# Hi from us to you



## biggirafe (Oct 1, 2009)

Hi All
Recently joined and have been lurking watching the posts. Great site lots of useful posts.

We recently purchased a Swift Kontiki 1995. Have been fixing it up for the last month. Couple of shorts trips out have been ok but each time found more things to mend 

Next spring I'm hoping to quit work and take the family on a year long trip around Europe. Thats the plan but a lot of hard work to do between now and then.

Anyone in the Gloucester area please feel free to contact me.

Mark


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## Guernsey Donkey (Oct 1, 2009)

Hi Mark 

Not in the Gloucester area Mark but welcome to the club, just fire away with any questions or any help or advice regarding the van and you are sure to find somebody with the answer real soon.
A year touring - that sounds good to me.

John
(Guernsey Donkey) now living in the Western Isles.

Info:  http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/scotland/5607-isle-lewis-isle-harris-western-isles.html

Pics:  http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/photo-gallery/7168-western-isles.html


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## Geoff.W (Oct 1, 2009)

biggirafe said:


> Hi All
> Recently joined and have been lurking watching the posts. Great site lots of useful posts.
> 
> We recently purchased a Swift Kontiki 1995. Have been fixing it up for the last month. Couple of shorts trips out have been ok but each time found more things to mend
> ...



Hi and welcome.

I am not too far away from you, so should be able to meet up some time. 

Hope you can make Malvern this weekend even without EHU.

Feel free to PM me if you need any help or need a contact no. for this weekend.


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## biggirafe (Oct 1, 2009)

*Thanks*

Hi Guys
Thanks for the replys, nice to feel welcome.

Sorry can't make this weekend, One of the issues we have is the leisure battery is not charging from the engine 1 night out wild is ok but anymore than that and we have problems 

We have booked into Rowlestone Manor one of our favorite sites only £10 per night. rowlestone Campsites, Page 1 - Camping and Caravanning Directory

If anyone knows of a good and reasonable auto electrician with MH experience in the Gloucetershire area I need one.

Mark





Geoff.W said:


> Hi and welcome.
> 
> I am not too far away from you, so should be able to meet up some time.
> 
> ...


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## lenny (Oct 1, 2009)

biggirafe said:


> Hi Guys
> Thanks for the replys, nice to feel welcome.
> 
> Sorry can't make this weekend, One of the issues we have is the leisure battery is not charging from the engine 1 night out wild is ok but anymore than that and we have problems
> ...



Hi Biggiraffe and welcome ,you lucky person, you,ve found the main man when it comes to electrical problems and he,s on your doorstep,It,s Geoff.W, a really nice bloke and loves helping others.
Dont tell him I told you so


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## barryd (Oct 2, 2009)

Great choice of van!  We got our 1996 Kontiki in May last year, have done 14000 miles since then including 3 months in Europe this summer.  We are very very happy with it.  Always somthing to fix but this seems to be the case if you spend £10000 or £100000!

Cheers
Barry


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## biggirafe (Oct 2, 2009)

Thanks Barry
I'm still in shock about the price of things, we paid just over £17,000 for the van and since then £2k so far fixing it up.

Replace Front X member and weld up holes under battery tray
Full Brake referb including slave cylinders
Full service including cam belts and aux belts
New fuel filter housing and primer head
new back window
Water heater service
fridge service


Only got 2 main things to left to do now, 
Fix the electrics and fix the blown air central heating

I'm begining to enjoy having the van and the stress levels are returning to normal. When we got the van and started finding the list above we really thought we had dropped a very expensive clanger but its coming together slowly 

I'm learning that most things can be fixed, I wish I had more time to do the things myself. Its very frustrating as a lot of what I have payed for is not outside of my own capabilities but I have to work until spring next year. Then its jack in the job and become a bum in a van for a year 

Mark





barryd said:


> Great choice of van!  We got our 1996 Kontiki in May last year, have done 14000 miles since then including 3 months in Europe this summer.  We are very very happy with it.  Always somthing to fix but this seems to be the case if you spend £10000 or £100000!
> 
> Cheers
> Barry


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 2, 2009)

hi and welcome hope you get everithing sorted ,bet you cannot wait to hit the open road for a year of freedom .we did like you 4 months since and love every moment ,the od thing can be a bit alkward now and again but its a great life being a bum in a van


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## barryd (Oct 2, 2009)

biggirafe said:


> Thanks Barry
> I'm still in shock about the price of things, we paid just over £17,000 for the van and since then £2k so far fixing it up.
> 
> Replace Front X member and weld up holes under battery tray
> ...



Wow Mark, thats quite a list of stuff you had to get fixed!  We put aside £5K of our budget for adding extras and fixing stuff but didnt have a lot to do.  I think we were fortunate.  We did however buy a Camos Dome, Scooter and rack and an inflatable boat and outboard! (now deemed to heavy and awkward).  This site and the other two have been really helpful.  I am in the opposite position to you.  I often have lots of time on my hands but I am pretty clueless when it comes to DIY.  That said recently I have fitted a new cold tap and rear bed rails (snapped on our European tour).  I now need to fit a new shower hose and we also have a leaky hot water tank.  Had loads of advice on one of the other forums but I suspect this one may be beyond my capabilities.  Problem we have up here in the N York Dales is that finding MH dealers that can help is not very easy!

