# 3 months in my van - 5000 miles -



## delicagirl (Aug 28, 2016)

Hi all   a few folks were texting me about my recent long trip  and have asked me to say a bit about it on the forum so….

I left Somerset on May 15, returned August 26th, and was away 105 days, during which I drove almost 5000 miles (the last 250 on a tow truck though!!). I spent just over £3k including £856 on fuel, and £381 on ferries, and an undisclosable sum on Donegal knitwear!! 

I wilded along the south coast of Wales for a few nights, then took a ferry from Pembroke to Rosslare. I meandered along the south and west coasts, into Westmeath to see cousins, back up to Galway Connemara Mayo and Donegal and into the North where i visited the lovely Trevskoda and his charming family. The ferry to Stranrae took me to Scotland where I wandered at will, unsuccessfully sun-seeking a lot of the time. I worked on the basis of going wherever I thought might be interesting and where there were tiny roads with little population, and to places that various folks here have recommended to me. Amazingly the time went by quickly and I adapted quickly and easily to ‘fulltime van life.’ Had my clutch not failed in the Lakes I would still be wilding for another three weeks. 

I daresay some other forum regulars will already know what follows, but maybe some newbies won’t.  

*WATER, SHOWERS, WASTE, RUBBISH*

My van has a shower and 180 litre water tank so I can travel for a while without worrying much. In Scotland, and England occasionally, I would go to a leisure centre for a ‘proper’ shower (£1.50) just for the luxury of a long shower and TWO shampoos AND a conditioning of my long hair! In Ireland I was never refused water, (I always asked,) even though the Irish Water Company is forcing every property onto metered supplies. I asked for water at a number of Irish camp sites when emptying waste etc, and several sites didn’t charge me. Others wanted 10 euros. Most garages would allow me to have water whilst I was buying fuel. Most harbours have taps and sometimes showers/laundrettes for visiting sailors. Harbour masters are usually willing to give you water. Tobermoray harbour has the cheapest best showers, laundrettes and toilets I found in Scotland and are open till 9.00pm 24/7. Rarely I used a public toilet to empty my cassette but always left it pristine.  I disposed of a fair amount of grey waste directly over drains in laybys.
In Eire the councils have started charging households for individual dustbin emptying, so very quickly almost all of the public waste bins were filling up Terribly Quickly at night-time,  so the majority of public bins were removed.!! Garages always have rubbish bins. 
Morrisons freezer bags are fabulous rubbish bags - they are like heavy duty carrier bags on a roll, can be hung up on their handles, are quite small, and can easily be disposed of in public toilets waste bins– they also take up almost no storage room in the van.

*LAUNDRY*

This ranged from £5 in a campsite laundrette, to £15 in Dungloe in Eire  and £17 in Elgin for a small service wash in a high street Laundry Service (OUCH!!). Goodness knows what the larger load would have cost! I came across several 24 hour self-service laundrettes at Eire garages which were very useful indeed. 

*CAMPSITES*

I only stayed at 4 camp sites - mainly because they were in such fabulous locations. I used Tyndrum site in Scotland to charge up my batteries  (16 hours did the trick!!) for the only time i needed hookup in 3 months.  The beautiful coastal camp site on Mull at Fidden just to the south of Fionnphort is stunning and only £8 a night for me. Castlerigg Farm Campsite in the Lakes has a fabulous set of facilities and a fantastic restaurant on site  -  £11 for a night with no hookup. 

*TREATS *

On two separate nights I treated myself to a BnB night for a’ luxury night’. I found one for 45 euros on Inch Island overlooking Loch Swilly in Eire.
I took quite a lot of dried foods/organic porridge oats/soya milk/ with me which I supplemented with locally bought fresh foods, and had meals out a few times each week. 
A train journey from Inverness to Wick (4 hours each way) costing £31 was the best days treat I had looking at the vast open landscapes and mountains. 

*LPG *

Was a real challenge to locate especially in Eire. Heggertys Garage, Muckross Road in Killarney are famous for their “its round in the back yard” LPG service. I didn’t use my fridge, so my 2 ring gas hob and gas fire consumption was fairly minimal. But if you use a fridge a lot, you  might need to research  LPG stockists more thoroughly than i did and in advance. Some larger camp sites stock LPG and are more than happy to sell it to you – Tralee Campsite near Oban for example. The database of LPG suppliers which I used was dreadfully out of date and several times I wasted a day driving and looking and phoning and getting nowhere. After that if I saw LPG anywhere I would fill up even if it only took 1 litre (thanks for that tip Roamingrog.)

*GROCERIES*

Aldi and Lidl are all over Eire and also in Scotland. However, once you get north of Inverness they are not so common.  
Spar shops are common in the smaller communities in northern Scotland and understandably due to  the transport costs are very expensive.

*PHONE SIGNALS *

My reception for phone calls in the wilds of Scotland was a darn sight better than in the country in England in my experience. I was able to text chums a great deal, and only had a few days without texting availability. 

*WIFI/INTERNE*T

I didn’t pay for a dongle or special data package or anything like that, and relied on COSTA/cafes etc or other outlets for www access. It certainly focused my mind on the tyrannny of the WWW!!!  I didn’t miss it, and relied on texting friends for communicating. I did have someone opening my mail weekly at home who texted/called me as necessary. I left her a number of pre-signed cheques to pay bills etc. 
*
ROADS  -  DISTANCES  -  SPEEDS*

I had only been to Scotland once before when I was a young teenager and had entirely forgotten how big a country it is. “Main roads” in the regions are quite often one lane wide, with passing places, so don’t expect to get anywhere that quickly in rural Scotland, but that’s all part of the charm, the slowing down, the relaxed approach to travel, the ability to enjoy the landscape without hurtling through it at 70mph. 

Some of the tiniest roads are seriously narrow and steep and definitely focus the mind, increase the blood pressure and challenge the concentration!!!!  Do take a map – the giant Yellow UK/Northern Ireland map available in most garages for £7.99 ish is good as it shows most of the tiniest roads. It also comes in a large print version – very handy.

