​Every now and then on service checks we find customers water tank probes not reading correctly or showing 100% when the tank is actually empty.
As you will see in the image above the Pilote water tank probes consists of 5 stainless steel probes. If a probe gets covered in film, grease or dirt from dirty grey waste, they will not work like they should as the film covers the complete stainless-steel probe and prohibits it from reading correctly.
What we recommend is to put some blue toilet chemical in your grey waste tank every few trips to help keep the tank clean and prohibit the build within your grey waste tank. To clean the probes yourself you can simply remove the screw cap off the top of the tank, this is accessed via the floor hatch area in the front of the van
And give it a really good hose out. If you reach into the tank, you can also use a clean cloth to wipe the probes clean.

For some of us, dogs or other pets are a major reason to why we choose RV travel as our getaway of choice. For some taking an overseas holiday and leaving the dogs at home is just not an option. RV travel is an easy way to travel with your canine companions, and many of them enjoy the getaway as much as we do!
There are many things to consider and remember when taking your furry friends with you. We have outlined these in as much detail below as possible.
 
The Essentials
When packing your motorhome for touring you’ll need to think about your dog’s needs as well as your own, but some of these essential items can be left permanently in the motorhome.

• Leads, Collars & Harnesses
• Hook or ground anchor to tie your dog to outside the RV
• Crate
• Bed
• Dog Bags
• Food & Treats
• Toys
  
• Insurance & Vet Records

​Planning Travel
It is important to pre-plan your travel when travelling with Pets. While many places are now dog friendly, not all are. It is important not to turn up expecting animals on any site or park over property are ok. We recommend checking the NZMCA app. The app outlines which places are pet friendly or not, and you can filter results so that only pet friendly places appear.
Your RV should also be a home away from home for your dog. They are routine based animals and like to maintain habits. Try and stick to the same eating and toileting routine that you would have at home. Ensure they have their blanket or bed to give them comfort while resting and some toys from home will also help. 
Plan stops suitable for your dog including suitable areas to run and explore and include a dog park or two if you can. 
It also pays to plan for the worst and ensure you are aware of local vet locations and ensure you have an action plan should an emergency happen or your dog falls ill. 
 
Securing During Travel
Much like we restrain ourselves with seatbelts, Dogs require securing to the vehicle also, we should give our beloved pets the same care and protection we give ourselves. Each RV situation is different and may require some thought for restraint options. In our Pilote we ensure our Dog is wearing his harness and then anchored to the seat using a shortened lead. Some RV's also have ISOFIX child seat restraints. These can be a great option for restraint connection. Dogs should not be left to freely roam the vehicle during travel. Unrestrained pets can be a distraction and in the case of even a small accident could give rise for a "dangerous driving" charge. 
 
Travelling With a Dog in an RV
Each dog is different, some are straight into travelling with absolutely no worries. Some may present with a bit of travel anxiety. If this is the case we recommend creating a plan that eases them into it. You need to start slowly and ensure you are creating positive association with the RV along the way for them. This may mean a few nights camping in the driveway before taking to the road. Getting them used to staying in the RV over a period of time without going anywhere helps reduce the larger change of driving days and being away from home. You may then step this up to a trip to the shops in the RV and leaving them for a short period. Extending these trips over time. Essentially the more time and work you put into coaching an anxious dog into RV travel, the more you will relax and enjoy your trips away yourself. 
Drive carefully and smoothly and keep calm. Dogs pick up on distress and can think something is wrong if you are heightened yourself. Ensure you have adequate ventilation while parked if you have to leave them in the RV. This can be as simple as cracking a roof vent while parked. Leave them a bowl of water out while parked. 
The familiarity of the environment and routine will help your dog settle and build confidence. For most dogs, over time they become seasoned travelers and the sight of the RV becomes a cue that they’re about to spend quality time with you and explore exciting new environments.

Something we come across quite regularly during trade in assessments, is a lack of understanding around the requirement by Fiat for the cambelt replacement intervals on the Ducato chassis.

This is something we have to factor into our trade in assessments and many are surprised by the requirement to change the belt so soon given the low kilometers most motorhomes have traveled. Many kiwis have in their mind 100,000 kilometers as replacement interval. This comes from many years of import Japanese cars having that as their average benchmark for replacement timing.

For the Ducato however Fiat advise the interval for a cambelt change as 5 years or 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. Motorhomes in most cases won't travel over 100,000 kilometers in 5 years, so the 5 year interval is typically the requirement. It is important to have this preventative maintenance done on time, as even if the mileage is low the belt can oxidise and degrade over time. It is wise to replace the belt tensioner at the same time and at minimum check the water pump condition.
​
If you are looking to buy a used motorhome from a dealer or privately around that 5 year old mark, we recommend you obtain proof that this preventative maintenance has been completed. We regularly provide our prospective customers a copy of the service invoice to show that this work has been completed. It is also worth noting that most if not all Mechanical Breakdown Insurance policies will not cover any repair cost if the manufacturer required maintenance has not been completed on time.