Our plan is to take 2 years or so out and travel europe.  We did 3 months as a trial run this summer and hope to get 2 months in winter before deciding if we are going to go long term or not.  We both loved it and the van perfomed really well.

Cheers
Barry


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## maingate (Oct 2, 2009)

barryd said:


> Wow Mark, thats quite a list of stuff you had to get fixed!  We put aside £5K of our budget for adding extras and fixing stuff but didnt have a lot to do.  I think we were fortunate.  We did however buy a Camos Dome, Scooter and rack and an inflatable boat and outboard! (now deemed to heavy and awkward).  This site and the other two have been really helpful.  I am in the opposite position to you.  I often have lots of time on my hands but I am pretty clueless when it comes to DIY.  That said recently I have fitted a new cold tap and rear bed rails (snapped on our European tour).  I now need to fit a new shower hose and we also have a leaky hot water tank.  Had loads of advice on one of the other forums but I suspect this one may be beyond my capabilities.  Problem we have up here in the N York Dales is that finding MH dealers that can help is not very easy!
> 
> Our plan is to take 2 years or so out and travel europe.  We did 3 months as a trial run this summer and hope to get 2 months in winter before deciding if we are going to go long term or not.  We both loved it and the van perfomed really well.
> 
> ...


Hi Barry,

Have you tried Robson`s of Wolsingham in Weardale. Failing that there is the Caravan clinic here in Dunston, Gateshead.


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## Randonneur (Oct 2, 2009)

You usually find that the more you use the van, the more jobs you find to do!

Every time I drive mine I'm thinking this needs doing or that rattle needs looking at or something else comes to mind. Don't ask my wife how blue the air was when our exhaust fell off outside Oban this year!!!

Apart from that I've only got......... now where did I leave that to do list??


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## barryd (Oct 2, 2009)

Randonneur said:


> You usually find that the more you use the van, the more jobs you find to do!
> 
> Every time I drive mine I'm thinking this needs doing or that rattle needs looking at or something else comes to mind. Don't ask my wife how blue the air was when our exhaust fell off outside Oban this year!!!
> 
> Apart from that I've only got......... now where did I leave that to do list??



You dead right.  I just get so frustrated that I cant just do it all myself.  I have a leaking hot water tank and have taken some good advice off the forums but I just dont have the technical knowledge or confidence to take it to bits and can never find any dealers that can help!  I think I will eventually become proficient with a screwdriver purely out of necessity as nobody else is going to fix it if I dont.  Mind you for a numpty like me its a great feeling when you do fix something on your own!


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## zipnolan (Oct 2, 2009)

forget spending money on the blow heating, your love will keep you warm..


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## biggirafe (Oct 4, 2009)

zipnolan said:


> forget spending money on the blow heating, your love will keep you warm..


LOL, that made us both smile 
Thanks again guys for the welcome, weve been out this week end and have a couple of questions that hopefully you guys can help with.


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## Jayne (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi 'Guernsey Donkey' - recognise that nick name!!  Im a 'Sarnia Lass' myself!  Just joined the site and hope we will find it helpful.

Usually head for France, but next week coming over to the 'mainland' and heading up to Lincolnshire via Norfolk/Surrey.   Does anyone know any good nightstops we can try?

Chierie
Jayne


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## barryd (Oct 5, 2009)

Just to let you all know, I fitted a new shower hose today and fixed the leak on the Carver II hot water tank.  I feel like I have really achieved somthing today all for the princely sum of £6.95 (and a bit of swearing).


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## biggirafe (Oct 5, 2009)

barryd said:


> Just to let you all know, I fitted a new shower hose today and fixed the leak on the Carver II hot water tank.  I feel like I have really achieved somthing today all for the princely sum of £6.95 (and a bit of swearing).


Nice one Barry, Its a good feeling when you fix something significant....Everything seems to involve swearing..The air was blue last night when I took the Carver Blown Air Heating unit out.
What was causing the leak? With mine it was an old seal between the heat exchanger and the water tank.

BTW as you have the same van as me, who do you use for European Recovery, I'm finding it difficult to get cover as the van is over 15 years old over 7 metress long and we possibly want to go for more than 90 days


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## barryd (Oct 5, 2009)

biggirafe said:


> Nice one Barry, Its a good feeling when you fix something significant....Everything seems to involve swearing..The air was blue last night when I took the Carver Blown Air Heating unit out.
> What was causing the leak? With mine it was an old seal between the heat exchanger and the water tank.
> 
> BTW as you have the same van as me, who do you use for European Recovery, I'm finding it difficult to get cover as the van is over 15 years old over 7 metress long and we possibly want to go for more than 90 days



Hi

I got some good advice off MHF from Chrisndeb.  Here is the link Leaking Cascade 2 water heater Forums

It was a leaking presure valve, exactly like Chris says in the thread.  Removed it and bunged it up with a good bolt and some washers!

We use safeguard for our insurance which has 365 days cover abroad.  It also includes European breakdown.  I assume its also 365 but it may not be I will have to read the small print.  Costs around £320 fully comp I think.  

Regards
BArry


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