My van is 4WD, has a solar panel and 3 leisure batteries. Yet in spite of the appalling amount of rain and lack of sunshine for the majority of my journey, I was forced onto hookup to recharge my batteries only twice. In Sutherland when my average speed was probably 10mph (so little battery charging took place), and with no sun either, I needed to monitor my batteries carefully with the multi meter. 

Only once did the lashing rain Really get to me, and I angrily put Paris into my satnav and set off on a very long drive indeed.  Five miles down the road, the landscape took my breath away – again - and I never did get to Paris! 

It would be far too long a post if I related all the places I went to, so here’s a few.

*Lovely Wee Places  in Eire* 

Ballaghnatrilick loop road near Mt Benbulbin in Sligo amazing mountains and views.
Cronins Tea Shop near Killarney at the foot of Eire’s tallest mountain Cahountill – great teas and  lovely walks
A huge Deserted Village (150+ houses)  on the slopes of Mount Slievemore on the north coast of Achill in Mayo – not a famine village though.
Eagles Rock, in the Burren, 
Kilmacduagh Churches and the 6 storey round tower – ancient beautiful monastic site -  near Gort
Sliabh Liag – allegedly the highest cliffs in Europe and very beautiful
Isle of Arranmore is tiny and really beautiful – but the tarmac has a habit of disappearing and reappearing a few miles down the track.
Horn Head has a SERIOUSLY steep hill to drive down – as do many of the Head roads.
Vegan cafe in Rathmullan - really fabulous food and artistic decoration.
In the Urris Hills is a steep road called the Mamore Gap – Urris declared itself an independent state in 1820’s (?) for 2 years to keep Customs men from closing down putcheen stills !!!!
Doagh Famine Village on Doagh Isle Donegal (its not a real island)  is well worth the 6 euros to get in - you can stay there all day, use the café and the beach at Trawbreaga Bay is stunning . It’s fascinatingly full of 500 years of Irish history.
All along the Eire west coast is a road signed as WWW - the wild atlantic way, and it follows the coast for 2000 miles, so navigating is easy if you like seaside locations.

*Lovely wee places in Scotland* 

Mount Beinn Bhreac on the Inverbeg Glen Douglas road up in the hills overlooking  Loch Lomond was beautiful as a WC overnight.
I used the facilities at a beautiful tiny CL campsite on the shore of Little Loch Broom.
I overnighted next to the cemetery at Sheigra on the coast where there is a free SSSI grassy campsite, and where the landscape is wonderful.
Lossiemouth Harbour Museum (£1.50 to get in) was really worth a visit and showed the Scottish fishing industry at its historic best – sadly there are no boats left in Lossie now.  There are two sea side car parks you can overnight in at Lossie - one on the east beach and one on the west beach - if one is wild and windy the other will be soothing and calm. There is a half decent café on one.
Loch Etive – a dead end road – is one of the most beautiful valleys I found – its off the Glencoe valley and I watched 20 deer for two nights at dusk for 2 hours – that was magic.
The Falkirk Wheel – stunning engineering and really beautiful, it’s a unique boat lifting device and has a balletic grace of its own – I spent hours there.
Gosford House at Longniddry(not far from Musselbrugh ) is an inhabited stately home only open for  few days a year and costs £6. It contains stunning Italian marble, Old Masters, Chippendale furniture, porcelain from all over the world, and only 16 visitors are allowed on one tour  - a truly unique wonderful experience.
Dunbar is a beautiful place and I over-nighted at the active fishing harbour – great cliff top walks, lovely leisure centre nearby, John Muir museum and lots of local small shops.  Watch out for the 3 seals who wait for the fishing boats for their meals!!!! Also there is a bridge to nowhere – but if you find it don’t go in the sea, there is a serious sewage issue.
Cove beach has a footpath down to it going through a tunnel in the cliffs 

Sutherland I adored – it’s wild, almost uninhabited, I drove for hours with no other traffic, on very narrow roads– but the mountains and lochs are worth the drive. Because I have a rubbish camera and it rained all the time my piccies were awful so I bought beautiful postcards of the area. 

*Interesting places in England*
Bamburgh castle on the Northumberland coast  - left me speechless with its beauty and grandeur.
Berwick on Tweed is full of history: fabulous architecture, massive city walls, 3 bridges and a Lowry trail – I loved it. On May 1st more than 200 horses ride the boundaries of England and Scotland and it’s a great carnival day out apparently.


I will go back to both Eire and Scotland - but probably off season, as August on Skye was a nightmare of too many vans and lots of rubbish, and i left after two nights - the weather was also grim. 

So, its odd being back and I have so many memories and reading my own blog will probably take a week or two now !!! 

Go where the fancy takes you – ts what wild vanning is all about.


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## jagmanx (Aug 28, 2016)

*Thanks*

We have also done a long trip (7000 miles nearly 4 months) to Scandinavia.
Full details will follow.

Your post and detail is of real interest to us so thankyou.

I suspect you LPG comments refer to "ready bottled" we have LPG "fixed and so need "Autogas fuelstations" but we can go 5 weeks between fillups.

We have a full width motorhome 6.5 m long so are a bit wary of narrow roads....Any thoughts please ?


Although we have travelled extensively in Scotland (including narrow roads) using the shorter crossing for one of the ferry crossings would also suit us.

Shame your journey was cut short (I read your post) just hope the repairs go well/cheaply


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## delicagirl (Aug 28, 2016)

jagmanx said:


> We have also done a long trip (7000 miles nearly 4 months) to Scandinavia.
> Full details will follow.
> 
> Your post and detail is of real interest to us so thankyou.
> ...



Thanks   for your kind comments...  i refer to LPG pumps at fuel stations  - i had GASIT installed last summer with an external filler cap and found that some major fuel stations no longer stock LPG/autogas. But - as you say  you can for sure find somewhere in 5 weeks !!!! 

RE size of van -  i came across several roads in Scotland which pre-warned you at junctions  of width restrictions and recommended maximum safe vehicle length at a specific  number of miles ahead - giving you the chance to re-route. My van fits most car parking slots, its not huge, so i always went down those, but i could see easily how a longer van would really struggle on certain bends.   

When i go back to the van later on i will collect my map book  back and then i can specify which roads were Seriously narrow - as i notate all my routes on the large map book i use.

