What did you do to your van today?

[wildebus]

Started the post trip tidy up and cleaning yesterday. After 62 nights away and EHU for only 5 days, we had reached the limit of what a daily sweep out can do to keep things 'properly clean'. Leather upholstery polish applied and my running repairs kit migration to its permanent home started. More of the same today, intermingled with moving kit in and out, based on our experiences of what worked well, and what was a complete PITA, mainly the camping table for al fresco dining that the wet weather and limited outside space on the Aires put paid to. 'And why did we think bringing this would be a good idea?' was a question asked more than once ...

Steve

This was your first big trip in this Motorhome I think? Sounds like it all went pretty well and as much to plan as it is possible to plan for

 

[Sean]

Fitted the hot water system at last yesterday. I have had all the bits since August 2020.
I get told that all my projects have a 7 year life cycle.
Mrs A should be pleased at the expediency of this one.
Next project: Check the pressure of the spare wheel.

 

[Sean]

I'm on a roll.....
I have just ordered a wooden bath mat for the shower cubicle.

 

[wildebus]

I have decided to upgrade to the new Autotrail Giraffe Motorhome. Not tried it out yet, but been told it is head and shoulders above the competition.

 

[marchie]

This was your first big trip in this Motorhome I think? Sounds like it all went pretty well and as much to plan as it is possible to plan for

Yes, David, and it turned out differently [and much better] than we envisaged. We'd done 2 similar trips in a Folding Caravan and in an ancient Touring Caravan but the freedom of Aires and their situation almost in the Town Centres, made for a much better experience. I couldn't really lose, planning from the outset to use the trip as a 'What Works/What Doesn't' project as well as a chance to get back to European travel. Not sure that Elaine got quite the same enjoyment from the research element ['What ARE you playing at now?' refrain] ...

Steve

 

[AndyGoPro]

Replaced the drivers door loom. Electric windows are working again! Bloody Ford

 

[marchie]

Ordered a new Bike Cover to replace the original which billowed like crazy because it was too big [and has an extra ventilation hole after it billowed onto a post in Santa Margarida, nr Vilafranca. The new Cover is a Hindermann [saw a couple in Spain and they look very good quality and design, and £10 less expensive than the old Cover], with no velcro straps at the rear to cause problems; rather, it fits from the bottom of the bike frame, covering the visible part of the bikes entirely, and then folds over the top of the frame, leaving an open section between the Bike Rack and the rear of the Van, that has 4 eyelets for bungee cords to secure it, and it looks to have the facility to use the same eyelets to run more bungees round to the rear face of the cover, enabling the bungees to be hooked into 4 eyelets on the Warning Plate Cover. Should find out tomorrow how/if it works!

Meanwhile Hermes [now 'Evri' as in 'Evri Chance we'll lose your parcel], may be delivering the Leiffheit extending Cleaning Brush. I can't be certain because their Tracking software won't accept a Postcode on the Mobile Phone ... 'We changed the name, but there are some things we won't change, because our customers have come to rely on them ...'

Steve

 

[SquirrellCook]

After an unhappy time looking for alternatives to replace my Trojan T105's I decided to replace them with Lithium. The route I have taken is to assemble two 12volt batteries using four 200Ah cells in each. Each one will have it's own BMS. These should happily fit in the same location as the T105's. For keeping the chill off them I'll extend the Air eberspacher exhaust pipe to loop under them. Now to wait for that slow boat from china!

 

[jeffmossy]

After an unhappy time looking for alternatives to replace my Trojan T105's I decided to replace them with Lithium. The route I have taken is to assemble two 12volt batteries using four 200Ah cells in each. Each one will have it's own BMS. These should happily fit in the same location as the T105's. For keeping the chill off them I'll extend the Air eberspacher exhaust pipe to loop under them. Now to wait for that slow boat from china!

Waiting for my lithium also, I ordered them and was told the end of May, Just had a email now saying end of June

 

[Vanterrier]

Compulsive gamblers love Evri... they send themselves cash on the 3 day service with no protection...
Scarey
K

 

[marchie]

Compulsive gamblers love Evri... they send themselves cash on the 3 day service with no protection...
Scarey
K

When you order something for delivery via a Courier, you have no idea until you place the Order, which outfit the selling company uses. There really should be a Search option to shop with those Retailers who use the more, ahem, mainstream Couriers ... It seems that my parcel is stillbeing worked on after it arrived at 'our hub' at 05:29 today. My garage managed to do a full service in 4 hours, including all filters, greasing the gear linkages, and adjusting the handbrake cables. Hermes have managed to do nothing towards the parcel delivery in 11 hours!

