Fulltiming in a motorhome - a blog
Discussion
Firstly congrats with your van purchase, secondly I agree with the post about the CL sites being a far more relaxed choice over the C&MC sites and also the last few years the fees have become extortionate on most of the sites.
We are on our second 8m caravan so fairly close to the length of your new camper and have never found any issues on CL's and from memory there would only be a couple of pitches on C&MC sites we have visited where you could not over hang onto the grass behind.
I would suggest getting a good Humax Freesat box for TV channels to go with your new van as these when coupled to a self seeking dish are great, you can even switch them from Freesat mode to other modes.
As was suggested if it doesn't have self leveling i would highly suggest investing in one of the E&P leveling systems as they take all the stress out of setting up.
Finally with you using it as the main living space and that it is nicely mobile have you seen the kits where the Gas bottles are replaced and plumed to use lpg from the petrol stations as this works out massively cheaper and you get all the adapters for when you go abroad without any weight penalty as the wet heating in my van uses a fair amount of elec so off grid i guess gas useage would be high too.
We are on our second 8m caravan so fairly close to the length of your new camper and have never found any issues on CL's and from memory there would only be a couple of pitches on C&MC sites we have visited where you could not over hang onto the grass behind.
I would suggest getting a good Humax Freesat box for TV channels to go with your new van as these when coupled to a self seeking dish are great, you can even switch them from Freesat mode to other modes.
As was suggested if it doesn't have self leveling i would highly suggest investing in one of the E&P leveling systems as they take all the stress out of setting up.
Finally with you using it as the main living space and that it is nicely mobile have you seen the kits where the Gas bottles are replaced and plumed to use lpg from the petrol stations as this works out massively cheaper and you get all the adapters for when you go abroad without any weight penalty as the wet heating in my van uses a fair amount of elec so off grid i guess gas useage would be high too.
mike13 said:
CharlesdeGaulle said:
What does CL or C&MC mean in relation to sites?
Certificated Location ( usually a 5 van max site, could be a farm or similar) and Caravan and Motorhome Club as it's now known!
|https://thumbsnap.com/i5pUBp2P[/url]
There are an awful lot of CL sites that are rubbish because the owners cannot be bothered which is a real shame, as a lot of us don't want all the bells and whistles of the magic top 5 sites, and the owners of the smaller sites can't be bothered to keep clean, i.e. Cut the grass, empty the rubbish bins, not a lot,but makes a huge difference to those that would like something not so intrusive and certainly have no wish for 5* camping, such a shame. 🤐
Antony Moxey said:
Don't know - there's loads of different clubs these days it's hard to keep up with which one's which (or which one used to be which).
CC = Caravan Club now known as the C&MC = Caravan & Motorhome ClubC&CC = Caravan & Camping Club
MC = Motorcaravanners Club
CL = Certified Location for the C&MC - small site; max. 5 spaces for units (plus some allow tents); can have limited facilities; usually cheaper than full blown sites; need to be a club member (usually but I guess hard cash talks!)
CS = Certified Site for the C&CC - exactly the same as the CL's above
oblio said:
CL = Certified Location for the C&MC - small site; max. 5 spaces for units (plus some allow tents); can have limited facilities; usually cheaper than full blown sites; need to be a club member (usually but I guess hard cash talks!)
We're in the C&CC and foolishly looked into booking a C&MC site. We were told because we were non members it would be an extra £12 per night.
Well, a quick update from me (that's what I'm intending, but previous experience probably means it'll be an epic post!).
I flew up to Glasgow on Friday afternoon with my daughter, got picked up by my Uncle and driven two hours up to their place between Oban and Fort William. Got there to find "Carrie" taking up most of their driveway - what a beast! Had a good nosey round but by the time we got there it was late and little'un needed feeding and putting to bed. I was aching to spend more time in the van, but that had to wait until the following morning.
Next day my Uncle showed me around and tried to give me as much of a handover as possible. In reality, the previous owner didn't seem to know much about all the bits on the van and, as such, my Uncle wasn't shown much either. I knew a bit from finding an owners manual online, but there's so much kit that I'll need to read it again and again to work out what everything does. Even just the control panel is like a super computer compared with the Hymer!
