No sooner have we got the vehicle home, than he's gone again. After the issues with it starting, we knew we needed a new battery, so Jonathan was tasked with fitting it. A phone conversation with my Dad, some wooden tools from the kids tool box (don't ask!) and a lot of sparks later, and the new battery was in.
Jonathan then drove it a few miles down the road to a local VW specialist garage (on the reasoning that they would be more likely to know their way around an old engine than the average dealership) to have a good going over and an MOT.
Jonathan seems to be catching at least a little of my enthusiasm for this quirky old thing - the garage, on the other hand, told me in no uncertain terms that I am clearly mad!
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Monday 17 September 2012
An entertaining journey
We went over to Norwich this afternoon and picked up our new vehicle. I was really nervous as it is the first time Jonathan has seen it - and seen what his crazy wife has really done! First impressions weren't helped by the fact that it didn't start... His face was a picture! However, with a set of jump leads, a bit of tinkering and a spare battery, the engine growled into life.
Dan was all happy, so we handed over a pile of cash in a brown envelope to the tattooed man in the lock-up... and hoped for the best!
The journey home was slow, heavy going and a lot of fun! I was following behind in the car with the children, and Jonathan was getting a lot of good reactions from other motorists! We needed to fill the ambulance up with petrol, but since it had been so difficult to get it started, we dodn't want to risk turning the engine off, so I had to go and fill a can up and then take it to Jonathan, who was sitting at the edge of the forecourt with the engine running. Dan had followed us that far, and then made his way home, leaving us to make the cross-county journey by ourselves.
Dan was all happy, so we handed over a pile of cash in a brown envelope to the tattooed man in the lock-up... and hoped for the best!
The journey home was slow, heavy going and a lot of fun! I was following behind in the car with the children, and Jonathan was getting a lot of good reactions from other motorists! We needed to fill the ambulance up with petrol, but since it had been so difficult to get it started, we dodn't want to risk turning the engine off, so I had to go and fill a can up and then take it to Jonathan, who was sitting at the edge of the forecourt with the engine running. Dan had followed us that far, and then made his way home, leaving us to make the cross-county journey by ourselves.
Friday 14 September 2012
Nitty gritty
There have been various negotiations going on back and forth over the past few days, but it seems things are coming together. Reuben has agreed to finish replacing the broken windows, but we'll still need to get a MOT somewhere else.
I've organised the insurance, and also spoken to the DVLA. Apparently it needs to be officially classified as a campervan, but the man I spoke to was very helpful and led me to believe that this isn't a difficult process. Once the majority of the work has been done, and there are clearly functional beds and a stove and sink, we can send them detailed photos to apply for the change of status.
I've been doing a bit of research into seatbelt law too - or at least have been trying to. It seems there's quite a grey area when it comes to conversions of heritage vehicles. However, no matter what the law says, we know that we want seatbelts to keep the children safe.
I'd never really thought it through, but side-facing seats are really unsafe and can't have seatbelts, so I'm going to have to come up with a layout that avoids these.
So - we've got to the stage of agreeing to go and pick it up on Monday. Our good friend Dan is going to meet us there and have a look over it before we part with the cash...
I've organised the insurance, and also spoken to the DVLA. Apparently it needs to be officially classified as a campervan, but the man I spoke to was very helpful and led me to believe that this isn't a difficult process. Once the majority of the work has been done, and there are clearly functional beds and a stove and sink, we can send them detailed photos to apply for the change of status.
I've been doing a bit of research into seatbelt law too - or at least have been trying to. It seems there's quite a grey area when it comes to conversions of heritage vehicles. However, no matter what the law says, we know that we want seatbelts to keep the children safe.
I'd never really thought it through, but side-facing seats are really unsafe and can't have seatbelts, so I'm going to have to come up with a layout that avoids these.
So - we've got to the stage of agreeing to go and pick it up on Monday. Our good friend Dan is going to meet us there and have a look over it before we part with the cash...
Monday 10 September 2012
We won!!!!!!
Aarrggghhhhh!!!!! We won the auction !!!
Did our usual e-bay technique of sitting at the computer and pressing the bid button with 3 seconds to go... and we won the auction, for considerably less than my maximum bid.
So, here's to the least sensible but potentially the most fun purchase I've ever made....
Did our usual e-bay technique of sitting at the computer and pressing the bid button with 3 seconds to go... and we won the auction, for considerably less than my maximum bid.
So, here's to the least sensible but potentially the most fun purchase I've ever made....
It's a silly idea
So, went to see the ambulance this morning. It took me a good half hour to find it - the guy selling had given me a street name but no number, so I assumed it would be obvious once I got there - but it wasn't! Anyway, after knocking on about half a dozen doors, I found it.
My first thought was, "Well, that was a fun idea but there's no way we'll take this on. It's a mess! Still, I'm here now so I'll be polite and have a look."
