Done At Last.

Went up to storage today and managed to eventually clean the roof with proper equipment on a level surface and not a wonky ladder on a sloping drive,still managed to trap my thumb in the ladder whilst folding it up though.

One small tip,if you want to clean around the roof lights then this is easier to do if you stand on your Aquaroll and reach through the light with a cloth and give it a wipe.

Was pleased to note that the sealant around the roof strap looked in good condition.

Ian

Awning Light #2

Well had the awning light replaced today ( more specifically the awning light plastic cover ) by Paul from Karranvan.

It turned out to be a relatively easy job as the plastic cover is simply prised off being careful not to mark the van whilst doing so.

Paul put a wide scraper between the van and the cover to protect the van wall and used a screwdriver to lever it off,the new one just clips on with a bit of pressure.

I don't think that there is much need for the amount of sealant Bailey had carelessly lathered everywhere.

The end result looks better than the original as all the excess discoloured sealant that surrounded it has been removed.

Also the old cover had yellowed whilst the new one is white,I would have thought there would have been a bit more UV stability than there appears to be,the van is only two years old after all.

Replacing the LED strip,should it ever need doing,will be a bit of a circus as the LED bit is screwed and sealed to the side of the van and will take a bit of removing,it would have been handier if it just clipped out but it doesn't.

If you look closely at the picture you can see where I have touched up the door frame and the side of the van.

All in all not happy with the cause but very pleased with the rectification.

Ian

PS

Just in case anyone is unaware,if you click on a picture it comes up full screen for easier viewing.

Awning Light

As I progressively bodge up repair the bits of damage caused by the fight with the ladder we move onto the awning light which was badly scored.

This post is mainly just information for anyone who needs to change the light for any reason and is braver than me.

The light fitting comes in two parts and is £42.99 from Bailey Parts,the LED bit is not available separately,there are some LED lights there but not for the Cadiz:-

As can be seen there is the outer "visible" part and then curiously the LED part is attached to a transparent piece which is screwed  to the van.

Now in theory the outer piece should ( I emphasise should ) simply click off and be replaced with the new cover leaving the LED bit attached to the van,I would now have a good laugh if my ribs didn't hurt so much.

However it appears to be stuck fast so whether it is fixed on with sealant as well I don't know,there is plenty slathered round the perimeter, left by Bailey's craftsmen.

Anyway I am not buggering about with it,I have caused enough damage as it is,my mobile man is coming Wednesday to replace it.

Doubtless it will just click off for him and I will be subject to a withering look.

Will let you know.

Ian

Paint,Or Is It Gold Leaf ?

Starting to think about repairing the bits of damage that the ladder incident inflicted.

First off as the van wall is scratched I decided to purchase some touch up paint.

Now of course white touch up paint is available from Halfords etc.but matching up the shade is always a bit tricky and it is GRP so decided to go to the horses mouth so to speak,that is Bailey.

Wow this stuff ain't cheap,£15.99 for 50mls,plus P&P.

Bailey Paint

That's roughly 32p per ml or to put it another way about £319 a litre.

No wonder there has been a 5% price increase this year,and here was me blaming Brexit,what a fool.

Perhaps I should touch it up with gold leaf or saffron would probably have saved a bob or two.

Mind you it does come with a little brush in the lid so perhaps that explains it.

Ian

PS
I am just waiting for some Smart Alec to post a link where it can be bought for £2.50 a gallon.

Does it come with a brush in the lid though ?

There May be A Short Intermission..............................

Well a bit of a pickle has emerged in proceedings.

We were due to go to the CMC site in Scarborough on Monday with two grandkids in tow.

In preparation for this I decided to clean the caravan roof,propped ladder up to side of van,climbed ladder to do said task,ladder slipped,I fell off and landed on the ladder and have hurt my ribs,shoulder,leg and pride.

With the admirable and heroic help of my trusty neighbour Mr.Roscoe managed to get the van back to storage.

Have scratched the side of the van and window and damaged door frame and awning light surround but that will have wait for another day.

Site cancelled and we have booked three nights in a hotel instead so we won't be vanning again till the ( considerable ) pain has subsided.

I will soldier on bravely,any get well cards and hampers of caramel slice can be forwarded on.

Ian

East Anglia and Tyred Out

Well we have just returned from a two week tour taking in Sandringham CMC site ( including a trip around Sandringham house which was a little disappointing ) ,Norfolk Broads ( Ludham Bridge ) CMC site and ending up at Poolsbrook CMC site.

All excellent sites as is usual for the Caravan and Motorhome Club,Norfolk Broads being especially good,it is immaculate.

If visiting this site try Ken’s vegetable hut,right turn after the Dog Inn ( rather an unfortunate name it occurred to me ),excellent value.

One or two very minor problems with the Cadiz.

Firstly we had a dribble of water down the side of the van from the Whale water pump,only slight but annoying,well to me at any rate.

Cured this by changing the O rings on the inlet.

The front of one of the reading lights came unscrewed,now this may seem an easy fix,just screw it back,but they are sods to reattach as the threads are very shallow.

 

Did it eventually but it took ages,and don’t think you can unscrew the fitting to make it easier oh by jingo no,the wiring is cut to the bone so it only pulls out about a centimeter.

Tellingly the light affected was the one we adjust most at the front left so perhaps it unscrews just a fraction every time we adjust it so it may pay to just check the tightness of them all from time to time.

Another of ours was a bit loose.

One of the Remis grey plastic pulldowns on the front window came unattached so it was out with the glue.

Talking glue one of the hinges broke on the mains input cover but miraculously I was able to glue it successfully.

SWMBO noticed a few scratches down the nearside of the van,no idea where they came from.

We had some pretty heavy rain at times whilst away so I kept checking the redone roof seal but all seems OK,hope it stops that way.

Other than that all was hunky dory.

Mr.Hunky Dory however took his bat home when we reached our front door .

Now we usually keep the van at a storage site about five miles away but SWMBO decided she wanted it at home for a few days and you don’t argue with SWMBO’s.

It will just fit in our front garden ( and I mean just ) but to get it in it means a very tight turn with the motor mover.

Proceeded to manouver it in when the pneumatic jockey wheel tyre began hissing and went down.

Naturally this occurred when we were broadside across the road.

No matter I carry a spare pneumatic jockey wheel,put that on and low and behold that did the same.

Two punctures in two wheels is a bit of overzealous bad luck even for me so we eventually came to the conclusion that the turning at an acute angle had pulled the tyres off the rim.

Now began a session of umming and aahing as to the best way to proceed.

Tried to reinflate the original but it wasn’t having it,removed tube from the spare wheel ( my that’s a job and a half,thank you Mr.Roscoe ) and motored down to Halfords for two tubes.

No joy at Halfords,sucking of air through teeth, but redirected to a local tyre firm who were ultra helpful,reinflated the original and retubed the spare all for a modest fee with a valve extender thrown in.

Back home pondered the fact that it might all happen again when we moved the van off the drive but as luck would have it I have a spare jockey wheel assembly with a solid tyre ( don’t ask ) so I put this on which will be OK till we return to storage.

“Come caravanning for a relaxing hobby”

Ian