Tam &Toby do Europe ...Take two

MaidinDevon said:
HI Tam

My oven is the same. When i was up at Exeter Racecourse site for the summer, the wind blew through the oven, and out through the exctactor fan. Unless the wind changed, in which case i blew a gale the other way....
Not so bad here on a more sheltered site, but if you find a solution please let me know. I hate draughts, and hoed this would be a bit better insulated than my previous van. It is, but there are still major draughts.

I don't have external screens, have you noticed a difference since you fitted yours? Well jealous by the way.

I have also been meaning to ask you if you still have the big table, or if you have changed it? I have been wondering whether to take it out before i head south in January. It takes up a lot of room, and just acts as a dumping ground.

Karen
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Forgot to answer the table question

I took mine out as I prefer it as a lounge than a dining room, I think the fixed table is too big and intrusive.

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Northernraider said:
Unfortunately between the vent and then the vents around the actual oven its freezing when wind blows ....the vent you see above and around the oven here
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Looking at that it is no wonder .I'd use gaffer tape temporarily.

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MaidinDevon said:
The leg is very ugly too. And right in the way, when trying to lounge, on the longest sofa.
Poor design, really.
If i have a party, guests will have to improvise with lap trays lol
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I have the Hymer Tramp, it too had a large, folding top table with a heavy telescopic leg that in theory could be lowered to make up part of a strange wedge shaped bed base. (the cusions for which were permanently stored in the garage)!
I travel solo and as you say the table was just a dumping ground, although the leg was useful for anchoring one of the dogs while traveling.
I removed the table entirely (at least my brother did it for me), so now i can move from the cab through to the rear of the van with no obstacles en route. it has a much more open and spacious look and feel to it.
i have acquired two little folding TV dinner tables that I keep stashed in the wardrobe should i not wish to eat off my lap. The only possible draw back I can see is that I no longer have a large surface to study a map on. (being of an age that I do like to get a fuller picture of where i am going than is possible on my phone screen).
Of course having also acquired the new enormous pup I will have to organize a solid anchor point for her, but i am surer I can utilise one of the now redundant bolt holes from the table base that passes right through the chassis. That should be solid enough! lol
 
you speak of "poor design", I have the same oven as Tam and the same problem with draughts,
(understatement), though on this forum I hesitate to say I have a problem with wind!
my biggest bug bare with the oven is its positioning.
Unlike Tam, I am 5ft 4ins., I have to stand on a folding plastic stool to reach the oven, operating the door catch requires two hands the oven door then opens downward so to remove hot food invariably means burning my arms on the door, then holding said hot food, I have to pirhouette round and place/drop it on the woefully inadequate work surface or the dogs heads!
Bah! I bet it was designed by a male. :(
 
HI Val

Yes, mine is designed to be a bed base too. However, seeing as i travel solo and already have a french bed and a drop down bed to choose from, that is not a priority for me. Lol

Gaffa tape is a better idea than my tea towel, attached with blu tac, and blowing in the wind!!!

And the oven has a ridiculous little protruding lever, which you have to push down while jerking the door open. And not burn yourself. At least i can just about reach it without a stool.

And while i am on the subject, a rear window, with a concertina blind is not the best surface to prop pillows up on, to read in bed. Anyone come up with a solution?.

I have tried an NHS style back rest, it works, but is bulky to store under the bed, in the garage. And it's ugly, and makes me feel like my Gran, i need a pink fluffy bedjacket to complete the look.

You may not believe me, reading these posts, but i love my van. She is my favourite so far. :)
 
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Only improvement I could make on that is I would use gorilla tape, not gaffa tape and mine would be permanently
Nothing if not independent, self-sufficient, helpless and hopeless! :unsure: :ROFLMAO:
 
Northernraider said:
Yeah theres a divider between the fridge vents and the oven its sealed off so you dont get fumes from the fridge.
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i fitted exactly the same oven when i did my self build tam it didnt need any vents infact it had to be fitted into a sealed box. The oven vents through the gap all round theres spacers to keep the gap i would do a google search on your model fitting instructions i think youll find the vent is unnecessary

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My TechTower oven (the stupid top hinged useless for cooking thing) had NO vent. The knock-out in the back of the oven (to be knocked out if a vent connection was required) was intact. The rear of the oven was open to the upper fridge vent. I've replaced it with a microwave that filled the gap perfectly. Oven vents can be useful to vent moisture from cooking but are hardly a safety device: you don't go to bed with the oven on; if the oven is burning correctly with a blue flame it's only producing CO2 which will fall out of any gas drop vents.
 
