New Club Joker Owner

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Who says there won't be more problems!!
But I have already attended to the lower bed support and strut.
And the vehicle battery voltage is well up to speed. I'm not bothered about the Stop/Start but would prefer that those elements that should work, do so.
When the time comes to sell, the next buyer may not be as patient as I have had to be.
Where is the insulation deficit, apart from the back door? And what did you do about it?
PS - I quite like driving the beast. And thankfully my wife likes travelling in the passenger seat.
Just as well as it's her fault we have it - a relatively private toilet and a shower too was what sold it to her.

The upper bed above the drivers cab isn’t insulated very well if you camp in sub freezing weather. I haven’t bothered to resolve that but you can put dynamat or some stick on insulation on the metal part of the upper cab roof under the bed. Of course means you need to disassemble it all to do so.

My solution is to instead use an electric heated topper on the mattress below the sheet. Works great! It does use 20-40 watts though so once again you need decent power for that and we’re back to swapping out the batteries for LiPo.


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[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

I also wanted a bit more water pressure so swapped out the water pump for a stronger one. And in the process moved the water pump hose location to a more easily accesible location using the water tank lid instead of its current location which is difficult to access.


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[Glenhyrst]

I also wanted a bit more water pressure so swapped out the water pump for a stronger one. And in the process moved the water pump hose location to a more easily accesible location using the water tank lid instead of its current location which is difficult to access.


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If you ever travel across to North Yorkshire, perhaps I could commission you to sort out the van!
Free parking on my drive!!
Fortunately I don't think it likely that we will be anything other than fair weather campers, so much of what you have done is really not necessary for my van. But I have enjoyed reading about your van activities and admire your talent.
Our intention is to use the van for days out, one or two overnight stays away and for longer stays, tow the caravan.

 

[The Blue Merle]

Them metal bits under the upper bed get super cold forgot about them, I put the silver foil stuff there and in the nose behind kick board.
Silver foiled and stuff insulation in rear tailgate covered the rear glazed window.
There’s no insulation behind cupboard/plastic moulding or anything on floor.
I used the foam garage/yoga tiles on floor.
No need to do any of this unless you are camping/living full time spent a few winters in alps&scotland.
Vango sleeping bag heat mats are good for upper bed run off usb sockets.

The joker drives like a cali cockpit etc all great.
Being a little bit hard on them due to asking over £100k now.
I paid £55k for my t6 4motion (was 2nd hand but only 1yr old).

I just think campervan/motorhomes have got to stupid money now and hope it goes back to normal times again (when 2nd prices were less than what the new price was when first sold).

 

[The Blue Merle]

If you ever travel across to North Yorkshire, perhaps I could commission you to sort out the van!
Free parking on my drive!!
Fortunately I don't think it likely that we will be anything other than fair weather campers, so much of what you have done is really not necessary for my van. But I have enjoyed reading about your van activities and admire your talent.
Our intention is to use the van for days out, one or two overnight stays away and for longer stays, tow the caravan.

The van will handle that with easy.
Fits in a parking space perfect, get to stand up in it, hot water, a loo.
Trust me you will love it. I get where you are coming from as you expect a great service and a perfect vehicle when you are spending that sort of money.

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

If you ever travel across to North Yorkshire, perhaps I could commission you to sort out the van!
Free parking on my drive!!
Fortunately I don't think it likely that we will be anything other than fair weather campers, so much of what you have done is really not necessary for my van. But I have enjoyed reading about your van activities and admire your talent.
Our intention is to use the van for days out, one or two overnight stays away and for longer stays, tow the caravan.

You’ll be perfectly fine! Enjoy the van and don’t over think things. Even in my Tesla’s I had to deal with delivery issues. Panel gaps, rattles, etc. deal with them when time allows.

One thing I would suggest is running the heater on high for 30 minutes a month to keep it in good working order. Otherwise you can get carbon buildup and such. Even do mine in summer!

Cleaning the heater is no fun:

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[ArunAlec]

You’ll be perfectly fine! Enjoy the van and don’t over think things. Even in my Tesla’s I had to deal with delivery issues. Panel gaps, rattles, etc. deal with them when time allows.

One thing I would suggest is running the heater on high for 30 minutes a month to keep it in good working order. Otherwise you can get carbon buildup and such. Even do mine in summer!

Cleaning the heater is no fun:

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Better get out and run my heater!

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Better get out and run my heater!

If it smokes it’s caked up!


