The next edition of the club magazine has been finished by our Editors and looks fantastic. It should be arriving through your door soon! If you are enjoying the club magazine and have a story about a trip, an upgrade, a restoration or just a tip, send a contribution to our Editor at editor@vwt2oc.co.uk.
Steve and Michelle Tatner were at the AGM, BBQ Club Camp (ABC) in Banbury in May 2022 and we spotted their stove being used in the coolness of the evening. We had never seen one – Steve advised us:
We first saw these little frontier stoves when camping a few years back with our son Kyle and his wife Annabelle, when they produced one from their van and proceeded to cook an excellent meal.
They are brilliant for wild camping when there is no electricity to be had and plenty of dry wood and branches around. They pack down really well, with the chimney section being able to fit easily inside the stove after use.
Made for countries with people who have limited access to cooking facilities they have grown popular with the outdoor types in other parts of the world.
They seem to be more acceptable with certain campsites that do not really like BBQs, as they are off the ground and contained, although you may find that the site you are staying at may want you to buy the wood from them.
There are several attachments that you can buy, like the water heater we have on our photo, very useful for tea or washing up water
We are very pleased with ours which gets used on a regular basis.
The frontier stove is around £200 with the water heater an optional extra around £100. Similar products are available at lower prices from major stockists online.
The Mechanic – A Guide to AGM Batteries
This guide to AGM batteries has been supplied by one of the Club’s generous supporters, Alpha Batteries.
Don’t forget that you can get a 5% discount on an order using code “motorhomer5” on their website www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
What Does AGM Mean?
AGM stands for Absorbent Glass Matt. AGM batteries are still fundamentally lead acid batteries, but the electrolyte (acid) is soaked on absorbent fibreglass mats between the lead plates inside, rather than traditional liquid acid. You will also notice that AGM batteries are rated over three capacity discharge times C10, C20 & C100. This relates to the power available in the battery over 10 hours, 20 hours and 100 hours. Designed for multi-application use, the power available will very much depend on how quickly you discharge the battery. From this common base AGM batteries come in three different forms:
AGM Type 1 – European
These batteries are used in multi-application environments such as modern stop-start vehicles and deep cycle applications. Great for starting engines and off grid use with a typical cycle life of around 300 – 350 cycles. It’s worth pointing out that ‘life cycles’ don’t mean the battery expires and needs replacing, rather it refers to the optimum power of the battery life. AGM 1 batteries are limited in size but are popular for the low height fitment demands in Campervans, Caravans and Motorhomes.
AGM Type 2 – Eastern
AGM 2 batteries are the more cyclic type with a typical max cycle life of between 500 – 700 cycles. They are generally recommended for regular off grid use as they have a higher cyclic ability to discharge and recharge over a long term period. In addition, they are less prone to sulfation and charge much more quickly than traditional batteries – if you charge them correctly, more on that later!
Lead Carbon AGM
By adding carbon graphene to the traditional AGM Type 2 battery you get Lead Carbon AGM. This adds further improvements to charging times and a typical cycle life of 1200 – 2000 cycles depending on the model. Lead Carbon AGM are becoming more and more popular and are often the last step along the AGM range before looking into Lithium based solutions.
Charging AGM Batteries
Despite what you may have been told, all 12v batteries are not the same! Wet Lead Acid, AGM, Carbon AGM and GEL batteries all charge and behave differently. To get the full benefits from an AGM battery it takes a little bit of research and time to check your existing charging method each step of the way.
If you take a look at the datasheets and technical specifications for AGM batteries on our website, you will see that we publish specific charge settings and this ultimately centres around voltage. AGM batteries are designed to require 14.6v – 14.8v when performing a full charge from a state of discharge, whereas standard lead acid batteries need 13.8v – 14.4v, hence this is what most onboard chargers are designed to deliver – not the 14.6v – 14.8v that AGM requires.
Let’s go into a little more detail and break-down the most common charging options on Campervans, Motorhomes, Caravans and Boats and point out what you need to look for:
Mains Chargers
Onboard you will, in most cases, have a mains powered battery charger / power management system. These are designed to be used when you have access to mains power to replenish the state of charge in your batteries or maintain them when not in use. Given that these chargers are generally the main and best method of charging, you need to make sure that you know what it can and can’t do when it comes to charging AGM.
