Fulltiming in a motorhome - a blog
Discussion
Absolutely agree with Surveyor.
I never really had a problem with blown air heating when I was camping. It's just that it is a bit binary (all or nothing). I find that once it switches off when the temperature is reached, the van can feel a bit chilly again on a very cold day. It's certainly effective at heating up quickly but doesn't given you the same comfort as you'd get at home (or with an Alde wet system).
I never really had a problem with blown air heating when I was camping. It's just that it is a bit binary (all or nothing). I find that once it switches off when the temperature is reached, the van can feel a bit chilly again on a very cold day. It's certainly effective at heating up quickly but doesn't given you the same comfort as you'd get at home (or with an Alde wet system).
So, it’s Christmas Eve and I’m sitting alone in the van. Not something which usually bothers me, but the thing you can bank on with the van is that it amplifies the lonely moments. Sometimes that’s a good thing, other times it’s bad........very bad. Tonight is exactly one of those times. It’s also a massive contradiction since the van is giving me refuge from the former family home - the place where I have no place anymore. The financial noose around my neck and the site of a broken family and relationship. I never want to spend time there anymore, least of all Christmas Day, which is the spectre looming large in my mind.
I’ve just put my daughter to bed in the house. Her full of excitement for Santa coming and me doing everything I can to muster and mirror the same excitement - it’s exhausting. Not because she’s so energetic, but because all I can think of is how I can get out of the house as quickly as I can. And then once back in the van, all my own sadness comes back; hitting me in the chest like a speeding lorry. Why sadness? Well the sadness at having to pretend to be happy for the sake of my daughter. The sadness at this being the last Christmas for her in the place she currently calls home. The sadness of me wanting to disappear off the face of the planet for the next 24hr rather than having to deal with the anger of spending the day sitting in the same room as her Mother and trying to bear eachother’s company in a civilised way for the little’un. The fact I’m 38 and the only thing I have to my name is this 8.8m x 2.4m space. I know I’m lucky in the grand scheme of things, but this evening I’m fed up of being strong, smiling and trying to make everything ok.
The irony of all of this is, that away from this situation, I am happy. Happier than I’ve been for years. I’ve got the glimpse of a bright future ahead of me which is so close that I could even touch it with my finger tips, yet on a night like tonight, feels so far away that I scarcely believe it is ever attainable.
This time last year, I was walking on the last few remaining eggshells of what was my marriage. Last Christmas was horrible. The ever present threat of my ex blowing up and going off the handle, and me trying to keep everything on an even keel. Knowing that she effectively wanted to end it, but being kept in suspense as to when it would happen. Fast forward a year and I’m relieved that she finished it. It’s worth all the money it’s going to cost me. But I’d still rather be anywhere but here right now. I’d almost rather sleep in my car than in a van which is normally so homely.
I need all the strength I can muster to pull through the next 24hrs. This is more the reality of a broken home than the reality of fulltiming.
I’ve just put my daughter to bed in the house. Her full of excitement for Santa coming and me doing everything I can to muster and mirror the same excitement - it’s exhausting. Not because she’s so energetic, but because all I can think of is how I can get out of the house as quickly as I can. And then once back in the van, all my own sadness comes back; hitting me in the chest like a speeding lorry. Why sadness? Well the sadness at having to pretend to be happy for the sake of my daughter. The sadness at this being the last Christmas for her in the place she currently calls home. The sadness of me wanting to disappear off the face of the planet for the next 24hr rather than having to deal with the anger of spending the day sitting in the same room as her Mother and trying to bear eachother’s company in a civilised way for the little’un. The fact I’m 38 and the only thing I have to my name is this 8.8m x 2.4m space. I know I’m lucky in the grand scheme of things, but this evening I’m fed up of being strong, smiling and trying to make everything ok.
The irony of all of this is, that away from this situation, I am happy. Happier than I’ve been for years. I’ve got the glimpse of a bright future ahead of me which is so close that I could even touch it with my finger tips, yet on a night like tonight, feels so far away that I scarcely believe it is ever attainable.
This time last year, I was walking on the last few remaining eggshells of what was my marriage. Last Christmas was horrible. The ever present threat of my ex blowing up and going off the handle, and me trying to keep everything on an even keel. Knowing that she effectively wanted to end it, but being kept in suspense as to when it would happen. Fast forward a year and I’m relieved that she finished it. It’s worth all the money it’s going to cost me. But I’d still rather be anywhere but here right now. I’d almost rather sleep in my car than in a van which is normally so homely.
I need all the strength I can muster to pull through the next 24hrs. This is more the reality of a broken home than the reality of fulltiming.
Morning fellas.
Thank you so much for all your kind words and best wishes. Christmas Day was indeed the challenging day I had expected, although I will concede somewhat less difficult than I had built up in my mind (which I guess is obvious now with the benefit of hindsight). For the large part, we kept ourselves away from eachother and that worked well. Lunch was more difficult with the necessity to make conversation and there were a couple of moments which could've led to an argument but it was kept low-key. Little'un had a fab time but I think to keep it being fab in future, it will be necessary to alternate Christmas Day with each of us as I think in future she'll pick up on an atmosphere. We are ok spending an hour or two in eachothers company, but a full day was tough. I ended up booking on and doing a shift with the Community First Responder group by mid-afternoon, which gave me a great excuse to leave the house. Got sent to a couple of shouts but still got back to say goodnight to little'un.
Once that freedom had been established and once 8pm came around, I retired to the van and felt as light as a feather. All my worries gone and the day I had been bigging up in my head was over. I booked off duty at 9pm, revelled in my own space and had a few beers to celebrate.
I'm at work today and tomorrow, then off to Ireland for New Year. Very much looking forward to that. 2018 will be a fabulous year and I'll be going into it from a completely different space than where I was this time last year. The future is very bright indeed.
Thank you so much for all your kind words and best wishes. Christmas Day was indeed the challenging day I had expected, although I will concede somewhat less difficult than I had built up in my mind (which I guess is obvious now with the benefit of hindsight). For the large part, we kept ourselves away from eachother and that worked well. Lunch was more difficult with the necessity to make conversation and there were a couple of moments which could've led to an argument but it was kept low-key. Little'un had a fab time but I think to keep it being fab in future, it will be necessary to alternate Christmas Day with each of us as I think in future she'll pick up on an atmosphere. We are ok spending an hour or two in eachothers company, but a full day was tough. I ended up booking on and doing a shift with the Community First Responder group by mid-afternoon, which gave me a great excuse to leave the house. Got sent to a couple of shouts but still got back to say goodnight to little'un.
Once that freedom had been established and once 8pm came around, I retired to the van and felt as light as a feather. All my worries gone and the day I had been bigging up in my head was over. I booked off duty at 9pm, revelled in my own space and had a few beers to celebrate.
I'm at work today and tomorrow, then off to Ireland for New Year. Very much looking forward to that. 2018 will be a fabulous year and I'll be going into it from a completely different space than where I was this time last year. The future is very bright indeed.
Sorry, not yet had the chance to sort out photo hosting after Photobucket changing their policy so no new photos to upload yet. I do have some and will get around to it, but life's a bit hectic currently.
And yes, to the question re: the motorbike, they will fit in quite easily at the back. One Charisma I went to look at before buying Carrie had a Ducati Monster in the "Garage" together with 2 mountainbikes and a whole load of other stuff. The Garage is BIG!!
And yes, to the question re: the motorbike, they will fit in quite easily at the back. One Charisma I went to look at before buying Carrie had a Ducati Monster in the "Garage" together with 2 mountainbikes and a whole load of other stuff. The Garage is BIG!!
Antony Moxey said:
I presume you have to be careful with what you put in there though, just because it's cavernous I don't suppose it's entirely sensible to fill it up, especially if you've got a motorbike in there. The garage does look to be a fair old distance back from the rear axle.
True, but I've got a lot of capacity on my rear axle. Even fully loading the thing with everything I live with, plus passengers, their kit and other bits and bobs, I still have c. 250kg of spare capacity. As you say, there is a reasonably sizeable moment from the rear axle given the length of the overhang, but even allowing for that, that's probably something in the region of 120-150kg of capacity there in the garage with me fully loaded everywhere else. That's plenty for most non-touring bikes.All of this is fairly academic for me though, as I don't run a motorbike and have nothing other than mountainbikes and outdoor gear which goes in there.
I am pleased at the capacity though (and payload) as it makes me cringe when I see people trying to cram in significant amount of things into their rear garage on 3.5t vehicles and hopelessly overloading the rear axle.
Happy New Year to everyone. Hope 2018 has had a good start for all of you.
