Can anyone please with a Murvi new chassis ie after 2006 new shape, please let me know if you are able to turn the driver's seat around WITH the handbrake ON or if you have to take it off and put it into gear....
The reason is we are interested in an automatic but have just been told that you have to let the handbrake off to do this..... now as we are looking at an automatic, and having owned an automatic Fiat albeit on the 4.25 chassis, we know if you try to level it, it will not hold if you put it into gear, it is bad enough trying to get it up on the top of the leveller as it always rolls back a bit
Advice sought if possible in the next hour or so would be really helpful
In the absence of a "Murvi" reply......on our Fiat based Autotrail we have the same issue.
I'm quite tall and the drivers seat is normally set right back on the runners. If I want to swivel the seat, as it turns it would foul the handbrake. This is easily resolved though by sliding the seat forward (which then allows it to clear the handbrake) then once the seat has been rotated it can be slid back on the runners to create as much space as possible. It sounds a bit of a potch but once you get used to it is quite easy.
Our X250 is manual but I assume the handbrake is in the same location be it manual or auto.
Duncan had his seat not too far back, but it is the problem with the automatic - it has no park brake, so if you let it off it just rolls back, and it was already a bit difficult to ever get it to stop where you wanted it on levellers, as as soon as you applied the handbrake it would sort of roll back that little bit....
We have realised that the previous owner of this particular Murvi paid to have LOWER box height on the seat - possibly someone who was tall, I don't know - but Rex said it would make no difference to the seat height.
I have just asked the selling dealers if he would check to see if what Rex suggested could be done, and he said he knew it couldn't as it was not a full automatic....which leaves us now deciding what to do....
But thanks for your comments.
Is there still a Murvi owner with an automatic out there that can tell me what they do.... please
Best to wait until a Murvi owner comes along but in the meantime, we looked at one recently, if I remember correctly, it is do able but the seat rubs against the handbrake as you revolve it, possibly causing damage in the long term.
If its the 3 litre auto, I would also check the payload carefully, especially the front axle.
Not a murvi owner, I would have thought that the height of the seat base will make all the difference, I have the new 2008 cab and the swivel seat misses the hand brake, but I do move the seat forward before I swing it round just to make sure. I also sometimes wish the seat box was lower, but the wife finds it just right so that's it then. :wink:
Looks like you will either have to have a new seat base fitted or else find another van.
.........under the John Parson's Review, Lounging and Dining (July 2008 page 129) it says "the driver's seat will not swivel if the handbrake is still on."
Thanks all - Don Madge also told me of an electric handbrake that is available for the Ducato and I have contacted the mobility guy who sorted our handbrake out on the Hymer Starline some 10/11 years ago and he has said he can do it but cost is about £1200.... a lot of money
Pete, you are correct about the issue of payload this is something I am looking into as we speak. I have asked the Dealer for the plate info to get an idea to speak to SV Tech
It is the 3 ltr and it is 180 automatic...and payload is c**p to be honest.
The original owner must have been driving it overloaded as he has removed an Oyster Sat and 18in Avtech TV and they weighed it with driver and no water and about 1/4 fuel, and it was only 282 left..... so useless
Hence trying to find out if it can be uprated, which I am sure it can, but of course more cost.
Carol simple answer is for you to jump out with a couple of chocks. Himself drives onto levellers and when in position you place chocks under rear wheels. Then no roll back.
Dave p
Thanks everyone, It is not possible to turn it with handbrake on on the Murvi - that we had established.
We have now discovered, thanks to Pete and Don Madge, that it is possible to fit a electronic brake via a Mobility Centre, at a cost of some £1200 - high I know, but something at least to consider whether that is the way we need to go and of course whether the cost makes it worth it.
I seem to recall that on one make of wheel ramps they have a chock as well, so one could drive up then place chocks and there is no roll back, maybe you could do that with the handbrake off, swivel seat and put hand brake back on. just a thought, much cheaper than the electronic brake.
I have just read this post, was away when it was originally posted, but for the record as an automatic Murvi owner:
1. You *can* leave the van in gear when parked. Just turn of the ignition when in gear. The van will put itself into neutral when you next start it, but stays in first or reverse (whichever you have left it in) until then.
2. Our seat turns perfectly with the handbrake on. Don't understand why it would not. There is masses of clearance.
Oh and yes the payload on the front is tight on any X250 with a 3l auto and air-con. Murvis probably suffer more than some because of the robust rattle-free construction.
We no longer have the problem, with uprated steel springs on the front, (and manual air suspension on the back), this allows a 2000/2000kg front.rear within a 3500kg total, and gives us the bonus of about two inches more ride height, and an improved ride.
Here is our drive. This is why I know it stays in gear.
Thanks, we were buying it, but found we. Opulent get access to our money, and I did sort out my concerns at the time, it was not meant to be sobeit, someone got a great van. We had had a 160 auto before, it was just a few off things we found with that one.
We have this issue with our Mercedes.
What we do is reverse onto the ramps.
I press the footbrake pedal whilst Val releases the handbrake turns the seat and reapplies the handbrake.
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