Well done JohnE, a font of knowledge for our vans.

From memory of my '01 and '05 vans the hinges were a relatively unique design, not normal type butt hinges.

Quote: John Cross wrote in post #16

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Well done JohnE, a font of knowledge for our vans.

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Quote: JohnE wrote in post #14

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There's a good selection of S/S butt hinges here

Any good?

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Quote: rs540 wrote in post #19

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They need to be flush hinges

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You know where to look though John and know your way around these vans, respect from me mate.
Are those hinges OK for our Troll, I wouldn't mind changing a few of ours

https://www.isaaclord.co.uk/shop/cabinet...ss-flush-hinge/
How about some solid brass?
Dave

Issac Lords are in our nearest town, My grandad and brother both worked there in the 70's. Unfortunately, they have moved out of their long term shop and moved into a store/warehouse setup. Still a very good shop though

I have a 2019 540 and the same problem with corroded hinges. They seem to be thinly plated zinc coated metal and the thin outer chrome layer has mostly gone revealing a whitish zinc oxide surface that is quite visually unacceptable.

I have covered the van during the last 2 winters and this year 2021 I have decided not to cover it so I can air it more regularly, e.g monthly. I have used 2 crystal type dehumidifiers each year but still have a problem with an internal damp atmosphere. It may be that by covering the van I have effectively created such an atmosphere.

I think I will replace the hinges if I can source a suitable replacement without too must cost. An alternative could be to treat the hinges with Kurust and then spray them silver with car paint? A time consuming process that might work.

These chome items are visually very important as they stand out so much on the cabinets. I think this is a common problem with van manufacturers using cheap parts where really they should be using chrome plated brass hinges which would not behave like this. i.e in an effect to maximise profit Hymer has spoiled the ship as the saying goes.......

I have reported this to First Leisure as a warranty claim.

Whatever you do the air inside a van that's left empty over winter will always have the same humidity as the air outside.All you can do is keep vents clear and crack open windows to keep the air moving and changing as much as possible. Any moisture removed by humidifiers is immediately replaced by more moist air from outside, so there really is no point in using them. Careful positioning in an exposed and sunlit position will help a bit, but in wet cold mid winter there's no escape. Things were the same on 2001 and 2005 Van's and haven't improved in 20 years.
I wonder if there's a profitable business in swapping out all the annoying cheapjack bits and pieces in vans so customers actually get what they think they want.

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

I used a small condensing dehumidifier over the winter for the van stored stored in my unheated garage and controlled the start/stop of the dehumidifier with a humidity switch I bought off eBay. I monitored the temp/humidity with a cheap meter I bought from Lidl.

The condensate was drained via the toilet cubicle drain into a waste water container.

At one point I had a separate thermostat switching on a fan heater to prevent freezing also but found it wasnt needed since house temperature was enough to keep the garage from getting that low so I discontinued its use.

The arrangement effectively kept the humidity below the "mould" alarm threshold (as can be seen photo taken from the sensor on todays very rainy day) so thankfully no probs with corrosion.

PS Ability to store the van in my garage was one of the major reasons I bought it:)

Of course humidifiers will pull moisture from the air, that's what they're designed to do. However the moisture is immediately replaced through moist air from outside as nature imposes it's automatic balance. If you're lucky enough to have a garage where the Eriba fits, especially if it's integral and therefore protected from the coldest temperatures then you won't suffer issues in the same way.

I’m fed up with the poor quality of the hinges on the lockers and the bathroom door in my 2015 Troll. I’ve replaced some locker hinges with piano hinges and they’ve been a success so I’ve decided to replace the door hinges on the bathroom door with a full length piano hinge. That should do it! If anyone is interested I’ll post some pics like I did with the lockers.

It's interesting what you say about the 2001 and 2005 vans and I think you have a point about the moist air and the importance of refreshing the air in the van being better than using crystals. I think I will try to do something about the hinges and will post any positive results.
Thanks for your thoughts and help.