A little update from me. It's now 12 months since I started preparing to move out of the family home and into "Harry the Hymer". In some ways time has flown by, in others, it has dragged and feels every bit like I've been in the van a year. That said, 2017 finished well - "Carrie the Concorde" has made living far easier (BTW - I will post up pics of the interior and Carrie after a good wash), my relationship with little'un is still great although I do wish I could spend more time with her and 2018 has kicked off well too.
I spent the run-up to New Year itself in Kinsale for a wedding and then in Dublin for New Years Day. Lovely to be reminded how great and hospitable the emerald isle is. Whilst down in Kinsale, I had a quick trip out towards the Ring of Kerry and pretty much made up my mind that I'll be heading out that way with Carrie in early or late summer (try and avoid as much of the crowds) to do some wild camping and hiking.
I haven't spent a huge amount of time in the van since getting back from Ireland. A few days and then I was off to Frankfurt for a week, back to see my daughter for a week and now back in Frankfurt for the next 10 days. That's now likely to be the pattern for the next 18 months or so as work is desperate to keep me in Frankfurt rather than in the London Office. So long as I can still see my daughter for four days out of every fortnight, that's all I'm concerned about.
The time spent back in the UK was useful as it allowed me to refocus on getting the divorce sorted. As painful as it is (financially rather than emotionally), it needs doing - clearing the decks for the future!
I've had to accept a settlement which in cash terms is 98:2 in my ex's favour and relieves me of a significant monthly amount of maintenance for my daughter (which I can live with psychologically) and at least has enabled me to protect my pension pot. But the spectre of starting from scratch at 38 (nearly 39) is sometimes challenging. The divorce petition will be submitted to the Courts next week and the Financial Settlement has been drawn up into an MoU for Solicitors to turn into a Consent Order. With a following wind, the divorce should be through by June (I'd hope at the latest) and house sold by August so that I can start saving those mortgage payments and get me back on financial track.
So what does the year ahead hold? Well, as I mentioned, I'll likely to be doing more "fulltiming" in Frankfurt than Carrie. Carrie will continue to serve as my base in the UK and once the farmhouse has sold, I will have to think about transferring her to a fixed pitch at a local campsite. Will cost a fair bit (relatively speaking) but still much cheaper than renting a flat. I also intend to make sure she's left tidy so that it's not just a case of coming back and living in her, but hopefully actually using her for weekends away when I'm back. I'm so very much in love with her and not just for giving me space, comfort, heat and shelter but for the sheer enjoyment of driving her.
Concerned about surface corrosion to the front discs (which are, after all, new in early Dec), I took her for a drive last week. Was so nice to get her out on the open road again. I only drove her from the farm, to the A11 and down the M11 to Bishops Stortford to fill up with diesel and LPG (took 65litres of LPG!! But that was all of Scotland off-grid usage and cooking and a bit of gas heating to bring it up to temperature quicker than electric over the last month or so). But she felt solid, loved the run and I just love the way she feels on the road - the looks she gets and the pride I get when I see her parked up. I certainly will be keeping her until the end of her days.
I've done a lot of cosmetic work recently. I don't have much money at all anymore. What with solicitors & mediators fees and repairs to the chassis side, I'm as skint as I've ever been. I've got just a few k to my name, so having to be very careful. But I've replaced most of the interior lights with LEDs, the exterior over-door light had a couple of knackered halogen bulbs in it and was covered in algae so I took that apart, cleaned it and replaced the bulbs with nice bright white LEDs, which makes the van look a lot more contemporary from the outside and gives some really useful light.
I bought a Dyson V6 cordless vac for the interior and that has been a godsend. Means I no longer have to try and squeeze a normal domestic vac into the van and bash it against all the furniture. Because of this, I didn't vacuum nearly as regularly as I wanted to, nor should have done. But with the Dyson, I keep it in the offside locker under the offside settee. I can either get it from outside or from inside by lifting the base to the sofa and there's both an AC and DC plug there to charge. When I can justify spending the 15quid(!!!) on the holder, I will mount that to the inside of the locker to stop it from rattling around.
I have also tidied out the rear garage which had turned into a dumping ground. Conscious I will soon have to store both my bikes in there, I needed to create space and order. I managed to procure a plastic 3 x drawer cabinet thing from Homebase for a few quid and with some clever lashing, have secured it and it's now storing smaller tools, lubricants (for bikes & motorhome), spare bulbs, fuses, zipties etc. I am also talking to Concorde about getting two Thetford trays to secure to the shelf to store spare cassettes in the garage so they don't move around (especially if they're full!!!).
Before the house is sold, I want to take a day or so with the Dual Action polisher and some AutoFinesse Tripple to get the exterior looking shiny, give it a coat of hard wax and maybe (if I have the money) get the transfers on the rear of the van replaced as they're really badly weathered and are the one thing which gives away its age.
So whilst there's lots going on - both in the van, with the house, with the divorce and with work. It is broadly positive. The van really does feel like home, I have no emotional attachment to the house at all anymore. I'm keen to get the divorce sorted asap. And the future looks bright personally.
Hopefully next time I have cause to put the proverbial "pen to paper", there'll be more good news and things will continue to be "on the up". As one of my colleagues said to me yesterday........
"look at the bright side - at least you have the possibility to double your net worth every day! That's not something many people can claim!"
A little update from me. It's now 12 months since I started preparing to move out of the family home and into "Harry the Hymer". In some ways time has flown by, in others, it has dragged and feels every bit like I've been in the van a year. That said, 2017 finished well - "Carrie the Concorde" has made living far easier (BTW - I will post up pics of the interior and Carrie after a good wash), my relationship with little'un is still great although I do wish I could spend more time with her and 2018 has kicked off well too.
I spent the run-up to New Year itself in Kinsale for a wedding and then in Dublin for New Years Day. Lovely to be reminded how great and hospitable the emerald isle is. Whilst down in Kinsale, I had a quick trip out towards the Ring of Kerry and pretty much made up my mind that I'll be heading out that way with Carrie in early or late summer (try and avoid as much of the crowds) to do some wild camping and hiking.
I haven't spent a huge amount of time in the van since getting back from Ireland. A few days and then I was off to Frankfurt for a week, back to see my daughter for a week and now back in Frankfurt for the next 10 days. That's now likely to be the pattern for the next 18 months or so as work is desperate to keep me in Frankfurt rather than in the London Office. So long as I can still see my daughter for four days out of every fortnight, that's all I'm concerned about.
The time spent back in the UK was useful as it allowed me to refocus on getting the divorce sorted. As painful as it is (financially rather than emotionally), it needs doing - clearing the decks for the future!
I've had to accept a settlement which in cash terms is 98:2 in my ex's favour and relieves me of a significant monthly amount of maintenance for my daughter (which I can live with psychologically) and at least has enabled me to protect my pension pot. But the spectre of starting from scratch at 38 (nearly 39) is sometimes challenging. The divorce petition will be submitted to the Courts next week and the Financial Settlement has been drawn up into an MoU for Solicitors to turn into a Consent Order. With a following wind, the divorce should be through by June (I'd hope at the latest) and house sold by August so that I can start saving those mortgage payments and get me back on financial track.So what does the year ahead hold? Well, as I mentioned, I'll likely to be doing more "fulltiming" in Frankfurt than Carrie. Carrie will continue to serve as my base in the UK and once the farmhouse has sold, I will have to think about transferring her to a fixed pitch at a local campsite. Will cost a fair bit (relatively speaking) but still much cheaper than renting a flat. I also intend to make sure she's left tidy so that it's not just a case of coming back and living in her, but hopefully actually using her for weekends away when I'm back. I'm so very much in love with her and not just for giving me space, comfort, heat and shelter but for the sheer enjoyment of driving her.
Concerned about surface corrosion to the front discs (which are, after all, new in early Dec), I took her for a drive last week. Was so nice to get her out on the open road again. I only drove her from the farm, to the A11 and down the M11 to Bishops Stortford to fill up with diesel and LPG (took 65litres of LPG!! But that was all of Scotland off-grid usage and cooking and a bit of gas heating to bring it up to temperature quicker than electric over the last month or so). But she felt solid, loved the run and I just love the way she feels on the road - the looks she gets and the pride I get when I see her parked up.
I certainly will be keeping her until the end of her days.I've done a lot of cosmetic work recently. I don't have much money at all anymore. What with solicitors & mediators fees and repairs to the chassis side, I'm as skint as I've ever been. I've got just a few k to my name, so having to be very careful. But I've replaced most of the interior lights with LEDs, the exterior over-door light had a couple of knackered halogen bulbs in it and was covered in algae so I took that apart, cleaned it and replaced the bulbs with nice bright white LEDs, which makes the van look a lot more contemporary from the outside and gives some really useful light.