You’ll need to check the make and mode of your onboard charger – if you have the owner’s manual check it as it should tell you in there – you are looking for specific charge programmes for different 12v battery technologies. If it says nothing and the charger has no selectable charge options, then you can assume it is designed for traditional wet lead acid batteries not AGM.
Furthermore, if your manual states ‘may be suitable with AGM check with your battery supplier’ and has a max charge voltage of 14.4v then this isn’t suitable for AGM either. We are aware that most Sargent onboard chargers and PSU’s state this – please take our advice, they are not suitable for AGM in the long term. Good quality modern onboard chargers have selectable charge profiles that support AGM and it’s important to check this first before investing in quality AGM batteries as battery warranties do not cover incorrect charging profiles.
My charger doesn’t support AGM but I want the benefits from AGM technology. What can I do?
All isn’t lost here. You can still use the onboard charger but you will need to supplement the undercharge from the non-AGM charger with a secondary mains charger at least once a month, as your non-AGM charger will only recharge the battery to around 85% and this will cause a memory effect in the battery reducing its life. The cost to replace the onboard power system for an AGM one will be costly, so using a secondary charger is more cost effective and will prolong the life of the AGM battery by getting the battery up to the all important 14.6v – 14.8v it needs.
Secondary chargers are great, you can use them anywhere when you have access to mains power and are a sure fire way to ensure your battery is getting the correct charge it needs. We recommend Victron Energy smart chargers which have dedicated charge profiles for AGM batteries – they are fully automatic and do everything that the battery needs. The size you will require depends on the size of your battery bank but Victron offer a range of solutions such as 7A, 10A, 15A.
Alternator Charging / Split Charging
Similar rules apply to split charging AGM batteries and standard alternator split charging by common durite systems are not optimised for AGM – they simply divide the preset wet lead acid starter battery voltage and apply it to the secondary leisure battery or bank. Again, like mains chargers this will be a typical voltage of around 13.8v – 14.4v and over time this will cause under charge to the AGM battery.
We are big advocates of battery to battery chargers also known as DC/DC chargers when it comes to split charging AGM batteries as they have specific AGM charge profiles and are simple to fit. Once programmed for AGM it takes the standard alternator charge voltage from the starter battery and converts the settings to suit an AGM battery ensuring a true and even charge. Some even come with solar charge controllers built in and can act as a single charging hub for your system – effectively acting as a wild camping mains charger when you have no mains power! Some great examples here are the Ring RSCS30 and Victron Orion.
Similarly as with mains charging, if your system doesn’t support AGM then it’s not the end of the world, you can use your existing set up, just make sure you compensate for the undercharging via an AGM optimised mains charger or solar charger if you have enough watts.
Solar Charging
Solar has become an ever popular method of charging batteries though we would never advise relying on solar alone as your main charge method, though they do offer benefits when used for maintenance or top charging. AGM batteries work well with solar and are widely used on solar systems. Most if not all solar charge controllers support AGM however the terminology varies when it comes to solar controllers and they may refer to AGM as ‘sealed’ – always check your manual and ensure that the AGM or sealed charge profile gets up to that magic 14.6v – 14.8v parameter.
Something to note – we have seen instances were charge controllers on AGM settings utilise whats known as equalisation mode. We would advise removing this setting on solar charge programmes as it can over charge the battery at more than 15v! Not good. Solar charging can be utilised to compensate for undercharging from your other, non-AGM optimised, methods of charging. If your standard split replay or mains charger is designed for wet lead acid up to 14.4v then you can let your solar panel get the AGM battery up to the 14.6v – 14.8v it needs.
Maintaining AGM Batteries
As with all batteries correct maintenance is important – particularly if it’s unlikely to be used for an extended period of time. With that in mind there are a few core points to follow:
Ensure the battery is fully charged before being left. A fully charged AGM battery should read 13.00v or above. Ideally you need to ensure the final charge is done via an AGM optimised charging profile.
Note: Remember, the cycle life is a guide on the optimum life span of the battery – it doesn’t mean the battery will pack up and stop working – but you will notice considerably less running time once the cycle life has been achieved. Battery warranty does not cover loss of capacity as this is subjective to the usage, the frequency the battery is under and whether it’s been correctly charged.