Steve

 

[saxonborg]

Ordered a new Bike Cover to replace the original which billowed like crazy because it was too big [and has an extra ventilation hole after it billowed onto a post in Santa Margarida, nr Vilafranca. The new Cover is a Hindermann [saw a couple in Spain and they look very good quality and design, and £10 less expensive than the old Cover], with no velcro straps at the rear to cause problems; rather, it fits from the bottom of the bike frame, covering the visible part of the bikes entirely, and then folds over the top of the frame, leaving an open section between the Bike Rack and the rear of the Van, that has 4 eyelets for bungee cords to secure it, and it looks to have the facility to use the same eyelets to run more bungees round to the rear face of the cover, enabling the bungees to be hooked into 4 eyelets on the Warning Plate Cover. Should find out tomorrow how/if it works!

Meanwhile Hermes [now 'Evri' as in 'Evri Chance we'll lose your parcel], may be delivering the Leiffheit extending Cleaning Brush. I can't be certain because their Tracking software won't accept a Postcode on the Mobile Phone ... 'We changed the name, but there are some things we won't change, because our customers have come to rely on them ...'

Steve

I have had a Hinderman bike cover for seven years, don’t use it all the time but it’s pretty robust and looks like it’s still got plenty of life left in it.

 

[RegnVal]

Today I stripped my Sprinter dash to find the reason my temperature control had gone sloppy and unable to turn the heat down, (not good when driving in warm weather).
After loosening the temperature control module it became apparent the plastic clip holding the outer temp. control cable had broken on one side releasing the cable.
A 2.5 mm hole drilled through plastic and a cable tie fitted to hold the cable in place and alls well, we have a functioning temp. control.
Repaired a couple of vent flaps while I had the dash pulled out, Happy days

 

[snapster]

Washed the van. Again. We live next to a farm and all the fields around us have been ploughed, muck spread, raked and sown, so the air has been full of dust. And most of it seemed to have landed on the van.
Anyway, it’s clean now, ready for our trip south to the Vienne to sign the contract for our new house.

 

[Sean]

Still on a roll.

Wooden shower mat arrived a placed accordingly.
Miniature top cupboard arrived and fitted. Somewhere for the beer and wine nibbles

Wine rack fitted in place

Shoe holder fitted against a bulkhead for Mrs A

New curtain rails all round.
But I still haven't checked the spare wheel pressure.

 

[marchie]

New Leifheit Extendable Cleaning Pole arrived, so will be out to play later. New Bike Cover will be delivered between 15:15 & 17:15, so fingers crossed re fit! And a wee surprise; Elaine's unannounced order of new mugs for Brunhilde arrived this morning. Still awaiting news on the Fridge Parts UK Order ... But there is a back up package in Spain if I want to pay about £120 for the bits that arrived after we left, plus just over £60 in Duty and Postage. Thinking of asking the Spanish Engineer to keep the parts for me to collect in late November if I pay for them now, because I have no doubt that the awful design will lead to another breakage at some stage in the not too distant future

Steve

 

[rugbyken]

the beeny box on my van has been sticking & jumping came out completely in portugal, so on our return stripped it out found two of the wheels on the assembly broken and found the manufacturer furterer that was the easy bit the same 420mm ones from travelworld hymer dealers £348 , main dealer slide form has only two sizes available 400mm & 450mm £58 ! they are a 3 piece unit one fixed to van one to the drawer and a sliding section it is an exact model so today i adapted the stops on the veh body part and assembled a combination set i am now only 10mm short will refit the drawer next week & hopefully the hinged cover will open if not i hope to be able to refit the lid as a detachable one

 

[cheyenne]

loaded up some more tin foods ready for our France trip 1st July

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Packed with beer and food.
Ready for blackpool ..and the tower ballroom.

 

[The laird]

Washed it and put onto ehu