Ducato Hi, just buying a Ducato II based camper van, my first camper and first Fiat so thought I should do a bit of homework!
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Ducato Hi, just buying a Ducato II based camper van, my first camper and first Fiat so thought I should do a bit of homework!
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Great post. Very sensible to ask first, and Im sure you will get tons of info from reading the Forum. Look for Doblo in the Forums list -top left. I had a Bravo 1.6D 105HP. This engine was staggeringly good and so efficient. 234lb/ft of torque so it drove well and easily towed our caravan. Doblo shares this engine and it will be up to the job. My uncle has a Scudo 2.0D camper conversion it seems to have been really good. I wish you success in you search for info and a good vehicle. Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for the welcome, and i do have a question or two!
I would like to change the cabin pollen filter but not sure where it is, several videos suggest it is under the wiper mech cover at the bottom of the windscreen, is this it and is it the only one?
Secondly is there an OBD/diagnostic port on the Ducato II, i saw somewhere a Fiat specific not OBD compatible 3 pin connector. Im not sure if there is even an ECU on the vehicle at this point!
Thanks in advance.
I would like to change the cabin pollen filter but not sure where it is, several videos suggest it is under the wiper mech cover at the bottom of the windscreen, is this it and is it the only one?
Secondly is there an OBD/diagnostic port on the Ducato II, i saw somewhere a Fiat specific not OBD compatible 3 pin connector. Im not sure if there is even an ECU on the vehicle at this point!
Thanks in advance.
Hi again, Mine does not have an ECU,thank God, no computers ruling my life. I don't know when they started installing them. My advice would be to try and find an old fashioned garage that doesn't need to plug into your van to diagnose a fault. Use the brains and experience on the forum and save lots of money.
Hi again, When thinking about a motorhome it is wise to treat it as 2 separate parts. The Fiat Chassis and the habitation conversion. This forum deals primarily with the Fiat engine and chassis. For habitation info. you may fare better on a dedicated m/h forum such as outandaboutlive.com. Ian.
I take your point, but you may pass through an area of high pollen count on your way to somewhere with a lower count?
Also it does give you the option of a haven with less pollen if you have a problem with hay fever like my wife, I look at them as insurance!
More to the point where are they?
Also it does give you the option of a haven with less pollen if you have a problem with hay fever like my wife, I look at them as insurance!
More to the point where are they?
Pretty much where your asking/expecting , and yes it is part of the running gear . Okay well first off , i have a series two left hand drive duke , couple of years newer . 2.8 tdi , or to be exact idtd (turbo intercooled) . However , it is a coach built . Hymer A class , using the duke chassis , inner wings , firewall , dashboard etc , but the entire body is custom . Think of it as a caravan with a steering wheel . The pollen filter is on the left hand side of the engine bay (looking directly at the engine from the front) , mounted on my van just above the cooling header tank , just below the windscreen scuttle . Being part of , and directly connected to the heater , it's a large (if i remember correctly , plastic) black box , which has two large bore tubes feeding it that emerge from the inner wing on the left hand side (again looking directly at the engine from the front) . The top is screwed down with 6 screws , that were very difficult to access on my van , and this is your pollen filter access . Now it should be noted at this point , if it is fitted , not all vans were fitted with one , mine wasn't ! .
Now i don't see any reason why you can't retrofit one , and i'm guessing this will probably be the case , due to your wife's condition , but you will need the tray for the filter to fit into to . The only thing i could suggest here , would be to source a tray from a breaker or someone who is breaking an x230 chassis . Unless of course , you're a dab hand at scratch building , from raw materials . I decided against it , due to the fact i also needed the tray , i don't have any problems with hay fever or the like , and it would have added complexity to an already full schedule that's over running badly .
As for your second question regarding the obd/diagnostic port , i seriously doubt you have one . Mine doesn't , and i didn't want one . Minus an ecu , the electrics are far simpler , and there's less to go wrong . My understanding is the JTD , released 2000/2001 was the first duke to be fitted with an ecu , and hence the first to have an obd port .