If you are looking for true deep cycle batteries designed for regular discharge and recharge then AGM products can offer all the benefits you require. No topping up with water, non-spill, quicker charging and long life. If you can invest some time in getting your charging right, then you will see much better performance over traditional wet lead acid types – something we have first hand experience of over many years – low return rates and minimal warranty issues speak volumes for AGM batteries.
Do you have an interesting fix or technical topic that you think members will find interesting? If so, let us know and we will share it with the club. Please email us at editor@vwt2oc.co.uk
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Here we advise members how to obtain their VW’s Birth Certificate and Data Sheet, which is a nice novelty item and can also prove to be useful if you are missing important information from your V5 etc.
The certificate and data sheet can be obtained directly from VW using their Classic Parts online shop.
The specific web address required is detailed below:
https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.com/en_uk/service/certificate-data-sheets.html
when visiting the site, you will need to enter either you chassis number (VIN) or engine number. Seeing as many VWs have had engines changed over the years, it is probably better to enter your VIN.
There are three purchase options:
We would recommend the bundle option, it is nice to have additional data about your vehicle if it is available.
This is what VW have to say about their service:
Original and exclusive.
With your hand on your heart: do you know the exact production date of your car? Do you know which special equipment the first owner ordered? Or which upholstery material you need to look for to restore your classic car to its original state?
You can find the answers from us – in the form of the Volkswagen certificate and the Volkswagen data sheet, which we issue exclusively on behalf of the manufacturer. By the way, this is not only for classic cars and modern classics, but also for more recent models, which were first registered at least 15 years ago!
Just like it was ex works, once upon a time.
On the basis of the chassis number or vehicle identification number (VIN), the original delivery condition of each Volkswagen model can be determined exactly – regardless of whether it was built in 1949, 1989 or 2007. For research purposes, we have access to millions of records from the archives of the Volkswagen Group. Information on almost every vehicle ever produced is stored there – on car master cards, punched cards, microfilms or, of course, in digital form.
This documentation forms the basis for our “detective work”: using old lists, historical brochures, sales programmes, colour sample cards or fabric samples, we decrypt the codes for the engine and transmission, original paint, upholstery or additional equipment.
As well a great deal of expertise, this, of course, requires some time. Usually, however, the period between ordering and the delivery of a Volkswagen certificate or data sheet is a maximum of six to eight weeks. You will receive then a document specially issued for you, which contains valuable information on the original condition of your classic.
The next edition of the club magazine has been finished by our Editors and looks fantastic. It should be arriving through your door soon! If you are enjoying the club magazine and have a story about a trip, an upgrade, a restoration or just a tip, send a contribution to our Editor at editor@vwt2oc.co.uk.
As the long season comes to an end and following on from last week’s winterizing, some owners may elect to cover their pride and joy with a cover.
Please. Pretty please. Pretty please with little chrome covers on. Don’t cover your expensive paint work with a tarpaulin that will get condensation inside it, press that moisture onto your bodywork and accelerate the attack on the paint and the metal underneath.
If you don’t have access to a garage or a car port that will keep most of the weather off, try to invest in a good breathable cover. Get the right one for your vehicle and make sure that the material is not flapping around, abrading where it touches.
Ideally park on hard ground that will not have standing water. Parking on grass at the bottom of the field will collect water underneath which will evaporate upwards into your van and its little cover. A breathable cover will let some or most of that collected moisture out but ideally you should remove the cover over winter every month to let things properly dry out and then put it all back to bed once more.
If possible, get a cover with straps that go under the vehicle from side to side, so that the wind cannot lift the cover off the vehicle. It is disheartening to get home from work in the dark and find your expensive van exposed to the elements and a wet cover wrapped across your hedge.
For those of you lucky enough to have a garage, a dust cover is optional but again, think about the possibility of trapped moisture pressing against the bodywork. Does a quick dusting or a nice spring time wash and wax give more benefit than the winter cover?
Yes, it is that time again, winter is very much heading our way. For anyone with a vehicle, VW or not (apparently other vehicles are available!), winter in the UK is the worst time for metal on the roads.
Some suggestions:
Inside
Water
If you have anything containing water, drain it all out. Water tanks, boilers, kettles. Don’t just empty the tank, drain the whole system including the pipes. Remember that water in pipes still expands when it freezes, not just in the tank. It also goes stale after a period of standing. If possible take the tank indoors to keep it above freezing and/or clean it thoroughly.
