What did you do to your van today?

No hosepipe ban here -- and I recently bought a battery-powered pressure washer (much lower pressure than the K'Archer I also have) to wash the van without blasting away all the sealant! Local car washes now charge around £100 and won't do the roof; although they would probably do the job a lot quicker than the couple of hours it took me last time!

The van got picked up on some advisories at the last MOT -- lower radiator mount cross member corroded and a rear wheel bearing on the way out; together with some corrosion and holes in non-structural steel that encloses the cab steps. Nothing to worry about -- sort it out at the next service they said; but I lifted the bonnet a few weeks ago and noticed that the rubber in the radiator mounts had all perished: So the van went into the repair shop last Tuesday. Got it back on Friday with a comment that the guy who'd done the work had diesel in his hair because there's a slight weep from the seam in the fuel tank. It's not a show-stopper, but needs doing sooner rather than later -- so the van will be going back into the repair shop once the new tank has arrived... (Oh the joys of having a 25-year-old van!)
 
Second day of the East Midlands Steam and Country Show. The weather has been good to us and lots of interaction with visitors. The motorhome is pitched up with the gazebo in front and a kids play mat for them to relieve the boredom forced on them by adults. Great show and quiet nights in the van.

Had to repair a window blind, but it will not ruin five nights free parkup!

PXL_20260501_205009082.jpg
 
Friday filled fresh water tank with water and the purification stuff and fed it through system, today flushed it all out with fresh water ready for 1st trip this year up to Inverness.
Is this annual flushing really worth the effort seeing as we dont drink from it anyway?
Also removed leisure battery to try to pulse charge it - last saloon before the bin.
 
GeoffL said:
No hosepipe ban here -- and I recently bought a battery-powered pressure washer (much lower pressure than the K'Archer I also have) to wash the van without blasting away all the sealant! Local car washes now charge around £100 and won't do the roof; although they would probably do the job a lot quicker than the couple of hours it took me last time!

The van got picked up on some advisories at the last MOT -- lower radiator mount cross member corroded and a rear wheel bearing on the way out; together with some corrosion and holes in non-structural steel that encloses the cab steps. Nothing to worry about -- sort it out at the next service they said; but I lifted the bonnet a few weeks ago and noticed that the rubber in the radiator mounts had all perished: So the van went into the repair shop last Tuesday. Got it back on Friday with a comment that the guy who'd done the work had diesel in his hair because there's a slight weep from the seam in the fuel tank. It's not a show-stopper, but needs doing sooner rather than later -- so the van will be going back into the repair shop once the new tank has arrived... (Oh the joys of having a 25-year-old van!)
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Since when has a rad mount come into MOT? I thought MOT was safety related stuff 🤔
 
GeoffL said:
No hosepipe ban here -- and I recently bought a battery-powered pressure washer (much lower pressure than the K'Archer I also have) to wash the van without blasting away all the sealant! Local car washes now charge around £100 and won't do the roof; although they would probably do the job a lot quicker than the couple of hours it took me last time!

The van got picked up on some advisories at the last MOT -- lower radiator mount cross member corroded and a rear wheel bearing on the way out; together with some corrosion and holes in non-structural steel that encloses the cab steps. Nothing to worry about -- sort it out at the next service they said; but I lifted the bonnet a few weeks ago and noticed that the rubber in the radiator mounts had all perished: So the van went into the repair shop last Tuesday. Got it back on Friday with a comment that the guy who'd done the work had diesel in his hair because there's a slight weep from the seam in the fuel tank. It's not a show-stopper, but needs doing sooner rather than later -- so the van will be going back into the repair shop once the new tank has arrived... (Oh the joys of having a 25-year-old van!)
Click to expand...
And diesel in his hair? Hes meant to be a mechanic, this and many other scenarios could and will happen, tell him to change his job or grow a pair of balls.
 