Lucky for me, my Uncle and Aunt are in the process of trying to rent their house in Scotland so they were happy to offload loads of spare pans, bedding, crockery etc into the van, so we were pretty much set up from the off. Little'un and I readied ourself to go and set off around 11am on Saturday. The drive from their house is on single lane roads with tree canopies encroaching over the road. Three vehicles encountered, with some reversing required (camera doesn't work, but mirrors are fine) and we sneaked out onto the main road and my first opportunity to see how she went. Sublime. That's all I can describe her as. You have to be patient with the autobox, although it does rev higher than I would do with Harry in the manual. It will rev up to 4K rpm if you don't urge it to change up, very seldom have I ever gone that far up the revs with Harry. But the autobox is mostly smooth - can be a bit foxed sometimes if you try and hurry it, but otherwise suits the size and weight of the vehicle.
The handling, particularly for something so big, is astounding! It corners flat but the ride is so cosseting, it seems like a bit of a paradox. From Oban across Inveraray to Tarbut, I certainly never held anyone up and she handled like a dream. She's a fair bit quieter than Harry on the move - I found the reason for this when treading on the floor in the cab - unlike Harry which is solid, the floor is cushioned which is all the extra lagging (sound and heat insulation) which has been laid underneath.
Stopping a few times en route for wee stops for little'un, we eventually arrived at our campsite Cross Fells outside Penrith at around 17:00. What a beautiful little site - clean and really neatly maintained. Happily recommend and for £10 for hard standing pitch and £14 with electric, it was good value too IMO. The ladies who run it are charming and I'll definitely go back on future trips North-South. Once pitched up, little'un and I played ball together and chased each other around the grass. She needed to let off steam and it was also so nice to have quality time together. She loved the van but even more so at bed time when she had the French bed all to herself and is pretty much her bedroom. I also liked it as I put her to bed, laid with her until she was asleep and then closed the door between the hab area and her bedroom, played some music and had a living area to myself. I slept like a log on the pull down bed over the cab - firm but sooooo comfortable. We both slept until 7am without even stirring. After breakfast, another kick around, a game of Dobble and toilet empty, we set off at 10am for the remainder of the journey south.
The A66 was a nightmare - stuck behind tractors first off, we eventually started making progress when, just as we were about 12miles from Scotch Corner, there was a vehicle fire and the road was shut. Cue turning off the road down some decidedly narrow lanes, which enabled me to really get used to Carrie's heft, width, length, all in one go. We survived unscathed (thank god) and got back on the A66 and A1M and stopped at Ferrybridge for fuel. It had been 350miles since leaving my Uncles and I filled with a >80litres of fuel. I worked it back to 18.5mpg. Harry would've been doing 20-22mpg with that kind of journey. Not too bad considering the autobox and another couple of tonnes of weight (not to mention aerodynamic drag). From there the next stop was Peterborough just for a break for little'un. Read her a few stories, played a game and then set off for the last hour home. Just before home I filled with another 30-odd litres of fuel and calculated 17.5mpg - a fairly constant 100kmh (62mph on the dash) on the cruise control all the way from Ferrybridge. It's obviously uncomfortable numbers but then I rarely do such long trips unless they're holidays, in which case fuel is always budgeted for and always going to be the main component of the holiday. If I average 18mpg over Carrie's life, I can't really moan. Don't understand where the previous owner got his 22mpg from unless he's been driving everywhere at 40mph.
Anyway, driving aside, first impressions.....
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Everything about her exudes class. She's big but she wears it well. She hasn't been looked after quite as well as I'd like to have seen - there are some scuffs on the bodywork and some questionable stickers and bits and bobs stuck around the place. The wipers split on the way back, so vision was iffy when it rained (just ordered some new Bosch Aerotwins), the cab aircon doesn't work, which is bad in an A class as it's the automotive equivalent of a greenhouse in anything over 18degs C! Not sure if it's just a regas or a compressor required. But a definite priority to get sorted. Also the switch for the position one wipers seems to have broken. Will need that sorting.
But Hab area-wise. Lovely. Not scuffed up, but not massively clean. But at least nothing that some time with a detailing kit, cleaning fluids, cloths and brushes can't sort. What strikes me most though is the amount of space. Harry worked perfectly for me and is, in all likelihood, the perfect van for me. I love how compact he is but has everything you need. Carrie is definitely a flat on wheels. I don't necessarily need that when I'm travelling, but I do now that she's my home. Had I not have been fulltiming, Harry would still have been perfect. Indeed today whilst moving all my clobber from one to the other, there was a great deal of sadness in having to get rid of him.