We use a mild Milton solution to thoroughly clean ours including the impeller that sits in our tank and its associated pipe and electric cable. Then we rinse everything and air dry it all. Other options are available too!
Power
Leisure batteries like ambient temperatures and extreme cold will reduce their operational life. Keep them above freezing by removing them and keeping them in the garage or similar. Remember to keep the electrical contacts in the van safely insulated if applicable.
Keep those batteries charged using a trickle charger that is fit for purpose, which will also prolong their life.
Gas
Butane or propane tanks and bottles should be removed from your vehicle and stored safely with their openings closed properly – don’t leave the regulator open relying on the gas tap on the cooker as these can fail. Now is a good time to weigh them against their empty counterparts to know when you need to change them!
Boring cleaning
Now that you have opened up your van, removed the relevant tanks and bottles, you can get all misty eyed and miss the peace and tranquility of your van by getting in there and cleaning it all. It gives you a great sense of personal achievement as well as going into the winter with a nicely clean kitchen area, the fridge has been bleached and rinsed, and if applicable the bathroom, the shower and maybe the hot tub are all clean. Leave internal doors slightly ajar to keep mould and mildew at bay.
Soft furnishings
If possible, remove curtains, bedding, that emergency woollen blanket from Granny and take them indoors for a good wash or airing.
Ingress
Don’t be tempted to leave doors open or windows more than cracked open. All sorts of miscreants can get in and eat your lovely interior.
Outside
If possible store your vehicle in a garage. If that is not possible, a car port will do a similar job. A breathable cover can be good but make sure it is listed as fully breathable otherwise moist air gets under the cover, rises when things warm up and the vehicle will get wet, holding that wet against the bodywork. Avoid a heavy cover for sure!
Tyres
Tyres degrade from extreme temperatures and long periods of standing still. Winter does that very well! Inspect the tyres, check the pressures and consider putting the van on axle stands if you are not using it for a very long time, taking the wheels into the garage or shed. It also makes theft more difficult!
Moving parts
Lubricate everything. Hinges, moving parts, sliders, mechanical parts. Check the oil level. Use the right lubricant for the part in question. It will pay dividends next year and will keep water away, which is good for the life of the part.
Boring cleaning
Again, give the outside of your vehicle a proper clean, ideally by hand. Dry fully including the fiddly bits inside doors and between panels. Give it all a good quality wax polish. This also keeps water away and prolongs the panels and parts. It also makes you happy as you pass over the cold season when you don’t want to be away.
Underneath
If you are an advocate of underseal and waxoil, get the old visible stuff removed and apply new underseal to dry clean parts. The jury seems out on the benefits of underseal against the downside of it trapping moisture but waxoil or similar applied hot into cavities must be better than not applying it?
Engine
Some texts state to start your engine once a month and run it on idle for 30 minutes. More than that is not necessary and I don’t touch our air cooled engine at all.
An oil change just before the winter alongside a fuel-storage additive in the fuel tank if you like that sort of thing.
Main battery
We leave the main battery connected and the solar panel bolted to the roof of a van in a car port for the leisure battery. If that was not the case, we would trickle charge the main battery once a month over the winter. Again, this just makes sure that you don’t degrade the battery and end up having to replace it all of the time.
Got to dash, I think my van might be snoring.
Yes, it is that time again, winter is very much heading our way. For anyone with a vehicle, VW or not (apparently other vehicles are available!), winter in the UK is the worst time for metal on the roads.
Some suggestions:
Inside
Water
If you have anything containing water, drain it all out. Water tanks, boilers, kettles. Don’t just empty the tank, drain the whole system including the pipes. Remember that water in pipes still expands when it freezes, not just in the tank. It also goes stale after a period of standing. If possible take the tank indoors to keep it above freezing and/or clean it thoroughly.
We use a mild Milton solution to thoroughly clean ours including the impeller that sits in our tank and its associated pipe and electric cable. Then we rinse everything and air dry it all. Other options are available too!
Power
Leisure batteries like ambient temperatures and extreme cold will reduce their operational life. Keep them above freezing by removing them and keeping them in the garage or similar. Remember to keep the electrical contacts in the van safely insulated if applicable.
Keep those batteries charged using a trickle charger that is fit for purpose, which will also prolong their life.
