What are you all up to
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I know what you mean, Bakers2 but we were in a hurry because we wanted to be away early in time for the service next morning. Returning to Worthing we have just had an overnight stop at the club site in Bourton on the Water for £17 because we had plenty of time to hitch and unhitch and get settled in for the night's stopover.
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Yes, me too! I've just completed it!
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We did get a mobile engineer for last years service but they wouldn't service the aircon. Also our 21 nights stay was ending on the day of our departure, so we had to stay elsewhere for 2 nights anyway.
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That seems a bit like our two day trip last year to Derbyshire to get our aircon fixed.
Yesterday we got there in time for 8 a.m. and the caravan was ready by 4 p.m.
During the day, our friends in Thornbury invited us over for coffee at their house, so we all sat and chatted in their conservatory. Their garden was full of colour with spring flowers blooming. Their apple trees were covered in blossom too. After that, the four of us went for a drive in their car over the Severn bridge and into the Forest of Dean where we stopped at Speech House for lunch. After that we went for a walk along the Sculpture trail and then back into the car to visit a garden centre.
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My wife has now changed her mind about the awning. She no longer wants to buy a new inflatable awning so has agreed that we should get the old awning repaired. So the shop at Chipping Sodbury Caravans agreed to do this for us. They have ordered new poles from Dorema and sent the canvas to a canvas repairs dealer. They said they would phone us when it's ready for collection. It may take a week or so which will mean another trip to Chipping Sodbury!
It seems a sensible decision to me and a decision that will save us a lot of money. I have to admit that I'm glad she's overcome her phobia about the poles.
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Long story short as I have already mentioned it. Well not really short as here is a copy of an earlier post!
I bought a Lunar Clubman ES in April 2012 with Alde heating. On our first trip out the pump was a little noisy due to air in the system. I dropped the front end of the van and bled air from the radiator in the bathroom - problem solved. Over the 12 weeks or so we toured during that year we used the heating on 2Kw and 1Kw electric and all was fine. There was a little audible pump noise but nothing remarkable. However at Christmas and, initially with the door open to the awning when cooking, we found that the system was kettling on 2Kw but seemed fine on 1Kw. I mentioned the problem to the dealer at the April annual service but obviously did not emphasise it. (I hadn't been well ). The problem also manifested itself within 20 minutes when run on gas.
We were away in April/May and the problem was still there. I spoke to the dealer and arranged to take the van in 30th August as we had trips planned. The dealer (quite rightly) assumed that there was a problem with the concentration of antifreeze in the heating circuit being too low. They drained the system and flushed four or five times, also replaced the pump. Problem still there but now apparent on 1Kw as we;; they reported. They asked if they could wait until Alde UK returned from an annual closure in order to consult and I collected the van. I also e-mailed to suggest that maybe involving an Alde engineer would be worthwhile.
The dealer came back to me when Alde were back and said that the draining and refilling on this model was not quite straightforward. I had the option of taking it back to the dealer or travelling 160 mile to Alde UK. I chose to take it to Alde. This involved an overnight stay at a lovely CL about 6 miles from Alde. At Alde when I arrived at 8.45am I was greeted warmly. They too suspected that it was a problem with concentration of antifreeze which they said should be around 50%. They checked and it was 11.3%. There service manager explained the problem in refilling the particular system on my van and their work round.
After having the system refilled with a 5 year life mix (and receiving a hat and pen) The problem seemed to be resolved. I was told to run the system for 10/20 hours and lift the pump several times and shake to remove micro bubbles and all would be well. Having since done that and having the 'van door open to stop the heating achieving 30 degrees and running continually I went into the van. The pump is in the wardrobe in the end washroom and the washroom door was open. With a slight breeze blowing outside the van and the door open I had to open the wardrobe door to check that the pump was still running! On a revisit with the caravan door closed and sitting on the front bunks with OH I could just discern the slightest hum from the pump with the washroom door open. This is from a guy who, sitting on site in June, wondered what the noise was he could hear. It was 3 young rabbits some 50 feet away tearing grass as they ate.
Pleased? You bet.
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Like they say, behind every cloud there's a silver lining. I'm glad to learn that it all worked out well for you in the end, EasyT.
