Finally broke me cherry

[Trotter]

I've only gone 'n dun it. Yup! I've been away in Demi. I had three days in Anglesey. Great time, not exactly to script, but enjoyable never the less.
Not wanting to add too much weight, I put 40 lts of water in the tank before I left home. When Ifinally found my parking spot, I started to sort out the van (Demi). Not wanting to drink water out of the tank, I had 2 x 5 ltr of bottled water, so put the kettle on. No gas. I had turned the gas bottle on, checked the taps. Turned them 'tother way, still no gas. Back to locker, this time with reading glasses, and read the instructions, push in button for 5 seconds. Made tea. It was getting late, and chilly. Put heating on. No heating. Went through procedure as before, still nowt. Thank goodness Nikki had insisted I took extra blankets, She, by the way wasn't silly enough to come with me, I was flying solo. Just as well, 'cos the van was cold and the air was turning blue. I couldn't get the heating to run. It was getting dark, I'd eaten on the way, so wrap up well, track suit, hoodie and extra blankets, and hit the sack. Sort the heating tomorrow.

Sunday. Went through every thing again. Couldn't find a fault. Checked water level on the gauge, empty. No I put 40 lts in before I left home. I hadn't used any, so it's got to be there hasn't it. Right? I took the seat cushion out, took off the inspection panel, and inspected. Wrong! So where did forty litres of water go? Out of the drain plug and along the A5, that's where.
Sunday night was bl**y cold. I fixed the drain plug, it's something I will have to have another look at.

Monday. I'm not going to have another night like that. I'll find a garage, fill up with water, and hope it stays in. It did, and Monday night was one of the best night kip I've had for ages.
So, loads of problems, all sorted. And I thoroughly enjoyed my self. Apart from the froze nose.

Dadad

 

[Trotter]

Look at the whole excercise as a learning curve!

My learning curve was an arc, and steep at that :cool1:

 

[Clunegapyears]

Excellent. It will all become second nature ... after a while.

If you can, get on a meet. They are the BEST way to pick up nuggets of advice and the boss are sooo knowledgeable and generous with sharing.

 

[Nabsim]

Well done on getting away

What was the problem with your heating then? When we got away a couple of weekends ago I forgot hose and hadn't yet got watering can so I removed a pipe from in the garage, (wasn't sure what it was for) so I could fill bottles from a bucket and pour in to end of hose pushed in inlet. Spent about 20 minutes getting about 20 litres in the tank and thought that would do for testing water heating, hand washing etc.

Put everything back as it was and went inside mh and switched water heating and pump on, could hear pump going and thought something was amiss as it kept going. Water through taps initially then stopped. Switched all off and went to investigate and tank was empty, hmmmm

Opened the outside locker door that gives access to under the bed where the water tank, heating and water heater is and its all wet. Mop it all up and no sign of a leak then i notice some more dribbling through under end wall. Open up the garage locker door and water there, at this point I seem to recall the dealer saying that pipe (bit I had borrowed to get water into tank) can be used as an outside shower/dog wash etc. and the shut off valve was open

Could have been worse just a bit of mopping up then standing on step putting more water in so we could test everything haha

 

[oldish hippy]

bestway is to camp on ones driveway for first time then you can check and then if nothing works then come on here and test the brains of the forum

 

[Trotter]

bestway is to camp on ones driveway for first time then you can check and then if nothing works then come on here and test the brains of the forum

You haven't seen my drive. When I can manage to open the slide door, it's all I can do to stand upright. Okay, it's not the North Face of the Eiger, but pretty close.

Dadad

 

[Trotter]

Well done on getting away

What was the problem with your heating then?

Mainly the 40 ltrs of water that had dribbled out of the tank, somewhere along the M1, M6, M54 ,A5. Fixed, when I fixed the drain plug, and put some more water in.
My brain dosen't work over the weekend. Or any other time.

Dadad

 

[Nabsim]

Ah sorry, hadn't clicked it needed water as mine is blown air. Ah well you know what to look for next time anyway haha

It wasn't the drain valve had been opened due to winter drain down was it?

 

[alcam]

You haven't seen my drive. When I can manage to open the slide door, it's all I can do to stand upright. Okay, it's not the North Face of the Eiger, but pretty close.

Dadad

Apparently even the hippies on here have 'drives' and 'gardens' ! Posh fekkers

 

[Pauljenny]

Drive .... Garden... I DREAM of having a drive and garden.
All we have is a hole in't road.

We were lucky.

 

[oldish hippy]

Apparently even the hippies on here have 'drives' and 'gardens' ! Posh fekkers

no mine is parked on the road as the drive is to narrarow well not to narraow just cant get the swing to get it off and on have slept in my van when parked on the road do use it for a shower now and again as dont have on here as regards posh thanks for giving the wcampers a laught well those that know me by saying i posh lol fomc at that thought and expect few other did on reading that

ps we have two pothole in my road so raisse you bvy one hence iknow it raing cant see the splashes when cars sumberge and suddenly appear from the depths

 

[phillybarbour]

Can’t beat that first trip so much to remember.

 

[Deleted member 71750]

I thought I had done well on my first outing until I went to make something to eat. No tin opener! :scared: Managed anyway with the judicious use of a screwdriver

 

[alcam]

no mine is parked on the road as the drive is to narrarow well not to narraow just cant get the swing to get it off and on have slept in my van when parked on the road do use it for a shower now and again as dont have on here as regards posh thanks for giving the wcampers a laught well those that know me by saying i posh lol fomc at that thought and expect few other did on reading that

ps we have two pothole in my road so raisse you bvy one hence iknow it raing cant see the splashes when cars sumberge and suddenly appear from the depths

Not a dig at you . Just the presumption that we all have a drive . Somebody posted on here a while back about their garden ' but we all have to do it' .
There is a general assumption by some that we are all semi detached suburban Mr James's .
Maybe the majority are

 

[Pauljenny]

Our first night in the van was in the paddock of a tugger cousin. He'd suggested it so he could pass on a few tips.
Showed us how to level the van, hook up, empty the cassette and take on water.
They put on a splendid meal. We staggered back for our first ever sleep in the van.
5 minutes later, we were knocking on their door.

We'd forgotten to bring towels and a toilet roll .

 

[REC]

Our "first night in the new van"was spent in a hotel!!! Posted about it afterwards... no leisure battery in the van! Unable to stay near the dealer as had legal stuff to do the next day. So drove three hours away. No drive or garden at that point to park up on

 

[Trotter]

Our "first night in the new van"was spent in a hotel!!! Posted about it afterwards... no leisure battery in the van! Unable to stay near the dealer as had legal stuff to do the next day. So drove three hours away. No drive or garden at that point to park up on

Hi, :cheers: REC and Pauljenny, glad to know it's not just me. Maybe I got away with it lightly.