The shakiest of Shakedown Cruises!

The Shakiest of Shakedown Cruises!

It seemed like a good idea at the time!  The caravan had been languishing in its field since last October, and it had been a pretty wet winter at that!

On top of that our friend who owns the paddock had given me notice that he wanted me out by the 5^th April in order to do some work in there. The van needed to be away at a different location for at least a month.

So we decided to take it down to the Ilminster Club site ( Still Five Acres as far as I am concerned) for a weekends shakedown cruise, and then we could leave it in the sites storage facility.  So that was the Plan!!

On the Friday evening we had arranged to take some friends to Moulseys Quiz Night at Camely Lodge Nr Bristol.  An enjoyable night was had by all and at about 10.30 pm we set off for home. 

After about 10 miles the car radio suddenly shut down leaving a black panel. Then very shortly after a warning caption flashed on the instrument panel  “DSR Inoperable” I wasn’t using the DSR anyway (Downhill speed regulator) so I wasn’t unduly concerned, But then a big red master Caution caption illuminated showing a picture of a battery. The lights had dimmed a little, and a couple of other redundant warnings flashed, and then the car seemed to clear its throat, all the warnings extinguished, and the car carried on happily.

The following morning all seemed well.  The car started at the first turn of the key with no hesitation whatsoever from the electrics. I phoned the Mercedes dealer for advice and they advised not to worry but if I was passing by on Monday call in to get it checked.

Then Load up!  Off to the field, and hitch up as my mate was showing signs of impatience needing to get into the field.  The DCOS checked the brake lights – OK, but said the indicators were not working!

Trouble now was that I was under pressure to vacate the field so pulled out knowing a convenient lay by not to far away in which to check the cables etc.  Could not get them to work!  Now I have the first problem!  I cannot go back to the field, yet I am booked into the club site which is not far from my Caravan dealer who is expecting the van next weekend for its annual service.  I check the twoBristoltow bar companies hoping to get them to trace the fault but both have closed for the weekend.

I now make the First big mistake!  With no where to go locally, and knowing I will get hassle from the club if I no show, I decide to press on to the site.  The car was showing that the indicators were working so off we went!

As we neared the site the low cloud that obscured the Hills around Ilminster dictated the use of lights to ensure safety.  At this point I quickly realised that the caravan exterior lights that had been OK when the DCOS checked them were no longer working!  I was very happy to reach the site safely only to find mistake number two.  I had left our big green book which contained our membership details in the Kitchen at home.  Never mind the wardens were understanding and we pitched OK . Good hot Tea and Coffee soon out everything into perspective.  Luckily everything about our Trusty Coachman 520/4 was working perfectly so we settled in for our short stay.

I had worked out that the caravan side of the electrics and the adapter cables between the cars 13 pin plug and the caravans twin cables were fine and the fault obviously lay in the cars side of the 13 pin plug.  Sadly I did not connect that problem with the glitch in the cars electrics the night before!  But I wasn’t towing then anyway!  Big Mistake!

The following day Sunday was awful.  High winds, Rain and low cloud were all there in abundance.  So late in the morning I agreed with the DCOS that we would go out for Sunday lunch.  I knew of a large Garden centre not far from Bridgwater that did a very good carvery.  So that is where we went, and very good it was too!

After that very good lunch we decided to call in at our Caravan dealers at Highbridge caravans for some essential supplies and headed  first there, and then to the local Tescos store.

Suddenly “Ping” went the warning system, the radio went off and the DSR system inoperable caption came back on, followed very quickly this time by the Master battery caution light.  We stopped in Tesco’s Car park, and I switched off !  We got what was needed in the store but on getting back into the car everything was dead.  Not one glimmer from any switch or instrument!  So I called Mercedes Benz rescue who said they would be an hour.  45 minutes later, I switched the car on again and it roared into life as if nothing was the matter!

I then took one good decision because I decided to await the rescue service, who soon arrived.  At first there was confusion because there was clearly nothing wrong with my car.  The recovery vehicle was just about to leave when “Ping”  This time even more captions came on as if the virus was spreading. The worst was “Power steering failed”.

The car was winched up on the back of the recovery truck & driven off.  We were left to get a taxi to Weston Super Mare railway Station, - £26 and then a train toBristol.

We arrived home wet and cold at 6pm, Knowing however that we still needed to get back to the caravan where we had left the heating on! We could use the DCOS’s little Honda Jazz!

Next Big error was then realised.  The caravan keys were in the car which had now gone off to some remote compound.  We then remembered that my mate who owned the field had a spare set, so off we went there to get them before travelling the 90 minutes back to the Ilminster site arriving back at about 9.00pm.

The following morning I arranged for the wardens to move the van into the compound with the site tractor.  That was not going to be a problem until someone asked me to remove the Hitch and wheel lock!

The DCOS had a sense of humour failure when I told her that we now had to drive back up to Weston Super Mare to the Garage where our car had now arrived to recover the security keys and then return to Ilminster in order to move the van into storage.

We finally returned home at 6pm Monday night having travelled nearly 300 miles in the Jazz, paid £26 for the taxi and £12 to 1^st Great Western!

So much for the Shakedown Cruise!

The Car is still very poorly having suffered a major electrical failure. The main battery has failed locking the transmission.  The dealership have had to remove the wheels & fit temporary free wheeling hubs just to move it.  All just 1 week after a major service and the expiry of the warranty!

I want my Landcruiser Back!

TF