Having been fortunate enough to spend most of this year travelling Europe albeit without the van, its now time to return to my favourite pastime and the van gets its first runout in 12 months. Off to Haycraft in Dorset next week via the New Forest. We also get to try the new Air Awning for the first time so fingers crossed for that.
I thought yesterday i would spend some time giving the caravan a once over and its only then you realise what caravanning is all about. One of my jobs was to flush the water system out, check the heating and hot water and all the other little jobs, tyres, lights, TV of course. Fridge getting cold enough for beer and so forth and so on. When I had done, I sat back in my nicely warming van with a cup of char, and then I heard it.
DRIP DRIP DRIP. This was about the same time the long haired general came charging in saying there is water running out under the door of the caravan. It didnt take long to find that the flexible pipe had come loose from the rigid pipe under the sink drainer. Simples. Not likely. I couldnt reach the ****** (subsitute your own word here) thing. Its in a tall narrow cupboard with two sliding racks and a sliding drawer. Plus the door of the cupboard was hindering access. Off must come the door, however, the brackets arent just screwed on they are glued on. Then the racks, two were easy but it took ages to figure how to release the drawer. When i got it figured, I found that at assembly they had stripped the head of one of the screws. Finally defeating that and undoing the clamps holding the flexi pipe, i asked her indoors to hold the rigid pipe whilst I pushed on the flexi. SNAP. What the hell was that. "Oh, I just pushed to help you,. it wasnt my fault". Luckily I had another piece in the shed and we were soon sorted. What I noted was that once I had pushed the flexi pipe on, it was virtually impossible to move it so tight was the fit. So, answers on a postcard as to why it came off. My guess is the usual cant be bothered attitidue at the factory.
As I said, the joys of real caravanning.
If anyone is in the area and sees a caravan with water dripping from the chassis, an air awning sagging like Nora Battys' tights and the lights flickering on and off as the water finds the electric, do stop in and comisserate with me.
I thought yesterday i would spend some time giving the caravan a once over and its only then you realise what caravanning is all about. One of my jobs was to flush the water system out, check the heating and hot water and all the other little jobs, tyres, lights, TV of course. Fridge getting cold enough for beer and so forth and so on. When I had done, I sat back in my nicely warming van with a cup of char, and then I heard it.
DRIP DRIP DRIP. This was about the same time the long haired general came charging in saying there is water running out under the door of the caravan. It didnt take long to find that the flexible pipe had come loose from the rigid pipe under the sink drainer. Simples. Not likely. I couldnt reach the ****** (subsitute your own word here) thing. Its in a tall narrow cupboard with two sliding racks and a sliding drawer. Plus the door of the cupboard was hindering access. Off must come the door, however, the brackets arent just screwed on they are glued on. Then the racks, two were easy but it took ages to figure how to release the drawer. When i got it figured, I found that at assembly they had stripped the head of one of the screws. Finally defeating that and undoing the clamps holding the flexi pipe, i asked her indoors to hold the rigid pipe whilst I pushed on the flexi. SNAP. What the hell was that. "Oh, I just pushed to help you,. it wasnt my fault". Luckily I had another piece in the shed and we were soon sorted. What I noted was that once I had pushed the flexi pipe on, it was virtually impossible to move it so tight was the fit. So, answers on a postcard as to why it came off. My guess is the usual cant be bothered attitidue at the factory.
As I said, the joys of real caravanning.
If anyone is in the area and sees a caravan with water dripping from the chassis, an air awning sagging like Nora Battys' tights and the lights flickering on and off as the water finds the electric, do stop in and comisserate with me.