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Cheers, i have ordered a filter element so hopefully there is an existing one or at least the frame!
If there isn't then I don't mind fabricating something as i love a challenge......?
Depending on size I could knock one up on my 3D printer, it could help justify its existence, i have just printed a new air recirculation lever that works but could do with improving, i guessed the back part and then found the broken bit while fitting the new one! I was close but had inverted the pin.
Next job is to fit a reversing camera, i would like to replace the glass mirror with the screen but not sure hoe to mount it, i have seen replacement brackets but it would be simpler to just hook over the existing mirror any ideas?
If there isn't then I don't mind fabricating something as i love a challenge......?
Depending on size I could knock one up on my 3D printer, it could help justify its existence, i have just printed a new air recirculation lever that works but could do with improving, i guessed the back part and then found the broken bit while fitting the new one! I was close but had inverted the pin.
Next job is to fit a reversing camera, i would like to replace the glass mirror with the screen but not sure hoe to mount it, i have seen replacement brackets but it would be simpler to just hook over the existing mirror any ideas?
Ah now if you have access to one of them , then making a frame should be a doodle . I don't , and i would need time to learn how to use one . I'm not very tec savvy , if you see where i'm coming from , but there will be more on that subject in a minute .
Yep , i've fitted a reversing camera to mine as well , though i mounted it in a different way . I converted the radio aperture from a single din to a double din . I did lose the ash tray and the cigarette lighter in the process , but as i no longer smoke i don't really need them . The cigarette lighter however , was a useful charger for certain things , so i moved that to the upper switch panel , next to the hazard light switch .
This conversion was done the old fashioned way , with plastic welding . I learned how to do that , to repair my front bumper , plus three of the four wheel spats which the previous owner had knocked three barrels out of . They were basically all scrap , but i managed to repair all of them , and save a considerable amount of money into the bargain (estimated around 3500 grand) . Actually the conversion was only fully finished about a month ago , when i had both the central switch and heater panels , plus all the switch surrounds hydro-dipped in a walnut burr . The result is now i can mount a full Kenwood media player , with hands free phone (that has a separate mic) , gps , and of course rear view camera , in what looks like a wood trimmed dashboard . I'm busy finishing this off as we speak .
However i did decide , as this vehicle is what i call a left hooker , to mount a second camera on the off side . As you well know , we drive on the wrong side of the road to you guys , so my nearside is actually my off side and i figured a camera would be helpful . I've driven a heavy truck with one (my day job) on the nearside , and it was very useful . My display is exactly the same , but the only problem is , it just looks like an after thought , it doesn't look finished . I hate having after market bits stuck all over the place . So the solution i came up with , was to have a complete dummy mirror mount made up to fit the display properly , and for that i decided to have one 3d printed . I found a shop that does the complete job for you . But that is a job in progress right now , its planned to get the mount printed in the New year . I did say added complexity to an already full schedule . These are only a couple of the jobs from many i'm doing or have done . Most are now complete , with several that were quite major , both mechanical and electrical . Actually it got a bit silly , as i've spent close on 7 grand for parts , and taken nearly three years to get where i am . I'm planning on returning the vehicle back to the road next year , i was hoping it would be this year , but my day job got in the way . We have a bit of a shortage of heavy truck drivers over here . Next year it will happen , i'm making sure of it , and with that , there will be three primary functions zero houred , on a 24 year old vehicle .
The system I have has two cameras one with reversing guide bars and the other without, i have thought of mounting camera two on the roof to act as an aide when passing under low bridges, entrances' etc but it may already be too late by then!
I like the idea of a blindside camera though am may give it a go, they are wireless so all i need is power to try them out.
I like the idea of a blindside camera though am may give it a go, they are wireless so all i need is power to try them out.