I cannot retract my wing mirrors - they are fixed to rigid iron tubes - and i never had a serious damage issue - the glass came out once, but its back in there firmly  now thanks to Trevsoda's ministration !!  i have had small tree branches lodge into guttering more than once though !!


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## jagmanx (Aug 28, 2016)

*Thanks again*



delicagirl said:


> Thanks   for your kind comments...  i refer to autogas stations as i had GASIT installed last summer and found that some major fuel stations no longer stock autogas. But - as you say  you can for sure find somewhere in 5 weeks !!!!
> 
> RE size of van -  i came across several roads in Scotland which prewarned you at junctions  of width restrictions and recommended maximum safe vehicle length at a specific  number of miles ahead - giving you the chance to re-route. My van fits most car parking slots, its not huge, so i always went down those, but i could see easily how a longer van would really struggle on certain bends.
> 
> ...



1 Yes you have the same system as us (Gas-it) we have 2x11kg tanks so as you say no problem.

2 More concerned about narrow roads in Ireland. Length is not really the issue it is the width of the Van PLUS (as you) fixed wingmirrors and low flying branches.
Will stick to A roads and "sensible" B Roads
We are in Kent at the moment and some of their B roads are "interesting"


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## Amethyst (Aug 28, 2016)

hairydog said:


> I had an LPG car for several years, and have had an LPG bulk tank for the last five yeas or so. I haven't noticed many major fuel stations ever selling Autogas (which is a specific brand of LPG). However, there seems to be a fairly good spread of LPG stations, though the prices seem to vary quite a lot, even in a small area.
> 
> A lot of Morrisons filling stations sell LPG, including a new one that opened near here a year or two ago. I'm not convinced that numbers are falling significantly, if at all.
> 
> If you have an Android device, I suggest you try the (free) Fill LPG app. It depends on users to update prices, so it can be a little out of date, but it makes it easy to find the very many LPG stations there are around.



The only garage in Whitby has stopped selling it for some reason.


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## delicagirl (Aug 28, 2016)

Toothfairy on here downloaded some LPG data for me onto my satnav and some of that was out of date - but that's the nature of data - it changes.  I came across some garages on that database that definitely didn't stock it anymore.  Flogas is another trade name in Scotland for LPG.  One of the major chains of fuel stations  - I think its the Yellow one  (BP?)  -  seem to have more garage outlets selling LPG  in Scotland.

If anyone has an LPG supplier on their satnav at Lairg  - it does not exist !!!!


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## trevskoda (Aug 28, 2016)

May june aug sep is best for ireland as kids are at school and july is hols here and english come in aug.
Happy you got to dough island but most folk who come to donegal mis glenveigh park and dunluey centre with the best v/points and stop overs,ah well thers always next year.


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## delicagirl (Aug 28, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> May june aug sep is best for ireland as kids are at school and july is hols here and english come in aug.
> Happy you got to dough island but most folk who come to donegal mis glenveigh park and dunluey centre with the best v/points and stop overs,ah well thers always next year.



Hi Trev good to hear from you and I hope your maiden trip in your refurbed van was a great success.

I did indeed go to Glenveagh  national park - it was one of those days when I could not see my hand in front of me for rain ...  sadly I could see nothing - but I could tell it would be a magic place if the cloud lifted. As you say it will still be there next year.  I will finish uni in May next year so will probably have a longer autumnal trip back to eire and Scotland then and will pop in for another cuppa and craic then.


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## Deleted member 55059 (Aug 28, 2016)

What an excellent post Delicagirl - very inspiring!!!


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## delicagirl (Aug 29, 2016)

hairydog said:


> I had an LPG car for several years, and have had an LPG bulk tank for the last five yeas or so. I haven't noticed many major fuel stations ever selling Autogas (which is a specific brand of LPG). However, there seems to be a fairly good spread of LPG stations, though the prices seem to vary quite a lot, even in a small area.
> 
> A lot of Morrisons filling stations sell LPG, including a new one that opened near here a year or two ago. I'm not convinced that numbers are falling significantly, if at all.
> 
> If you have an Android device, I suggest you try the (free) Fill LPG app. It depends on users to update prices, so it can be a little out of date, but it makes it easy to find the very many LPG stations there are around.



Hi hairydog  -  i did not come across any Morrisons in Eire or Northern Ireland. Mostly if i asked at Eire petrol stations if they sold LPG, they would say "what's that?"

I asked at large Campervan repairers more than once if they knew where i could get LPG and they did know. 

But i never ran out of gas.


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## Polar Bear (Aug 29, 2016)

Sounds like you had a good trip Colette. Noticed you never divulged the gin bill?


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## delicagirl (Aug 29, 2016)

Polar Bear said:


> Sounds like you had a good trip Colette. Noticed you never divulged the gin bill?



 lol Wihelm !!!!  when i first bought the van i decided never to drink in it and i don't.  I do drink now and again at social events though. So not one drop of alcohol passed my lips on the whole journey - i bought some single malt in Scotland but haven't opened that as yet.

Some of the 25years +  single malts were an eye watering price though !! 

I'm off to my village fair now  -  and will return later to puzzle out as to why my battery charger shows a red power light when plugged into the house electrical sockets  but not when i plug it into an extension lead  and take it to the car.  (the extension lead works with other electrical appliances so its not the lead.)

I have now borrowed my neighbours extension cable and his is doing the same thing....   so its clearly something i am doing wrong and have not worked out yet. 

i have so missed the sun in the last 3 months  and its a grand day today - so i am  off to the fair


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## delicagirl (Aug 29, 2016)

DOH    - i just worked out the battery dilemma  - the sunlight is sooooo    bright   (the likes of which i have not seen since Killarney in May !!!)  that the light was on and the battery charger is working and so i am off to the fair.

Hairydog   -  Re LPG    -  when i get my satnav back i will look at the database which toothfairy downloaded for me and see what its called.  You are right about there being very few LPG outlets in Eire and a lot more in N.Ireland though.


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## delicagirl (Aug 29, 2016)

hairydog said:


> In my experience, the LPG POI files for satnavs are nothing like as good as Fill LPG, which is a user-updated online database.
> 
> FillLPG - LPG Station Finder – Android Apps on Google Play for Android
> 
> ...



hi hairy  -  how do i go about downloading it onto my satnav?   i have never done this.  i have a Garmin.