I bought a Dyson V6 cordless vac for the interior and that has been a godsend. Means I no longer have to try and squeeze a normal domestic vac into the van and bash it against all the furniture. Because of this, I didn't vacuum nearly as regularly as I wanted to, nor should have done. But with the Dyson, I keep it in the offside locker under the offside settee. I can either get it from outside or from inside by lifting the base to the sofa and there's both an AC and DC plug there to charge. When I can justify spending the 15quid(!!!) on the holder, I will mount that to the inside of the locker to stop it from rattling around.
I have also tidied out the rear garage which had turned into a dumping ground. Conscious I will soon have to store both my bikes in there, I needed to create space and order. I managed to procure a plastic 3 x drawer cabinet thing from Homebase for a few quid and with some clever lashing, have secured it and it's now storing smaller tools, lubricants (for bikes & motorhome), spare bulbs, fuses, zipties etc. I am also talking to Concorde about getting two Thetford trays to secure to the shelf to store spare cassettes in the garage so they don't move around (especially if they're full!!!).
Before the house is sold, I want to take a day or so with the Dual Action polisher and some AutoFinesse Tripple to get the exterior looking shiny, give it a coat of hard wax and maybe (if I have the money) get the transfers on the rear of the van replaced as they're really badly weathered and are the one thing which gives away its age.
So whilst there's lots going on - both in the van, with the house, with the divorce and with work. It is broadly positive. The van really does feel like home, I have no emotional attachment to the house at all anymore. I'm keen to get the divorce sorted asap. And the future looks bright personally.
Hopefully next time I have cause to put the proverbial "pen to paper", there'll be more good news and things will continue to be "on the up". As one of my colleagues said to me yesterday........
"look at the bright side - at least you have the possibility to double your net worth every day! That's not something many people can claim!"
And here some pics......I do apologise for how untidy the van is. The interior ones were taken just after I picked it up and hadn't found a home for everything at that point.
IMG_6052 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]
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IMG_6052 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]IMG_6053 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]IMG_6054 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]IMG_6055 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]IMG_6056 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Edited by Spuffington on Thursday 25th January 10:43
Here are some up to date pics:
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Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Untitled by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151162389@N04/][/url]Edited by Spuffington on Thursday 25th January 10:49
And since I've managed to get Flickr to work - here are a couple of pics from Scotland. In what looks like just a landscape scene, you can just make out Carrie at the far bottom of the pic after having hiked up the hill. The joys of wild camping......
Scotland by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Scotland by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Scotland by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Scotland by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Scotland by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrScotland by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrScotland by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrScotland by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrFirstly, thanks again for all the compliments and support. Also very humbled at the idea that so many people are following the thread and supporting me on the way. Glad it's interesting for folk.
Touching on a few of the comments and apologies not to have spent more time quoting individuals replies, but here we go and I do value everyone's input.....
Hatches - yes, Concorde do this extremely well. The reason for a lot of them is so that you can get to the services and important parts without clambering under or taking up furniture or flooring. Most of the hatches on the nearside side are for the services. There's a locker to access the boiler, presumably actually to be able to service it as well as isolate and there's a valve for emptying the boiler itself. There's a gas locker and also access to the external gas tank below it. There's another locker for various water pipes and valve for emptying the grey tank and then on both sides at the front, there's lockers to access the winding mechanism and electric motor which lifts the cab floor to bring the cab seats to the same height as the main living area. Midships is a "ski locker" which runs the width of the van underfloor but is the full height of the floor to the base of sofa on the offside so that you can store either tall things or access from inside (which is where I keep the vac), and on the offside is the toilet hatch, some space under the shower tray for Service access and storage (where I keep toilet & grey waste tank chemicals) and then obviously the garage, which is accessible from both sides (offside is a larger door than the nearside). The other positive point from having all the services inboard is for winterizing - the valves are kept warm by the Alde heating systems as well as being insulated by the floor space and incredibly solid weather proofing (the hatches have double weather seals on them). The garage, for example, is very warm when the heating is on and a great place for hanging wet clothes and drying them, which I plan to test on a ski holiday in due course. One of the items on my shopping list is a Fiamma clothes rail to affix to the ceiling in the garage for hanging clothes properly rather than draping over bikes etc.
@Bikesalot - thank you so much for the kind offer of the mounting plate. I'll PM you.
As regards the Farmhouse - the plot is about 0.5acre and although the van fits perfectly at the bottom of the garden, it is a bit of an eyesore and I can't imagine anyone wanting to look out on it. Plus there would be a devaluation of the plot by reducing its size so I won't be retaining any land. I'm considering asking the farmer whether he has space in any of his barns for me to store it or nearby where I could keep it and stay when visiting my daughter - hopefully at mates rates.
@agent006 - thanks for the info on pricing. I'll check out what's around locally and see what I can sort out if the farm option doesn't work.
In terms of the exterior, thanks for all the compliments. She does look great when clean - some decent automotive shampoo (I use Chemical Guys Extra Gloss wax & wax) does do a good job, but I'm conscious she's had some pretty shoddy washing over the years and UV has damaged the paintwork too, so she needs a very light buff with some gentle polish and then a seal with some decent wax to minimize further weathering. The new wheeltrims definitely lift her and make her look well cared for, as with the Megs Extreme Tyre Gel too.
Once again, thanks for all the support. It really means a lot and I'll be happy to keep the thread going as lots will be happening over the next few months as the new constellation of living, property sale, divorce etc. goes through.
Touching on a few of the comments and apologies not to have spent more time quoting individuals replies, but here we go and I do value everyone's input.....
Hatches - yes, Concorde do this extremely well. The reason for a lot of them is so that you can get to the services and important parts without clambering under or taking up furniture or flooring. Most of the hatches on the nearside side are for the services. There's a locker to access the boiler, presumably actually to be able to service it as well as isolate and there's a valve for emptying the boiler itself. There's a gas locker and also access to the external gas tank below it. There's another locker for various water pipes and valve for emptying the grey tank and then on both sides at the front, there's lockers to access the winding mechanism and electric motor which lifts the cab floor to bring the cab seats to the same height as the main living area. Midships is a "ski locker" which runs the width of the van underfloor but is the full height of the floor to the base of sofa on the offside so that you can store either tall things or access from inside (which is where I keep the vac), and on the offside is the toilet hatch, some space under the shower tray for Service access and storage (where I keep toilet & grey waste tank chemicals) and then obviously the garage, which is accessible from both sides (offside is a larger door than the nearside). The other positive point from having all the services inboard is for winterizing - the valves are kept warm by the Alde heating systems as well as being insulated by the floor space and incredibly solid weather proofing (the hatches have double weather seals on them). The garage, for example, is very warm when the heating is on and a great place for hanging wet clothes and drying them, which I plan to test on a ski holiday in due course. One of the items on my shopping list is a Fiamma clothes rail to affix to the ceiling in the garage for hanging clothes properly rather than draping over bikes etc.
@Bikesalot - thank you so much for the kind offer of the mounting plate. I'll PM you.
As regards the Farmhouse - the plot is about 0.5acre and although the van fits perfectly at the bottom of the garden, it is a bit of an eyesore and I can't imagine anyone wanting to look out on it. Plus there would be a devaluation of the plot by reducing its size so I won't be retaining any land. I'm considering asking the farmer whether he has space in any of his barns for me to store it or nearby where I could keep it and stay when visiting my daughter - hopefully at mates rates.
@agent006 - thanks for the info on pricing. I'll check out what's around locally and see what I can sort out if the farm option doesn't work.
In terms of the exterior, thanks for all the compliments. She does look great when clean - some decent automotive shampoo (I use Chemical Guys Extra Gloss wax & wax) does do a good job, but I'm conscious she's had some pretty shoddy washing over the years and UV has damaged the paintwork too, so she needs a very light buff with some gentle polish and then a seal with some decent wax to minimize further weathering. The new wheeltrims definitely lift her and make her look well cared for, as with the Megs Extreme Tyre Gel too.
Once again, thanks for all the support. It really means a lot and I'll be happy to keep the thread going as lots will be happening over the next few months as the new constellation of living, property sale, divorce etc. goes through.
Nothing massive to update upon, other than the fact I spent last weekend at Rutland Water (well, the Caravan & Motorhome site near Greetham). I stayed there last a couple of years ago (nearly 3 now) after getting Harry and met with my Uncle and Aunt. It is a nice site, which is kiddy and dog friendly and although it looks isolated, it's only a 10min walk to the pretty village of Greetham where there are a couple of really nice pubs for food.