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Yep it was nice having an afternoon on my own on a Sunny day. Took a trip to a nearby pub for lunch and a few miles to pick up some sandwiches for tea time. Sat in the sun with my crossword, had a natter with a fellow caravanner and his wife, watched a DVD that OH would not have wanted to see.
Sounds as if you made good use of your day as well Malcolm
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The mix must have been low concentration from the get go David but only became apparent when the heating was working hard such as on initial heat up in December.
It suited me because it meant that instead of paying 8 months later to have the fluid changes I was getting 5 years before change. The free service next year was a reasonable form of refund for me. The dealer did offer to cover my site fees as well but as the pitch with EHU was only £9 a night I told them not to worry as they have been happy to do minor extra bits and pieces at service without charging.
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The sun is shining from a clear blue sky here in the broad acres. Off out for a walk in a few minutes then I guess I'd better do a bit more gardening. Tomorrow we're off down to Lincolnshire to visit my eldest daughter and grandson who's home from university. It sounds like we'll be going somewhere expensive in Stamford for lunch and even though it's my birthday treat I know who will end up paying.😋
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Very misty start to the day here, but its burnt off now and warming up nicely 😀 I'm waiting for a friend to arrive before we go off for a walk, chat and cuppa. Looking forward to face to face natter as she lives n Northumberland these days do this will be a great treat! On another note great excuse for us to visit Northumberland too!
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Misty start this morning but sun out and warming up nicely now, have been getting vitamin D to my legs for a couple of days ,it was a bit "chill"
when walked to co op for paper, milk, and fresh baked rolls and got a new pound coin as my change
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Have been in the garden, pottering around and enjoying the progress things are making. We've already given away a huge bag of rhubarb and the veg are going in now. I saw an orange tip and a peacock butterfly, hope the temps don't drop too much next week as this is helping things along a lot.
Some cherry blossom out just now, apples next!
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A busier than usual day here, including the vet performing an emergency Caesarean on a heifer.
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Hope all well with mum and calf Goldie. And the vet bill is reasonable.
Just glorious here. Lovely walk in the local estate. Packed with famines having picnics and playing. We had a delicious Stilton and apple salad at the cafe. Back home now friend gone off to met her family. Thermometer saying 26 in the full sun. Fantastic.
We have orange tip butterflies and more nwets definitely some smooth ones as well as the crested. Frog spawn was late and now gone presume fishes dinner! Like Brue I'm hoping get it doesn't turn too cold next week. Currently sitting in the garden in as few clothes as possible 😲
Got to go food shopping before they close, I reckon nearer 10pm closure than right now 😉
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Gorgeous day here - summer's on the way! We drove over to Bradford on Avon and walked over to Westwood ( manor house is NT but closed today) then to Freshford for a pub lunch and back via Iford Manor where the gardens are looking a real picture, the magnolias in full bloom and the wisterias along the front of the house just on the point of flowering. Back now to check on Final Score!
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Thanks, David. I just had a read of it. It looks like a similar situation to Uber.
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We've arrived back in Worthing and getting settled back into our seasonal pitch. It was a lovely journey, in brilliant sunshine, from Bourton on the Water through the Cotswold countryside and on to the M4. We then turned off on junction 13 to head south towards Southampton and from there M27 and A27. Very different from our usual route via the M25.
We had a one hour stopover at the services on the M4 where we had chicken and chips from KFC £10 and refuelled the Shogun at a cost of just over £90. One stopover at the services and that's £100 spent, just like that!
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The Caesarean cow has now stood up and she and her calf (very big Limousine cross bull) are looking well.
The photos show before and after, and the calf.
Its only the fourth Caesarean we've had in twenty years. Whatever the cost it has to be done, and the cost will be less than the calf is worth, never mind the heifer.
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Motorway fuel is expensive, and frequently the food too.
We usually fuel up, preferably at a supermarket station, the day before we travel, or en route if we have found out beforehand that there is one near our route. Sat Nav is very useful for finding such places!
And we sometimes pick up a sandwich or a salad in the store if we will need lunch and have nothing in the fridge. We always eat in the van.
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