Alde UK announcement
Brilliant news announced by Alde UK on another forum, for their equipped UK caravans & motorhomes..
* manufacturers will fill with the same spec 5-year heating fluid.
Alde UK
Posted 32 minutes ago (edited)
As you may be aware, Alde and our user base (possibly you amongst them) have been keen for UK caravan manufacturers to fill with a 5-year heating fluid as standard, for many years.
We're very pleased to announce that for 2020 MY onwards all UK caravan
To facilitate this change in industry practice, Alde UK carefully vetted a range of heating fluid products, each conforming to VW TL-774-J specification (more commonly known by the product code G13).
This process created a list of Alde-approved heating fluid products, shown below.
Alde Premium G13 Antifreeze [Pre-mixed/ready to use]
Comma Xstream GG40 [Concentrate]
Fuchs Maintain Fricofin V [Concentrate]
VW Branded G13 Coolant [Pre-mixed/ready to use]
For end users, this should remove any confusion about what to top up with. i.e., Any of the above.
All Alde-approved heating fluid products are magenta in colour, protect down to -35 degrees Celsius when properly mixed, and provide 5-year corrosion protection.
Alde then partnered with Fuchs Lubricants UK to produce and supply an exclusive product to UK caravan manufactuers and dealers. Fuchs Maintain Fricofin V 50, a ready to use variant of their concentrated product, pre-mixed 50:50 with deionised water.
This initiative will have huge comparative benefits for our end users and the environment.
Environment
The Alde-approved heating fluid is delivered to UK caravan manufacturers in Intermediate Bulk Containers, that are collected and reused when empty, reducing plastic waste where drums were used previously.
Alde-approved heating fluid uses 20% glycerin in its base, reducing the amount of monoethylene glycol required to produce and dispose of.
Over 7 years of ownership, Alde-approved heating fluid's longer life immediately cuts the amount disposed of by 66% compared to the blue 2-year fluid preferred by the industry in the past.
End User
Not only does Alde-approved heating fluid meet strict criteria for performance and quality, with direct supply to UK caravan manufacturers and dealers, mixing takes place in dedicated, quality controlled facilities. Less chance of problems down the line.
Each new Alde system will be filled with Alde-approved heating fluid, so top up with Alde-approved heating fluid. It's all magenta in colour. Less chance of confusion.
Over 7 years of ownership, Alde-approved heating fluid's longer life equates to only one fluid change, rather than three for the blue 2-year fluid preferred by the industry in the past. Much less cost!
Alde thanks you CaravanTalkers who have shared your opinion on this subject over the years. It's an out-and-out improvement that we hope everyone can get behind.
Note: Travelling abroad? Perhaps you're in Australasia with an imported UK caravan, and are wondering where to buy Alde-approved heating fluid? Visit any car dealership in the Volkswagen Group, they should have their VW Branded G13 Coolant on stock. (If ever you wanted an excuse to walk into your local Lamboghini dealer!)
*Also includes UK motorhome manufacturers.
Comments
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What a joke
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Never understood what all the fuss is about with Alde Heating and fluid. We bought a 1984 Cotswold Windrush Celeste with Alde Heating. That was in 2007, and as far as we knew the fluid had never been changed. We certainly never changed it in all the seven years we owned it, and the heating worked perfectly throughout. It’s only anti freeze, not some miracle water......... Baffled.🤔
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They said that of the 'anti-freeze' in cars of the 50s, 60s & 70s but 'anti-freeze' is also a corrosion inhibitor too, look at the problems a V8 Stag often suffered from .... probably more applicable to ally coolant systems but I'm sure the same applies to a caravan's heating.
Having said that, my caravan Alde heating could do with a change of 'anti-freeze'
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"probably more applicable to ally coolant systems but I'm sure the same applies to a caravan's heating."
Too true as much of the modern Alde system is made of aluminium alloys, the tubes and heat exchangers, plus the critical gas burner "can". The latter sat in the fluid housed in a stainless cylinder. Add to that a brass auto vent.
Indeed, some challenges there for a decent corrosion inhibitor package.
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A sacrificial zinc anode might be a better idea with that concoction of metals.
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So much easier done with inhibitors in the anti freeze or coolant fluid as is now all but universal with water cooled IC engines.
Much more of a challenge running and keeping a boat in inhibited water, hence they hang on to that technology or impressed current there.
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Exactly what I asked Coachman to do when I bought a new van last February! Can’t do it they said, it’s about production runs they said. So, I said, you can make a better product but you choose not to? What a joke as has already been said. No more difficult to put 5 yr fluid in than 2 year. It’s good news but it should have been available years ago. The caravan industry is always 5 yrs minimum behind the times.
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I'm guessing here but vehicle antifreeze is usually used in a sealed pressurised ,100C plus system external to the passenger compartment of the car. In a caravan/motorhome the alde system is not sealed or pressurised or exceeding 100C so there could be risk of microbial contamination being exposed to the occupants. Maybe this is the reason for frequency of fluid change?
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My understanding is that the fluid also absorbs water so diluting itself. Cyberyacht's suggestion wouldn't work because of the aluminium in the system. I'd been led to believe that the 2 year fluid was used first and that then 5 year so that any debris would be flushed out at 2 years. I think I was misled.
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