Reason for this trip was two-fold. I'd just come back from 10 days away in Germany and little one had missed me something chronic (and me, her too), so nice to get some real Daddy Daughter time - fresh air, outdoors and "on Holiday". Second reason was that my Uncle had just taken delivery of his new motorhome. A Morelo Loft - Morelo are a very small producer of luxury motorhomes - set up by a few former Concorde employees (Concorde normally considered top of the tree) who strive to build motorhomes better than even Concorde. The result is nothing short of stunning! My Uncle picked up the van from the dealer in Doncaster and around W Yorks before meeting us on Saturday.
Briefly - it's based on an Iveco 7.5t Chassis with air suspension all round. The engine is a 4-cylinder 2.0 litre diesel with 205bhp and mated to the latest 8-spd ZF auto gearbox. He had hydraulic levelling rams fitted. Dry it weighs around 5t. Has capacity for 150l diesel, 500litres of fresh water, 500litres of grey water and has a 200litre black waste tank for the ceramic toilet! Battery power is seen to by 2 x 235aH batteries!!!!!!!!!
By comparison, I have 2 x 110aH batteries in Carrie, which is big enough. The Morelo is 8.4m long (0.5m shorter than Carrie), 2.4m wide (same as Carrie) and 3.5m tall (0.20 taller than Carrie). All up, 1.5t heavier. And my what a machine - stunningly beautiful inside - Nespresso machine, sumptuous leather seats, fully bespoke cockpit with removable steering wheel to swivel seats easily, two-Zone heating & aircon for living room and bedroom, massive shower cubicle, heated towel rails - you name it, it's got it. Mind you - for 267k quid, it bloody well should do!!!
As you can imagine, the pair of us made for quite a spectacle on site. Carrie only just fitted on the plot. But both provided super homes for the Weekend and I was really pelased that although she felt old-fashioned in comparison, build-Quality and space wise - Carrie still felt every bit the part. In terms of value for money, she won it hands down. In terms of pure motorhome porn - the Morelo wiped the floor with Carrie!!!
Reason for this trip was two-fold. I'd just come back from 10 days away in Germany and little one had missed me something chronic (and me, her too), so nice to get some real Daddy Daughter time - fresh air, outdoors and "on Holiday". Second reason was that my Uncle had just taken delivery of his new motorhome. A Morelo Loft - Morelo are a very small producer of luxury motorhomes - set up by a few former Concorde employees (Concorde normally considered top of the tree) who strive to build motorhomes better than even Concorde. The result is nothing short of stunning! My Uncle picked up the van from the dealer in Doncaster and around W Yorks before meeting us on Saturday.
Briefly - it's based on an Iveco 7.5t Chassis with air suspension all round. The engine is a 4-cylinder 2.0 litre diesel with 205bhp and mated to the latest 8-spd ZF auto gearbox. He had hydraulic levelling rams fitted. Dry it weighs around 5t. Has capacity for 150l diesel, 500litres of fresh water, 500litres of grey water and has a 200litre black waste tank for the ceramic toilet! Battery power is seen to by 2 x 235aH batteries!!!!!!!!!
By comparison, I have 2 x 110aH batteries in Carrie, which is big enough. The Morelo is 8.4m long (0.5m shorter than Carrie), 2.4m wide (same as Carrie) and 3.5m tall (0.20 taller than Carrie). All up, 1.5t heavier. And my what a machine - stunningly beautiful inside - Nespresso machine, sumptuous leather seats, fully bespoke cockpit with removable steering wheel to swivel seats easily, two-Zone heating & aircon for living room and bedroom, massive shower cubicle, heated towel rails - you name it, it's got it. Mind you - for 267k quid, it bloody well should do!!!As you can imagine, the pair of us made for quite a spectacle on site. Carrie only just fitted on the plot. But both provided super homes for the Weekend and I was really pelased that although she felt old-fashioned in comparison, build-Quality and space wise - Carrie still felt every bit the part. In terms of value for money, she won it hands down. In terms of pure motorhome porn - the Morelo wiped the floor with Carrie!!!
So, typing error I’m afraid - as someone pointed out, it’s a 3 litre four pot, not a 2.
Price, however, is correct. Their vehicle came with a huge amount of options plus they then added hydraulic levelling rams which are £7k fitted.
Morelo don’t do themselves any favours with pricing since the price when it was first spotted by my Uncle was both without VAT and without options - much the same as has been found by the internet search.
Price, however, is correct. Their vehicle came with a huge amount of options plus they then added hydraulic levelling rams which are £7k fitted.
Morelo don’t do themselves any favours with pricing since the price when it was first spotted by my Uncle was both without VAT and without options - much the same as has been found by the internet search.
Absolutely right there - the Iveco is really the only option for the bigger motorhome unless you move up to the 10T plus, where you move back to the Mercedes truck options. But the current range of Mercedes Sprinters top out at the 51*CDI which is rated to 5,490kg, which is a good 2T short of the Iveco.
I understand that the next generation of Sprinter which is due for release shortly will have chassis options up to 7.5T but will take a while for this to flow through to the motorhome coach builders.
In the meantime, nothing too much to report on Carrie other than the recent cold snap shows up her insulation brilliantly. At minus 5degs C outside, it’s a warm and toasty 23degs inside, with a nice warm floor and no nasty drafts. Only problem I foresee for the coming week is when I can get to top her up with water - outside hosepipe is frozen, so may have to position the van closer to the house and use my onboard hose in order to fill up and then park back at the bottom of the garden again. Only have 10% water so needs doing.
Otherwise, no trips planned for the moment (other than maybe a big trip in the Summer) in Carrie. The focus for the next few months will be the new addition to the fleet - the Kepler One VW Transporter due to be picked up the week after next! See separate thread.
I understand that the next generation of Sprinter which is due for release shortly will have chassis options up to 7.5T but will take a while for this to flow through to the motorhome coach builders.
In the meantime, nothing too much to report on Carrie other than the recent cold snap shows up her insulation brilliantly. At minus 5degs C outside, it’s a warm and toasty 23degs inside, with a nice warm floor and no nasty drafts. Only problem I foresee for the coming week is when I can get to top her up with water - outside hosepipe is frozen, so may have to position the van closer to the house and use my onboard hose in order to fill up and then park back at the bottom of the garden again. Only have 10% water so needs doing.
Otherwise, no trips planned for the moment (other than maybe a big trip in the Summer) in Carrie. The focus for the next few months will be the new addition to the fleet - the Kepler One VW Transporter due to be picked up the week after next! See separate thread.
So - a quick update here since things are beginning to move again.......
Divorce papers have been prepared, mediated financial settlement in place and Consent Order being drafted. Last week heralded the much thought about discussion with the ex-wife about the new girlfriend. Not pretty, but a necessary conversation and was never going to be anything other than a car crash. The best I am hoping for is to ensure we keep focus on our daughter and hope that emotions don't spill into using her as a pawn. There is of course a danger in that with the emotions running high, but I'm hoping that sense prevails. My daughter meets the girlfriend at the end of the month, so that will be a big moment for us all, but we will be doing it very slowly and carefully and clearly just keeping it as "Daddy's friend" for the foreseeable. Thankfully, with her living in Germany, the times to get together as a "three" are limited, which in itself limits the potential for overdoing it in the early days. Just as challenging has been to ensure that my ex is aware that my life is my own, aside from overlap with little'un and that my new girlfriend (I keep referring to her as "new" but it's been 7 months now) feels that I have her back and that she is given as much priority as my little'un. It's not just my daughter who has lots of adjusting to do over the coming months. But we're all going into this with our eyes open (as we have from the start) and the relationship is so strong, supportive, stable and loving that I have no doubt we'll manage. Even with all the stress which comes with the divorce and house sale, my girlfriend is such a rock and an inspiration, anything seems possible and I'm in a very happy and healthy place.
The house is going on the market this week and, as a result of this as well as this also being a good excuse now to "have my own space", I will be moving the van off the property on 15th March and back to the campsite I originally started at just over a year ago. Yes it's a pain, but the positives well outweigh the lack of practicality in terms of living "on site" with the washing machine and close proximity to my daughter. But having somewhere to go, other than my parents place, when my girlfriend is over, is worth the cost and the impracticality. Will be nice to have a bit more privacy too - I always have the feeling that I am being watched from the house, so being on the campsite will have more independence.
