on our second run out, I accidentally put about two litres of diesel into the water tank. I stopped as soon as I realised, but I fear that the damage may be done.
Now, when you step inside the ’van, there’s a definite smell of diesel.
I haven’t run the water system since for fear of making it worse – could you please advise how I should deal with this? I could kick myself for being so daft. Martin Neale Diamond Dave replies… A
Don’t beat yourself up over it, you aren’t the first and you certainly won’t be the last to do this! Hopefully you took the obvious step of draining down the tank immediately.
Now the bad news. You will probably need to replace the fresh-water tank, as the diesel will almost certainly taint the plastic and you will forever have the whiff of it in your water system.
I know some people claim to have “fixed” the problem with dishwasher tablets, vinegar and a variety of other sterilising and detergent solutions, but I certainly wouldn’t want to risk it. As you haven’t run the pump, the pipework should be fine.
HOW DO I GO ABOUT GREASING THE AL-KO CHASSIS ON MY ’VAN? Q
On p92 of Practical Motorhome issue 264, Gentleman Jack mentioned the subject of greasing an Al-Ko chassis. I have an Elddis Accordo 2019 on a Peugeot Boxer chassis – could you please explain where to grease it, and perhaps publish some pictures in the magazine, so we can see the relevant locations? Arthur Deary
A Gentleman Jack replies…
We last covered this four years ago, so it is probably time to give it another ‘airing’. Thanks for the reminder!
The article you refer to concerned Bailey’s Autograph, all of which are built on the Peugeot Boxer Al-Ko chassis-cab.
Your Elddis Accordo doesn’t have an Al-Ko chassis – Elddis uses the Tempo Libero (closed) version of the Peugeot Boxer chassis-cab, so everything ‘underneath’ is ‘Peugeot’ and will be looked after as part of the standard mechanical servicing schedule. There is nothing extra to do.
That said, here are the details of Al-Ko chassis lubrication, in case you change motorcaravans to one with an Al-Ko rear chassis, and to help other readers. On most motorhomes, this should be completed once a year.
The grease nipples have a plastic cover and point downwards from the rear axle tube just inside the longitudinal outer chassis-rails. There is one for each side.
This photo (1) of the underside of my 2018 Bailey shows the location of the nipple and the cap. We are looking from the centre of the vehicle towards the offside rear wheel.
Greasing must be carried out with the rear of the vehicle (safely) lifted onto axle stands, so the axle is not supporting any weight. The jack and axle-stands must not be placed under the axle tube itself, but under the jacking points adjacent to the rear shock absorbers.
A standard manual grease-gun is fine, but you should use either Stabutherm GH 461 or Fa CONDA - Cardex 3746 SP grease, because neither is compromised by extremes of temperature.
A few Al-Ko chassis are maintenance free as standard. These have no nipples and will have the designation ‘CA’ on the type plate affixed to the axle.
You can read David Terence’s very informative article about Al-Ko chassis here: practicalmotorhome.com/advice/ spotlight-on-al-ko-amc-chassis.