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[ArunAlec]

Further to my battery concerns as above, I would appreciate comments on 2 issues:

1) The batteries are Start Stop AGMs. I appreciate that these will work but are they to be recommended for "house" batteries?

2) After little use of my Joker in the last couple of weeks, the 70Ah battery voltage had dropped to 11.7v, the 90Ah battery showed 12.54v.
Hooking up to EHU increased the 70Ah battery to 12.8v, the 90Ah battery remained at 12.54v.
The voltage across the terminals whilst being charged on both EHU and vehicle alternator showed 13.4v across the 70Ah battery and 12.54v across the 90Ah battery.
Using the "house" electrics (off EHU) dropped the voltage on the 70Ah battery but left the 90Ah battery unchanged.
Are there some clever electronics involved here that flattens one battery before involving the other in both charging and discharging?
Or has there been a slip up in the wiring?
Thanks.
Phil

I haven’t seen the wiring diagram for the charging circuit but I’d assume that the two leisure batteries were just fed directly, in parallel with no circuitry between them. If that’s the case are you disconnecting them to take their individual voltages?

 

[ArunAlec]

If it smokes it’s caked up!


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It’s had a decent blast recently so hopefully pretty clean!

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

This is what perfect balance looks like. Pulling 108 watts, amps across batts equal for the most part so load is spread. Perfect harmony.


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[The Blue Merle]

It’s had a decent blast recently so hopefully pretty clean!

I heard that you had a posh new heater fitted on that van before you got it, as the original was a little noisy.
Due to all the issues my new van had, they went over it with a fine tooth comb before you collected.
I was thinking the same on leisure/main battery checks needs all wires disconnected to get a true reading
Are you still a very happy camper, may bump into you this year in the new forest

 

[Glenhyrst]

I haven’t seen the wiring diagram for the charging circuit but I’d assume that the two leisure batteries were just fed directly, in parallel with no circuitry between them. If that’s the case are you disconnecting them to take their individual voltages?

All I'm doing is measuring the voltages of each battery separately.
The console/panel just gives a reading for the main, 70Ah battery which is the same as my voltmeter reading. With lights and fridge on, to repeat myself, again, only the voltage on the 70Ah battery drops.
Whilst charging, the charging voltage is measurable only on the 70Ah battery.
To my non-expert eye, it would appear that the 95Ah battery is just a passenger and a non-contributing one at that.
Is there any other possible explanation than that it is not wired up properly?

 

[ArunAlec]

I heard that you had a posh new heater fitted on that van before you got it, as the original was a little noisy.
Due to all the issues my new van had, they went over it with a fine tooth comb before you collected.
I was thinking the same on leisure/main battery checks needs all wires disconnected to get a true reading
Are you still a very happy camper, may bump into you this year in the new forest

So far so good! The only small problem I’m having is with the motion sensor for the alarm but going to pop over to Hailsham to get it looked at…. Or just take the batteries out!
Still a happy camper!

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi, think its typo...but assume Club Joker only came as 150bhp (below shows 175/180), and did alloys not come as standard fit?

(...just a shame its purple!)

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[The Blue Merle]

Hi, think its typo...but assume Club Joker only came as 150bhp (below shows 175/180), and did alloys not come as standard fit?

(...just a shame its purple!)

Auto Trader Motorhomes - New and Used Motorhomes For Sale

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www.autotrader.co.uk

Nope probably is that.
It use to come in all t variants 204.199,180, even the rubbish 130.
Has the older style seats great for storage but a little more fiddle to set up lower bed.
Nice van I saw that advertised too no euro6 though

 

[The Blue Merle]

Hi, think its typo...but assume Club Joker only came as 150bhp (below shows 175/180), and did alloys not come as standard fit?

(...just a shame its purple!)

Auto Trader Motorhomes - New and Used Motorhomes For Sale

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www.autotrader.co.uk

Price is semi sensible too I thought

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Nope probably is that.
It use to come in all t variants 204.199,180, even the rubbish 130.
Has the older style seats great for storage but a little more fiddle to set up lower bed.
Nice van I saw that advertised too no euro6 though

Assume 180 would be the same engine that a small handful of people have had issues with.

Not too worried about euro6 + prefer the front / grill on T5.1

Price seemed ok.

...But its still purple, so might not get the green light from big boss.

 

[The Blue Merle]

Assume 180 would be the same engine that a small handful of people have had issues with.