During these colder months of the year, condensation can build up inside of the single glazed glass windows of your motorhome and can be problematic. These windows are typically the cab or front side windows of your motorhome. It can delay your early morning get away by taking time and effort to dry and clean up the front and side windows.
​
Pilote have a great thermal cover which we have been importing into New Zealand. We have options to fit low profile Fiat cabs and both Pilote and LeVoyageur A-Class motorhomes.

We can courier these out NZ wide. Please contact Matt for further information and pricing at [email protected]

​Whilst motorhomes drive on our roads along with cars and other smaller vehicles, in reality the maintenance requirements of a motorhome are much more complex and more akin to boat ownership. They contain a combination of domestic home type systems, RV specific appliances, and automotive and safety components, all housed within a vehicle that will be driven at relatively high speeds over many years. With that in mind, it's well worth staying on top of maintaining your motorhome at regular intervals.
 
With a brand new motorhome purchase, most European RV brands require the owners to undertake habitation inspections on an annual basis for a limited number of years to maintain the warranty cover period. However we would encourage owners to undertake these inspections every year regardless of any warranty cover requirements. We believe these habitation inspections are crucial for ensuring the safety and longevity of your motorhome, they can also affect its future resale value by preventing small problems from becoming big problems requiring serious repair. This applies to all brands and builds, not just the brands we import here at Deluxe.
 
If you require a habitation inspection we have a network of agents throughout New Zealand who can do this somewhere close by to where you are located. Customers who have purchased new RV's from us will receive an annual inspection reminder from our automated system that contains this list. However if you don't receive these annual reminders and wish to receive a copy of the list please just email us to request a copy. 

Last year our good friend Jean-Marie made the below winterisation advice video for the wider Pilote community. The video is in French but you can watch with English subtitles. Because Pilote offers class 3 insulation and sells into Scandinavian countries. The video gives detailed advice for long term winterisation advice for these cold European countries. However much of it still applies to general winterisation techniques and requirements. Even if you don't have a Pilote Motorhome.

You can also check out our previous winterisation blog article at the link below.

https://www.deluxegroup.co.nz/deluxe-rv-blog/winterizing-your-rv 

As the sunlight hours drop this is typically when we start to see people struggle with their 12V house batteries and field phone calls with confusion on why they might be flat. Its not so much an issue with battery capacity but an issue with the recharge rate during the day.

Most of our new customers are opting for around 400W of solar now. 200W of solar during winter is a very light set up, this in turn means you may need to plug in to 230V power every few days to recharge your batteries.
It is very important if you have an AGM/ Lead Acid or Gel battery you do not let the voltage drop below 12V. To assist with keeping on top of your winter travels you can always add an additional solar panel or two. Something I highly recommend is a Enerdrive E-pro Plus battery monitor, these are a very helpful device and keeps you well informed of your battery condition.

A couple of tips to help. Make sure you do not run your 3-way fridge on 12V unless you're traveling. 3-way fridges are designed to be on gas as priority, 230V when plugged in to mains power and 12V when the engine is running only. Most fridges are designed to automatically determine what source is most efficient and correct to run on and shouldn't require overriding.

When on the ferry, you are best to turn your fridge off completely, they work as a insulated chilly box and will be fine left like this for a 4 or 5 hour ferry journey. Once you are off the ferry, switch it back on to automatic 3-way.

Another good thing to check is if you have an inverter fitted, make sure this is off when not in use. An invertor will use 12V power while switched on even if nothing is connected to it.

I hope this helps and happy camping!

Brett Smith

​Most modern European motorhomes or caravans are fitted with double glazed poly plastic windows. While these are great for insulation factors they can be very easily scratched.
 
To maintain these windows scratch free we recommend you wash these with a microfiber cloth or wash mitt, use a second bucket so your dirt and grime from the body doesn’t get dragged on to the windows.
 
Every now and then it is well worth giving them a coat of car polish to help as this will keep them shiny and hopefully scratch free.
If you want to make sure your windows are looking like new all the time you can talk to your local vehicle detailer and they can apply a ceramic coating for maximum care.
 
Key factor, keep the wash brush well away from them and take care while navigating around trees, hedges and scrub. 