Much the same as last year, prep going into the van has required a bit of thought. A few extra things will be loaded on (bike again etc) and need sorting before going. A bit difficult given I'm now in Frankfurt for the next 10 days but work has started! Before I left this morning, the fridge was switched onto gas as I will be "offgrid" at the campsite. If you remember, the fridge caused me an issue on gas when up in Scotland in November and I haven't really had the chance to test it much since then. The caravan workshop reckoned it was fine when they tested it after returning, but I need to know it works before embarking on this move. If it's warm when I get back from Frankfurt, then I've got an issue. I've also had to think about electricity again - no EHU at the site in question and having sold my generator in July after not getting any use out of it and being low on cash, I needed to go and buy another. After looking again online, the difference between new and used price didn't warrant used given the lack of certainty about previous use and the fact new ones come with a 5yr warranty. So I've bought another new Honda EU20i given how easy to use and quiet the last one was. I will keep this one forever as I am sure it will have a lot of use over the next few years and with our penchant for wild camping, always useful to have. The garage is plenty big enough to accommodate it, unlike the storage issue I had with the Hymer. I am also thinking of removing the gas bottles from the locker (I use a 100L underslung tank instead of bottles) and storing the genny in there, going forward. I did consider buying a built-in, remote control genny, but at 3.5k, the costs outweighed the benefits.
I've managed to sell my ride-on mower, which has netted me 2k. So that money will be put towards the cost of the genny and I have decided to treat myself to a new mattress for the rear French bed. I tend not to sleep on it since it's very lumpy and unsupportive - preferring the firmness of the overcab bed, but what this means is then that the living area is restricted to just the sofas (which are pretty damn big) but makes the van feel small having the bed down all the time and sometimes it's nice sitting in the cab seats just to mix it up a bit and create more spacious living feel. I've found a company in Norfolk who make custom made mattresses for motorhomes and boats and I will be taking the van up there to have the mattress measured up and try out some of their products. I'm looking at c. 800quid but worth it IMO.
Other than that, the rear brakes will get done with any cash left over from the other purchases - if only just to get 40kg of discs & pads out of the rear garage, which is taking up load space and payload.
So all in all, I'm in a pretty good place right now. The important admin bits are well advanced and I'm just crossing my fingers that the house sale goes quickly and we get what is needed for the "clean break" and I can finally start saving the mortgage payments in order to rebuild my wealth for whatever the next stage of my life involves. It's been a hard 15 months in a lot of ways, but 7months of it have been a huge surprise and I feel like I've won the lottery in finding my girlfriend. I've never met anyone so strong, independent, intelligent, fun-loving, adventurous, loving and beautiful. I foresee a very happy, content but exciting future.
Divorce papers have been prepared, mediated financial settlement in place and Consent Order being drafted. Last week heralded the much thought about discussion with the ex-wife about the new girlfriend. Not pretty, but a necessary conversation and was never going to be anything other than a car crash. The best I am hoping for is to ensure we keep focus on our daughter and hope that emotions don't spill into using her as a pawn. There is of course a danger in that with the emotions running high, but I'm hoping that sense prevails. My daughter meets the girlfriend at the end of the month, so that will be a big moment for us all, but we will be doing it very slowly and carefully and clearly just keeping it as "Daddy's friend" for the foreseeable. Thankfully, with her living in Germany, the times to get together as a "three" are limited, which in itself limits the potential for overdoing it in the early days. Just as challenging has been to ensure that my ex is aware that my life is my own, aside from overlap with little'un and that my new girlfriend (I keep referring to her as "new" but it's been 7 months now) feels that I have her back and that she is given as much priority as my little'un. It's not just my daughter who has lots of adjusting to do over the coming months. But we're all going into this with our eyes open (as we have from the start) and the relationship is so strong, supportive, stable and loving that I have no doubt we'll manage. Even with all the stress which comes with the divorce and house sale, my girlfriend is such a rock and an inspiration, anything seems possible and I'm in a very happy and healthy place.
The house is going on the market this week and, as a result of this as well as this also being a good excuse now to "have my own space", I will be moving the van off the property on 15th March and back to the campsite I originally started at just over a year ago. Yes it's a pain, but the positives well outweigh the lack of practicality in terms of living "on site" with the washing machine and close proximity to my daughter. But having somewhere to go, other than my parents place, when my girlfriend is over, is worth the cost and the impracticality. Will be nice to have a bit more privacy too - I always have the feeling that I am being watched from the house, so being on the campsite will have more independence.
Much the same as last year, prep going into the van has required a bit of thought. A few extra things will be loaded on (bike again etc) and need sorting before going. A bit difficult given I'm now in Frankfurt for the next 10 days but work has started! Before I left this morning, the fridge was switched onto gas as I will be "offgrid" at the campsite. If you remember, the fridge caused me an issue on gas when up in Scotland in November and I haven't really had the chance to test it much since then. The caravan workshop reckoned it was fine when they tested it after returning, but I need to know it works before embarking on this move. If it's warm when I get back from Frankfurt, then I've got an issue. I've also had to think about electricity again - no EHU at the site in question and having sold my generator in July after not getting any use out of it and being low on cash, I needed to go and buy another. After looking again online, the difference between new and used price didn't warrant used given the lack of certainty about previous use and the fact new ones come with a 5yr warranty. So I've bought another new Honda EU20i given how easy to use and quiet the last one was. I will keep this one forever as I am sure it will have a lot of use over the next few years and with our penchant for wild camping, always useful to have. The garage is plenty big enough to accommodate it, unlike the storage issue I had with the Hymer. I am also thinking of removing the gas bottles from the locker (I use a 100L underslung tank instead of bottles) and storing the genny in there, going forward. I did consider buying a built-in, remote control genny, but at 3.5k, the costs outweighed the benefits.
I've managed to sell my ride-on mower, which has netted me 2k. So that money will be put towards the cost of the genny and I have decided to treat myself to a new mattress for the rear French bed. I tend not to sleep on it since it's very lumpy and unsupportive - preferring the firmness of the overcab bed, but what this means is then that the living area is restricted to just the sofas (which are pretty damn big) but makes the van feel small having the bed down all the time and sometimes it's nice sitting in the cab seats just to mix it up a bit and create more spacious living feel. I've found a company in Norfolk who make custom made mattresses for motorhomes and boats and I will be taking the van up there to have the mattress measured up and try out some of their products. I'm looking at c. 800quid but worth it IMO.
Other than that, the rear brakes will get done with any cash left over from the other purchases - if only just to get 40kg of discs & pads out of the rear garage, which is taking up load space and payload.
So all in all, I'm in a pretty good place right now. The important admin bits are well advanced and I'm just crossing my fingers that the house sale goes quickly and we get what is needed for the "clean break" and I can finally start saving the mortgage payments in order to rebuild my wealth for whatever the next stage of my life involves. It's been a hard 15 months in a lot of ways, but 7months of it have been a huge surprise and I feel like I've won the lottery in finding my girlfriend. I've never met anyone so strong, independent, intelligent, fun-loving, adventurous, loving and beautiful. I foresee a very happy, content but exciting future.
Only a few weeks on since the last update, but things have changed dramatically.
I moved off the grounds of the house on 15th March and just a mile or so down the road to the local CS I had been at last year. That was pretty much where the problems (and stress) started. Nothing to do with the decision itself on a personal level – in a lot of ways it actually made me feel much better. It delivered on a promise I’d made to my girlfriend to get away from the old family home and also helped me to feel more in control of my life in the UK and how I lived it. But in terms of logistics, it turned my world upside down and I’ve only just begun to feel less stressed since Tuesday. Let me explain…..
The CS I stay at is effectively just a field around a fishing lake. It has no EHU and given it has a slight slope on it, drainage is an issue – particularly at the point at which you enter the field. Getting a 6t vehicle onto the site in the current weather proved impossible, so my “home” was the carpark. A narrow, unmade up bit of (almost) hardstanding. Although safe, it felt rubbish living in a carpark and with the cold weather (it snowed the first weekend I moved there) and my frequent trips away, trying to keep the van heated and lit (from a security perspective) was rubbish and in spite of regularly running the genny for a few hours a day when I was around, the batteries eventually went completely flat during the Easter Weekend. Coming back to a muddy site, treading mud in the van and returning to find it at 5degs C inside the van and the control panel not even turning on, was soul destroying and a real low point. Add to that the fact that the fridge still isn’t working on gas and me having been feeding myself from dry packet meals or tins, life has been turgid when back in the UK. The final issue is that the license is only for a 3wk stay so I have to move the van to “reset the clock” and given I’m away when my time expires, I had to do it this weekend just gone. Trying to find a site over Easter Weekend for just one night is nigh on impossible. On top of that, all the local sites were flooded out……………………NIGHTMARE!!!
