Beiträge von Ted300

  • Hallo!

    Hi Lou,

    coincidentally, today I exchanged one of my Elfis at a Spar in a tiny town in the hills of Larzac in Central France. Euro 21. So I measured it :

    The Elfi is 310mm diameter (and 320mm tall).

    This is about the largest diameter that will fit in the gas locker of a 2015 Baujahr T@B 400. But the post 2015BJ had a different locker, so best to check.

    I couldn't find the Cube dimensions on line since Calor have withdrawn it from the market. If you use it in France (or anywhere other than the UK) you will find it impossible to get a refill exchange off the shelf.

    However you might find a local company able to refill.

    Pete

  • Hallo!

    Hi Lou,

    If you're still thinking of buying in Germany.... I've just thought of another minor consideration: Gas canisters.

    I believe the German standard gas canister, pressure regulator and connectors are quite unique so you might find it difficult (if not impossible) to find an exchange or refill in France. No doubt many of the forum members who holiday in France will be able to confirm or deny this problem.

    Our solution was to fit 2x 5 kg Elfi Propane cylinders (yellow) from Antargas. As you know, they are available at nearly every supermarket or large petrol station in France - a real bonus when you run out - and exchanges are not expensive.

    Another bonus is their shape; Shorter and larger diameter than the German standard. They fit perfectly in the (pre- 2016 model) gas locker and give more usable space in the locker.

    If you are buying new (and you want to fit Elfi) you will need to give notice to your dealer so that he can order the correct brass fitting to fit to the tubing in the gas locker. (the German one is not compatible). Then take the Elfi and regulator with you so that your dealer can check the gas system and demonstrate it.

    If you buy a used van then the cylinder will already be fitted but you simply need to remove the German standard brass fitting and replace with another. Very simple to do but you need to check if the regulations in France require a qualified gas fitter.

    However, if you travel into Germany often then you can always renew the cylinder before going on holiday. 5kg lasts a long time if only for cooking, so you're unlikely to get stranded.

    Pete

  • Batterie/ Bluetti

    Hello Lou,

    if you plan always to use the electricity hook ups then you don't need the very expensive battery pack.

    And if you are tempted to go off grid, your Bluetti/solar panels combined with gas fridge should give you all the 12volt power you need for the van plus a limited supply of 240volt power.

    But, to complicate things a bit, if you want to fit a caravan mover you will need an on-board 12 volt battery. And I'm not sure that the 12 volt /10 Amp output from the Bluetti would be sufficient. (our Easydriver takes 20Amps)

    Pete

  • Batterie/ Bluetti

    Hi Lou,

    It depends on what you mean by "run" your T@B.

    With 700 Watt-hour capacity, even if partially charged, it will run the 12volt LE lights and water pump in the van for several days/nights.

    But, since you asked about air-conditioning, I'm certain you will want a fridge. If you run this at 12volts or 240 volts it will draw about 125 Watts per hour according to Dometic's literature - and in hot temperatures it will certainly be running full blast - so your Bluetti will only last about 6 hours if fully charged. But, luckily, you can switch the fridge to gas if your power runs down.

    It's certainly worth trying. You can retro-fit a 12v battery system later if the Bluetti cannot cope.

    Pete

  • Hallo!

    Hello LouT,

    Another thought: if you are happy to buy a used T@B that has been registered in D/NL and is older than 6 months then the VAT problem goes away. But the seller/dealer will need to formally de-register it in D/NL and you will need to have the T@B inspected by French authorities to check that it still complies with CoC specification. Shouldn't be a problem.

    And another consideration : Warranty. Under EU law, Knaus-Tabbert must honour their warranty obligations via any of their official dealers in EU. So your main problem will be the inconvenience caused by your distance from your nearest dealer (in F or D). But you should note that a condition of the water ingress warranty is that your T@B must be inspected and undersealed each 12 months by a T@B dealer.

