What did you do to your van today?

I'm a watering can man 😱 and have been for years.

It gives me the chance to wander over to a tap and have a natter with other folk to see what's occurring. Possibly two cans a day, with a top up for the night/morning, and left in front of the passenger seat overnight. (It lives empty in the loo when travelling.)

I'm not keen on plastic bottles of water, probably because PVCs don't have too much spare space.
I used to carry a watering can but now have a better solution IMO. I have a funnel with a flexible spout and a loop of string through the handle. I've attached a "Command" hook to the side of the van above the water filling port so I can hang the funnel from that with the spout going into the filling port and then use the 10-litre container that I have anyway for potable water to transport water from the tap to the van. The "Command" hook can be easily removed without damaging the van...

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Many years ago I almost forgot to disconnect my power hookup, and was so shocked at my stupidity that since that day I always walk around the van before setting off, and finish off by having a look underneath. 🙂
I've driven off a few times with it plugged in :) The way I fitted the plug, no damage ever occured to the van and the cable would just pull out the flying socket and would just have to remake it.
The last time I was around a hundred miles from home and suddenly remembered I had not unplugged it! So a quick phone call home to say to pull out the plug from the outdoor socket as the bare wire ends laying on the driveway were live :(
 
We have carried a 10 L watering can for a while now, it has a meter of hose with a Hozelock end and tap connector poked down the spout, as we use it at garages, and it is just easier sometimes to do it if you can get close to a tap, We do have a hose now, but it's is a pain to have to go to the other side of the van, open the locker, drag the hose out, uncoil it, make sure the end is clean before using it, then drain it and attempt to coil it back up again, put it away, lock the locker, then lock the water cover. PITA unless you need to fully fill it.
 
We have carried a 10 L watering can for a while now, it has a meter of hose with a Hozelock end and tap connector poked down the spout, as we use it at garages, and it is just easier sometimes to do it if you can get close to a tap, We do have a hose now, but it's is a pain to have to go to the other side of the van, open the locker, drag the hose out, uncoil it, make sure the end is clean before using it, then drain it and attempt to coil it back up again, put it away, lock the locker, then lock the water cover. PITA unless you need to fully fill it.
Step 1. Get one of the "Magic" expanding hoses. Use it and then when you turn the supply off it just gathers itself into a bundle and you don't have to mess around with it and coil it up or uncoil it to start with.
Step 2. Get a Hozelock joiner adapter and use it on both ends and that ensures the hose ends stay clean from muck and beasties.
Step 3. It takes a lot less room up so if it really is that much of a chore to get a hose out a locker, put it somewhere more convenient. (you could actually store it inside the watering can, eh? there's a thought ;) )
 
I did have one, it was an X hose, I gave it away.
I usually don't let the water get so low that I need a hose, so the WC is good enough, it lives in a useless bit of space behind the loo in the bathroom.
 
We have carried a 10 L watering can for a while now, it has a meter of hose with a Hozelock end and tap connector poked down the spout, as we use it at garages, and it is just easier sometimes to do it if you can get close to a tap, We do have a hose now, but it's is a pain to have to go to the other side of the van, open the locker, drag the hose out, uncoil it, make sure the end is clean before using it, then drain it and attempt to coil it back up again, put it away, lock the locker, then lock the water cover. PITA unless you need to fully fill it.
For that reason I created my system. It will reach left or right and I unreel just enough. Since I also fill at work where I park the van I even have a Storz fire hydrant adapter 😉
 
We have carried a 10 L watering can for a while now, it has a meter of hose with a Hozelock end and tap connector poked down the spout, as we use it at garages, and it is just easier sometimes to do it if you can get close to a tap, We do have a hose now, but it's is a pain to have to go to the other side of the van, open the locker, drag the hose out, uncoil it, make sure the end is clean before using it, then drain it and attempt to coil it back up again, put it away, lock the locker, then lock the water cover. PITA unless you need to fully fill it.
A pack of disinfectant wipes to give the tap and connector a quick wipe over keeps us away from the Delhi Belly 2 Step ... (y)

Steve
 
A pack of disinfectant wipes to give the tap and connector a quick wipe over keeps us away from the Delhi Belly 2 Step ... (y)

Steve
Funny thing on many of our aires is that they have 2 taps labeled potable and non potable water (they come from the same source) with the intent of separating the cassette rinse. The intelligence of the guys that install these taps makes them install the threaded one on the non potable side and a plain tap on the side intended to fill the tank. In my case, I have a Gardena rubber grommet type adapter that many many campers don't know exist so, they use the threaded tap instead.