Carrie is, however, indulgent. The separate bedroom will by psychologically so important for separation between living and sleeping. The bathroom, whilst not generous in proportion (apart from the shower cubicle and basin which I can now shave in) is opulent with wood cabinets and beautiful little lamps over the mirrors. The central heating is devastatingly effective, as is the insulation. To the point where you try not to run it as it heats everything up perhaps a little too hot! Need to play with it a bit to work out the finer art of control.
I love the large kitchen area and having worktops to prepare and serve on. As well as a "mezzanine" level half way raised off the worktop which fits my nespresso machine perfectly! A large freezer and fridge makes life easier for a week shop and the seating area is so generous that 8 people could sit around for an evening.
Nothing is perfect though and the following things have hit my attention and need work fairly immediately;
- cab aircon regas / leak test and whatever is required to sort it out
- windscreen wiper blades (ordered)
- blind spot mirrors (has none - ordered)
- service - showing 1000miles on countdown until next service due. Probably do myself
- satellite - doesn't seem to be able to find satellite reception. Just spins around. Not a priority though
- change the halogen bulbs to LEDs and the ones which have already been changed, change them from bright white to warm white / yellow as they're too stark
- rooflight seal over bed
- ns garage seal - replacement
- one of the hob rings needs looking at at it's not quite as effective as it should be
Over time:
- replace rear decals which have split and worn on rear panel
- replace tyres (Easter time) - currently 5yrs old and beginning to have some light cracks on the sidewalls
- maybe a remap for some more mpg
I think that's it.
In spite of the little issues, I am overwhelmed by it and looking forward to feeling better about "living". Little'un adores it, which is half of the battle and makes me happy knowing she is happy.
Now just need to get Harry cleaned and sold. The pair of them are parked end to end on the "drive" at the bottom of the garden.
I'll get some photos up once I get them hosted somewhere since Photobucket has cut me off.
I flew up to Glasgow on Friday afternoon with my daughter, got picked up by my Uncle and driven two hours up to their place between Oban and Fort William. Got there to find "Carrie" taking up most of their driveway - what a beast!
Had a good nosey round but by the time we got there it was late and little'un needed feeding and putting to bed. I was aching to spend more time in the van, but that had to wait until the following morning.Next day my Uncle showed me around and tried to give me as much of a handover as possible. In reality, the previous owner didn't seem to know much about all the bits on the van and, as such, my Uncle wasn't shown much either. I knew a bit from finding an owners manual online, but there's so much kit that I'll need to read it again and again to work out what everything does. Even just the control panel is like a super computer compared with the Hymer!
Lucky for me, my Uncle and Aunt are in the process of trying to rent their house in Scotland so they were happy to offload loads of spare pans, bedding, crockery etc into the van, so we were pretty much set up from the off. Little'un and I readied ourself to go and set off around 11am on Saturday. The drive from their house is on single lane roads with tree canopies encroaching over the road. Three vehicles encountered, with some reversing required (camera doesn't work, but mirrors are fine) and we sneaked out onto the main road and my first opportunity to see how she went. Sublime. That's all I can describe her as. You have to be patient with the autobox, although it does rev higher than I would do with Harry in the manual. It will rev up to 4K rpm if you don't urge it to change up, very seldom have I ever gone that far up the revs with Harry. But the autobox is mostly smooth - can be a bit foxed sometimes if you try and hurry it, but otherwise suits the size and weight of the vehicle.
The handling, particularly for something so big, is astounding! It corners flat but the ride is so cosseting, it seems like a bit of a paradox. From Oban across Inveraray to Tarbut, I certainly never held anyone up and she handled like a dream. She's a fair bit quieter than Harry on the move - I found the reason for this when treading on the floor in the cab - unlike Harry which is solid, the floor is cushioned which is all the extra lagging (sound and heat insulation) which has been laid underneath.
