New member - solo traveller (mostly)

[ambulancekidd]

 

[Reallyretired]

Hi
Great intro and nice van.

 

[Stonemags76]

Hi! Well done for getting out on your own! My husband isn’t too keen either, but does do two longish trips to France & Spain each year. I’ve been away with friends, but you have just spurred me on to get away more often! As you say, the more you drive it, the easier it gets! We have a Warwick Duo at 5.9 metres, but it seems huge to me! The best thing I got for the van was a hand brake extender, as I’m a short ar*e!

 

[SarahBattyll]

Sarah, What a fantastic introduction and what a great looking van. You were very lucky to find someone who was willing to let you borrow their motorhome for two months - especially with your dogs.
Along with others on this site, I'll look forward to reading of your adventures in the Big Rig.
BTW, if you haven't already, I suggest you get some solar panels on the roof and enjoy the delights of wildcamping.
Congratulations and welcome to Motorhome Fun.

Thank you that’s great advice is next on my list

 

[SarahBattyll]

Welcome aboard, love your "can do" attitude, I was reading about the foot under clutch and thinking "surely she has a bunny cord" well yes you did bunny and cable ties should be the first spares in the tool kit well possibly second to duct tape.

I’d add string to the essential list - never go anywhere without string !

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SarahBattyll]

What a great introduction!

It reminded me of so many incidents I had with various vehicles over the years.

I drove two hours to Brighton in the depths of winter in a 2CV after the roof had blown off on the motorway almost exactly half way into my journey. Tied the remainder on with string and carried on.

I also drove a 2CV through the Gorges du Verdon at night with a failed alternator. Every time you braked, the headlights dimmed a little bit more. The game then became driving as fast as you dared (the battery was being drained by the headlights so time was limited) without braking.

Throttle cable on my motorbike snapped so I clamped the frayed end in a pair of mole grips and used those as the throttle to get me 3 miles home.

I even once bodged a damaged cable for the navigation lights on a narrowboat using the metal containers from a Chinese takeaway!

Keep going until you absolutely can't!

Welcome to the Fun - I'm looking forward to more stories of your adventures

Ooo I loved hearing those stories - fantastic

 

[SarahBattyll]

Hi! Well done for getting out on your own! My husband isn’t too keen either, but does do two longish trips to France & Spain each year. I’ve been away with friends, but you have just spurred me on to get away more often! As you say, the more you drive it, the easier it gets! We have a Warwick Duo at 5.9 metres, but it seems huge to me! The best thing I got for the van was a hand brake extender, as I’m a short ar*e!

What a great idea a handbrake extender! Being a solo traveler has led to soooo many interesting conversations and with complete strangers on sites, I met some great people go for it

 

[fishplug]

Ooo I loved hearing those stories - fantastic

There's a bit more to each of them of course...

The Brighton trip was when my brother had just moved there. Mum had given me a box of his things to take to him.

Heading down the motorway I had some imbecile tailgating me. There's not much you can do in a 2CV.

Keeping a regular eye on my rear view mirror, I suddenly become aware of the steel cross member that holds the roof in place starting to flex and then there's an almighty snap and bang as the member fails, and the roof becomes a sail briefly before ripping itself almost free and then 8ft of canvas roof starts flopping around behind you, lapping on the bonnet and windscreen of the imbecile 7ft behind you.

All I saw in the mirrors were two vertical columns of white smoke from the tires of the car behind me. I'll never forget it.

What was left of the roof got lashed down to complete the journey. Heaters in 2CVs are pretty good so my waist down was OK, however my frozen fingers had to be prised off the steering wheel when I arrived.

My brother asked what was in the box. I had no idea. It was just stuff mum had asked me to take. Turns out it was hats and scarves and gloves and...

The Gorges du Verdon trip was going reasonably well until we reached a tunnel section. We couldn't risk stopping in it and there was too much traffic to make it through safely so we ended up spending a very cold night by the entrance before hitching a lift to a garage where a replacement battery was bought, and another lift back to fit it.

There have been many other such adventures over the years - but all have come from 'having a go' and getting out and doing things.

I've yet to regret any of them.

That includes being in Western Sahara when the Paris Dakar rally had gone through scrutineering and then got cancelled due to Al Quaeda threats.

Some competitors wanted to continue even if unofficially but the terrorists said they would kill anyone on sight that looked like they were competing in the Dakar.

Well, I know my bike didn't look like a Dakar bike, but did the terrorists have this same level of comprehension?

My travelling companion was on a BMW 650 Dakar, which had the word Dakar splashed all over the tank in large letters.

Well, it did until we covered it in gaffer tape....

I could go on, but you've clearly got the same spark of adventure in you and a bright future of getting into (and out of) situations.

 

[SarahBattyll]

There's a bit more to each of them of course...

The Brighton trip was when my brother had just moved there. Mum had given me a box of his things to take to him.

Heading down the motorway I had some imbecile tailgating me. There's not much you can do in a 2CV.

Keeping a regular eye on my rear view mirror, I suddenly become aware of the steel cross member that holds the roof in place starting to flex and then there's an almighty snap and bang as the member fails, and the roof becomes a sail briefly before ripping itself almost free and then 8ft of canvas roof starts flopping around behind you, lapping on the bonnet and windscreen of the imbecile 7ft behind you.

All I saw in the mirrors were two vertical columns of white smoke from the tires of the car behind me. I'll never forget it.

