Well this should be fun .....

3 days into an 8 day and my alternator failed on the drive down to South Wales.

Gradually watch the voltage nose dive until the van just totally died on 4 volts.

Jump leads to connect up battery no. 2 and got to the site with no further issues.

EHU and charger now to breathe new life into them both.

No EHU at the festival from Thursday, so will just have to be very careful.

Also developed a slow puncture. Have a pump but the previous owner has put on those decorative valve caps. Totally seized up and not for budging.

Wish me luck..... though really glad I joined the RAC before leaving.

Good luck!

4 volt is pretty low by the way, battery could go dead pretty soon after this. Maybe not.

Oops - hopefully only a new brushpack required.

So made it there and back.... just.

Only problem was after 4 days at the festival without an EHU, I was being particularly careful with the voltage so no radio and even dimmed the dashboard. As a result I missed the engine temperature going through the roof about 15 or 20 miles from home until I saw water flooding out the back of the van.

Immediately pulled over and turned off the engine, in the knowledge that there wouldn't be enough voltage to re-crank the engine.

Called the RAC and as the engine had cooled, we jumped it and moved the van to a little service lane on the M56. Under the van and identified a clip that had rotted off a pipe carrying coolant to rear heater controls that I didn't know existed. (They have been hidden behind a cupboard during the van conversion.)

Replaced the jubilee clip along with one on the return pipe. Filled up with coolant, jump start and back home in under 30 minutes.

Van now booked into my local garage to check the alternator and also run an eye over the cooling system.

Every trip is a learning experience.

Oops! Safest to bypass the hidden heater entirely, I took mine out (I fitted a diesel heater instead) and just bent the rubber pipe to bypass it.

I had the same issue with my rear heater pipes springing a leak, and thanks to the help on this forum, replaced all the pipes metal pipes underneath the van.

Part details below.

I ordered up 5 metres of this (14mm inner diametre) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Nylon-Braided-Nitrile-Hose-Select-Size-and-Length-Fuel-Oil-Petrol-Diesel/153214799959?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=453074176893&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

and 6 of these (14mm) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hose-Menders-Repair-Joint-Coolant-Pipe-Car-Van-3-4-5-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20-mm/201446465444?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=500626016796&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Original thread about it https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t3518-what-in-the-world-are-these?highlight=what+in+the+world+are+these

I am beginning to have similar issues on my Cruising Cabin Camper.
Just looked for brass barb fittings and found these. Maybe useful for someone in future: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32957549580.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.733f6525QbCiIj&algo_pvid=3ce51646-8ffc-4485-9d62-ff359b592cc2&algo_expid=3ce51646-8ffc-4485-9d62-ff359b592cc2-8&btsid=e9d56891-1031-4ebe-9a9d-f13526be4bbb&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4,searchweb201603_52

toldsimply wrote:

I had the same issue with my rear heater pipes springing a leak, and thanks to the help on this forum, replaced all the pipes metal pipes underneath the van.

Part details below.

I ordered up 5 metres of this (14mm inner diametre) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Nylon-Braided-Nitrile-Hose-Select-Size-and-Length-Fuel-Oil-Petrol-Diesel/153214799959?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=453074176893&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

and 6 of these (14mm) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hose-Menders-Repair-Joint-Coolant-Pipe-Car-Van-3-4-5-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20-mm/201446465444?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=500626016796&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Original thread about it https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t3518-what-in-the-world-are-these?highlight=what+in+the+world+are+these