Stopping a few times en route for wee stops for little'un, we eventually arrived at our campsite Cross Fells outside Penrith at around 17:00. What a beautiful little site - clean and really neatly maintained. Happily recommend and for £10 for hard standing pitch and £14 with electric, it was good value too IMO. The ladies who run it are charming and I'll definitely go back on future trips North-South. Once pitched up, little'un and I played ball together and chased each other around the grass. She needed to let off steam and it was also so nice to have quality time together. She loved the van but even more so at bed time when she had the French bed all to herself and is pretty much her bedroom. I also liked it as I put her to bed, laid with her until she was asleep and then closed the door between the hab area and her bedroom, played some music and had a living area to myself. I slept like a log on the pull down bed over the cab - firm but sooooo comfortable. We both slept until 7am without even stirring. After breakfast, another kick around, a game of Dobble and toilet empty, we set off at 10am for the remainder of the journey south.
The A66 was a nightmare - stuck behind tractors first off, we eventually started making progress when, just as we were about 12miles from Scotch Corner, there was a vehicle fire and the road was shut. Cue turning off the road down some decidedly narrow lanes, which enabled me to really get used to Carrie's heft, width, length, all in one go. We survived unscathed (thank god) and got back on the A66 and A1M and stopped at Ferrybridge for fuel. It had been 350miles since leaving my Uncles and I filled with a >80litres of fuel. I worked it back to 18.5mpg. Harry would've been doing 20-22mpg with that kind of journey. Not too bad considering the autobox and another couple of tonnes of weight (not to mention aerodynamic drag). From there the next stop was Peterborough just for a break for little'un. Read her a few stories, played a game and then set off for the last hour home. Just before home I filled with another 30-odd litres of fuel and calculated 17.5mpg - a fairly constant 100kmh (62mph on the dash) on the cruise control all the way from Ferrybridge. It's obviously uncomfortable numbers but then I rarely do such long trips unless they're holidays, in which case fuel is always budgeted for and always going to be the main component of the holiday. If I average 18mpg over Carrie's life, I can't really moan. Don't understand where the previous owner got his 22mpg from unless he's been driving everywhere at 40mph.
Anyway, driving aside, first impressions.....
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Everything about her exudes class. She's big but she wears it well. She hasn't been looked after quite as well as I'd like to have seen - there are some scuffs on the bodywork and some questionable stickers and bits and bobs stuck around the place. The wipers split on the way back, so vision was iffy when it rained (just ordered some new Bosch Aerotwins), the cab aircon doesn't work, which is bad in an A class as it's the automotive equivalent of a greenhouse in anything over 18degs C! Not sure if it's just a regas or a compressor required. But a definite priority to get sorted. Also the switch for the position one wipers seems to have broken. Will need that sorting.
But Hab area-wise. Lovely. Not scuffed up, but not massively clean. But at least nothing that some time with a detailing kit, cleaning fluids, cloths and brushes can't sort. What strikes me most though is the amount of space. Harry worked perfectly for me and is, in all likelihood, the perfect van for me. I love how compact he is but has everything you need. Carrie is definitely a flat on wheels. I don't necessarily need that when I'm travelling, but I do now that she's my home. Had I not have been fulltiming, Harry would still have been perfect. Indeed today whilst moving all my clobber from one to the other, there was a great deal of sadness in having to get rid of him.
Carrie is, however, indulgent. The separate bedroom will by psychologically so important for separation between living and sleeping. The bathroom, whilst not generous in proportion (apart from the shower cubicle and basin which I can now shave in) is opulent with wood cabinets and beautiful little lamps over the mirrors. The central heating is devastatingly effective, as is the insulation. To the point where you try not to run it as it heats everything up perhaps a little too hot! Need to play with it a bit to work out the finer art of control.
I love the large kitchen area and having worktops to prepare and serve on. As well as a "mezzanine" level half way raised off the worktop which fits my nespresso machine perfectly! A large freezer and fridge makes life easier for a week shop and the seating area is so generous that 8 people could sit around for an evening.