It's huge - really high - but doesn't have that much space inside - like a reverse tardis! Not great for our needs. I can stand upright in the back, just, but Jonathan won't be able to, and that was one of his prequistites for a camper. There's nothing really in the back, just ply-lining to the walls, but the cab is really messy - filthy and tatty and I have no idea what any of the controls might be for.
But, all of that notwithstanding, I was there for half an hour and I LOVE it! And although it's totally un-sensible (probably exactly because it's not a sensible idea) I am definitely going to bid for it....
My first thought was, "Well, that was a fun idea but there's no way we'll take this on. It's a mess! Still, I'm here now so I'll be polite and have a look."
It's huge - really high - but doesn't have that much space inside - like a reverse tardis! Not great for our needs. I can stand upright in the back, just, but Jonathan won't be able to, and that was one of his prequistites for a camper. There's nothing really in the back, just ply-lining to the walls, but the cab is really messy - filthy and tatty and I have no idea what any of the controls might be for.
But, all of that notwithstanding, I was there for half an hour and I LOVE it! And although it's totally un-sensible (probably exactly because it's not a sensible idea) I am definitely going to bid for it....
Sunday 9 September 2012
Umming and Ahhing
It looks so sad, but so appealing. The listing has hardly any detail which is really infuriating, and a web search for the type of vehicle has hardly been more illuminating. It seems they're quite a bit rarer than any VW you could mention - certainly no consumer advice out there to help me decide if it's a good idea or a stupid one to even consider!
Still, I just can't get it out of my head. Pester might be too strong a word for what I've done to Jonathan all weekend, but it's probably not too wide of the mark! Keep thinking of all the reasons I don't want a vintage vehicle (mostly cos I want to enjoy my holidays at the destination, rather than by the side of a motorway waiting for the AA). And then I think how much more fun it would be to pile into this than into some modern, boring box...anyway, I'm going to go and see it, and see how I feel about it in real life, rather than in pictures.
Still, I just can't get it out of my head. Pester might be too strong a word for what I've done to Jonathan all weekend, but it's probably not too wide of the mark! Keep thinking of all the reasons I don't want a vintage vehicle (mostly cos I want to enjoy my holidays at the destination, rather than by the side of a motorway waiting for the AA). And then I think how much more fun it would be to pile into this than into some modern, boring box...anyway, I'm going to go and see it, and see how I feel about it in real life, rather than in pictures.
Friday 7 September 2012
In the beginning
Once in a blue moon I do something totally impulsive. Usually I'm quite good at keeping my impulses in check, but this blog is a record of the journey resulting from one of those 'once in a blue moon' moments... It's the story of converting our camper-van dream into reality.
Over the summer, two camping holidays in the rain and two broken tent poles resulted in us talking wistfully about owning a camper van instead. The idea of being able to take off at the weekend with the kids, stop wherever we fancy for a hot drink, and then be able to sleep in a bed in a warm van rather than have to put up and put up with a tent is so appealing. The call of the open road - going where the whim takes us - exploring our own wonderful country and further afield - it's a powerful motivator.
As a child, we had a VW Bay window van named Big Yellow Lorry. Since I was a teenager I've dreamed of owning one myself, so this is where I naturally began my search for a van. However, neither Jonathan or I are terribly mechanically minded (although I would love to know more about engines than I do), and one of the main things I know about vintage VWs is that they take a lot of tinkering, loving and often cash to keep them on the road. I had a really good look into the idea of having one of the new Brazillian import T2 campers instead, hopeful that this would be a way to fulfil my dream without the maintenance issues. However, the incredibly high price-tag coupled with many forum posts detailing problems even with these new vans put me off.
So, I drove Jonathan crazy by spending hours on the Internet looking at different vans. And then I saw this one ....
Over the summer, two camping holidays in the rain and two broken tent poles resulted in us talking wistfully about owning a camper van instead. The idea of being able to take off at the weekend with the kids, stop wherever we fancy for a hot drink, and then be able to sleep in a bed in a warm van rather than have to put up and put up with a tent is so appealing. The call of the open road - going where the whim takes us - exploring our own wonderful country and further afield - it's a powerful motivator.
As a child, we had a VW Bay window van named Big Yellow Lorry. Since I was a teenager I've dreamed of owning one myself, so this is where I naturally began my search for a van. However, neither Jonathan or I are terribly mechanically minded (although I would love to know more about engines than I do), and one of the main things I know about vintage VWs is that they take a lot of tinkering, loving and often cash to keep them on the road. I had a really good look into the idea of having one of the new Brazillian import T2 campers instead, hopeful that this would be a way to fulfil my dream without the maintenance issues. However, the incredibly high price-tag coupled with many forum posts detailing problems even with these new vans put me off.
So, I drove Jonathan crazy by spending hours on the Internet looking at different vans. And then I saw this one ....
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