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## Wisewoman (Aug 29, 2016)

Thanks so much for sharing your adventures. I love reading about other peoples road trips, i find them very inspiring. 

I had a whale of a time in my van in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire recently, but only had 5 days. Me and van did nearly 400 miles together that week and I loved every minute of it. I am hoping to get to the Highlands in the next few months but I will probably only have a couple of weeks in which to do it. I was looking at 'North Coast 500' but think that may be a bit much for two weeks so going to stick to the West coast i think.

Thanks again for sharing!

Melissa


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## izwozral (Aug 29, 2016)

Welcome back Delicious, sounds like you had a blast although shame about the breakdown. Are you able to post some pics? Ditto on the LPG, get an app on your phone, much better than on your sat nav.


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## trevskoda (Aug 29, 2016)

Del is a smashing young girl and we had a good chinwag and so did my wife with her,hope to have the lass back next year,teapot on hold.


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## izwozral (Aug 29, 2016)

Trev you rotter, you were first in with the menage de troise. :mad2::mad2:


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## trevskoda (Aug 29, 2016)

izwozral said:


> Trev you rotter, you were first in with the menage de troise. :mad2::mad2:



Strange name for it.:lol-053:no chance my wife was watching anyway.:scared::lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:


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## izwozral (Aug 29, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Strange name for it.:lol-053:no chance my wife was watching anyway.:scared::lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:



I should hope so mate, unless you had another person present other than Delicious


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## delicagirl (Sep 1, 2016)

I will look forward to seeing Trev and Mary again next year. 

I am still looking through my blog for other interesting bits n bobs to include here, and thought I would amuse you by some of the "dumb" things I did whilst left solely in charge of a camper van with no forum to come to for help !! Permission to laugh is granted in advance....

Several times i had to sponge out my shower's grey water into a bowl  because it would not go down into the waste tank.  I'd quietly empty it into a ditch.  By the time I'd done all that I needed another flaming shower!!!   I finally twigged why the shower was not draining properly  ...   I had parked the van the wrong way !!!! 

Ok so next time I move on, i park the other way, so my shower begins to drain itself at last.  YES !!   A few days later its not draining again, and there's a bit of a nasty niff in the van.   So I text a mate who says "put bleach down there, and lots of water - drive it round for a lot of slishy-sloshy (I knew what he meant) then drain the waste tank."   So next time I shop I get bleach, and pour a whole bottle into the shower drain. I then get distracted, as is my habit....

A while later some nice Germans pitch up along side me and start cooking.  I am at the computer with the window open and soon think  "I hope they'll finish frying onions soon".  This goes on for some time, till I can hardly keep my eyes open - when it dawns on me they are eating and no longer cooking.  OMG   -  I'm only poisoning myself with chlorine gas as I forgot to dilute the bleach and its stinking the van to high heaven.  I then need to do a really quick scrabbling about to get water down the shower and sinks and open all windows and vents in double quick time.  Daft bat methinks.

Whilst on a harbour side, and waiting for a ferry to dock, it is wise to put the handbrake on, as most harbour-sides are not Actually Flat !!!!  

Leaving the tea and coffee kitchen locker door unlocked one day, meant I had a lot of picking up and sorting out of various bags, boxes and sachets when I finally parked up as they were strewn all over the van. 

Switching off the main power switch on my way to bed one night when it was still light was not a good idea.  In the middle of the night when requiring a bathroom visit, scrambling down from an un-laddered cab-top bunk was not easy in the pitch black. 

Deciding to drive 600 miles from Killarney to the North of Ireland for LPG  - made sense to me at the time  - until a local vanner I met told me I was  "expletively expletive" as there was a petrol station on Muckross road, Killarney which sold LPG 'round the back'. 

I store my clothes above the Cab in my double bed area in 8 plastic greengrocers tomato boxes (cos they stack and are the right height) and I labelled them with the type of contents.  The labels fell off, and I hadn't taken any more labels with me. So for half of the trip I pulled out at least 4 boxes every flaming time before I found the one I wanted.

Emergency equipment   -   when I desperately needed to quickly erect my red warning triangle to put out on the dual carriageway in the Lakes I could not work out how to put it together and keep it upright.....  I know  -  I know ...   a 4 year old could have done it.    So, moral of this...  I'll get the fire extinguisher out when i get the van back from the garage and see if I can teach myself how to use that.  The worst possible time to learn the basics is if there is a fire in progress. 

Don't leave your hose-tap connector anywhere other than in the van - certainly not out in the wilderness, never to be found again.    As a result I was reduced to using a watering can to fill the van -  but it did give me some pilates upper body strength exercises to do - so it wasn't all bad !!!

Finally  -  when the LPG pump stops filling the van and the pump says   "2"  - it actually means  2 litres  (so somewhere between £1-£1.50 to pay) - and not  £0.02p.  Mind you the young man at the fuel station also thought it was only £0.02 and didn't charge me !!!!!!!   

I daresay I will do some of these daft things again  -  but some of you may not do them for the first time - now you have read about my idiocies.


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## trevskoda (Sep 1, 2016)

Only you only you,well at least the mirrors stayed on.:lol-053::wave:


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## delicagirl (Sep 1, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Only you only you,well at least the mirrors stayed on.:lol-053::wave:



only after you  fixed 'em trev !!!  thank you


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## izwozral (Sep 1, 2016)

I am sure we have all done some of the same, Delicious. The most simplest of things can quite often be the most unfathomable - until you know how to do it!

Quite some giggle list:lol-053:


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## christine (Sep 1, 2016)

Wow, such an interesting and really informative, useful write up, delicagirl. Sounds like an amazing journey. 

This will be our first trip to Eire and Northern Ireland and one that was pushed on us, being a family wedding.Our normal route is head north (we already live north, in Cumbria) and keep going. Just love the wild camping in Scotland and hope to find similar across the water.Thanks for all the info.


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## jeanette (Sep 2, 2016)

delicagirl as have said before I wish we could meet you on our travels as it would be lovely to talk to you,and your post did put a smile on my face as some of those things you did that would definitely be us!! Loved reading it though and hope your van repairs are coming along quickly!!