Nothing is perfect though and the following things have hit my attention and need work fairly immediately;
- cab aircon regas / leak test and whatever is required to sort it out
- windscreen wiper blades (ordered)
- blind spot mirrors (has none - ordered)
- service - showing 1000miles on countdown until next service due. Probably do myself
- satellite - doesn't seem to be able to find satellite reception. Just spins around. Not a priority though
- change the halogen bulbs to LEDs and the ones which have already been changed, change them from bright white to warm white / yellow as they're too stark
- rooflight seal over bed
- ns garage seal - replacement
- one of the hob rings needs looking at at it's not quite as effective as it should be
Over time:
- replace rear decals which have split and worn on rear panel
- replace tyres (Easter time) - currently 5yrs old and beginning to have some light cracks on the sidewalls
- maybe a remap for some more mpg
I think that's it.
In spite of the little issues, I am overwhelmed by it and looking forward to feeling better about "living". Little'un adores it, which is half of the battle and makes me happy knowing she is happy.
Now just need to get Harry cleaned and sold. The pair of them are parked end to end on the "drive" at the bottom of the garden.
I'll get some photos up once I get them hosted somewhere since Photobucket has cut me off.
oblio said:
Nice one SpuffHave you sold Harry yet?
oblio said:
Nice one Spuff
Have you sold Harry yet?
Thanks! No one just yet - have the feeling I'm selling to a pool of people who are already away on holiday........in their vans!!!Have you sold Harry yet?
Had a few calls and some interest - one fella particularly keen but away in France until end of the month. We'll see. I'm probably going to Sorn him to save a bit of cash. I can drive him around the farm where I live to keep everything turning.
As for Carrie, well new wiper blades and blind spot mirrors were ordered last night and will be fitted towards the end of the week before heading to Canterbury on Friday.
I've also persuaded my trusty Indy to take her on. She's too heavy for his ramps and almost too long for his yard but he's agreed to take a look at the aircon issue and replace the combination switch for the wipers, give her a full service and also a once over to check for anything else to be aware of. I take comfort from him doing it as he knows my OCD and I have a feeling his OCD matches mine when Harry has been in. Just want her to be in tip top working order, just like Harry. Booked in for next Monday.
Found the manufacturer of the satellite dish online and sent them an email in German re: the fault codes I was getting. Within 10mins I had an email back with a description of how to reset to factory settings and the nod that that should hopefully resolve the issues.
Otherwise had a brilliant night sleep last night and genuinely looking forward to "going home" tonight.
Spuffington
First great taste in motorhome ( I also have an identical one)
If you haven't figured it yet the floor below the front seats is not cushioned " it can be raised to be level wither rear floor" how's that for German engineering!!
Good look in finding the up and down switches!
Mine are above the entrance door,only works with the ignition off
If you need anymore info just ask
Good luck
Onthebrakes
First great taste in motorhome ( I also have an identical one)
If you haven't figured it yet the floor below the front seats is not cushioned " it can be raised to be level wither rear floor" how's that for German engineering!!
Good look in finding the up and down switches!
Mine are above the entrance door,only works with the ignition off
If you need anymore info just ask
Good luck
Onthebrakes
Thanks onthebrakes
Yes, I've found the "floating floor" and have set it in the highest position to make my lounge feel like one rather than a cab. What I meant about the spongey floor was the chassis floor under the floating floor arrangement - the usual Mercedes rubber covering in mine has been lifted, filled with insulation and then reset, unlike in Harry where it is bonded directly to the metal cab floor.
Loving it though and will love it even more once the Little niggles with the aircon and wiper switch are sorted and after Alex has hopefully told me I've got a peach of a van after servicing it!
Yes, I've found the "floating floor" and have set it in the highest position to make my lounge feel like one rather than a cab. What I meant about the spongey floor was the chassis floor under the floating floor arrangement - the usual Mercedes rubber covering in mine has been lifted, filled with insulation and then reset, unlike in Harry where it is bonded directly to the metal cab floor.
Loving it though and will love it even more once the Little niggles with the aircon and wiper switch are sorted and after Alex has hopefully told me I've got a peach of a van after servicing it!