Many motor homer's and industry involved people have no doubt welcomed the recent news from the Minister of Transport Chris Bishop that consultations on extending the CoF inspection period from 6 months to 12 months have begun.
The NZMCA have been lobbying for this to happen for quite some years and it is great to finally see some traction. This could also be the one and only chance we as an industry get to make this change a reality. NZMCA is calling for its members to submit feedback to the NZTA on this matter. You can click on the link below to read in more detail on the proposed change and submit your view as part of the survey. The last day for feedback is April 4th. 
​
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/public-consultation-hub/current-consultations/land-transport-rule-vehicle-standards-compliance-amendment-2025-consultation/

​As part of the quality assurance process by our supplier Fiat, it has been determined that some 160 & 180hp Ducato vehicles equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission may experience a malfunction of the torque converter, leading to limp mode (reduced speed, deactivation of non-essential functions). To address this malfunction, Stellantis has initiated Service Action 6926.

This service action has been communicated by Stellantis to all Fiat Professional partners and is therefore well-known. Affected vehicles being 160hp & 180hp models only. An appointment can be directly arranged with a Fiat Professional partner so that the service action can be carried out on the vehicles accordingly. During these operations, a software update of the engine and transmission control unit will be performed, which will be completely free of charge.

Further information is available at any time from all connected Fiat dealers.

Please be aware that this notice is NOT an urgent recall and could possibly carried out with your next engine service.

The Service Action can only be carried out by an authorized Fiat workshop. You can find the location of your closest Fiat Workshop at www.fiat.co.nz/en/motorhomes.html.

For your information: Stellantis is the parent company of Fiat.

All to often we see customers turn up on annual water ingress inspection and when we check the tyre pressures we find them at 70PSI or above. This is the Fiat factory setting for most campers and it rides extremely hard.

For the axle loading in your camper we recommend a lower pressure for a more smooth and comfortable ride. This will be a little harder on Fuel and tyre wear but in our opinion the general ride is worth the compromise.

Below is the pressures we run on most models we sell:

• Pilote P600 to P740 - 58 PSI all around
• Pilote G600 to G740 - 58 PSI all around
• Pilote G781 - 60 PSI all around
• Le Voyageur Classic and Heritage 7.8m and 8m - 60 PSI all around
• Le Voyageur Classis and Heritage 8.5m and 8.7m - 60 PSI front and 48 PSI rear

Ian Stevens from the Pilote owners group has contacted us asking to spread the word on this event in late January. If you aren't a member of the group or wish to join the owners group please click on the below link for details.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/165367360749767

With the changes to the Self-Contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 now in place and the issues around venting cassette requirements now resolved. Deluxe can confirm we are now processing customer self containments as a commercial partner of the NZMCA who are a certification authority.
Please note that the existing blue self NZS5465 containment warrants issued before 7th June 2024 are valid for freedom camping until they expire or the 7th June 2025 whichever comes first. So no immediate rush to replace your warrant if it meets the above timeframes.

Going forward you can choose from either a green government warrant card or an NZMCA yellow warrant card. There is no requirement for a sticker on the back of the vehicles as with NZS5465. The warrant card must be displayed in the front windscreen or passenger side window so that it can be seen from the outside at any time.

Green Warrant
The government issue green warrant card is the Freedom Camping standard requirement, if you currently freedom camp or plan to do so at any stage we suggest this warrant type. They last for a total of four years before renewal is required. On new purchases if you request this warrant type we complete the self containment paperwork and submit to the NZMCA. They will then process and request the $120 government levy fee from you directly. Once this is paid your vehicle will be entered on the register and your warrant posted out to you.


Yellow Warrant
The yellow warrant is an NZMCA issued warrant suitable for those that never intend on freedom camping. They last for a total of ten years before renewal is required. On new purchases if you request this warrant type we complete the self containment paperwork and submit to the NZMCA. There is no fee for this warrant type so once the paperwork is complete your warrant will be posted out to you.
For further information on the warrant types NZMCA is handling please click here to be directed to their site for more details.

This year both Gary and Brett attended the World Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf Germany. This is most certainly the largest motorhome show in the world with over 250,000 square meters of exhibition space. The Pilote Groupe display area alone is in its own separate hall and has dozens of Pilote and LeVoyageur motorhome models on display along with its own cafe and restaurant area.
The motorhome industry is ever changing, attending the show as guests of Pilote Groupe also gives us a chance to meet and catch-up face to face with our suppliers and discuss new and upcoming changes, models and technology.
This show is also a good chance to check out our competitors' models, installation equipment and other seriously impressive motorhomes we don't get to see in New Zealand. Please enjoy a small handful of photos from the show below.

This month we will look at the slightly larger Pilote Galaxy G781FC motorhome. The G781 is the perfect option for those who are after that little bit of extra length and space but don't want to push it too far and exceed the 8-meter benchmark.

