Sterling or Gibbo?

[GeoffS]

Not everyones cuppa, but we really can last 5days with 4*110Ah*12v batteries, one thetford pp, and an 880gal water tank if we're at a rally or similar.

 

 

 

Daniel

 

Hello, Im curious. Is it really 880 gallons? Or is this to do with steam production? Geoff

[ditchcrawler]

Yes, given that gas safety is important but fairly simple to maintain on boats, while getting the electricity generation, storage and consumption balance is probably the most complex and difficult thing to achieve, I don't understand the enthusiasm for gas-free, all-electric boats.

Our boat is gas free, I have nothing against gas and as you say, quite safe if installed/maintained correctly. The main driver to our decision was that there was some doubt where the gas regulations were going when I started fitting the boat, a bit like solid fuel today. The last thing I wanted was to start fitting out and find out 4 years later when I finished the regs had outlawed the earlier work.

[Nickhlx]

Hello, Im curious. Is it really 880 gallons? Or is this to do with steam production? Geoff

 

 

4000 Litres ?? Our bulk propane tank is 4000 litres, about 10 feet long and 4 feet diameter, but probably only 75% full, so really thats nearer 6000 litres, even so, 4000 must be about 7 feet long and 4 feet diameter or proportionally around that... 880 litres perhaps ?

 

Nick

[Gary Peacock]

I don't get involved with Sterling stuff without the customer is a believer!

[david and julie]

Yawn! Nice constructive post there.

 

I can't say anything about Mr Sterling but from my dealings with Gibbo on here and with his company l I have always known him to be generous and helpful.

Actually I find Tomsk's post to be very constructive - customer service is part of the deal - i've spoken to "Charlie Boy" on 3 occasions whilst trying to resolve an issue with a new combi and he's got a dreadful telephone manner.

 

Gibbo may be to the point - which wouldn't bother me as I'm the same - but he did take the effort to come to my boat(he is local to me) and replace a faulty unit - without question.

 

Believe me there is no comparison between them.

[NB Willawaw]

I don't really like Sterling equipment on a personal level and have rarely got involved with it.

 

On the few occasions that the customer has asked me to install something from Sterling, I've never been very impressed with their technical documentation.

 

Not had any technical problems with the brand because I've fitted very little, but I did call Sterling to talk about alternator controllers and they weren't very helpful.

Gave the order to Adverc, who were very technically supportive.

[blackrose]

I don't get involved with Sterling stuff without the customer is a believer!

 

I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I've had mostly very positive dealings with Sterling customer services. While it's true that the main man has a brusque telephone manner, one is more likely to be speaking to one of his underlings who I've found to be polite, knowledgeable and very helpful.

[tosher]

I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I've had mostly very positive dealings with Sterling customer services. While it's true that the main man has a brusque telephone manner, one is more likely to be speaking to one of his underlings who I've found to be polite, knowledgeable and very helpful.

 

Exactly my experience.

[DHutch]

Hello, Im curious. Is it really 880 gallons? Or is this to do with steam production? Geoff

No, sorry, just a typo. Its 80gallons. The steam plan is condensing.

[Gary Peacock]

Like I said Sterling is very popular with the believers that are happy to pay the marked up prices for the additional stickers.

 

I aren't involved in selling it anymore and don't have a problem with people buying it or not buying it I will quite happily install the stuff if people believe it suits there needs.

 

I still like Victron and Mastervolt personally but that kind of kit is a now getting a bit complex plus pricey for most ditch crawlers to have installed.

 

The ditch crawling market does seem more happily suited to some of the kit sourced from the Far East and badged for sale in the UK by the various importers.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Gary Peacock

[DHutch]

Exactly my experience.

Depends who you get, charles sterling himself does have a tellphone manor that many do not get on with but his other chap is quite amenable i found and i actually done have a problem with charles. You just have to ask direct questions and sound like you know roughly what he's going about from early on. Or atlease that what i did and got one ok when asking how to wire up an alternator controller thats sat unused on our boat for the last 18years.

 

 

Daniel

[Tony Brooks]

Exactly my experience.

 

 

Not my experience when trying to help a reader a while ago.

 

I know bullshine when it's spouted to me and I found Mr S full of it.

 

Just tried to help a reader with a buzzing Sterling combi unit only when an appliance is at half power. I am told that the Sterling advice to the reader was oh- its probably a thyristor (not specifying if it was in their unit or the appliance) wait until it fails and then we will deal with it. That is not good customer service and only confirms my view of the company.

 

Actually I suspect the buzz is resonance caused by using a diode to chop half the AC wave and thus produce half power. I await the outcome with interest.

[nb Innisfree]

I have found Victron to be very helpful and knowledgeable, I suspect they are patient because there aren't many complaints (due to good design, build and reliability) just queries about set up etc.

[kendo]

Personalities aside, I don't like Bill Gates much, but i'm typing this in Windows XP.

Gibbo and Mr Sterling won't be on our boat, so it's the efficiency and usefulness of

their kit that we're most interested in.

 

thankyou everybody that chipped in. won't reply individually, because it would be

cut and paste hell.... but much appreciate your points of view.

 

Our power needs are quite modest at the moment. We have a jabsco pump, a bolin pump,

a laptop, a dometic fridge, couple of ipods, and maybe a 12v TV (occasionally). Definitely no

washing machine or hairdryer requirement. Quite a few other people seem to get by comfortably on

4x leisure batteries, and we're willing to adapt to same.

 

when we shove off and CC, we don't expect to have shorepower anywhere. Willing to cruise

and run the engine as long as it takes (within the legal limits). if a seperate generator can be

avoided, we'd like to do so. Engine is a Bukh 2 cylinder.

 

Oh, and these lights are everywhere.. not a clue what type they are.

one is good enough to read by. two lights up a substantial area. six

would be a blackpool illuminations experience.

 

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy5/kendo353/lamps.jpg

 

thankyou.

[kendo]

I still like Victron and Mastervolt personally but that kind of kit is a now getting a bit complex plus pricey for most ditch crawlers to have installed.

Hi Gary, please could you PM me what you recommend?

 

The ditch crawling market does seem more happily suited to some of the kit sourced from the Far East and badged for sale in the UK by the various importers.

ouch. to be fair, i presume thats because they're been squeezed dry.

i don't really want to buy stuff from china if it can be avoided, but

like a previous poster noted, where else do they make "stuff" these

days?

[GeoffS]

Where is Gibbo? I miss his posts, he is one of the few posters I always look through.

[NB Willawaw]

He probably has better things to do..