I`m Back!!

So, June and apart from a brief weekend "out" in May, most of 2013 has seen me tucked up at MRH Motors, but I am now back! 

So, bottom half bodywork now sorted, a service and polish and ready to hit the highways and byways!

 End of June off to Wales, July Dorset for a week touring and also Warwick Folk Festival..... lets hope we get some sunshine so i can show of my new paint work!  

A new Daisy?

So, 27th March, the MOT..... to be honest, we are hoping that there should not be too much amiss(!), but we have rather let the body work "go". Daisy had a "DIY" body refurb. some years ago, (before our ownership) but the fact it was a "DIY" job is now only too visible, with the filler used in the doors cracking, and all four wheel arches showing the results of a filler/weld combination!

So, we have decided that, bracing ourselves for a "fail" on the bodywork aspect of the MOT, (the rear inner valence has all but rotted away!) to get the "bottom" half sorted and send to the body-shop! Wheel arches, inner and outer, doors cut and patched, rear inner valance.... all topped off with a new coat of paint........

We are also taking the opportunity to have a small sort of the inside, with a little TLC on the interior units, these have never been great, with screws that are too long, "lids" that don`t fully open etc....

The whole "project" is too take four weeks or so... so we are hoping to have a better looking Daisy for the Summer... and beyond!      

But, this will just be the start, the plan will be to complete with a top half respray next year... but with several more items on the "to do" list - top is a new wiring loom... but we will need to get passed the bodywork "bill" before we think about more!  

Dub Freeze 2013

Dub Freeze, as so close to us we thought it would be rude not to pay a visit, (to be honest we have been promising to visit this and the "sister" show Bus Freeze for a while..... but something always crops up) so we downed tools on the MG pre-MOT work and took a drive over. A frosty start, and fog on route but what a great morning. Amazed by the amount of campers, is in those hardy souls camping over, we headed for the entrance, but the large queue gave us an excuse to view the "for sale" and general car park, with some great cars, vans, campers and Buggys. Its fair to say you could have spent 1/2 a day wondering the car park as there were some great examples, from "rat" look to "concours" and everything in between!    

The show itself, great, retail, auto-jumble, "show n shine"...... it was nice to see some parts of interest, chat about wiring looms, yeap another job that we need to address!, look at some interior ideas,  and generally immerse yourself in all that is VW!

This guy seems to have taken some good photos... Tom Cash .....and Hayburner looks to be a great magazine... that is FREE! All in all a great trip and we will be back for sure for Bus Freeze.

Exhaust all sorted.......

And with great thanks to Jonny Java and all at VWJava Daisy is back on the road....... but with the MOT on the horizon, for how long!

It was an engine "out" job, so the opportunity was taken and new CV and Axle boots where fitted, the old had split, and also a leaking oil seal on the flywheel changed as these were "easy" to do with the unit out. It seems it was not a straightforward job, (are they ever?) and several "adjustments" where needed, including a new accelerator cable as the old one was not "right", and some "messing" with the seating of the carb., as the new manifold dictated so.    

She seems to be running fine now, but Jon did point out some "little" things that need attention, most we are aware of, some not so, but taking these, or the cost of them, if we got them all done tomorrow, then we think that Daisy would be worth more than what we would have spent........................ But owning a camper is not about that, its about the experience... the fun, the freedom Taking what it has cost us to keep on the road, against what we would have spent per night on accommodation alone see`s in the "black".... but add the things we have done, the places we have been that we would not have without Daisy...... there is no value to be placed on these!      

Exhaust continues......

.........and so it seems at some point, and to some degree, Daisy has some Beetle parts!

The exhaust issue stems from the fact we have an "early" Beetle twin pipe manifold, these pipes are used to preheat the fuel, so easy to solve.... Well we could source an suitable exhaust, but this would then need work, welding etc..... or, we take the plunge now and change the manifold, so going forward we are as we should be. Either case means the cost  of a simple exhaust change has rocketed, with the on cost of the manifold and also garagee costs as the work as gone beyond my current skill / comfort levels!

New Inlet required!

Exhausting......

Well, it happened at last, the exhaust has given up!

A new one is ordered and we are looking forward to a weekend of spanner work and swearing at rusted bolts!

It was all going well, the old unit off in under 1 1/2 hours, not too bad considering the state of the bolts etc... and then i noticed a small difference, the "inlets" are different! the old unit has two each side... the new one just one! ....the wrong exhaust! ..... oh s**t.

Trying to get the old exhaust back on and Daisy running was fun, and we now have a very noisy van! 

Old unit off... with ease!

New unit ready to go..

Opps... spot the difference!

Two pipes from/to the inlet manifold..... "should" only be one?!?!?

Winter woes......

Hat, Scarf, Gloves.... fleece.... coat(s) all in an effort to keep warm, so far in the cold spell we have not done too bad, taking it steady, the narrow tyres cutting throw the snow and ice well, with only one "moment" when a "white van man" decided he was going to pull out on us.....

We have had a frozen door lock, which we didnt help by pouring hot water to free, not thinking that the nice hot water would freeze as we drove along causing a well and truly locked door! we live and learn!

Bring on the Spring!      

Cold Spell...

Brrrrrrrrr....... driving in the cold and snow is never fun, in a van with no, ok little heating is just that little bit more of challenge!, and when "air" cooled..... just that bit more!

Often frozen inside, always out, you need to get moving to get what heating system there is working!, most days this takes around two miles, just in time for the first island, its all part of the "camper" experience after all and we learn to take it our stride, but next time your sat, all snug and warm driving along, spare us a little thought!    

Pitch Safe

We have to be honest, and so its never happen to us, but we often thought that once you`ve found your pitch, but then want to go out, how do you stop anyone taking the pitch?. Ok we have normally got a tent as well, but thought we would get something made to mark our spot!

Vista print came up trumps with this - and it was free due to an "online" offer!  

Camper Mart

We dont attend many VW / Camper "shows", but thought we would pop to Camper Mart, and see what we thought, and well, it was worth it, a couple of good contacts made and managed to pick up a set of hubcaps for a fiver!, the best of these will mean we have an ok set on Daisy, and will maybe see if we can sort the others out and get sprayed as a spare. We also splashed some cash, £7.00, on a Retro Suitcase to add some Campervanchic!  

New Year 2012/13

So, to finish 2012 and start 2013, we headed off on a small "road trip", down to Taunton and staying over at Quantock Orchard, a small site about 7 miles out of town. 

2013, and after a New Year Brew, we set off to Lyme Regis, somehow getting lost!, and needing to return northbound on the M5 for a while. Lyme was rammed and very busy, but the sun was out and a little swim in a chilly sea was a great way to start the New Year!

Before we set out for home we called in at Seatown, had a brew and some chocolate with a wave dodging walk... a great couple of days and way to see out one year and another in! 

Quantock Orchard 

Lyme Regis (car park)

Seatown.... we love Seatown!