Yes mine is a two camera system as well . I figured on mounting the second camera to the rear of the van , looking down , mainly to keep an eye on the motorcycle rack i have fitted . It's a slide away Alfred Weih , original to the van , and this has undergone extensive examination to check it's in a usable condition . I checked it's carrying capacity with the manufacturer , and it actually turns out to be more than sufficient , at 150 kgs ( the motorbike weighs in at between 72 and 76kgs , dry) . I've also fitted large cargo eyes for lashing down , and tidied up the rear lights . I have two sets on the rear due to the rack , and at one point had two fog lights , plus two reversing lights all at different levels , with a third stand alone fog light . I now have pairs , fog lights (legal requirement) both sides on the projection , and reversing lights (non legal requirement on a vehicle of this age) , again both sides within the original clusters (i changed one of the European clusters for a UK version) . Sorry i'm a trucker , what can i say , but now i guess , you can begin to see where this money i've spent has gone .
I find the blind side camera extremely useful , especially for driving in a foreign country , which technically i do every time i drive my van . The mirrors are good , but the camera gives a wider angle . Activated by the indicator , it's useful for pulling out of laybys , or joining roads that are at an angle , for example a slip road such as those found on an auto route . They also show small cars in your blind spot which otherwise may prove invisible .
One thing i would mention though , my current heavy truck has a four camera system , covering all four sides of the vehicle . I'm pretty sure they are also wireless , and i've discovered they may interfere with the dab reception on the radio . Reception keeps cutting out , with the system active , yet if i switch the camera system off , there's no problem . If you don't use dab , there shouldn't be a problem , as other frequencies appear unaffected . Just in case you're unsure of what i mean by dab , i'm talking about Digital Audio Broadcasts .
Bridge clearance is a serious issue , that should not be taken lightly . If i remember correctly in this country by law , any goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must have some kind of height warning placard , visible from the driving seat within the cab . My own motorhome has been up rated to 3.7 tonnes , and is now taxed as a heavy goods vehicle , though technically not a goods vehicle itself , due to the none carriage of any goods . The problem here is that the goods definition could be argued in a court of law , so as a professional driver i carried that over , and following a physical measurement , the vehicles maximum height is now marked both in feet and metres with a legal placard . The vehicle under went this measurement in normal trim (what we call kerbside weight) with only half a tank of fuel , and minus any leisure weight , ie water aboard . Also i'm known to carry hanggliders on the roof , whilst in transit , though my normal practice is to carry them inside , so this was also taken into account . The system i used was a 1m spirit level placed to the highest point , then measured from this to the ground . After adding a couple of inches for clearance , a suitable placard was then sourced . I do realise that this may sound like over kill , but having personally carried this work out . I would be able to argue that work was done and steps taken to avoid contact . This would likely result in a vehicle inspection of those facts , which would prove my vehicle was not to blame . Garage canopies can be a particular area of concern , and a source of expensive claims should contact occur , even if no damage is apparent . It's likely the owner will claim due to his responsibility to the general public using his facilities should the worst happen . This would likely mean a garage closure until such time as the canopy is declared safe , likely only after an expensive inspection by a competent person has taken place . A bridge strike can be even worse , and my personal view is simply not to go there .
A camera in my opinion would not be a good substitute , for a plain old physical measurement !
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I would be very careful buying one years ago I was asked to do some welding on one when I took the wheels off to inspect where needed welding I pulled off what appeared to be a part of rust turned out a whole massive chunk of the the upper chassis rail and suspension mount was non existent!! It had been filled and plastered over with underseal the bottom frame was hanging on for dear life so be ware check the chassis for this and also the back chassis was pretty bad too good luck though hope you get a good one
We have now purchased our camper and here in France you need to have a CT (Controle Technique, MoT equivalent) of less than 6 months old to be able to purchase/sell a vehicle.
Ours now has a brand new CT as some work was required on the habitation floor that was paid for by the seller so we now know that is good for a few more years! the rear chassis is an ALKO and seems to be fully galvanised so hopefully no probs there either, front cab is all sound and i just checked the cabin air intake box as i have seen that these can rust out at the bottom but all seems fine so far.
