MOBY GOES TO TURKEY. A tam and pups adventure.

[Northernraider]

I can’t really comment on the actual problem but it seems to me from the general comments that we seem to believe everybody outside of the UK are bandits ready to rip us off!
Ive actually found the opposite, although to be fair I only had a battery replaced in France and the majority of my experiences have been in Turkey.
I’ve found that they are really willing to help, they don’t have a sharp intake of breath and tell you to come back next week. The other point is they still repair and not just simply replace because they can’t be ar…d.
,I’m sure it would be cheaper to do it yourself ( if you are competent, I’m not!) but you are not in a workshop with access to your range of tools.
As much as it hurts you just have to throw money at it and write the costs off against the time you have had the vehicle and the future use.
You probably know too much!!! I would just be pleased I had somebody who knew what they were doing and offering me advice.
Good luck, once it‘s been replaced you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

I didn't say I felt ripped off. The garage have been fine and the labour charge etc they quoted is ridiculously cheap. My only gripe is the cost of the actual part but I'm aware I have few choices at the minute. I've not had any probs with garages ripping me off while abroad. Most things I will fix myself. I've had more issues with UK garages than I've had abroad to be honest.

 

[Just smiffy]

Tam.. it’s your home we’re talking about not just some van, as you’ve said you have already spent over 4k on it but that was for home improvements, this is like the pump going on your boiler… it needs fixing and to be fair it’s not a bad price in the great experience of life on the road.

The rewards will be better performance for your batteries and the power house of the van, peace of mind so you’ll be able to put this problem at the back of your mind….

So now you’ll be able to worry about what the next fecking problem may be…..

Have a Guinness on me..

 

[Just smiffy]

On a different note.

On this large site in Lisbon there’s a few vehicles dotted about that definitely look abandoned… there’s even a nice newish Carthago that looks like it been unused for a few years…

This old girl has obviously been here a while…

 

[The Coops]

On a different note.

On this large site in Lisbon there’s a few vehicles dotted about that definitely look abandoned… there’s even a nice newish Carthago that looks like it been unused for a few years…

This old girl has obviously been here a while…

View attachment 838398

View attachment 838399

Shouldn't have posted that Smiffy I bet there will be a change of plans very shortly

 

[Northernraider]

On a different note.

On this large site in Lisbon there’s a few vehicles dotted about that definitely look abandoned… there’s even a nice newish Carthago that looks like it been unused for a few years…

This old girl has obviously been here a while…

View attachment 838398

View attachment 838399

That's weird eh. It looks in good nick under all that grime. Maybe something mechanical went. Or the owner had an accident or died or something.

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[Onemanandhisdog]

I'd get out of there Just smiffy maybe the owners are being bumped off!! Taking gassing to a new extreme

 

[Northernraider]

Round the corner from the garage fixing moby there's another mobilvetta on a ramp being fixed too. What a coincidence. This one is around 2000 year. The front is slightly different, basically the Same as the mobilvetta I had previously, most likely on the fiat ducato chassis.
I quite like how his mirrors are silver to match the bumpers

 

[WESTY66]

On a different note.

On this large site in Lisbon there’s a few vehicles dotted about that definitely look abandoned… there’s even a nice newish Carthago that looks like it been unused for a few years…

This old girl has obviously been here a while…

View attachment 838398

View attachment 838399

Oi, where’s the photos of the carthago, might be worth a cheeky bid

 

[WESTY66]

Round the corner from the garage fixing moby there's another mobilvetta on a ramp being fixed too. What a coincidence. This one is around 2000 year. The front is slightly different, basically the Same as the mobilvetta I had previously, most likely on the fiat ducato chassis.
I quite like how his mirrors are silver to match the bumpers View attachment 838406

Oooh tam, don’t go there they might have been cheaper than Iveco using pattern parts

 

[Littlewheels]

I quite like how his mirrors are silver to match the bumpers

Here we go the days hardly got warmed up and plans for further improvements

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[Northernraider]

Oooh tam, don’t go there they might have been cheaper than Iveco using pattern parts

That's the thing lol it won't be an iveco part. The original is a bosch . And they had to phone round a lot of places to get one for today

 

[Northernraider]

Here we go the days hardly got warmed up and plans for further improvements

I always planned to get the bottom part painted as the bumpers are scabby and the rear one has been repaired. Just not a priority but if I can get them done cheap in Turkey I will.

 

[Northernraider]

Just arrived at the garage and it's now peeing it down

 

[Miggs]

I also had an Italian breakdown experience.
Almost 20 years ago to the day my wife andI were touring Italy on motorcycle, when during a particularly long mountain decent I boiled the brake fluid and lost all brakes. Very scary couple of minutes till I got it to a stop. Let it cool down and nursed it down to a town where I found an Alfa Romeo garage, where I explained in pigeon Italian what happened. He whistled to two of his mechanics and it was like an F1 pitstop, fluid drained, fresh put in and system Bled in 10 mins.
When I asked how much, he looked at the brake fluid bottle and said 'due euro'.
I gave them 20!

 

[Ealander]

This wee village I'm parked in aurelia, has a church bell that plays a full tune ...its quite refreshing . Not just random ringing .