What was left of the roof got lashed down to complete the journey. Heaters in 2CVs are pretty good so my waist down was OK, however my frozen fingers had to be prised off the steering wheel when I arrived.

My brother asked what was in the box. I had no idea. It was just stuff mum had asked me to take. Turns out it was hats and scarves and gloves and...

The Gorges du Verdon trip was going reasonably well until we reached a tunnel section. We couldn't risk stopping in it and there was too much traffic to make it through safely so we ended up spending a very cold night by the entrance before hitching a lift to a garage where a replacement battery was bought, and another lift back to fit it.

There have been many other such adventures over the years - but all have come from 'having a go' and getting out and doing things.

I've yet to regret any of them.

That includes being in Western Sahara when the Paris Dakar rally had gone through scrutineering and then got cancelled due to Al Quaeda threats.

Some competitors wanted to continue even if unofficially but the terrorists said they would kill anyone on sight that looked like they were competing in the Dakar.

Well, I know my bike didn't look like a Dakar bike, but did the terrorists have this same level of comprehension?

My travelling companion was on a BMW 650 Dakar, which had the word Dakar splashed all over the tank in large letters.

Well, it did until we covered it in gaffer tape....

I could go on, but you've clearly got the same spark of adventure in you and a bright future of getting into (and out of) situations.

That’s brilliant! Sounds like we could spend an evening on site chatting for hours

 

[d95gas]

Welcome Sarah, great to hear your tales of woe, and how you got around them I am a solo traveller, well apart from an oversized choc lab, who thinks she is a human

Shall look forward to hearing more of your adventures.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gringo2]

Welcome Sarah, great into and what an initiation to MH living. Can’t wait for your next adventure.
PS I’m a multifunction tool. Don’t think my wife knows we have a toilet cassette. The same fairies that empty it must be the ones who empty the laundry basket at home

 

[akadingbat]

The van looks great. Mine is a 6.85m Crafter conversion and you soon get used to the length, I got it and converted it myself after I was widowed and it was the best thing I could have done. Enjoy your adventures.

 

[jennywren]

Hi Sarah
Love the ingenuity and positive attitude. What more do you need...

It's clear you have some great adventures to come. All the best.

 

[SarahBattyll]

The van looks great. Mine is a 6.85m Crafter conversion and you soon get used to the length, I got it and converted it myself after I was widowed and it was the best thing I could have done. Enjoy your adventures.

That’s so lovely and encouraging to hear, thank you - wow your rig is very long!!!

 

[jerryz]

Brilliant intro sarah bye the way is hubby still in the loop LOL

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DT9447]

Love the conversion. Welcome

 

[R M]

Hello
My name is Sarah I’m in the first phase of a small midlife crisis! Wanted a camper van for at least a decade and last year finally got to borrow a friends vw camper for 2 months - I travelled for most of that two months just me and my two dogs - abdicated motherhood and wife duties and left the 3 mean at home. I was hooked!

The day came end of Aug to give his vw back and I told hubby I wouldn’t rush to find my own van but that it was inevitable. 12 hours later found us driving 6 hours up country to view and purchase a converted Fiat Ducato maxi 3l high top van that had been fully converted and remained virtually unused.

It’s perfect I declared and weirdly hubby who hates camping agreed and after negotiating we drove it straight home.

WHAT HAD I DONE!!!

Next day as I looked out of my bedroom window to the behemoth on my drive that at 6.2 metres long hung out over the path I felt a bit queasy! It’s totally fine I declared - I set about driving it most days to get hang of its length and width - many admirers, friends and neighbours ooo’d and ahhhed over its magnificence and so I stopped pulling rabbit in headlight face and cracked on tweaking it to my preference.

I’ve wracked up many adventures since Sept 24, ironing out the many small irritations along the way - the funniest was the master clutch cylinder failing 17 miles into a 5 day break to Peak District- I carried on keeping foot under clutch pedal to stop it dropping to the floor and managed to change gear with a deft manoeuvre of said foot that involved flicking up, pumping a few times and quickly changing gear before putting foot under pedal before it dropped again. This I did for next 4 odd hours of journey til I arrived on site.

At this point you must be thinking I’m slightly deranged to carry on… and you’re perhaps not far off but it’s amazing what you can do with a bungee rope and a zip tie!!! Quickly a temp repair to hold the clutch pedal up and give me ‘spring return’ and a zip tie to stop bungee slipping off pedal I was able to drive all over Peak District for next 4 days and home again with only a few jammy moments.

Incidentally we changed the master clutch cylinder a few days later and with in a few more days the gear selection cables failed so we did get stuck in 3rd for a few miles from home but still managed to get her back onto the drive. So following weekend those were replaced. I’d would like to point out that dear long suffering hubby helped me lots with these repairs. And he still hates camping!

Sorry for rambling… anyhoo - I love the freedom of travelling and seeing stuff and escaping life regularly- I still think my beastie of a rig is too big but I’m good at parking her (hubby impressed) and he’s started joining me on my escapades which is nice/ not so nice - I do like the complete selfishness of being on my own but then he does come in handy - bit like a multi use tool so that’s about it really - that me and my ‘BIG RIG’ as she’s affectionately known as. I’ll attach some photos. Thanks for reading



View attachment 1001481

View attachment 1001482

View attachment 1001483

View attachment 1001484

View attachment 1001485

View attachment 1001486

View attachment 1001487

Hello, great intro about you and work to van , welcome to the forum