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

hairydog said:


> You can't download it to a Garmin satnav.
> 
> You can install the app on an Android smartphone or tablet. You can look at the website with a computer, smartphone or tablet. Either way, you need an internet connection but are seeing current data.
> 
> You can't use it with a Garmin, but you can go to the website and download a POI file, which can in theory be loaded onto a Garmin, but Garmins are notoriously tricky to put POIs onto. You'll need to ask a Garmin user for help with that. Sorry.




Hi hairy  -  i am a tecchnophobe to say the least.  From what you have said its my understanding that  if i am out in the wilderness and have no access to wifi then i cannot use my smart phone for navigation -  have i got that right ?   (I don't have a dongle, nor any other way of accessing wifi other than to use COSTA etc and i am not going to pay £60 a month to my current provider for the occasional use of the internet, as i SOOOO did not miss the www whilst away.)


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## Beemer (Sep 2, 2016)

*Thank you*

Many thanks for you write up on your trip... very informative and interesting. 
I am just trying to work out what your vehicle is?   Your name infers that you have a Mitsubishi Delica 4X4, but with an over-cab bed?
I have been interested in the Delica for a few years now but not aware of a camper based one.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

Beemer said:


> Many thanks for you write up on your trip... very informative and interesting.
> I am just trying to work out what your vehicle is?   Your name infers that you have a Mitsubishi Delica 4X4, but with an over-cab bed?
> I have been interested in the Delica for a few years now but not aware of a camper based one.




There is a picture of my delica van (a J300)  on my profile.  Its quite rare, but you very occasionally see one in UK. It was imported from japan 3 years ago. lts 4WD and fully self contained..  i love it.

I don't take it to severe terrain places that the standard delica would go, as its height means its quite top heavy, but 4WD has got me out of sticky places more than once in forests and mountain tracks.

I have a solar panel and 4 batteries and so rarely need hookup.


I have just looked on gumtree and there are a variety of similar vans, although none identical to mine, for sale  - some by a dealer in Bristol  - don't buy from him - he is a rogue, and has changed his trading name yet again I see today.

there is a mitsubishi delica uk forum - cant remember the name at the moment


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

jeanette said:


> delicagirl as have said before I wish we could meet you on our travels as it would be lovely to talk to you,and your post did put a smile on my face as some of those things you did that would definitely be us!! Loved reading it though and hope your van repairs are coming along quickly!!




hi Jeanette  one of these days we certainly will....:drive:


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

some more bits n bobs from the notes I made on my map as I trawled round Scotland:-

Northwest  Highland 

A838 really is a beautiful road, to be driven slowly, (much of it only single track with passing places) and goes through a wondrous variety of landscapes. If you divert to the B801 Kinlochbervie road and continue to the bitter end you come to Sheigra  -  its almost on the coast, and there is a free camping site (SSSI) on the beach itself.

A838 just to the north of Laid is a tea shop/BnB/Campsite run by an eccentric Yorkshire man - café food is very cheap and basic but fresh - campsite has beautiful views and fairly reasonable prices. 

B869  - On the west coast and going south is an other B beautiful road, but a bit narrow here and there.  I stayed at Drumbeg one night - cant remember exactly where  - its not a big place.

Going south again   the Coigach area is very remote with small roads,  as is Cul Mor and Suilven areas  to the north.  Suilven mountain is one of the most staggeringly awesome mountains I came across - you can see it for miles and each angle that you view it from gives you a totally different shape, size and feel to it.   The only problem here is that the low speeds required for the road widths does not allow the alternator to generate much power for the batteries and if there is only a little sun, you may have to move nightly for a while. 

The B road From Lochinver going south was one of the ones that took me the longest to drive  - as I had to keep stopping to look and enjoy the pageantry of the world around me. I went all the way to Culnacraig (again tiny tiny roads) and one nighty I stayed way up in the hills - but at a stupid angle so would not recommend it to anyone else !!

Coming south again there is a lovely little CL campsite with decent facilities (excellent clean showers and toilets) on the south shore of Little Loch Broom - its close to Dundonnell.   Leaving Little Loch Broom and going south east, just before you turn left to go to Ullapool there is a large layby for overnighting which has a fab view all the way down to the valley floor to Ullapool.

Going east a bit  - the A836 (looks like a single lane with passing places on the map,  and it is, but there is so little traffic, and vision is good and the landscape is so vast that you can really build up speed here to re-charge the batteries.

In the north east there is a train from Wick and/or Thurso to Inverness which is a fabulous days outing. it takes you across landscape where there are no roads at all.

Whiskey  - if you want to find distilleries....   Charlestown of Aberlour is a good base - it's literally surrounded by them !!!   In Aberlour on the high street next to a tiny park and at the bus stop is a truly delightful old fashioned grocers/deli/chees/offi shop packed with goodies.  It sells whisky from all over Scotland and also stocks the  Whisky connoiseurs bible  (written by Jim Murray)which you can refer to.  You can buy smaller bottles of 10-25+ years of single malts at prices that wont break the bank.  Some of these 25years+ whiskeys are eye-wateringly expensive. There are also connoisseurs' visits to some distilleries where you can blend your own blends for a mere £125+ for half a day.

Inverness  -  you can park in the smaller railway stations north of inverness for free if you are a "rail user." If you are going south from here and are not in a hurry  leave the A82 for those who are and try the B852 instead  - very pretty.

Pitlochry has a fab chip shop run by Polish folks and a lot of lovely shops for those who are suffering from retail therapy deprivation by now. The Cashmere shop just past the chipper sells stunning Donegal knitwear and tweeds and cashmere.  He will post stuff home for you -  only ask him to do this after you have got him down in price !!!!

South west of Pitlochry and just past Aberfeldy you get to Weem -   there is a signpost for Castle Menzies - just off the track to the castle is a signposted  tree lined single lane with low overhanging branches  leading to a delightful picnic area in the forest, very quiet and tucked away and lovely walks from there.