Not too worried about euro6 + prefer the front / grill on T5.1

Price seemed ok.

...But its still purple, so might not get the green light from big boss.

Maybe think I they were 2012-14.
The plate looks like it could have been a campersales van from new.
Purple looks great but can show swirls and the dirt.

How many people intend camping in one.
They do work best with two people, being that the downstairs bed is really only for kids, and means you’re stuffed at night time.
Not as good as the Ford nugget hightop as that lower bed or bigger.
T5.1 & T6 look the best out of the range I think.

 

[edocali]

Assume 180 would be the same engine that a small handful of people have had issues with.

Not too worried about euro6 + prefer the front / grill on T5.1

Price seemed ok.

...But its still purple, so might not get the green light from big boss.

> "This very high spec camper conversion has been converted to the highest spec "

the description in the ad doesn't give me confidence.

 

[ivan & jill]

The stop start problem maybe due to they sit in Germany westy factory waiting to get converted 6mth plus and then get aftermarket alarm fitted which drains battery even more.
I was doing about 1000miles a month and took about a month two for my stop start to kick in and work.
So if yours is sat on drive having very little use the main battery will be below the limits for stop/start to work.
Wait for the fun and games to start going to vw with a German import van. Had to get both my jokers on there data base even though the new one was pdi by vw.
They are great vans but getting dated now for the money you pay for 90s tech(controller) and no insulation. Wait for the flashing lights when the heater kicks in.
That being said I would still have another van, all vans have niggles and lacking in someone way.
Try to focus on the amazing places they take you.

Fingers crossed it’s all simple silly stuff and Wandahomes become helpful, I would have swapped the issues mine had for yours all day long!!!

I picked up on your comment about getting your Jokers on the VW database. I have recently bought a 1 year old Club Joker and a week later got the dreaded Ad Blue amber warning light. The VW van centre is refusing to even do the diagnostic test under warranty as they say it is not on their database as having a UK or European warranty.

So, how did you get VW to add your vehicles to the warranty database?

 

[The Blue Merle]

I picked up on your comment about getting your Jokers on the VW database. I have recently bought a 1 year old Club Joker and a week later got the dreaded Ad Blue amber warning light. The VW van centre is refusing to even do the diagnostic test under warranty as they say it is not on their database as having a UK or European warranty.

So, how did you get VW to add your vehicles to the warranty database?

I took my logbook into breeze totton vw and they set it up that was my first one back in 2018.
Lots of VW dealers just try to be difficult, the first two years any vw dealer is supposed to carry out warranty work or software updates etc
My 2023 joker was a nightmare as vw pdi for westy dealer and didn’t set the service interval up properly and that was running from date of manufacture rather than day of collection (6mths out). Nightmare trying to get another VW garage to sort it.

 

[The Blue Merle]

> "This very high spec camper conversion has been converted to the highest spec "

the description in the ad doesn't give me confidence.

There just being lazy and can’t be bothered to list everything.
It is a very high spec van

 

[ArunAlec]

I picked up on your comment about getting your Jokers on the VW database. I have recently bought a 1 year old Club Joker and a week later got the dreaded Ad Blue amber warning light. The VW van centre is refusing to even do the diagnostic test under warranty as they say it is not on their database as having a UK or European warranty.

So, how did you get VW to add your vehicles to the warranty database?

I got Breeze at Havant (Portsmouth) to sort mine out. They are the local VW dealer to Harbour Creek Motorhomes a Wesfalia dealer, so should have experience.
One aspect of the “non UK” vehicle that I have found difficult to fathom out is the SOS button and VW Assist. I believe and I would like to be wrong that the emergency call would be routed via a European contact centre.

 

[The Blue Merle]

I got Breeze at Havant (Portsmouth) to sort mine out. They are the local VW dealer to Harbour Creek Motorhomes a Wesfalia dealer, so should have experience.
One aspect of the “non UK” vehicle that I have found difficult to fathom out is the SOS button and VW Assist. I believe and I would like to be wrong that the emergency call would be routed via a European contact centre.

I pressed mine and connected me to uk speaking operator asked what service I needed whoops.
VW roadside assist was all good and set up on my 2023 as had to call them out for flashing engine management.
Like I’ve said they are great vans just a bit more to deal with than a cali.
Aftersales&help was second to none at campersales best I’ve ever experience. The initial sale/collection was a nightmare but that was due to delay after delay of delivery date, and stressful times we had all gone through with lockdowns etc.