AlyJay said:
Since when has a rad mount come into MOT? I thought MOT was safety related stuff 🤔
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That advisory was for corrosion in the front cross member, which is where the lower radiator mounts are fitted. That cross member is prone to corrosion and is a common MOT failure. The top radiator mounts weren't picked up on the MOT, but I noticed they were shot. It seemed a good idea to get that sorted as I didn't fancy having to deal with the radiator breaking free of its mounts and just hanging from the hoses a few hundred miles from home! Seemed a good idea to also get the wheel bearing and the corrosion around the cab steps done at the same time.
AlyJay said:
And diesel in his hair? Hes meant to be a mechanic, this and many other scenarios could and will happen, tell him to change his job or grow a pair of balls.
Click to expand...
That seems to be an over-reaction! The diesel in the hair comment from the guy in the repair shop was simply relating how the leak came to their attention -- I dare say that particular mechanic has 'endured' far worse! They don't normally carry out additional work (e.g. surveys and inspections) without authorisation and I guess the repair shop guy felt obliged to say how the leaking fuel tank came to their attention.
 
AlyJay said:
Friday filled fresh water tank with water and the purification stuff and fed it through system, today flushed it all out with fresh water ready for 1st trip this year up to Inverness.
Is this annual flushing really worth the effort seeing as we dont drink from it anyway?
Also removed leisure battery to try to pulse charge it - last saloon before the bin.
Click to expand...
The Puriclean/Cleartab manufacturer recommends cleaning the tank twice each year. The 12 hour maximum cleansing period is the point at which the bacteria begin to re-form, so that suggests that cleaning the tank is worthwhile; if you only use the tank for washing dishes, there is a chance of water-borne bacteria transferring to the 'clean' crockery/cutlery, but the choice is yours.

We had a 'Delhi Belly' episode in 2022 [probable cause refill tap infection], and it was not pleasant, so I will clean the tank once each year, erring on the side of caution

Steve
 
Following a spate of motorhome thefts in the north west, decided to go the extra mile and put a vinyl reg plate on the mh roof to allow easier ANPR tracking should the worst occur. What I hadn't factored in was the three hours it took to clean the roof before sticking the plate on 🤣🤣.
 
GeoffL said:
That advisory was for corrosion in the front cross member, which is where the lower radiator mounts are fitted. That cross member is prone to corrosion and is a common MOT failure. The top radiator mounts weren't picked up on the MOT, but I noticed they were shot. It seemed a good idea to get that sorted as I didn't fancy having to deal with the radiator breaking free of its mounts and just hanging from the hoses a few hundred miles from home! Seemed a good idea to also get the wheel bearing and the corrosion around the cab steps done at the same time.

That seems to be an over-reaction! The diesel in the hair comment from the guy in the repair shop was simply relating how the leak came to their attention -- I dare say that particular mechanic has 'endured' far worse! They don't normally carry out additional work (e.g. surveys and inspections) without authorisation and I guess the repair shop guy felt obliged to say how the leaking fuel tank came to their attention.
Click to expand...
A long time ago when I used to be a mechanic I used to be a MOT tester aswell, it used to only be important safety related stuff that was tested, all these advisories these days just confuse people as what's safe and what isn't, in my eyes MOT testing should of been kept as a test of current vehicle safety related items and mechanical wear in relation to how car can perform safely, not forgetting structural integrity of body chassis and prescribed areas such as areas where main components are mounted from.
Eng oil, diesel, petrol , grease in hair, down back, up sleeves is just part of the job, I'm glad I dont have to contend with it anymore, it wasn't a normal day if you were not clarted in something 😀.
 
Val54 said:
Following a spate of motorhome thefts in the north west, decided to go the extra mile and put a vinyl reg plate on the mh roof to allow easier ANPR tracking should the worst occur. What I hadn't factored in was the three hours it took to clean the roof before sticking the plate on 🤣🤣.
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I read this and spoke to our neighbour this morning, she is an Interceptor with Northants Police. ANPR cameras cannot read numberplates on flat roofs above the bonnet level. They are set for vertical plates nearer road level. The only ones that are really capable are the higher motorway cameras. So lets hope they go that way. But at least the roof is clean.
 
Val54 said:
Never mind, at least it will be visible to the motorway CCTV cameras.
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It is still very useful, especially if you tell the police if the worst happens. There are more high level cameras being introduced all the time, so it is still a good idea. We have a numberplate, one of those sticky ones.
 
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