Going west again  (sorry about all this dapping about north south east and west   -  you're clever folks you can follow me here.... )
Heading for Ardnamurchan (which I never got to but hope to go next year) -  having taken the tiny ferry over to Ardgour  (west of Glencoe) onto the A861 (single track A road) I then diverted left onto  B8043 - my notation on the map at this point simply says  "shockingly narrow road" - indeed it was, and I encountered no other vehicles, thank the lord harry, had I done so it would have been MOST interesting.  I suspect some larger vans could have serious wing mirror damage on parts of this sea-cliff route. But I did make it to Lochaline and then took the  ferry over to Mull.  The alternative is the A884 which is beautiful also but not as narrow.

Mull - I loved Mull -  my first few nights were at Lochbuie (dead end) at the old post office and honesty grocery shop which sold Fruit of the Loom "I Love Mull" tee shirts for £10 - very cheap by Scottish standards.  From here you can walk up mountains,or along the coast for a couple of miles or a few yards to the Castle at Moy.  There is also a standing stone circle not far away but I wimped out due to the depth of the mud to get there !!!!   I stayed a couple of nights at the camp site at Fidden Farm on the north coast of Mull  £8 a night it cost me on my own, but they charge per person. They have good showers  -  but there are only 2 of them as they have a private water supply, as do many small communities in Scotland so please don't abuse their precious water.)

Perth  - I loved Perth -  fabulous Red sand stone architecture, wide streets, lovely feel to it.  South west is Doune which is very pretty and ancient and has a few fab tea/cake shops. 

Aberdeen  -  the granite city  -  grey  -  grey  - more grey  - sorry if anyone loves it - I drove in and drove out again.

Rannoch moor  - what an amazing landscape  - when i was there in bad weather (which is what  the Scots call  "dreecht weather") the man v nature battle will clearly be won by nature. But looking at some of the postcards available in shops, using photos taken in good light, I could see how stunning a place it is. 

The West Highland Way walkers will often stop at Tyndrum camp site  - the site name is all about trees  - maybe Pine ?  - but I think there is only one campsite here.  It is BEAUTIFULLY clean with every facility you could want, and run by a great couple. I stayed there a couple of nights to write and recharge batteries on mains, as I had spent too long with no sun and no decent roads to drive on.

East again  -  east of Edinburgh and on the A198 is Dirleton (next to a famous golf course) where there is a lovely Walled garden which is being restored by women gardners. At present they grow food for the fabulous café on site and have  10 year plan for this ancient garden.  They have created walks in the grounds comprising several tableaux of home made willow sculptures which adults and children will love  - flat walking on decent paths for those with difficulties, and I think wheel chair friendly also.   Leaving here along the coast is North Berwick and The Law volcanic Hill which is well worth the climb for the views along the channel. It has a gigantic whale jaw bone erected on the top of the hill  - if you spotted  this ahead of you in the ocean you'd more than likely die of a heart attack let alone waiting to be eaten by it !!!!  

Dunbar  - I loved it  - see earlier post.

Similarly Berwick on Tweed  ....   adored it - this is the only time I parked "naughtily" overnight.  Next to the castle car park (close to the city gate) is a large grassy overspill FREE parking area, and some of the walls have wee niches which will hide you from all but the most determined eyes.  Several cars were parked in the large car park overnight - in spite of no overnighting signs.  I casually pretended I'd just arrived......

Cairngorms  -  I drove through here twice in such foul weather that I saw nowt and drove on -  hopefully next year.

Whenever I get my Irish map book back from the van I will do another post about Ireland....    Enjoy


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## Canalsman (Sep 2, 2016)

A couple of times you've made the deduction that slow driving doesn't charge the batteries.

That isn't true. The alternator output is related to engine speed, not road speed, and on slower roads you use lower gears that keep the engine speed up.

Finally, an alternator produces useful charging even with the engine idling. They are geared to run faster than engine speed to make them more effective.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

thanks for that. I measured my batteries most days with a multi meter and drove when they dropped below 12.4. I found a difference in the charge achieved after a days good  driving as opposed to either switching the engine on to idle, or driving very slowly on narrow roads.   On both occasions that I used artificial chargers to re-charge my batteries the readings on all 4 batteries went up to 13 volts - so there is nothing wrong with the batteries  as far as I can see.  When I have measured the batteries with the engine on the reading is always 12.9-13.25.

My van is still a puzzle and I suspect the solar panel installers were not the best, and on my 'to do' list  I plan to have the electrics/solar panels/split charging system checked by a knowledgeable van electrician.

I don't do wifi when I am out (and so rarely do email either) and I don't know how to identify coordinates for places I have recommended, so all I can do is describe their location as I have in this post - my apologies if this is not how you would like it.


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## Canalsman (Sep 2, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> thanks for that. I measured my batteries most days with a multi meter and drove when they dropped below 12.4. I found a difference in the charge achieved after a days good  driving as opposed to either switching the engine on to idle, or driving very slowly on narrow roads.   On both occasions that I used artificial chargers to re-charge my batteries the readings on all 4 batteries went up to 13 volts - so there is nothing wrong with the batteries  as far as I can see.  When I have measured the batteries with the engine on the reading is always 12.9-13.25.
> 
> My van is still a puzzle and I suspect the solar panel installers were not the best, and on my 'to do' list  I plan to have the electrics/solar panels/split charging system checked by a knowledgeable van electrician.
> 
> I don't do wifi when I am out (and so rarely do email either) and I don't know how to identify coordinates for places I have recommended, so all I can do is describe their location as I have in this post - my apologies if this is not how you would like it.



Duration of journey will make a difference. Clearly a 'days good driving' will put in more charge than a shorter duration journey on slower roads. Perhaps that's where the difference lies?

If you go to a meet that Phil (Admin) is attending you might ask him, very sweetly, to review your charging system. He has helped other members, and is a qualified electrician. (Sorry Phil ...)

Do you have a smartphone? (Just reread your posts and you do.) If so, if you enable the camera to record the GPS location of pictures, then you could take pictures of your stopping spots from which the location can be extracted ...


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

POI Admin said:


> Duration of journey will make a difference. Clearly a 'days good driving' will put in more charge than a shorter duration journey on slower roads. Perhaps that's where the difference lies?
> 
> If you go to a meet that Phil (Admin) is attending you might ask him, very sweetly, to review your charging system. He has helped other members, and is a qualified electrician. (Sorry Phil ...)
> 
> Do you have a smartphone? (Just reread your posts and you do.) If so, if you enable the camera to record the GPS location of pictures, then you could take pictures of your stopping spots from which the location can be extracted ...




