17' Series No full Annex allowed???

[Hoffy]

Hello everyone! Firstly what a great forum, I have learnt so much already about the wonderful expanda!!
We are about to order a brand spankin new 17.56.2 OB and found out that we cannot order a full annex due to the ventilation issue with the fridge??? I just want to know peoples thoughts on this as it is a biggie for us as we like to set up for 3 weeks plus and like a full annex. Jayco tell me they are trying to come to a resolution but how long will that take?
Thanks for all the useful tips so far!!

 

[relgate]

Interesting. This has been discussed before but this is the first time I have heard of an annex being refused.
I assume you are talking about the factory/jayco annex in which case I would say 'dont get it' anyway. I've heard that they aren't much good. You are (in my opinion only) much better off getting a third party annex such as Australia wide/ Kakadu etc.
It is true that the fridge vents to the annex side. On my 17.56.2 (now sold) we had an annex and it had permanent vents in the top triangular side pieces to allow ventilation. To be honest it was never particularly air tight anyway! I would guess the Jayco annexes dont have that ventilation dn therefore don't comply. There are a lot of 17's going around with annexes!

 

[relgate]

BTW, :welcome: to the forum!

 

[17triton]

Welcome @Hoffy , I think most of us on here with 17ft vans have annexes on them. We all have fridges on that side too. It must be a new regulation maybe @macca could shed some more light on that one?

 

[gwadir]

Welcome to the forum @Hoffy, we have an 18-57.6 with the fridge on the LH side and a full Australia Wide annex with no issues, the annexes aren't air tight per se so I can't really see what the problem is, if anything IMHO it's probably some bureaucratic pen pusher with nothing better to do trying to justify his own position and the the oxygen he consumes.

Dave

P.S. Don't get me started :rant:

 

[Melon2155]

Just thinking out aloud , but could it be the ventilation of the anexxe when using the fridge on GAS , rather than the ventilation of the fridge for temperature reasons. Maybe if the fridge is venting gases to the outside where the annexxe would be , and someone is using this to sleep in , regardless of how airtight it may or may not be , then they are not allowed to enclose this area by law. ?

 

[Ben Stanford]

I have a 17:56-1 and have a full annexe that I ordered through the dealer, but had no issues!

 

[Melon2155]

Maybe the pennies have just fallen and they had a think about what happens to the gases from a fridge when connected to gas. Like i said , i am not 100% sure this is the issue , but just thinking out aloud. What made me think about it was the fact that i couldnt purchase a longer extension hose with a bayonet fitting , for my BBQ than 3 metres because people will put gas heaters inside their bedroom. Apparently the Aus Standard for gas bayonet fittings inside houses etc is such that a gas heater cant be used with the extension hoses that can be bought at the shops.

 

[Hoffy]

Interesting. This has been discussed before but this is the first time I have heard of an annex being refused.
I assume you are talking about the factory/jayco annex in which case I would say 'dont get it' anyway. I've heard that they aren't much good. You are (in my opinion only) much better off getting a third party annex such as Australia wide/ Kakadu etc.
It is true that the fridge vents to the annex side. On my 17.56.2 (now sold) we had an annex and it had permanent vents in the top triangular side pieces to allow ventilation. To be honest it was never particularly air tight anyway! I would guess the Jayco annexes dont have that ventilation dn therefore don't comply. There are a lot of 17's going around with annexes!

Thanks for the welcome!!
This was all told to us at the Caravan/Camping show at the RNA show grounds over the weekend. We even went and spoke to Kakadu as well as we have always dealt with them previously. They are also in the same boat until a decision is made.
You are probably correct in saying that it would be some pen pushers that have nothing better to do than to make up silly regulations that affect the good traveller with their caravans.
Kakadu tell me that they are also in on the fight. They were also saying, but know it won't happen, that they were going to be looking at people who already had a full annex and giving them notice that they are not allowed to have it and if they get caught again it would be a $2000 fine!!! Who is going to police this????
Yes, it probably only has to do when the fridge is running on gas but because they cant be sure you will only be on power, they are saying no at this moment for both.
Our van wont be ready until christmas and Kakadu tell me they hope for it to be sorted out before then. Its a bloody stupid regulation which would cost companies like Jayco and associate companies like Kakadu thousands if not millions of dollars if it is regulated.
It was a bit of a shock to be told we cant sell you an annex by both Jayco and Kakadu!!!!
Thanks again for your comments and help, much appreciated.

