AdBlue. Any tips?

I really can't get my mind around the concern being expressed with getting access to somewhere to top up AdBlue on a 6000 odd mile continental trip.

All parts of Europe I have travelled to has been set up to cope with modern automotive transport, it's not the remotest of places after all.

I really can't get my mind around the concern being expressed with getting access to somewhere to top up AdBlue on a 6000 odd mile continental trip.

We by choice do go to the remotest places in Europe in this case to the NordKapp and we do prepare very thoroughly. Two years in the planning but academic now until next year for medical reasons. 

Fair point re remoteness but if your vehicle is like ours we can simply check the endurance of the AdBlue remaining. Plus, if failing to exercise that check we have, I understand, but have yet to run into it on any vehicle, a warning should come up some thousand(s) miles prior to running out. In my cars case at least three refuelling needs prior.

As said I feel there is a bit of fear here about the unknown which is understandable if also realistically unwarranted.

AFAIK it is not practicable to use truck Adblue dispensers to fill up a small vehicle at filling stations for technical reasons. Perhaps in time filling stations in the UK will have van/car Adblue pumps. I don't know if these already exist in Europe but the best plan seems to be to leave UK with a full tank.

I tried filling a 10 litre container from the pump at our local filling station and it wouldn't dispense the Adblue. The attendant told me that there is a sensor/interlock in commercial adblue tanks (presumably to prevent mis-fuelling?) so I had no alternative but to pay twice as much for a ready filled container.

Today we went to the storage site and checked the van and it is as MichaelT and Mikeandclaire say. The thing that I took to be a filler cap is just a raised disc which is continuous with the surrounding area and can't be opened! So BoleroBoy and Aspenshaw are right! I apologise unreservedly and feel rather stupid.

In my defence we parked the motorhome on the storage site and brought the handbooks home to mug up on things and the Fiat handbook gave instructions about AdBlue without saying only some models used it. It seemed as if it was needed by them all, so reading the handbook didn't help me either Tinwheeler!

I can only thank everyone who has given their opinion because without your advice I would have been very confused indeed!

I'll now go and hide behind the sofa and wait for your replies

Thanks again and happy camping!

I steadfastly believed the OP was correct in his/her assumption that the AdBlue filler was real and that the handbook was correct in stating a warning light would be activated when the AdBlue only had 1200km left in the tank.

The evidence at that point suggested the OP was correct and I proceeded to take the Micky using plenty of smileys in much the same way as others often do. However, it is now clear that the OP was actually incorrect so I apologise if I offended although I'm sure your sense of humour coped.

I'd say it all ended well, no one got hurt during this thread-jobs a gud un. Camperval-it takes a big person to admit they are wrong. No one is immune from making mistakes. You admitted it, I'd say it's a good move on your part. Power to you & your honesty. PS-thanks for the giggle

The trouble with motor home manuals be they base vehicle or component is that they are very very generic so it is not surprising that mistakes are made by applying the wrong model or version information so don't beat yourself up about getting it wrong. You have usefully ventilated info about Adblue which will be helpful to others.

thanks for coming back with an update.

some vans do have 'blanking' plates inside and outside, where options (or variants, as in this case) dont get taken up, its easy to be fooled when a vehicle has to cope with so many different 'rules'...

at least we have now solved the mystery

Camperval, that's put your mind at rest now! You were always clear as to why you thought your van needed adblue and to be honest, if I was in your new shoes I would have drawn the same conclusion from the manual and filler. You can come out from behind the sofa and bathe in my admiration for your confession.

There are reports in the German motorhome media that the 2018 Fiat Ducato will have AdBlue [probably affecting 2019 motorhomes]. This is for two reasons. One is that the emission tests will be changing and the current engine will not pass these tests, second is that Fiat is auditing the performance of their engine in real life and the current Ducato engines may fall short of the test results. Time will tell whether the reports are true or just tittle tattle.

Hope you enjoy your motorhoming and continue to raise stimulating issues. Regards.