Thank you for this useful info  -  I had no idea Phil was a sparks as well as .x .. y ..and  z ...  what a multi-skilled chap he is !!

Re driving speeds  - I have given this a lot of thought and in Sutherland in particular, where my batteries were at their lowest, my driving days rarely got me above 25mph, and often as low as 10mph for long periods, because  I always stop to let the other driver come  through at a  passing places, so my van is constantly stopping and starting.  (This stopping lark is not entirely philanthropic - it means I can admire the landscape while waiting !!!!!)   My gut instinct from last years long jaunt (9 weeks)  is that if we had had more sun, I would not have had to move on as often.  

I am considering getting another solar panel fitted, but not before I have someone knowledgeable, like Phil, give me their opinion as to the efficiency, or otherwise, of my current system. 

Smartphone  - after 2 years - I am still struggling with it - my camera phone is broken, and only takes the blurriest of photos,  as apparently the lens  got damaged in my bag.  Even if I could take photos, (I prefer a camera anyways) I would have no idea how to attach them to an email to send it you, and since I don't have wifi, and don't want it, I don't know how I would send you an email.   I know this sounds terribly negative, I don't mean it to. But I don't want to spend ages learning a technology that I will rarely use and which will frustrate the hell out of me to learn. 

My phone allows me to call and text friends, to go to a COSTA now and again and do a bit of email reading, or banking, and as a real treat, once a week in the van I play mah-jong on it  -   that is all I want from it - I know I'm a luddite.   C'est la vie.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

I have just been trying to put some photos up on here....    another challenge....   I have not been successful yet, but will give it another go tomorrow.


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## trevskoda (Sep 2, 2016)

Hi girl please dont do banking on open wifi spots as the papers are full of how the street rats get all your info and drain your bank acc,when i read it gosh how easy it was to obtain passwords and date of birth and from it gain bank info.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Hi girl please dont do banking on open wifi spots as the papers are full of how the street rats get all your info and drain your bank acc,when i read it gosh how easy it was to obtain passwords and date of birth and from it gain bank info.




Hi Trev  - many thanks for your concerns for me.   This is what I put on a thread a day or two ago


" i know many people fear internet banking in case of scamsters, but i have been doing it for many many years and have never ever had an issue with any of my banks' websites security. The amount of security information i need to input before i am allowed access to my accounts is huge and the questions i have to answer change every single time i use the computer, so i think its as fail safe as anything can be.

 However, i Almost lost £2k on paypal - but the banking system is so cleverly designed to recognise unusual transactions that i got a call asking me if i was really wanting to buy £2k of fishing equipment in Hanover !!! The money took a while to get back, but i got it back. "

So I reckon that even if someone is sitting next to me and picks up the data I input on that occasion, and tries to use it again the combination of data i used when sat next to them will never work again.  Most internet external accesses to bank accounts these days need some sort of device to activate access   - key/calculator type thing -  which again, changes its codings every time its used.  So I am confident in those also.   I do try to not sit next to anyone when doing banking.  I do it on my smart phone and anyone who has such good eyesight to read my phone without touching me, must have super human eye sight !!

EVEN if someone tries to drain my accounts the banks will ring me before the withdrawal can take place and ask if this is indeed a transaction I am agreeing to - their security is quite good.  I have never personally heard of anyone who has lost money - although there are stories in the media.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

WOW I seem to have learnt how to do this !!!!!!    This is a piccie of poor wee van on its last leg of my 5000 mile journey.



This is a picture of a Wide load"  - in a tiny lane in Scotland.  The police were accompanying the final movement of a windmill farm infrastructure  - BLINKING heck it was big....... to its final construction.


ok  I give in....   I turned this picture round about 6 times in my PC pictures library and every time I post it here its turned back again   -  ok  it's me being queenly in Bamburgh Castle


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## Canalsman (Sep 2, 2016)

Final thought on location logging ...

Most sat nav's allow you to record places as, for example, favourites so you can go back there. Your Garmin may be able to do that. If later you look back at the entries it creates, it will give you the latitude and longitude as well in probability.


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## delicagirl (Sep 2, 2016)

POI Admin said:


> Final thought on location logging ...
> 
> Most sat nav's allow you to record places as, for example, favourites so you can go back there. Your Garmin may be able to do that. If later you look back at the entries it creates, it will give you the latitude and longitude as well in probability.




I have indeed been able to record some favourite places, so when I next look at them, I'll remember your suggestion and look out for the coordinates it supplies.    

Thanks


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## mark61 (Sep 3, 2016)

Alan would have that truck converted to a MH in no time.


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## delicagirl (Sep 3, 2016)

mark61 said:


> Alan would have that truck converted to a MH in no time.




He'd have a job parking it !!!!     There were three of these long loads  -  two were the parts of the upright vertical column of each windmill and one was one of the propellor blades from the windmill itself.  The police had a complex job to stop traffic over a wide area of small lanes while they went through because there were so few passing places which could hold a number of vehicles.    It must have been an interesting job to plan the route.  This convoy took nearly 5 minutes to pass by as they were moving quite slowly.


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2016)

Thanks for an interesting read Collette, the app fill plg is available from the app store and best seen on a tablet as it has a large screen you can scroll around, once loaded you no longer need an internet connection. you can also download Mahjong to play any time you like, again no connection needed. I find a tablet just the job and use mine as a kindle for my books as well and being backlit can be read at night without the light on. You are not too far away from me if you need electrical issues looked at. Happy travels I look forward to the Eire blog.


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## delicagirl (Sep 3, 2016)

a rather handsome chap i met on my travels in Flodden  who was about to guide a coach full of of Dressing-up-fans   (oops  Re-enactment society members) around the Flodden area battle sites  -  the monument to the dead is in the background.



At the top of the Law volcanic hill east of Edinburgh on the first sunny day I had seen in over a month..  no wonder I'm smiling - along with the apt slogan on the monument !!