In the end, I found a pitch at Theobalds Park CC&C site. It was partially flooded, but they let me have a pitch for one night and although a 1.25hr drive it suited me to get the EHU on and batteries fully (properly) charged and a chance to top up with water. Last time I topped up with water at the CS, in maneouvering to the tap (very tight space at the entrance), I inadvertently scraped the OSR end of Carrie into a hedge and scratched the entire corner. I’m so angry with myself but could’ve been worse. But it was just par for the course when life had been so challenging. Anyway, a night at Theobalds Park, I topped back up with water having really enjoyed the craziness of long hot showers for both me and my daughter and set off back to the CS. It was upon arriving and not even being able to get either onto the field or car park that I got out and noticed I’d left the water filler cap back at Theobalds Park! &%(%# Couldn’t believe it! So – completely exasperated, I waited for my ex to get home from work, dropped off my daughter and drove all the way back down to pick up my filler cap, only to be told there was no plot for the night. At this point I was so exhausted and emotional, I started ringing around for a place for the night. The reality of fulltiming and the intolerance of motorhomes in England hit home. But as luck would have it, I ended up getting a pitch at Cambridge C&CC site.
It’s lovely. Very flat but well cared for and the facilities are amazing. After a quick chat with the staff, I booked into the site for the next 28days. The only way this is tolerated is because I don’t actually work in the UK and the van is only my base when I’m back to see my daughter. Although it is expensive at nearly 400quid per month, it suits me at the moment as I can go away to Germany knowing that the van is safe, it’s plugged in (so warm and batteries topped up) and I have nice facilities to use when I’m back. It’s also only a 20mins walk from some good friends of mine and a nice place for my daughter and girlfriend to visit. It’s about 25min drive from the former family home so not completely impractical and I’m working on the premise I may even try and renew the pitch monthly (subject to their restrictions around moving from site every 28days or less) so as to give me peace of mind over the van. Although I only spent one night there before heading back to Germany, I already felt much more comfortable and slept better knowing the stress of not having to minutely manage my resources and security had been taken care of.
In other matters, I had my Birthday at the end of March and used the opportunity to introduce my daughter to my girlfriend. It’s been almost 8 months we’ve been together now and I felt it was the right moment to move things forward for everyone concerned. It was done gently and introduced as a friend – all went very well as we planned it that there were plenty of other people there at the same time who my daughter knew so as to ensure there was no pressure on either of them. My daughter isn’t stupid though and has seen us texting eachother and FaceTime and now wants to chat away with my girlfriend whenever she FaceTimes and they get on fabulously. We’re still taking it step by step and not overwhelming her with visits, but planning once a month for a weekend and my daughter has already invited her to go away for a weekend with us in the campervan. So gratifying.
In all, life is good and really going in the right direction. Still lots more to do – house is still on the market and only had some derisory chancer offers so far and divorce papers have been served but not yet acknowledged by the Court. But progress is ongoing – that’s at least something.
I moved off the grounds of the house on 15th March and just a mile or so down the road to the local CS I had been at last year. That was pretty much where the problems (and stress) started. Nothing to do with the decision itself on a personal level – in a lot of ways it actually made me feel much better. It delivered on a promise I’d made to my girlfriend to get away from the old family home and also helped me to feel more in control of my life in the UK and how I lived it. But in terms of logistics, it turned my world upside down and I’ve only just begun to feel less stressed since Tuesday. Let me explain…..
The CS I stay at is effectively just a field around a fishing lake. It has no EHU and given it has a slight slope on it, drainage is an issue – particularly at the point at which you enter the field. Getting a 6t vehicle onto the site in the current weather proved impossible, so my “home” was the carpark. A narrow, unmade up bit of (almost) hardstanding. Although safe, it felt rubbish living in a carpark and with the cold weather (it snowed the first weekend I moved there) and my frequent trips away, trying to keep the van heated and lit (from a security perspective) was rubbish and in spite of regularly running the genny for a few hours a day when I was around, the batteries eventually went completely flat during the Easter Weekend. Coming back to a muddy site, treading mud in the van and returning to find it at 5degs C inside the van and the control panel not even turning on, was soul destroying and a real low point. Add to that the fact that the fridge still isn’t working on gas and me having been feeding myself from dry packet meals or tins, life has been turgid when back in the UK. The final issue is that the license is only for a 3wk stay so I have to move the van to “reset the clock” and given I’m away when my time expires, I had to do it this weekend just gone. Trying to find a site over Easter Weekend for just one night is nigh on impossible. On top of that, all the local sites were flooded out……………………NIGHTMARE!!!
In the end, I found a pitch at Theobalds Park CC&C site. It was partially flooded, but they let me have a pitch for one night and although a 1.25hr drive it suited me to get the EHU on and batteries fully (properly) charged and a chance to top up with water. Last time I topped up with water at the CS, in maneouvering to the tap (very tight space at the entrance), I inadvertently scraped the OSR end of Carrie into a hedge and scratched the entire corner. I’m so angry with myself but could’ve been worse. But it was just par for the course when life had been so challenging. Anyway, a night at Theobalds Park, I topped back up with water having really enjoyed the craziness of long hot showers for both me and my daughter and set off back to the CS. It was upon arriving and not even being able to get either onto the field or car park that I got out and noticed I’d left the water filler cap back at Theobalds Park! &%(%# Couldn’t believe it! So – completely exasperated, I waited for my ex to get home from work, dropped off my daughter and drove all the way back down to pick up my filler cap, only to be told there was no plot for the night. At this point I was so exhausted and emotional, I started ringing around for a place for the night. The reality of fulltiming and the intolerance of motorhomes in England hit home. But as luck would have it, I ended up getting a pitch at Cambridge C&CC site.
It’s lovely. Very flat but well cared for and the facilities are amazing. After a quick chat with the staff, I booked into the site for the next 28days. The only way this is tolerated is because I don’t actually work in the UK and the van is only my base when I’m back to see my daughter. Although it is expensive at nearly 400quid per month, it suits me at the moment as I can go away to Germany knowing that the van is safe, it’s plugged in (so warm and batteries topped up) and I have nice facilities to use when I’m back. It’s also only a 20mins walk from some good friends of mine and a nice place for my daughter and girlfriend to visit. It’s about 25min drive from the former family home so not completely impractical and I’m working on the premise I may even try and renew the pitch monthly (subject to their restrictions around moving from site every 28days or less) so as to give me peace of mind over the van. Although I only spent one night there before heading back to Germany, I already felt much more comfortable and slept better knowing the stress of not having to minutely manage my resources and security had been taken care of.
In other matters, I had my Birthday at the end of March and used the opportunity to introduce my daughter to my girlfriend. It’s been almost 8 months we’ve been together now and I felt it was the right moment to move things forward for everyone concerned. It was done gently and introduced as a friend – all went very well as we planned it that there were plenty of other people there at the same time who my daughter knew so as to ensure there was no pressure on either of them. My daughter isn’t stupid though and has seen us texting eachother and FaceTime and now wants to chat away with my girlfriend whenever she FaceTimes and they get on fabulously. We’re still taking it step by step and not overwhelming her with visits, but planning once a month for a weekend and my daughter has already invited her to go away for a weekend with us in the campervan.
So gratifying.In all, life is good and really going in the right direction. Still lots more to do – house is still on the market and only had some derisory chancer offers so far and divorce papers have been served but not yet acknowledged by the Court. But progress is ongoing – that’s at least something.
Thanks chaps.
@MattS5 - it certainly is a lovely site and although relatively featureless, there is something about it which instantly made me feel relaxed. My Little one loves the swings, slide and climbing frame (which I'm guessing is very new too) and i'm looking forward to doing the same as you and running into town once I'm back for a few days.
@agent006 - I've been liasing with my local mobile engineer. He's fully booked at the Moment (guess he would be as the season gets into full swing soon). Also proving a problem is that i'm only ever in the UK for 3-4days at a time and most of that is weekend time, so trying to nail down a date is proving difficult. I had a look at the burner on Tuesday and found some soot over the top of the burner which I dislodged and the flame is a decent blue colour but i'm wondering if the flu is blocked as the messing around didn't do anything to cool the fridge down on gas - just seems to heat it up.
I've ordered a set of wire bottle brushes and a can of compressed air, so will have a go at cleaning out the flu and giving everything a good blow out and see how I go.
In terms of my gas supply, I have a refillable underslung 100l LPG tank. It's good enough for 6wks or so off grid and whilst I’m on the campsite, everything is running off the EHU so no need for gas other than cooking so all good.
Other bits to do include replacing the jets in the hobs as only one of the three rings is working. And one very exciting new accessory to be fitted – my Uncle and Aunt bought me a Nespresso capsule & kitchen roll holder which can be wall mounted in the kitchen. Morello make the part for their motorhomes and I was very jealous when I saw it in their new van so my Uncle & Aunt got it for me for my Birthday. Had to source some short screws to make sure I didn’t puncture the kitchen wall whilst mounting, but once it’s mounted, I’ll show off some pics. Very excited! It’s little things like that which make the place more of a home, which is important when you’re fulltiming.