I'll try and record it next time if it does it again at 8pm

A minor point of interest perhaps, but there is a hymn tune called Aurelia, the first line of the hymn is "The Church's One Foundation...". Maybe the tune is based on a bell tune.

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[Northernraider]

A minor point of interest perhaps, but there is a hymn tune called Aurelia, the first line of the hymn is "The Church's One Foundation...". Maybe the tune is based on a bell tune.

Yeah that could be it.

It only played the one time at 7pm so I didn't hear it again.

Just ordinary bell tolls from 7am this morning

 

[Northernraider]

The new alternator has arrived. While it's an Italian make I've never heard of it is 128amp rather than the 90amp that was on it so that should hopefully be better. But Ricardo says it was the only one he could get anywhere anyway so they had no choice. So hopefully it does a better job than the old one. Extra amps is always good

 

[Riverbankannie]

Yep that's fair enough

But In the last 6 years with 5 different vans I've had very few mechanical issues. And I sold every van for more than it cost me. So I got any expenses back plus extra.

From things I've read on this forum there doesn't seem to be any more reliability etc from newer more expensive vans.
If I'd been at home I'd have bought and replaced this alternator myself for a third of the price. Its just the current circumstances that make this incident different

You buy cheap, knocking poor sellers down on price with ruthless efficiency . I reckon, in time, you will sell this on on for more than it has cost you too. No need to feel sorry for your wallet.
Your glass should be half full not half empty, sitting in Italian sunshine off away from our winter with adventures ahead.

 

[Riverbankannie]

The new alternator has arrived. While it's an Italian make I've never heard of it is 128amp rather than the 90amp that was on it so that should hopefully be better. But Ricardo says it was the only one he could get anywhere anyway so they had no choice. So hopefully it does a better job than the old one. Extra amps is always good

Phew, thats brilliant and so quick.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

sitting in Italian sunshine off away from our winter

You missed the bit where he said it was raining then

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[Dutch 68]

What’s

The new alternator has arrived. While it's an Italian make I've never heard of it is 128amp rather than the 90amp that was on it so that should hopefully be better. But Ricardo says it was the only one he could get anywhere anyway so they had no choice. So hopefully it does a better job than the old one. Extra amps is always good

What’s the brand name Tam?

 

[Lenny HB]

You missed the bit where he said it was raining then

She was winding him up.

 

[Podney]

You buy cheap, knocking poor sellers down on price with ruthless efficiency . I reckon, in time, you will sell this on on for more than it has cost you too. No need to feel sorry for your wallet.
Your glass should be half full not half empty, sitting in Italian sunshine off away from our winter with adventures ahead.

You tell him! The boy don’t know when he’s well off,does he.

 

[Northernraider]

What’s

What’s the brand name Tam?

I'll see if I can see the box again later . I'm in reception with the dogs again now. But its not any name I've seen before.

I'm going to ask them for the old one anyway as who knows it might be handy to keep hold of so maybe they'll put that in the box ha ha

 

[Northernraider]

You buy cheap, knocking poor sellers down on price with ruthless efficiency . I reckon, in time, you will sell this on on for more than it has cost you too. No need to feel sorry for your wallet.
Your glass should be half full not half empty, sitting in Italian sunshine off away from our winter with adventures ahead.

Well I dunno with this one as its rapidly approaching the top end of its value I think. But with uncertain future anyway I'll either be keeping this one for the next 2 or 3 years while still improving it or I'll be giving up for a few years and returning to bricks n mortar.


Who knows yet. I like this van despite its downsides but it needs to start being reliable so I get a chance to love it.

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[Podney]

I'll see if I can see the box again later . I'm in reception with the dogs again now. But its not any name I've seen before.

I'm going to ask them for the old one anyway as who knows it might be handy to keep hold of so maybe they'll put that in the box ha ha

Why do you want to keep a knackered out alternator?…………Unless,you’re going to con uncle Lenny into refurbing it so you can flog it on ebay for 4shillings and sixpence . Thus adding to your already considerable wealth!

 

[Northernraider]

Why do you want to keep a knackered out alternator?…………Unless,you’re going to con uncle Lenny into refurbing it so you can flog it on ebay for 4shillings and sixpence . Thus adding to your already considerable wealth!

It's an old van and things go wrong lol. I just thought it might be handy to keep just in case. But then again I might not have space for it so maybe not bother lol

 

[Langtoftlad]

Love that you know your Italian mechanic's name .

Could the extra amp size account for the price difference [is their VAT not higher too]

Hope all those extra amps don't burn out anything else

 

[Northernraider]

Every mechanic and driver that comes in here is making a fuss of these dogs , they're spoiled rotten lol. Even the women from the office have all been round to see them. And of course everyone wants to pet milo and he's just barking at them all lol. Ela the big tart is all over everyone

 

[Northernraider]

Love that you know your Italian mechanic's name .

Could the extra amp size account for the price difference [is their VAT not higher too]

Hope all those extra amps don't burn out anything else

I made a point of asking the name of both the young mechanic doing the job and the manager guy who speaks good English. I thought it was polite lol. And I can also mention them in a review when I leave it. The young lad is Marco he speaks a little English too but is very shy , he keeps saying sorry my English is not good , but it is far far better than my Italian lol.

Ricardo brought me a coffee , I'm wondering if he's already drank it. This is what he handed me lol

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