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## jeanette (Sep 3, 2016)

When we were staying in a layby just outside of fort William a few of them past delicagirl and they took ages to pass as they were massive and going so slow,


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## vwalan (Sep 3, 2016)

mark61 said:


> Alan would have that truck converted to a MH in no time.



looking at thse picks it would make a good camper to be shown on you tube . ha ha


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## Polar Bear (Sep 3, 2016)

Hi Collette, 

Thanks for the interesting, well-written recollections. Looks like the course has been well worth doing. You should smash the finals.
My IPhone has a compass app. In it you can easily find lat and long.

The easiest way of getting your head around the amount of charge that comes from an alternator is to consider that it is directly related to how many times it goes around.


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## runnach (Sep 3, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> [
> View attachment 46207
> 
> At the top of the Law volcanic hill east of Edinburgh on the first sunny day I had seen in over a month..  no wonder I'm smiling - along with the apt slogan on the monument !!



I am just a simple lad from Yorkshire but sort of translates into latin as Carpe Diem ? Seize the moment ...close enough. a well written account of your travels. Your blog engages the reader and keeps them interested I suppose is the point ...I agree with Polar Bear, your writing style is effective keeps us engaged and wanting to know more.

Big well done too a lady travelling solo I imagine can be scary, But you nailed it lass. good for you 

Channa


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## trevskoda (Sep 3, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> Hi Trev  - many thanks for your concerns for me.   This is what I put on a thread a day or two ago
> 
> 
> " i know many people fear internet banking in case of scamsters, but i have been doing it for many many years and have never ever had an issue with any of my banks' websites security. The amount of security information i need to input before i am allowed access to my accounts is huge and the questions i have to answer change every single time i use the computer, so i think its as fail safe as anything can be.
> ...



Thats true but they can get credit card details,they dont need to see what your typing what they do is use a program which monitors your key strokes and from that they get passwords and then date of birth,they then build a profile on you from which they can clean you out.gloria honeyford and eamon holmes the n/ireland tv presenters had it done to them and i think gloria is going to do a program on it soon.


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## trevskoda (Sep 3, 2016)

Yep the whole thing has been fab and i wish i could wright like you ,but then you are well schooled.


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## Deleted member 27480 (Sep 3, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Thats true but they can get credit card details,they dont need to see what your typing what they do is use a program which monitors your key strokes and from that they get passwords and then date of birth,they then build a profile on you from which they can clean you out.gloria honeyford and eamon holmes the n/ireland tv presenters had it done to them and i think gloria is going to do a program on it soon.



I advise using a VPN service which will encrypt everything while using the internet. It can slow your connection but it is well worth doing. An added bonus is fooling iPlayer with a British IP address while abroad. See Virtual private network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Canalsman (Sep 4, 2016)

Polar Bear said:


> My IPhone has a compass app. In it you can easily find lat and long.



In the Android world, such as Delicagirl's, I use this app which is excellent:

GPS Status & Toolbox - Android Apps on Google Play

Just share your position via email to POI@wildcamping.co.uk

Job done


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## trevskoda (Sep 4, 2016)

britcoms said:


> I advise using a VPN service which will encrypt everything while using the internet. It can slow your connection but it is well worth doing. An added bonus is fooling iPlayer with a British IP address while abroad. See Virtual private network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Everything can be encrypted under linux and i also have my ip add hidden but not so easy with android or windows which most folk use on tabs and phones.


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## delicagirl (Sep 5, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Thats true but they can get credit card details,they dont need to see what your typing what they do is use a program which monitors your key strokes and from that they get passwords and then *date of birth*,they then build a profile on you from which they can clean you out.gloria honeyford and eamon holmes the n/ireland tv presenters had it done to them and i think gloria is going to do a program on it soon.




Ah  -  i see.....    well its quite handy then that i never put my DOB on forums/Facebook etc   -  only a few VERY good friends now how old i really am !!!!   if i have to put DOB on a site i will make one up !!!


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## trevskoda (Sep 5, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> Ah  -  i see.....    well its quite handy then that i never put my DOB on forums/Facebook etc   -  only a few VERY good friends now how old i really am !!!!   if i have to put DOB on a site i will make one up !!!



Thats a good idea and along with other things should keep them squirming for a while.


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## Purplesu (Sep 5, 2016)

*Wow!*

Amazing and inspiring! I am a fan already!

(great info too!)


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## delicagirl (Sep 6, 2016)

Good news on the van - it only needs a new slave cylinder and the parts are on order !!!   Because i met a real Delica fan in Scotland  -  (who incidentally gave me a bash-plate and new rear seatbelts for nothing!!)  he gave me the exact model of my van,  so now the parts are so much easier to order.  I'll be up and running very soon !! 

i CAN go to the overland show now in Stratford on avon  !!!!


i have also found a local public weighbridge for £4 a pop  near  Frome   -   Western SkipHire BA11 3PH if anyone else wants a weigh.     They charge  £4 cant be bad. Once the repairs are finished  next week i'll take it for a weigh it as it will be empty except for some diesel.  I'm also going to measure my water tanks and see if i can get to the bottom of exactly how much water they can store.


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## delicagirl (Sep 8, 2016)

Got my van back  good as new !!! 

 I am off to weigh bridge tomorrow - so we can have a forum bicker about van-weight and water-weight   -  we all need a good discussion -  the forum has been  FAR too  quiet lately  :lol-053:


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## izwozral (Sep 9, 2016)

Great news on the van Delicious, it's always a relief when it's a £2 job instead of a £5 job.

The best way to measure your water tank is to measure the holding capacity of an egg cup, use the said egg cup to fill the tank counting backwards from 6,734 with each fill, whilst listening to Teach Yourself Mongolian tapes.

Works every time for me.


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## mark61 (Sep 9, 2016)

Pfffft, no one uses an egg cup these days, you'll be needing a Costa coffee cup, regular, no sugar. Thanks


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## Nesting Zombie (Sep 9, 2016)

Great News about your van, Such a result Always puts a smile on my face.
Good luck in the weighbridge, I've had a HELL of a battle with the weight on my vehicle over the last 6months or so, ALWAYS on the heavy side. So I thought Stuff this & just Up rated it from 4000kg to 4500kg !
Means I can carry more Donuts n Shortbread !


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