@MattS5 - it certainly is a lovely site and although relatively featureless, there is something about it which instantly made me feel relaxed. My Little one loves the swings, slide and climbing frame (which I'm guessing is very new too) and i'm looking forward to doing the same as you and running into town once I'm back for a few days.
@agent006 - I've been liasing with my local mobile engineer. He's fully booked at the Moment (guess he would be as the season gets into full swing soon). Also proving a problem is that i'm only ever in the UK for 3-4days at a time and most of that is weekend time, so trying to nail down a date is proving difficult. I had a look at the burner on Tuesday and found some soot over the top of the burner which I dislodged and the flame is a decent blue colour but i'm wondering if the flu is blocked as the messing around didn't do anything to cool the fridge down on gas - just seems to heat it up.
I've ordered a set of wire bottle brushes and a can of compressed air, so will have a go at cleaning out the flu and giving everything a good blow out and see how I go.
In terms of my gas supply, I have a refillable underslung 100l LPG tank. It's good enough for 6wks or so off grid and whilst I’m on the campsite, everything is running off the EHU so no need for gas other than cooking so all good.
Other bits to do include replacing the jets in the hobs as only one of the three rings is working. And one very exciting new accessory to be fitted – my Uncle and Aunt bought me a Nespresso capsule & kitchen roll holder which can be wall mounted in the kitchen. Morello make the part for their motorhomes and I was very jealous when I saw it in their new van so my Uncle & Aunt got it for me for my Birthday. Had to source some short screws to make sure I didn’t puncture the kitchen wall whilst mounting, but once it’s mounted, I’ll show off some pics. Very excited!
It’s little things like that which make the place more of a home, which is important when you’re fulltiming.Figured a quick update was worthwhile.......
Things are moving forwards nicely and I'm in a good place right now. Divorce is proceeding, Decree Nisi expected in the next week or two and the main bit of good news is that the house is now Under Offer, which is a massive weight off my mind and hopefully a massive financial weight off my bank account once the sale completes. The ex has now found a house she wants, which appears to be a nice place in a nice village, so I’m happy that my daughter won’t be growing up in a ghetto. All things on that front working out well (fingers crossed they continue).
Cambridge is working out nicely for me too. Not spending anywhere nearly as much time there as a kind of would like to be though. I’m spending so much time in Germany that I only really get back to the van in order to work a day from there and then see my parents, spend another day back there and head back to Germany. A bit of a waste but so nice knowing that the van is safe and warm whilst I’m gone. I’m looking into the insurance question and trying to get Fulltiming insurance, so that’s all fine. Thanks for the heads up Oblio and apologies for not replying to your PM – backwards and forwards between places has a habit of messing up my response times to messages, but much appreciated.
Carrie is still proving the stellar companion. I had to replace a rooflight blind on one of the Mini Heki over the cab bed recently as the blackout blind had lunched itself. I managed to source one from Southdowns for just 50quid and it happens to be the updated one with concertina flyscreen rather than the sprung one, which now shows all the other ones in the van up to being a bit knackered and old-fashioned, so I’ve got Southdowns on the case to order me two more minis (one for the rear bedroom and one for the bathroom) and see about replacing the blind and flyscreen for the main rooflight over the lounge. That could be a lot more expensive given the built-in lights, but I am willing to spend a few quid to update the look of everything as well as improve its functionality. Otherwise the van is working well. I’ve just returned from a trip up to Kelling Heath with little one and my girlfriend – 200mile round trip. I’m constantly amazed at how the vehicle can be standing for a few weeks at a time and then just bash out a long trip with consummate ease. Feels so good on the move – I absolutely love driving her. Was hilarious pulling up at the petrol station near Holt at the weekend and going to the counter to find the two clerks sitting there taking bets on how much it would cost to fill it! When she’s parked under the canopy of a normal petrol station she looks even bigger than normal and even the 105litres I put into her was less than both I and the sales assistants thought I would have to!
One bad thing to report though – one I hoped I’d never have to…………the weekend away brought one thing, which was unexpected and quite frankly one of the worst experiences you could imagine………..norovirus!!
I can wholeheartedly tell you that having two adults suffer from that in the van is one of the most unpleasant experiences known to man. I’m pretty sure my daughter was the “carrier” as she was fine, but both myself and my girlfriend fell like dominoes within 24hrs of eachother. Let’s just say, thank god I always carry a second toilet cassette with me!! I always do on the basis of wild camping, but was most worthwhile at 2am when the other had been brimmed! 
Anyway, all on the mend now. Will be moving again for a night in the next few weeks and then hoping to keep repeating over the summer so I have a “fixed” spot. It’s nice to be able to get some feeling of security and homeliness. I’ve also found a great couple of circuits for running – 6.5km run really easily do-able on a mixture of pavements and park/cycle paths.
All in all, everything’s moving in the right direction!
Things are moving forwards nicely and I'm in a good place right now. Divorce is proceeding, Decree Nisi expected in the next week or two and the main bit of good news is that the house is now Under Offer, which is a massive weight off my mind and hopefully a massive financial weight off my bank account once the sale completes. The ex has now found a house she wants, which appears to be a nice place in a nice village, so I’m happy that my daughter won’t be growing up in a ghetto. All things on that front working out well (fingers crossed they continue).
Cambridge is working out nicely for me too. Not spending anywhere nearly as much time there as a kind of would like to be though. I’m spending so much time in Germany that I only really get back to the van in order to work a day from there and then see my parents, spend another day back there and head back to Germany. A bit of a waste but so nice knowing that the van is safe and warm whilst I’m gone. I’m looking into the insurance question and trying to get Fulltiming insurance, so that’s all fine. Thanks for the heads up Oblio and apologies for not replying to your PM – backwards and forwards between places has a habit of messing up my response times to messages, but much appreciated.
Carrie is still proving the stellar companion. I had to replace a rooflight blind on one of the Mini Heki over the cab bed recently as the blackout blind had lunched itself. I managed to source one from Southdowns for just 50quid and it happens to be the updated one with concertina flyscreen rather than the sprung one, which now shows all the other ones in the van up to being a bit knackered and old-fashioned, so I’ve got Southdowns on the case to order me two more minis (one for the rear bedroom and one for the bathroom) and see about replacing the blind and flyscreen for the main rooflight over the lounge. That could be a lot more expensive given the built-in lights, but I am willing to spend a few quid to update the look of everything as well as improve its functionality. Otherwise the van is working well. I’ve just returned from a trip up to Kelling Heath with little one and my girlfriend – 200mile round trip. I’m constantly amazed at how the vehicle can be standing for a few weeks at a time and then just bash out a long trip with consummate ease. Feels so good on the move – I absolutely love driving her. Was hilarious pulling up at the petrol station near Holt at the weekend and going to the counter to find the two clerks sitting there taking bets on how much it would cost to fill it! When she’s parked under the canopy of a normal petrol station she looks even bigger than normal and even the 105litres I put into her was less than both I and the sales assistants thought I would have to!
One bad thing to report though – one I hoped I’d never have to…………the weekend away brought one thing, which was unexpected and quite frankly one of the worst experiences you could imagine………..norovirus!!
I can wholeheartedly tell you that having two adults suffer from that in the van is one of the most unpleasant experiences known to man. I’m pretty sure my daughter was the “carrier” as she was fine, but both myself and my girlfriend fell like dominoes within 24hrs of eachother. Let’s just say, thank god I always carry a second toilet cassette with me!! I always do on the basis of wild camping, but was most worthwhile at 2am when the other had been brimmed! Anyway, all on the mend now. Will be moving again for a night in the next few weeks and then hoping to keep repeating over the summer so I have a “fixed” spot. It’s nice to be able to get some feeling of security and homeliness. I’ve also found a great couple of circuits for running – 6.5km run really easily do-able on a mixture of pavements and park/cycle paths.
All in all, everything’s moving in the right direction!
Time for a quick update. A mixture of good and bad.
I'll start with the good first, since it was after that that it all went pear shaped!
I say that, but finding out your MOT is about to expire whilst you're out of the country and have a million things to do when you get back as well as that is pretty darned annoying in itself. But the good news is: Carrie passed her first MOT in my stewardship with flying colours!
MOTs are always nervewracking at the best of times, but perhaps less so when 1) you have time remaining on the MOT so you have sufficient time to get it fixed and retested if it fails (mine was two days expired by the time i got it there!), 2) you know the vehicle well and know its foibles. This happens with time and I've only had 9months with Carrie and she's still pretty new to me mechanically, although I have done a lot to her.