So - first weekend away in Carrie and a real chance to get to know her better. Fundamentally a solid van. BUT - there are some niggles, some more of which I discovered over the weekend, which inevitably left a bit of a poor taste in my mouth and have (and will) require attention. I know some of this is my OCD and slight inferiority complex about having a 12yr old van instead of a new one, but some things really are urgent:
- Tyres - I'd noticed some light cracking when I picked up the van in Scotland. It looked more cosmetic than anything else. But sitting next to the van for long periods of time over the weekend, I noticed one of the tyres has a very deep "cut" - well, a crack I guess. But you can almost see the belt. Also others are a bit more UV damaged than previously though (it was wet when I picked the van up, so the tyres looked black - they're in fact brown). And the final straw was trying to top up the tyres at a Service station and finding the valve extenders are knackered. Not a massive issue in itself, but final straw to make me book Event Mobile Tyres for a full set of 7 Conti Vancontact 200 on Friday. (850quid down)
- Leak in the Garage - I'd noticed this in the Lake District but upon opening the Garage door last week, I noticed a bigger pool of water in the near-side rear and then a really foisty smell upon opening the doors too. Concerned it was coming in from the door itself, I had a good look and the seal is intact. But had a look up at the roof and found there was a bit of a crack in the seal between the GRP rear and the metal roof. So I plugged it with some caulking. Next I checked behind the rear lights for water ingress (was none) and then removed some interior trim (20 torx bolts!) and found dry GRP but a wiring loom coming up from under the floor which had sealant around it, but had failed and seemed to be the source of the problem. Cue then large amounts of bathroom sealant applied around the loom and then a bead running around the chequer plate where the floor meets the walls. Job done - left to dry and trim replaced. Hopefully that'll do the job. 8quid on sealant. I'll stick a dehumidifier in there to improve the smell.
- Missing door seal - with all the investigation work, I found that the outer seal on the offside garage door is missing!! Hadn't noticed before, neither had my Uncle. But once you do notice, it's hard not to unsee the problem. Measured up and I need 5m of seal for that one door. Tried all the usual places to source it but no-one makes that exact one. Will be on the phone to Southdowns (official importer) to source it. Rumour has it - 11quid per metre. Going to be a costly fix, relative to materials and my time involved. But heyho. Needs to be properly watertight for winter. Plus has my OCD properly twitching!!
Other than that, I still can't get the satellite to fix on to anything, in spite of being initialised to factory settings.
Ordered the wrong wiper blades, so new ones ordered. Sadly destroyed the previous ones by trying to make them fit!
Aircon (or lack thereof) is proving to be an annoyance. It's bloomin hot in that cab when the sun shines. Carrie's in to All Klasse Autos today in Bishops Stortford for a full Service, aircon investigation and new combination switch for wipers and indicators. Alex (one of the co-owners) was over-awed by her when I turned up this morning. We knew she'd be a squeeze but I don't think he appreciated how big she is when I booked her in. Bless him, he's setting about making alterations to his Workshop entrance to get her inside! I'm so pleased as I trust him implicitly and really wanted him to take a look at her, fix the issues and tell me if there's anything else I need to plan into future maintainance.
Otherwise, there's a few bits here and there which need less urgent attention:
- a tiny strip of veneer is coming away from the lid of the waste bin. A dab of superglue will fix that;
- the edging to the movable cab floor isn't secured properly. Needs four large-headed screws to replace the current ones which have slipped through the holes and not securing the trim;
- the Nature Pure filter probably needs replacing but this is hidden behind some wood panelling behind the draws under the sink which means the draw itself Needs removing, then the wood panelling, just to get at the filter! Poor design but will keep me out of mischief for a few hours! :lol:
- the SOG System is really smelly. First time I've had one but not convinced. Supposed to vent through the roof, which I'm sure it does. But when opening the lid of the toilet, there's a smell like a filthy urinal. I've cleaned the bowl with toilet cleaner, wiped it all down and it still persists. Upon emptying the Cassette the other day, I almost barfed - which I've never done before. The absence of chemicals is vile so I've filled with Elsan Green and blocked off the vent. But I fear the Cassette will need an intensive clean with Thetford Cassette cleaner for 12 hours or so. Could be it's never properly been cleaned before. Either way. Vile.
Otherwise, I'm very happy with her. Seems like a long list and for sure I'm dropping a couple of grand which I can ill afford right now. But I'm keen to continue DIYing the rest of the things which crop up. She's beautifully put together so shouldn't be too difficult to take things apart and put them back together again.
He says!
Watch this space!
