Just back from our four night post Christmas trip to the Lake District to meet friends for New Year. The Lakes were beautiful as ever, despite the heavy weather. We took in Windermere (Low Wray campsite), Wastwater (stayed at Wasdale Head on the green), Loweswater, Crummock Water and Buttermere, and Coniston Water.
We didn’t need the heater, although the cab heating got good use drying wet clothes on the road. We are well used to winter tent camping so layered up when it got a bit frosty, still an occasional blast of hot air would be nice at either end of the day. The plan is to dismantle the heater and send it to Propex at some point.
The leisure battery is defiantly refusing to charge properly. It appears to be gaining enough each day after a run to suggest something is getting through as we could always run a light or two although by the third day, the water pump was too much. As it happened this wasn’t a major problem but it needs sorting. Auto electrics are a bit of a mystery to me so its going to be a learning curve..
Hot water wasn’t required beyond making hot drinks on the hob.
The van didn’t miss a beat, we trundled along the motorway at around 55mph and managed to take in the passes at Honister, Wrynose and Hardknott. The 1 in 3 hairpins were exciting in first gear and things rattling and sliding about in the back. We were grateful to avoid a hill start at such a gradient; a cool head and a fair bit of patience with the gearchange were required. I confess there was a small celebration at the summit of each pass. My calculations are still suggesting mid twenties mpg, I must be really slow.
Aside from a lot of petrol, Rudolph only needed a precautionary half litre oil top up; getting the cap off the oil ‘orifice’ took a bit of head scratching. A bit of WD40 seems to have rejuvenated the driver’s door lock.
We are getting to grips with actually living in the van, setting stuff up and managing four pairs of muddy footwear, wet coats and kids who don’t want to go outside. I did break the front support for the middle section of double bed, another thing on the list..
A successful trip and a great start to 2017.
Rudolph the Talbot 