skint_eastwood Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I have recently purchased a 2014 Swift Challenger Sport 640. The problem I have is that there is very little heat down the back of the van in the back lounge. There is only a faint breath of air coming through. Has anyone else experienced this from this van or even in a similar twin axle van? The front of the van is roasting while the back is cold. Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micktheshed Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Surely there is a balnce valve somewhere? Quote 3L auto Nissan Terrano, 2004 & Swift Elegance 530, 2018. As Leonardo da Vinci once said: 'If you find from your own experience that something is a fact & it contradicts what some authority has written down, then you must abandon the authority & base your reasoning on your own findings' ie: use your common sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamez Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Control the movement of air by shutting off or partly closing hot air outlets. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richandjan Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Different 'van, but same Truma Combi (I'm guessing). Have you adjusted the vent flaps to balance the system to stop most of the warm air being forced out the vents closest to the Combi unit. If that is not the problem then maybe you share the same design issue with many of us and have a significant run of uninsulated external ducting under the floor to the rear. I had a 3m run where the ducting exited the van near the axle and reentered in the end bathroom having lost all its heat. I recently followed advice found on Caravan Talk and insulated the external ducting with Armaflex. (Search for Armaflex on this site). Richard. Quote 2014 Coachman Pastiche 520/4 | 2013 Freelander 2 HSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DACS Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Older Truma heaters have an adjustable valve to control the balance of air between the front and rear branches of the ducting. It is fitted in a Y piece attached to the back of the heater and fan casing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hi Skint, Great name btw. I also have a 640 with exactly the same problem. It has been back to the dealer for this (and numerous other things). The dealer has been in touch with Truma who so far have been a little unhelpful. They suggested using both gas and electricity to heat the van and when its at the right temperature stop the gas. That makes the whole caravan too hot for us and anyway as soon as you stop using gas and turn down the fan, the temperature imbalance comes back. They also suggested it was the size of the van to which I replied 'so your heating equipment is inadequate for this van then' No answer on that one. It is going back to the dealer again ( I won't bore you with why, too depressing!) and I gather that they (the dealer) have ordered some flaps for the vents, at least that's what they told me they were doing. Why it doesn't come with them I don't know. Have you noticed that the washroom is also cooler? From the vents at the rear and in the washroom there is very little heat or airflow coming out of them. As an aside have you noticed that the shower door is mounted with normal headed screws rather than countersunk ones. When the door is pushed back it catches on them chipping the paint off. I thought it was a one off with ours but dealer tells me that their demo caravan is exactly the same. We are currently waiting for a new shower door with the correct screws! I'll let you know what happens with the heating but if you haven't already I would bring it to the attention of your dealer. Kind Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexbee Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Nines a 2008 challenger 560, but probably similar regarding the heating system. At the rear of the heater and not the easiest thing to access theres a y piece with a flap so you can adjust air flows front or rear. Not all that effective to be honest but pushing more to the rear will help a little. The issue is not helped by the pipes to the rear running under the van for miles and more likely heating up the county you are parked in. Do the armaflex thing, play with the Y piece and adjust the flaps over the outlet nozzles, youll get somewhere close eventually. If the outlet nozzles dont have flaps I beleive you can buy and fit yourself. Ive seen them on here somewhere. http://www. leisure-supplies. co. uk/productdetails. php?id=340 Here Edited August 19, 2014 by Alexbee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skint_eastwood Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Sorry I cant see any flaps to adjust. First night I had rhe van the pipe was disconnected from the boiler so I connected it again but not much difference. Does anyone have the 2014 model? Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hi Skint, You must have missed my post as I said there are no vent flaps. Also the 640 was a new layout for 2014, it wasn't made before then. There was the Challenger SE 590 which was a similar layout which appears to have been dropped for 2015. The dealer was, last time I heard trying to get flaps for the vents but I don't know whether they have or not. Am waiting for them to come back to me Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skint_eastwood Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Sorry stevieg I was reading the posts on the move on my mobile and on hols. So is it that there should be flaps and if so how exactly do you direct heat? Also I have noticed very little heat in the washroom, just a little bit more than the back. Its really not good enough for a 20 grand van especially when my children say they are cold at night. How exactly do I escalate this to the proper people/department because im sure this has been repprted before. I havent looked at shower door-im currently on hols in the van and will look later. I only got the van new 2 weeks ago. Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hi, No worries, hope you are enjoying your holiday. No I don't think there should be flaps but the dealer is trying to get some. As far as I can make out there is no way to direct heat from the vents. You have to go through your dealer for this and I agree it shouldn't be this way at all. Someone had the Eccles version and reported the same problem on Swift talk but I never heard anything further. It is obviously an issue that needs to be addressed. I'll chase the dealer tomorrow and see if they got hold of the vent flaps although I'm not sure it will solve the problem anyway. I'll let you know Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skint_eastwood Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Im seeing my own dealer on Friday myself and will let you know. Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Cool, thanks. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Hi, did you mange to talk to your dealer? I haven't had a reply from mine as yet. Kind regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skint_eastwood Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Steve, my dealer mentioned the restrictor flaps and will order some for me. ....when I have no Idea!! So by making the front outlets smaller does this push more air to the back? I have tried the electric and gas to heat and it does increase the airflow a bit at the back but the front heat is over powering. I am currently having getting an eror code also in the heating control panel which the dealer is trying to rectify for me E255 H, Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skint_eastwood Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Stevie G, I have not heard from dealer yet on the restrictor vents but in the meantime have you got a full size awning for your 640 and if so what size is it? My dealer gave me a 1050 which was too short and was adamant it the size he supplies to all 640 customers. After a discussion with a man last week who had a 690 (same length as 640) he told me he has a 1075. Quote Honda CRV 2. 2 towing a Swift Challenger Sport 640 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericfield Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Without knowing the exact configuration and heating system in this caravan, I would make the general comment about air blown system, that duct runs between from and back areas of the caravan are often disproportionate lengths. This leads to unequal sharing of the air as a result of back pressure. In my caravan the pipe run to the front is 3x longer than the one to the rear. Not surprisingly, the rear gets more air flow and heat. It's also quite common for the longest pipe to go outside the caravan underneath. This not only cools the air more but as cold air is denser than warm air. ..it further increase back pressure. The only way to share the air equally is to endure the pipe back pressures are equal. You need to add more duct length to the shortest leg to equalise the back pressures in the two legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 H Skint, Yes I was looking at these restrictors as well as there was someone on Swift-Talk having the same problem with a single axle sprite. I've heard nothing from the dealer as yet about what they are proposing to do though. There are two sizes and as they are only pence (well 79p each) I thought I might get several of each size and see if it improves things. I have an Isabella Magnum porch awning so don't have the same problem however, although Isabella don't have the measurements for a 640, they do for the 636 which is the same length as ours. They list the A-measurement as 1070 and the awning measurement as 1075, so 1050 seems a little small and if I go to a full awning then it will be a 1075. Hope this helps Kind Regards Steve Hi Skint, Sorry, missed your point about the error code on the display. I was away recently and had the same code come up, E255H which indicates that the display lost contact with the boiler. Could be a wiring fault but also could be just a one off. I've asked the dealer to check it when the caravan goes back to have some other problems rectified. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Hi Skint, Just noticed that someone else has posted on Swift-Talk who has bought a 640 and having the same problem. I wonder if anyone who has a 640 hasn't got this problem. Be interesting if there was Kind Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob73 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Hi, Did anyone get an answer to this issue? I, m on the verge of buying a new 2015 model and don't want to regret it later. Cheers Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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