For the camera system my problem of the moment is working out how I will mount the screen over the existing rear view mirror. Although I do have a back window it is high up and only gives a view of a long way behind, I am blind to anything up close if I cant see it in the side mirrors!
Ours now has a brand new CT as some work was required on the habitation floor that was paid for by the seller so we now know that is good for a few more years! the rear chassis is an ALKO and seems to be fully galvanised so hopefully no probs there either, front cab is all sound and i just checked the cabin air intake box as i have seen that these can rust out at the bottom but all seems fine so far.
For the camera system my problem of the moment is working out how I will mount the screen over the existing rear view mirror. Although I do have a back window it is high up and only gives a view of a long way behind, I am blind to anything up close if I cant see it in the side mirrors!
Yes mine is a two camera system as well . I figured on mounting the second camera to the rear of the van , looking down , mainly to keep an eye on the motorcycle rack i have fitted . It's a slide away Alfred Weih , original to the van , and has undergone extensive examination to check it's in a usable condition . I wanted to check it's carrying capacity with the manufacturer , which actually turns out to be more than sufficient , at 150 kgs ( the motorbike weighs in at between 72 and 76kgs , dry) . I've also fitted large cargo eyes for lashing down , and tidied up the rear lights . I have two sets on the rear due to the rack , and at one point had three fog lights , plus two reversing light at different levels , with a third stand alone fog light . I now have pairs , fog lights on the projection , and reversing lights within the original clusters (one UK , and one European cluster) . I guess now , you can begin to see where as this money i've spent has gone .
I find the blind side camera extremely useful , especially for driving in a foreign country , which technically i do every time i drive my van . The mirrors are good , but the camera gives a wider angle . Useful for pulling out of laybys , or joining roads that are at an angle , for example a slip road , such as those found on an auto route . They also show small cars in your blind spot which would otherwise be invisible (sorry i'm a trucker , what can i say) .
One thing i would mention though , my current truck has a four camera system , covering all four sides of the vehicle . I'm pretty sure they are also wireless , and i've found they may interfere with the dab reception on the radio . Reception keeps cutting out , with the system active , yet if i switch the camera system off , there's no problem . If you don't use dab , there shouldn't be a problem , as other frequencies appear unaffected . Just in case you're unsure of what i mean by dab , i talking about Digital Audio Broadcasts .
Now this is an extremely good point . I examined my every inch of my vehicles chassis extensively , and yet still got caught . I brought my van back in 2017 , as a very low mileage example (46000) . The chassis looked to be in extremely good condition , but some areas where difficult to access . I had done the same as the poster , and checked for problem areas , with perhaps the most noticeable been the front offside chassis leg . This is a well publicised rot area on the series 2 , as it's a known water trap , but its exact position is not really made clear . This area is also difficult to fully examine properly due to the particular Hymer conversion . Mine appeared to be in the clear , and based on the rest of the chassis , i figure in good shape .
How wrong i was , in 2021 i removed the front bumper , for the afore mentioned bumper repair , and discovered rot on the chassis in this exact area . In my case is was only a moderate amount , but still required welding . Now the interesting thing here , is due to the shape of the chassis , it was not visible at all from underneath , even directly . Remove the bumper , and it stares at you . Just above the front bolt on cross member , there is what i would describe a lip . This lip is actually a closing panel for the chassis in this area , and also facilitates the fixing of the bolt on cross member to the chassis . This i would surmise is the actual water trap . With the bolts in place , usually with grease to effect later removal , water would be unable to escape what in effect is a metal bowl , of quite large capacity . The result on my vehicle was rust and later rot formed on the outer most inside profile of the chassis , until a hole formed , extending almost the full width of the outer most chassis member in this area . My suggestion would be to get your fingers up there , and feel the chassis in any areas you can't see , and feel for any roughness . So long as your fingers don't disappear , i would say your in good shape , but i would further admit a proper examination is still required as soon as possible , by removing the front bumper , or at the very least the inner wing .
I was lucky , please don't get caught .