In this photo it shows the duct that direct heat from back of oven to exit at the front on my oven, the only vent to outside on mine is a dropout in the floor.
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Manic said:
In this photo it shows the duct that direct heat from back of oven to exit at the front on my oven, the only vent to outside on mine is a dropout in the floor.
View attachment 350084
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I'll take the outside vent off when home and have a look in the back and see.
 
mitzimad said:
i fitted exactly the same oven when i did my self build tam it didnt need any vents infact it had to be fitted into a sealed box. The oven vents through the gap all round theres spacers to keep the gap i would do a google search on your model fitting instructions i think youll find the vent is unnecessary
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Yeah I mean in my frankia it was the same smev oven and it didn't have this big vent and it was sandwiched between 2 cabinets whereas on this van theres no cabinets either side. I'd love the vent to be unnecessary and then I could just blank it off ....just worried it does damage to anything....I'll take vent off tomorrow when home and see what's in the back ..
 
MaidinDevon , we had the same problem in the last Frankia ,and to add insult to injury,it couldn't be opened more than a slit because of the bike rack. I made a frame that was boarded both sides just the thickness of the window recess,the side facing the outside of the van I painted to match , on the inside I attached one of those pictures that are on a material, when it was slipped into the window frame I attached a couple of elastic straps to the top so it did not fall forward. Hope this idea helps,it was still in use when we sold the van after 9 years.
 
Well I stayed last night at berwick ....just a couple of hours till home now , looking forward to seeing my mum etc ....but I dunno apart from that I'm not sure how I feel about it....in truth it doesn't feel like home to me anymore .....in fact I'm not sure where I belong and that's a little daunting ?. In the last 11 months while I've been away I've hardly heard from anyone back home , friends have drifted off etc
I now have to find some work of some sort and try and survive the winter.
Have to get all the jobs done on toby so hes ready to head off again.
Weather forecast is for high winds , heavy rain , snow and freezing temperatures, it's actually hard to remember miles of beaches and temperatures in high 30's
I'm also kinda fed up being single so I'm gonna try joining a few dating sites when im back see if I can find myself a young fellow explorer .... not holding my breath on that one.
And im gonna see if I can get myself a month to month gym plan as none of my winter or everyday clothes fit ? I've not weighed myself so I dont know exactly what weight ive put on but its definitely more than a Jean size

Be like christmas when I get back I think my mum says theres about 25 parcels with things I've been ordering and buying for toby. And theres still stuff in the post lol.

Ah well ....end of an era and another trip

I'll post up details of total budget , fuel costs , mileage etc etc later when I've added everything up.
I kept a travel log this year so it's all written down.
 
Just chill out and have a laugh mate,, enjoy time with your mum, and the next thing you know, you’ll be away again! Don’t bother with dating sites, if your gonna join a gym you’ll pull there! Either a muscle or a bird! Xx.

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Northernraider said:
Well I stayed last night at berwick ....just a couple of hours till home now , looking forward to seeing my mum etc ....but I dunno apart from that I'm not sure how I feel about it....in truth it doesn't feel like home to me anymore .....in fact I'm not sure where I belong and that's a little daunting ?. In the last 11 months while I've been away I've hardly heard from anyone back home , friends have drifted off etc
I now have to find some work of some sort and try and survive the winter.
Have to get all the jobs done on toby so hes ready to head off again.
Weather forecast is for high winds , heavy rain , snow and freezing temperatures, it's actually hard to remember miles of beaches and temperatures in high 30's
I'm also kinda fed up being single so I'm gonna try joining a few dating sites when im back see if I can find myself a young fellow explorer .... not holding my breath on that one.
And im gonna see if I can get myself a month to month gym plan as none of my winter or everyday clothes fit ? I've not weighed myself so I dont know exactly what weight ive put on but its definitely more than a Jean size

Be like christmas when I get back I think my mum says theres about 25 parcels with things I've been ordering and buying for toby. And theres still stuff in the post lol.

Ah well ....end of an era and another trip

I'll post up details of total budget , fuel costs , mileage etc etc later when I've added everything up.
I kept a travel log this year so it's all written down.
Click to expand...
Keavil House has a good Gym with Special 3month winter rates
(if you cannot see the differance in 3 months....you get your money back):pinocchio:
 
Enjoy time with your Lovely mum , and relax for a bit , mend Toby’s bits , then find some work and before long the new adventure will start.

Will you start a new thread in the new year?
Thanks for sharing your adventures and travels Tam I’ve love reading the thread !
 
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I can feel your pain, I'm pretty much the same when I go back ?, great seeing family and friends and catching up and maybe a few beers, ? but apart from that I don't feel it's where I want to be, ? we have had rain since Monday and getting back to normal today, ? you feel so much better when the sun is shining. ?? Bob.
 

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