Whoops ...bad start to holiday

[stephena]

Things started badly when I told my wife she could drive car away having not unhooked the safety break cable from the car... With the vans handbrake on this just bent the clip that you attach to the car! are these easy to replace?

Then mother nature decided we would enjoy wales more if it were a none stop barrage of terrential rain made worse by the bathroom vent dripping... Any ideas how, why, or better still suggestions of a temp fix.

We have a stirling Europa 500

Sun coming out after the weekend apparently... Onwards and upwards!!!

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Stephena,
I'm sure it will start to improve!
Right - Breakaway cables are a bit of a swine to change I think, but it's simple enough if you are a bit mechanical and have a pair of mole grips and a big screwdriver. You need to open up the clip on the base of the handbrake lever that is attached to the end of the cable.
One this is prised open, you can slip the old cable off the handbrake and toss it in the bin.
Slip the open ring fitting onto the base of the handbrake, after running it through the bracket on the bottom of the A-frame.
Then, you have to crimp up the ring terminal. Only way I know is to to it with the mole grips. Close them on the bracket, open the grips, add a turn on the adjuster on the moles, clamp them shut on the end of the cable again and repeat until the ring on the cable has closed up. It's not much fun and it's hard on your hands...

As for a dripping roof vent, you need to look at why it's leaking. A crack or damage is most likely as they don't drip if they are intact in my experience. Best chance of a temporary fix is a bit of a silicone sealant but you may need a new rooflight when you get home.

Hope the weather improves. And your luck!

 

[andspenka1]

When I changed mine I did it as above only I hacksawed through the eyelet as it was impossible to open up, closing it was really hard too.

 

[GrahamPonty]

Hi Stephen,

Re: The breakaway cable, Nigel, is right they are a swine to change, but the easiest way to do it is to buy a small "D" shackle from any hardware store, attach this to the ring clip on the bottom of the handbreak leaver and also put the loop of the new cable inside before tightening up the D shackle. Job Done and no lost fingers. LOL

Re: The dripping vent. Is it possiable that water has been forced into the vent. If it was raining so hard it's possible puddles formed on the roof near the vent then splashed into the vent. This is something you need to keep a check on as there could be a lot of water damage in the roof area. Normally when the van is parked up on site or anywhere else in light rain, the water will just run off, but in heavy rain is another matter.

Re: The weather in Wales. Sorry about that but can't do much about it. But that is one of the reasons Wales is so green. We do get nice weather now and again, but only when i'm on holiday in the van LOL

HTH

Graham