Introduction
Recently purchased 2008 3.0 Maxi to convert into an off grid campervan.
Ducato 3.0 Maxi H3 L4
- Thread starter halilson
- Start date
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- Dec 8, 2012
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That will be great with the extra headroom for storage space.
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Thats how it looked three weeks ago. Already done lots to it. Hopefully ordering windows etc this week.
Yes I would have chosen the L4 H3 had one been available
But then I would have probably filled the extra space with clutter and been overweight
As it is, my L4 H2 comes in at just under the 3,500 kg limit
Only once been waved in for a roadside weight check though
Soon as I opened the side door the guy said 'Oh its a motorhome, we don't weigh those, you can go'
So I never got on their weighbridge.
I just got it weighed by driving on to the weighbridge at the local scrapyard then politely asking the clerk to tell me what it weighs.
But then I would have probably filled the extra space with clutter and been overweight
As it is, my L4 H2 comes in at just under the 3,500 kg limit
Only once been waved in for a roadside weight check though
Soon as I opened the side door the guy said 'Oh its a motorhome, we don't weigh those, you can go'
So I never got on their weighbridge.
I just got it weighed by driving on to the weighbridge at the local scrapyard then politely asking the clerk to tell me what it weighs.
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We were looking for a face-lift L4 H2, but when this one popped up, with the 3.0 and awesome colour, it was a no brainer. The bodywork is very straight and it was almost half of my proposed budget, so win win.
I have only got one rear window - in the side door
Easily fitted - just cut out the hole with a jigsaw and stick it on.
I don't want any more windows
You lose a lot of storage space for shelves on the walls, a bed headboard and footboard, (Ducato is wide enough for a sideways bed supported on ratchet straps to level it up) and the opportunity to mount your TV at eye level.
Makes it like a greenhouse in summer, and cold in winter
And a lot easier to break into......
Easily fitted - just cut out the hole with a jigsaw and stick it on.
I don't want any more windows
You lose a lot of storage space for shelves on the walls, a bed headboard and footboard, (Ducato is wide enough for a sideways bed supported on ratchet straps to level it up) and the opportunity to mount your TV at eye level.
Makes it like a greenhouse in summer, and cold in winter
And a lot easier to break into......
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It's immaculate apart from a tiny scrape, which I'll sort when I'm fitting the vents.Looks very promising
What state is the roof paint in?
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Thank you for that. What are the symptoms? I have hunting idle sometimes.
Yes, that is one of the symptoms! I made a video on YT that became quite popular on replacing the throttle body. You can also take it off and clean it and potentially save it, if it's not too far gone already. I tried to save mine but for the sake of reliability, I got a new one from Pierburg, don't forget to buy the overpriced adapter cable: the connector is the same but the pins are different... The Pierburg TB is better equiped against all the moisture that gets in the engine bay.
When you shut off the engine a healthy TB will make a difference: the TB closes completely and the engine will just stop instantly, with a stuck valve it will take a second to shut off (because it still gets oxygen), but it's hard to tell the difference if you don't know how it's supposed to sound. The TB only has 2 jobs: it closes partially as the EGR is opened and closes completely when you shut off the engine. So technically you can drive around with a TB that is stuck in the open position. I know people who disconnect the TB and EGR solenoid and drive with no EGR, but with a check engine light on. I personally like the engine to run like it was designed.
A bad earth strap (also a weak point) can also hurt the idle + charging/starting. This is an easy fix, replace the strap or add some additional (thick) wires between the engine block and the chassis. If I disconnect those wires, I will immediatly get an unstable idle again, but if I recall correctly, it was way worse with the stuck throttle body. I would start by checking the earth strap since it's an easy fix. You can also easily diagnose this by measuring the voltage drop between engine block and chassis.
Oh, another issue I had recently, and a weak spot, is the cable loom. I had a corroded wire that leads to the high speed fan, which made the ECU throw a code when running the A/C. Took me a while to find that one... Lots of schematics and pin testing. Apparently the loom gets slowly damaged by shaving against the chassis, but in my case the broken wire was actually in a 180 bent of the loom, far away from the chassis. I retaped the whole thing to protect it from the elements in the future.
The glow plugs are probably dead too, you will notice a blinking coil light on your dash when starting in colder weather. This is not a big issue, but if you disconnected the broken ones you can still fire up the working ones. I have now 2 working ones and it makes a huge difference in starting in sub-zero temperatures. It will start anyhow but with dead glow plugs it will take a few seconds and produce a lot of smoke... I also have a vid on that one.
Sorry, this is a lot of information but hopefully it can save you some time or troubles. The engine itself never let us down: it took us all the way through Europe, always started, sometimes a bit rough but it always did its job. Got it at 114 000 km and now we are close to 160 000.
When you shut off the engine a healthy TB will make a difference: the TB closes completely and the engine will just stop instantly, with a stuck valve it will take a second to shut off (because it still gets oxygen), but it's hard to tell the difference if you don't know how it's supposed to sound. The TB only has 2 jobs: it closes partially as the EGR is opened and closes completely when you shut off the engine. So technically you can drive around with a TB that is stuck in the open position. I know people who disconnect the TB and EGR solenoid and drive with no EGR, but with a check engine light on. I personally like the engine to run like it was designed.
A bad earth strap (also a weak point) can also hurt the idle + charging/starting. This is an easy fix, replace the strap or add some additional (thick) wires between the engine block and the chassis. If I disconnect those wires, I will immediatly get an unstable idle again, but if I recall correctly, it was way worse with the stuck throttle body. I would start by checking the earth strap since it's an easy fix. You can also easily diagnose this by measuring the voltage drop between engine block and chassis.
Oh, another issue I had recently, and a weak spot, is the cable loom. I had a corroded wire that leads to the high speed fan, which made the ECU throw a code when running the A/C. Took me a while to find that one... Lots of schematics and pin testing. Apparently the loom gets slowly damaged by shaving against the chassis, but in my case the broken wire was actually in a 180 bent of the loom, far away from the chassis. I retaped the whole thing to protect it from the elements in the future.
The glow plugs are probably dead too, you will notice a blinking coil light on your dash when starting in colder weather. This is not a big issue, but if you disconnected the broken ones you can still fire up the working ones. I have now 2 working ones and it makes a huge difference in starting in sub-zero temperatures. It will start anyhow but with dead glow plugs it will take a few seconds and produce a lot of smoke... I also have a vid on that one.
Sorry, this is a lot of information but hopefully it can save you some time or troubles. The engine itself never let us down: it took us all the way through Europe, always started, sometimes a bit rough but it always did its job. Got it at 114 000 km and now we are close to 160 000.
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Thats brilliant information, I'll check your videos out too. Thanks for that, it gives me something to get my teeth into
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Thats the outside pretty much done, windows have arrived, just need some half decent weather! Interior is stripped and sound deadening has been applied.
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The work has mainly been on the outside, just as important in my book. Fixed some leaks, etc.
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I see you are installing a swivel seat. I was told by a store that it won't turn in combination with the bench. Does it? Or are you planning to replace the bench?
Btw awesome work on the outside. What a nice coat of paint for an older vehicle. Mine sat outside for a long time and lost most of the clear coat. I might tackle it with a polishing machine in the spring.
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