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FWIW, a solution I've found is borrowed from aviation -- check lists. I have one to complete before driving off and one to complete before leaving the van in storage. Takes less than a minute plus any time necessary to do things that weren't done and no longer do I suffer the contents of cupboards, the fridge, etc. ending up where they're not meant to be. No longer do I flatten the cranking battery by forgetting to turn off the rear view camera, etc.
To stick to the aviation theme, the pre-drive and post-drive checks are memory items for us. We don't do storage.
 
I've an AutoTrail PVC.

Last night I heard a couple of burbles from the water pump, and so I turned it off, only using it briefly for hygiene. Today I checked all the pipework and everywhere was dry, so I turned everything off to catch the sunshine on a walk.

On my return, and after a pint, I pulled out the WC cassette, and the problem was obvious. The connection on the red pipe (hot water) was leaking. Simple fix, remove the white plastic locking clip (making sure it doesn't fall into the restricted area beneath), press the red pipe fully into it's fitting, and carefully push back the white clip to lock it again. Happy days, and I can carry on camping!👍

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Delivered Brunhilde to Logan Vehicle Services at Carluke for definite VB Air Suspension fitting and replacement of the hab & bathrom lights. Fitting of 400w Solar Panel also scheduled, *provided* that it can be squeezed into the limited spare space on the roof. Graham Logan will keep the Panel for stock if the fitment will not work so, to lapse into John Virgo snooker commentary, it's a shot to nothing ...

It also gave Brunhilde a decent run after being left unused since 9th August whist the house refurb was under way ... Tyre pressures checked as were fluid levels prior to the trip, so minor housekeeping duties [equivalent to a quick flick with a duster ...] undertaken to boot :ROFLMAO:

Back to Fife on the train to wait for the job completion call, and then a return train journey to collect Brunhilde, perhaps on Friday morning ...

Steve
 
Your in safe hands with Graham Steve
Thanks, Gordon. Graham did a great job in early August replacing the timing belt, water pump and diesel filter for a little more than 1/3 of the quite from the Fiat Professional Garage, and that encourgaed me to go for the air suspension and the solar panel. The hab lights were an afterthought, when the main 'square of 4' lights over the lounge area began to flicker andburn inconsistently; I didn't want to have the lamps pop one after the other, and the 3 in the bathroom are also beginning to show dark patches. It's a 2016 Van, and the lamps are the original equipment!

Steve
 
another plus one for graham a true professional he always checks everything my new timing belt found a bent rear axle ??? new wishbones reqd for mot etc a comment not a request for more work very content with expertise and content
 
Collected Brunhilde from Logan Vehicle Services; good news - VB Air Suspension installed beautifully, with digital remote control fitted to the dashboard and the compressor fitted in the cavity under the driver's step, so no loss of living space; also 11 LED lights supplied and fitted for £95 (Southdown Motorhomes wanted some £88 in January just to supply 2 bulbs ...), so yellowing lights with flickering tendencies gone!

Bad news; the 400w Solar Panel was too large to fit safely on the roof, so we are stuck with the existing 180w version. Back to looking for a smaller 300w Panel which should fit on the slope of the roof in the lee of the headwind ...

Air suspension is brilliantly underwhelming, taking all the body roll when driving around Motorway exit roundabouts, long bends etc! There's no noticeable action/noise - it's what doesn't happen that I noticed - stable ride, no body roll, and less vortex effect when large vehicles overtake us. Removes all the drama ... 50 mile return drive in rainstorm was quite relaxing :ROFLMAO:

Steve
 
Collected Brunhilde from Logan Vehicle Services; good news - VB Air Suspension installed beautifully, with digital remote control fitted to the dashboard and the compressor fitted in the cavity under the driver's step, so no loss of living space; also 11 LED lights supplied and fitted for £95 (Southdown Motorhomes wanted some £88 in January just to supply 2 bulbs ...), so yellowing lights with flickering tendencies gone!

Bad news; the 400w Solar Panel was too large to fit safely on the roof, so we are stuck with the existing 180w version. Back to looking for a smaller 300w Panel which should fit on the slope of the roof in the lee of the headwind ...

Air suspension is brilliantly underwhelming, taking all the body roll when driving around Motorway exit roundabouts, long bends etc! There's no noticeable action/noise - it's what doesn't happen that I noticed - stable ride, no body roll, and less vortex effect when large vehicles overtake us. Removes all the drama ... 50 mile return drive in rainstorm was quite relaxing :ROFLMAO:

Steve
Something like this could help 3 of the same power could be placed in different locations

 
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