    The chassis is made by ALKO and you will have no problem having that serviced locally in France.

    Pete

  • Hallo!

    Hello LouT,

    The T@B will be built to a common EU specification and you will be given a Cerificate of Conformation (CoC) signed by Knaus Tabbert which should be acceptable when you register the van in France. There should be no need to make any changes.

    Probably the more difficult part will be the paperwork to import and register in France - and pay VAT.

    I have read that you must pay VAT in France. Therefore either:

    1. find a dealer who is able to sell to you without VAT (may not be easy) or

    2. you will need to pay twice and recover the German VAT. Obviously a risky business.

    I would suggest that you contact dealers in Germany/NL close to France. I'm sure you are not the first to want to do a personal import, so you might find one that knows exactly what is needed.

    Have a look at this link:

    https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/france/…C%20grey%20card).

    Good luck

    Pete

  • Elektrisches Fenster T@b400

    Hallo Kristin,

    Bei uns (bj 2015) ist die Skyview Sicherung im Stromsversorgungsgerät Nr K1, 15A.

    Aber es gibt auch eine 10A Sicherung im Fensterrahmen in den Nähe von dem Fensterschalter!!

    Suche im Forum "Skyview"

    Good luck

    Pete

  • Wandverkleidung demontieren

    Danke für eure Antworten und Ideen. T@B 400 hat recht und hat mir den Mut gegeben, die Wandverkleidung stärker zu ziehen. Ich habe eine winzige Lücke zwischen Dach und Wand gefunden, und zwar an der Stelle, wo sich die beiden Dachteile treffen.

    Jetzt muss ich das Loch draussen finden!

  • Schutzhülle für die Wintertime

    Hallo Stefan,

    Im Winter schläft unser T@B 400L unter einer Winterschutzhülle von "Pro-Tec Covers", die wir vor 3 Jahren an der Birmingham Messe gekauft haben. Wir finden sie sehr gut und können sie empfehlen.

    ProTec cover.jpg

    Die Pro-Tec Schutzhülle ist extra für T@b (sowie 320 als auch 400L vor und nach 2016 BJ) maßgeschneidert. Das atmungsaktives Gewebe ist strapazierfähig mit einer weichen Innenoberfläche. Das "Easy Fit System" macht das Montieren und Entfernen der Hülle für 2 Personen relativ einfach.

    http://www.pro-teccovers.co.uk/index.php/prod…c-caravan-cover

    Kostet ca.GBP 375

    Grüsse Pete

  • T@B 320 Modifikationen - Tipps und Beratung erbeten

    Hallo, Darf ich bitte auf englisch schreiben...

    I found that a 120mm diameter PC fan fits perfectly in the upper fridge opening with 2 upper screws into the cooker tray (with some rubber washers to reduce noise transmission) and 2 lower screws into the plastic housing (with some reinforcement added to prevent vibration):

    IMG_2954.jpg

    For thermostatic control I used a Kemo temperature switch N20DD:

    Clipboard01.jpg

    The Kemo is located next to the 12 Volt box in the cupboard above the sink. The remote temperature sensor is near the fan (visible on right in photo).

    The Kemo can switch circuits above or below the chosen temperature. It could be a simple off/on - but I wanted 3 speeds (noise levels). For the "above" temperature I had the PC fan at full speed (which was quite noisey but very effective in 35 to 40 degree ambient temperatures in S. France.) For the "below" temperature I had the fan at reduced speed by connecting a resistance in the circuit. I also added an on/off switch with warning light and another manually-switched very low speed for night-time. :

    IMG_2955.jpg

    I took the power from the 12volt box in the top cupboard so that the control was easily accessible and because this is connected to the Circuit 5 fuse in the Schaudt which has no power when there is no 240V supply (and therefore prevents the fan from draining the battery by accident):

    IMG_2957.jpg

    It all worked very well.

    Fragen? Bitte, auf deutsch schreiben.

    Pete