Voyage of the Discovery – Part 2 (The first Outing!)
One week after collecting the Disco it was time for the first outing! Mainly due to our youngest daughter presenting us with our latest grandchild less than a couple of weeks previously, we wanted to be on hand should any problems arise, so we ended up travelling no more than 25 miles from home, to Tredegar House CC Site on the outskirts of Newport, S.Wales.
The Disco’s large boot and rear seat space somehow rapidly became filled up with all the accompaniments of a week away including aquarolls, waste master and awnings! Being rather ‘old-school’ I always tend to take a good toolkit and hydraulic jack ‘just in case’ so it wasn’t long before space was at a premium even in such a big car!
The day for departure dawned and I’m glad to say was in the middle of the recent heat wave so no hitching up in the pouring rain this time! The ‘van was soon hitched up and when the 13 pin plug was connected there was the usual reassuring noises from the ATC system and the little light on the tow hitch turned green to say all was well.
The Disco pulled away smoothly and 10 minutes later we were onto the M4 and cruising along admiring the view from our elevated seats! Only one ‘problem’ so far was Elaine trying to climb aboard! At only 5’ 2” and with no side steps, she did eventually managed to haul herself up for the trip!
The short trip proved uneventful and I was thrilled with the effortless way the Disco pulled the ‘van, with no hint of movement from passing lorries or vans, and the outfit was steady as a rock on a section of the motorway where our previous Honda CRV had started to sway slightly.
As regards fuel consumption, the on-board computer was saying about 23mpg but it was still rising as we reached our destination so hopefully on a longer run, it may improve further.
We were soon installed on site and found a lovely pitch with good view of the surrounding area, and the camping area, which was virtually empty!
The next few days passed quickly with local trips out and about and of course visits to see our new granddaughter! The car ran faultlessly and smoothly and the fuel consumption slowly crept back up to over 30 mpg even on local short drives. We have yet to do a longer run but in a couple of weeks’ time (12-18th Aug) we are off to Rookesbury Park near Southampton to visit our eldest daughter and family so will report back then. Will be displaying a CT Sticker in window so if you are on site, call for a chat!!
Col 