Tip: The Pilote G781 is also available in a single bed layout ....

Click on the link to check out technical specifications and further pictures...

https://www.deluxegroup.co.nz/Detail.html?id=3061191&dealerid=1177&pageNumber=1&sort=1&pageSize=12

Please note that RSE Limited is currently in liquidation and are therefore unable to trade and continue as our preferred service agent in Auckland.

We are however happy to announce that Total RV in Silverdale are now our preferred service agent for the Auckland area. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Daniel and Luke from Total RV are looking forward to hearing from you!!!

Click on the link below for further information...

https://totalrv.co.nz/

This month’s motorhome review is our much-loved Fiat Ducato Pilote Pacific P740. The model is arguably, alongside the G740, the most popular Pilote motorhome we import to New Zealand.

It seems to be the perfect compromise in many aspects and the modern layout and design has proven to be most practical and popular with our customers.

"P740FC EXPRESSION

​Discover this low profile motorhome, a perfect harmony of comfort and practicality. Inside, enjoy a cleverly arranged space and modern equipment for unforgettable journeys. Embark on boundless adventures aboard, the ideal partner for your escapades."

​Each area is pleasant and separate. Its stylish details and quality fittings make this a perfect travel companion for short getaways or longer trips. With a 4 legal seats and optional berths in the lounge, it can carry up to 4 passengers.

​The large garage is low and can be loaded from both sides making it easy to bring your bikes or camping gear on the road.

​Click on the link, check out further details and get in touch if you have any questions. Matt and I are always happy to have a yarn...

With a young family, fine dining is a guilty pleasure I don't get to indulge in very often anymore. However, when Poppy and I returned to Blenheim 4 years ago we made a point of visiting most restaurants we haven't visited yet in the region and this months "Local Hotspot" Arbour was one of those places which stuck with us.

If you enjoy the finer things in life, Arbour is a great secluded restaurant to celebrate that special occasion or simply treat yourself to a nice meal showcasing seasonal produce of the region. For us travelling has always been connected to food and wine and good fine dining experiences somehow manage to connect you to a region on a different level.

"Located in Marlborough, New Zealand, Arbour is a sole chef experience with kind, welcoming service. When you dine at Arbour you simply relax and enjoy what Bradley is cooking. His ever-changing set menu showcases local producers, hunters, growers and fishers. You can choose your own beverages or let Liz venture into the cellar for you.

"We love that Arbour is surrounded by passionate people producing exceptional wine and food. We have access to world class ingredients for our diners’ right on our doorstep.” Bradley Hornby.

Business partners, Bradley Hornby and Liz Buttimore have each spent two decades in five-star hotels, resorts and award winning restaurants. They live here in Marlborough with their partners Michelle and Benji."

https://www.arbour.co.nz/about

News about the change in legislation regarding self-containment is currently a hot topic in the industry and many people are confused about it. Most RV owners are NZMCA members and would have seen some updates throughout recent times, others may not be aware of any changes to the system at all.

I understand that all vehicles self-contained before the 07th June 2024 are not impacted by the change until the vehicle has to be recertified.

Vehicles needing a self-containment certificate from the 07th June 2024 are impacted and we are currently unable to certify those for freedom camping purposes under the current legislation. The governing authorities have not completed the process yet. The industry is expecting a firm update towards the end of the year and are hopeful for a final solution soon.

However we are still able to certify all vehicles we sell under specific NZMCA regulations in the meantime. The current NZMCA self-containment certification allows you to camp on all NZMCA properties.

Any members affected by the above will only receive a blue window card. The blue sticker will not be sent out.

We as a team are confident that the issue is currently being resolved and we are looking forward to the new system once its in place.

If you have purchased a vehicle through the Deluxe RV Group and have any questions related to the topic please feel free to give us a call.

The NZMCA defines self-containment as the below.

"What is Certified Self-Containment?

Certified self-containment is maintaining and certifying your motor caravan or caravan in accordance with the New Zealand Standard for Self-Containment of Motor Caravans and Caravans, NZS 5465:2001

The NZMCA encourages all motor caravan or caravan owners (including 5th Wheelers, caravans, campervans, motorhomes, RVs & buses), to certify their vehicles in accordance with NZS 5465, helping protect the environment and public health from indiscriminate waste disposal.

A certified self-contained vehicle meets the ablutionary and sanitary needs of the occupants for a minimum of three days, without requiring any external services or discharging waste.

Wastewater is then safely disposed of in approved dump stations, which can be found in most camping-grounds and public areas.

Please avoid the use of non-biodegradable chemicals as they will adversely affect the operation of sewerage networks including biological systems."

https://www.nzmca.org.nz/certified-self-containment-csc