- Tyres - I'd noticed some light cracking when I picked up the van in Scotland. It looked more cosmetic than anything else. But sitting next to the van for long periods of time over the weekend, I noticed one of the tyres has a very deep "cut" - well, a crack I guess. But you can almost see the belt. Also others are a bit more UV damaged than previously though (it was wet when I picked the van up, so the tyres looked black - they're in fact brown). And the final straw was trying to top up the tyres at a Service station and finding the valve extenders are knackered. Not a massive issue in itself, but final straw to make me book Event Mobile Tyres for a full set of 7 Conti Vancontact 200 on Friday. (850quid down)
- Leak in the Garage - I'd noticed this in the Lake District but upon opening the Garage door last week, I noticed a bigger pool of water in the near-side rear and then a really foisty smell upon opening the doors too. Concerned it was coming in from the door itself, I had a good look and the seal is intact. But had a look up at the roof and found there was a bit of a crack in the seal between the GRP rear and the metal roof. So I plugged it with some caulking. Next I checked behind the rear lights for water ingress (was none) and then removed some interior trim (20 torx bolts!) and found dry GRP but a wiring loom coming up from under the floor which had sealant around it, but had failed and seemed to be the source of the problem. Cue then large amounts of bathroom sealant applied around the loom and then a bead running around the chequer plate where the floor meets the walls. Job done - left to dry and trim replaced. Hopefully that'll do the job. 8quid on sealant. I'll stick a dehumidifier in there to improve the smell.
- Missing door seal - with all the investigation work, I found that the outer seal on the offside garage door is missing!! Hadn't noticed before, neither had my Uncle. But once you do notice, it's hard not to unsee the problem. Measured up and I need 5m of seal for that one door. Tried all the usual places to source it but no-one makes that exact one. Will be on the phone to Southdowns (official importer) to source it. Rumour has it - 11quid per metre. Going to be a costly fix, relative to materials and my time involved. But heyho. Needs to be properly watertight for winter. Plus has my OCD properly twitching!!
Other than that, I still can't get the satellite to fix on to anything, in spite of being initialised to factory settings.
Ordered the wrong wiper blades, so new ones ordered. Sadly destroyed the previous ones by trying to make them fit!
Aircon (or lack thereof) is proving to be an annoyance. It's bloomin hot in that cab when the sun shines. Carrie's in to All Klasse Autos today in Bishops Stortford for a full Service, aircon investigation and new combination switch for wipers and indicators. Alex (one of the co-owners) was over-awed by her when I turned up this morning. We knew she'd be a squeeze but I don't think he appreciated how big she is when I booked her in. Bless him, he's setting about making alterations to his Workshop entrance to get her inside! I'm so pleased as I trust him implicitly and really wanted him to take a look at her, fix the issues and tell me if there's anything else I need to plan into future maintainance.
Otherwise, there's a few bits here and there which need less urgent attention:
- a tiny strip of veneer is coming away from the lid of the waste bin. A dab of superglue will fix that;
- the edging to the movable cab floor isn't secured properly. Needs four large-headed screws to replace the current ones which have slipped through the holes and not securing the trim;
- the Nature Pure filter probably needs replacing but this is hidden behind some wood panelling behind the draws under the sink which means the draw itself Needs removing, then the wood panelling, just to get at the filter! Poor design but will keep me out of mischief for a few hours! :lol:
- the SOG System is really smelly. First time I've had one but not convinced. Supposed to vent through the roof, which I'm sure it does. But when opening the lid of the toilet, there's a smell like a filthy urinal. I've cleaned the bowl with toilet cleaner, wiped it all down and it still persists. Upon emptying the Cassette the other day, I almost barfed - which I've never done before. The absence of chemicals is vile so I've filled with Elsan Green and blocked off the vent. But I fear the Cassette will need an intensive clean with Thetford Cassette cleaner for 12 hours or so. Could be it's never properly been cleaned before. Either way. Vile.
Otherwise, I'm very happy with her. Seems like a long list and for sure I'm dropping a couple of grand which I can ill afford right now. But I'm keen to continue DIYing the rest of the things which crop up. She's beautifully put together so shouldn't be too difficult to take things apart and put them back together again.
He says!
Watch this space!
Spuff,
Try and see if you can get one of these...
https://www.thetford-europe.com/product/toilet-fre...
Try and see if you can get one of these...
https://www.thetford-europe.com/product/toilet-fre...
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