Anyway - finally found a place which could take her at short notice and also deal with her size. I say that, it was in an old barn and trying to get her in was like a massive game of "Chicken"! She just about fitted through the opening and then was just on the extreme end of what the guy's jacks could handle. But he gave her a full inspection and talked me through everything. The only things which came up were perished gators to the air brake accumulator (he had to check if they were an issue according to the DVSA and thankfully not) and a slightly binding NSR caliper, which to be fair, I'd been suspecting since I bought it but haven't got around to sorting. Anyway, not enough to even count as an advisory, so all good. Passed with flying colours!
Mot by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Mot by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
I was so pleased and given I'd taken the day off and the ex was away from the farmhouse for the weekend, I spent 4hrs giving Carrie a thorough clean and got her looking lovely!
Straight off then thereafter to Hertford Camping & Caravanning Club site for a lovely time away with the little'n. I haven't been there for ages and the new Management have really done some lovely things with the site and it looked lovely. Unfortunately I'd forgotten I hadn't booked a hardstanding, so ended up taking my chances on the grass (hoping it wouldn't rain too much! ) but had a lovely spot where we had a brilliant time.
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
In spite of the thunderstorm, we got off the pitch ok and all was well...............for about 10mins!
Just as we were leaving the site, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Given the issues I had with my previous Hymer, I assumed it was an electrical glitch (Mercedes are quite sensitive to small issues), so turned off, turned back on and all the faults had cleared. Given she was driving well before that, I didn't think anything of it. I set off and all was well for a bit......until getting onto the A10........then the dash lit up again, gearbox got stuck in 2nd gear (full auto not Sprintshift) which signalled Limp Mode. Dash lit up with EDC, ABS, ASR, Alternator and Brake warning lights. Cycling the ignition didn't work and I ended up limping at 20mph to a rather exposed lay-by. And that's where the fun began......
Cut a long story short: after 8hrs we found ourself attached to the back of an HGV recovery lorry and little'n and I transported in the escort vehicle back to the farm as there was no storage available. This was the second vehicle which was sent - the 5t flatbed having driven off four hours earlier unable to take us. It was a turgid afternoon, worrying about our safety as we were just metres from the live lanes with no fend-off or pavement separating us, 30degs C outside and not too far off in the van, trying to entertain a little'n who was as stir crazy as I was.
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Anyway, recovered back to the farm and told I'd be re-recovered between 6am-9am today. It's now 11am and I've just re-called AA to find that they've sent a truck to a completely different address in London(!) and unsurprisingly couldn't get down the street. I then had to set up a new job and go through the whole palaver of convincing them that Roadside Assistance wasn't required and I needed recovering, as I was supposed to have been 5hrs ago! AND that the vehicle is 6t and 9m long so just a flatbed won't do as they kept insisting they would send. Give me strength!!!!!
God knows how much all this incompetence has cost the AA and Safeguard Insurance. Not that I care at the moment given I've been up since 5:30am waiting for the recovery truck and have put S&B Commercials on notice of its arrival into them.
I'm hoping it's just the alternator and/or battery which is to blame. I saw a low voltage light on the Concorde Control Panel and it was reading 12.3v at one stage. Although the recovery guys tested the alternator and it was chucking out 13.2v, that seemed a bit low and would also make sense given the fridge hasn't been keeping cool on DC whilst on the move. So wonder if the alternator is faulty.
Given I don't know any Commercials place who can reliably be called upon, I've sent it to a main dealer. It's going to cost me a fortune, but I'd rather get it sorted, whatever it is and get back to living in it ASAP. It's knocked my confidence in it a little and I need to get it back so that I can forget about it. I've asked them to look at the caliper and do wheel alignment whilst its in too. Might as well knock off every issue.
It's a good job I'm off to Spain on Thurs so only homeless for two nights. Will have to kip at my M&Ds until then. Hopefully by the time I get back on Sunday, the van will be ready for collection on Monday and things can calm down a bit again.
Exasperated!!!
I'll start with the good first, since it was after that that it all went pear shaped!
I say that, but finding out your MOT is about to expire whilst you're out of the country and have a million things to do when you get back as well as that is pretty darned annoying in itself. But the good news is: Carrie passed her first MOT in my stewardship with flying colours!MOTs are always nervewracking at the best of times, but perhaps less so when 1) you have time remaining on the MOT so you have sufficient time to get it fixed and retested if it fails (mine was two days expired by the time i got it there!), 2) you know the vehicle well and know its foibles. This happens with time and I've only had 9months with Carrie and she's still pretty new to me mechanically, although I have done a lot to her.
Anyway - finally found a place which could take her at short notice and also deal with her size. I say that, it was in an old barn and trying to get her in was like a massive game of "Chicken"! She just about fitted through the opening and then was just on the extreme end of what the guy's jacks could handle. But he gave her a full inspection and talked me through everything. The only things which came up were perished gators to the air brake accumulator (he had to check if they were an issue according to the DVSA and thankfully not) and a slightly binding NSR caliper, which to be fair, I'd been suspecting since I bought it but haven't got around to sorting. Anyway, not enough to even count as an advisory, so all good. Passed with flying colours!
Mot by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrMot by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrI was so pleased and given I'd taken the day off and the ex was away from the farmhouse for the weekend, I spent 4hrs giving Carrie a thorough clean and got her looking lovely!
Straight off then thereafter to Hertford Camping & Caravanning Club site for a lovely time away with the little'n. I haven't been there for ages and the new Management have really done some lovely things with the site and it looked lovely. Unfortunately I'd forgotten I hadn't booked a hardstanding, so ended up taking my chances on the grass (hoping it wouldn't rain too much!
) but had a lovely spot where we had a brilliant time. Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrIn spite of the thunderstorm, we got off the pitch ok and all was well...............for about 10mins!
Just as we were leaving the site, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree.
Given the issues I had with my previous Hymer, I assumed it was an electrical glitch (Mercedes are quite sensitive to small issues), so turned off, turned back on and all the faults had cleared. Given she was driving well before that, I didn't think anything of it. I set off and all was well for a bit......until getting onto the A10........then the dash lit up again, gearbox got stuck in 2nd gear (full auto not Sprintshift) which signalled Limp Mode. Dash lit up with EDC, ABS, ASR, Alternator and Brake warning lights. Cycling the ignition didn't work and I ended up limping at 20mph to a rather exposed lay-by. And that's where the fun began......Cut a long story short: after 8hrs we found ourself attached to the back of an HGV recovery lorry and little'n and I transported in the escort vehicle back to the farm as there was no storage available. This was the second vehicle which was sent - the 5t flatbed having driven off four hours earlier unable to take us. It was a turgid afternoon, worrying about our safety as we were just metres from the live lanes with no fend-off or pavement separating us, 30degs C outside and not too far off in the van, trying to entertain a little'n who was as stir crazy as I was.
Poorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrPoorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrPoorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrPoorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrPoorly Carrie by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrAnyway, recovered back to the farm and told I'd be re-recovered between 6am-9am today. It's now 11am and I've just re-called AA to find that they've sent a truck to a completely different address in London(!) and unsurprisingly couldn't get down the street. I then had to set up a new job and go through the whole palaver of convincing them that Roadside Assistance wasn't required and I needed recovering, as I was supposed to have been 5hrs ago! AND that the vehicle is 6t and 9m long so just a flatbed won't do as they kept insisting they would send. Give me strength!!!!!
God knows how much all this incompetence has cost the AA and Safeguard Insurance. Not that I care at the moment given I've been up since 5:30am waiting for the recovery truck and have put S&B Commercials on notice of its arrival into them.
I'm hoping it's just the alternator and/or battery which is to blame. I saw a low voltage light on the Concorde Control Panel and it was reading 12.3v at one stage. Although the recovery guys tested the alternator and it was chucking out 13.2v, that seemed a bit low and would also make sense given the fridge hasn't been keeping cool on DC whilst on the move. So wonder if the alternator is faulty.
Given I don't know any Commercials place who can reliably be called upon, I've sent it to a main dealer. It's going to cost me a fortune, but I'd rather get it sorted, whatever it is and get back to living in it ASAP. It's knocked my confidence in it a little and I need to get it back so that I can forget about it. I've asked them to look at the caliper and do wheel alignment whilst its in too. Might as well knock off every issue.
It's a good job I'm off to Spain on Thurs so only homeless for two nights. Will have to kip at my M&Ds until then. Hopefully by the time I get back on Sunday, the van will be ready for collection on Monday and things can calm down a bit again.
Exasperated!!!
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