Gas
Butane or propane tanks and bottles should be removed from your vehicle and stored safely with their openings closed properly – don’t leave the regulator open relying on the gas tap on the cooker as these can fail. Now is a good time to weigh them against their empty counterparts to know when you need to change them!
Boring cleaning
Now that you have opened up your van, removed the relevant tanks and bottles, you can get all misty eyed and miss the peace and tranquility of your van by getting in there and cleaning it all. It gives you a great sense of personal achievement as well as going into the winter with a nicely clean kitchen area, the fridge has been bleached and rinsed, and if applicable the bathroom, the shower and maybe the hot tub are all clean. Leave internal doors slightly ajar to keep mould and mildew at bay.
Soft furnishings
If possible, remove curtains, bedding, that emergency woollen blanket from Granny and take them indoors for a good wash or airing.
Ingress
Don’t be tempted to leave doors open or windows more than cracked open. All sorts of miscreants can get in and eat your lovely interior.
Outside
If possible store your vehicle in a garage. If that is not possible, a car port will do a similar job. A breathable cover can be good but make sure it is listed as fully breathable otherwise moist air gets under the cover, rises when things warm up and the vehicle will get wet, holding that wet against the bodywork. Avoid a heavy cover for sure!
Tyres
Tyres degrade from extreme temperatures and long periods of standing still. Winter does that very well! Inspect the tyres, check the pressures and consider putting the van on axle stands if you are not using it for a very long time, taking the wheels into the garage or shed. It also makes theft more difficult!
Moving parts
Lubricate everything. Hinges, moving parts, sliders, mechanical parts. Check the oil level. Use the right lubricant for the part in question. It will pay dividends next year and will keep water away, which is good for the life of the part.
Boring cleaning
Again, give the outside of your vehicle a proper clean, ideally by hand. Dry fully including the fiddly bits inside doors and between panels. Give it all a good quality wax polish. This also keeps water away and prolongs the panels and parts. It also makes you happy as you pass over the cold season when you don’t want to be away.
Underneath
If you are an advocate of underseal and waxoil, get the old visible stuff removed and apply new underseal to dry clean parts. The jury seems out on the benefits of underseal against the downside of it trapping moisture but waxoil or similar applied hot into cavities must be better than not applying it?
Engine
Some texts state to start your engine once a month and run it on idle for 30 minutes. More than that is not necessary and I don’t touch our air cooled engine at all.
An oil change just before the winter alongside a fuel-storage additive in the fuel tank if you like that sort of thing.
Main battery
We leave the main battery connected and the solar panel bolted to the roof of a van in a car port for the leisure battery. If that was not the case, we would trickle charge the main battery once a month over the winter. Again, this just makes sure that you don’t degrade the battery and end up having to replace it all of the time.
A new club event near Weybridge at the Brooklands Museum.
Management team member Wendy Marriott reports:
On arrival at the gate for display vehicles, we were met by the lovely Wade, who on seeing club entry ticket in the van window said “You must be some of Lorna’s lot” and ushered us to the front of the queue. Lorna, your fame precedes you!
Five vans from the club attended the event. There would have been more but unfortunately it was discovered that dogs weren’t allowed, and so some members had to cancel. Although overcast for most of the day, the weather was kind to us, and it didn’t rain.
There was a great deal of interest in all of the vans, especially from those with young families (future owners perhaps?). The majority of the vehicles attending were Porsches, but there were also lots of other interesting displays from many other vehicle clubs.
The museum itself was amazing, with exhibits of planes, buses, racing cars and motorbikes of all eras and of course the history of Brooklands circuit. At an extra charge of £6 per adult, we had a guided tour of the Concorde which is on permanent display at Brooklands and heard all about its history.
Everyone we spoke to said what an enjoyable day it had been. Hopefully this is something that the club could take part in again.
Are you going to this one day event? We have about a dozen club vehicles attending!
Expect a wide range of cars to admire from the Porsche to VW, Audi to Mercedes-Benz – see the best examples of German engineering through the years.
It’s not just German Cars and bikes that will be filling up the site, the Paddock will be alive with German themed entertainment, food and memorabilia.
Sunday October 1st at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge from 10am to 5pm
The world’s largest transporter show. The club’s key event of the year. Over 100 club vehicles, hundreds of burgers, a good deal of laughter and perhaps a glass or so of wine.
Here are some photos from the weekend.