 

[Hoffy]

I have a 17:56-1 and have a full annexe that I ordered through the dealer, but had no issues!

Hi, how long ago did you purchase this?

 

[cruza driver]

Have you thought about the Waeco 12v fridge.....if its still an option? Then there will be no issue.

Also I saw a 2014 17 ob expanda on the weekend at Corrimal Beach cp NSW that had a full Kakadu annex it had Jayco Newcastle dealer stickers on it.

 

[macca]

@17triton, I have not heard anything. Could be a State thing? We are just about to order an annexe and our fridge is on the annexe side. I don't see what the problem is, they use stuff all gas and when you think about it there is 3 or 4 burner stove inside the van where the bed is!!
Maybe the fridges need to be flued through the roof. Is the big 185 fridge flued through the roof anyway?

 

[Melon2155]

Good thinking Macca. Like i said , i was just thinking out aloud , and from an ex plumber's way of thinking. Maybe it has nothing to do with the gas, now that you mention the cooktop.

 

[relgate]

Just thinking out aloud , but could it be the ventilation of the anexxe when using the fridge on GAS , rather than the ventilation of the fridge for temperature reasons. Maybe if the fridge is venting gases to the outside where the annexxe would be , and someone is using this to sleep in , regardless of how airtight it may or may not be , then they are not allowed to enclose this area by law. ?

Definately because of the gas in the enclosed area. Spot on @Melon2155 . That is why the van has ventilation in the top skirt and the bottom of the door. as I said, my Tebbs annex had permanent vents

 

[relgate]

Have you thought about the Waeco 12v fridge.....if its still an option? Then there will be no issue.

Also I saw a 2014 17 ob expanda on the weekend at Corrimal Beach cp NSW that had a full Kakadu annex it had Jayco Newcastle dealer stickers on it.

Great idea, or upgrade to the bigger fridge with the roof vent...

 

[gwadir]

Just thinking out aloud , but could it be the ventilation of the anexxe when using the fridge on GAS , rather than the ventilation of the fridge for temperature reasons. Maybe if the fridge is venting gases to the outside where the annexxe would be , and someone is using this to sleep in , regardless of how airtight it may or may not be , then they are not allowed to enclose this area by law. ?

That's definitely what it's all about but what they fail to realise is that the gas shuts off immediately the flame goes out, and if they're concerned about CO2 build up, give me a break, the amount of CO2 that would be needed to do anything is so large that with an annex it will never happen, IMHO.

Dave

 

[Bushman]

Have you thought about the Waeco 12v fridge.....if its still an option? Then there will be no issue.

Also I saw a 2014 17 ob expanda on the weekend at Corrimal Beach cp NSW that had a full Kakadu annex it had Jayco Newcastle dealer stickers on it.

hope you enlightened them about the forum

 

[macca]

I think they would be concerned about the products of combustion which includes Carbon Monoxide otherwise known as CO. On many vans the flue terminates outside behind the fridge. This area would become a sleeping area. Lets just see what the big players in the scheme of things come up with.

My last Tebbs annexe had vents all over it.

 

[gwadir]

I think they would be concerned about the products of combustion which includes Carbon Monoxide otherwise known as CO. On many vans the flue terminates outside behind the fridge. This area would become a sleeping area. Lets just see what the big players in the scheme of things come up with.

My last Tebbs annexe had vents all over it.

Oops, your correct @macca my mistake, I meant CO not CO2

 

[fishinglizard]

Its probably a Victoria thing, as I am pretty sure they have banned un flued gas heaters in your house. I have a friend who just got a 14 44 4 with a hot water and its basically under the table window so the exhaust would go straight up and in the window without to much trouble.