Alde Pump Setting.

Right,now doubtless the less caravan diligent among you all will be concerning themselves with tinsel,turkey and crackers.

However there are more interesting things in life to be turning your attention to.

I don't know how much it is common knowledge but the fact is that the 12v pump on the Alde boiler should be set at "2" for everyday running but that it arrives from the factory set at "5" which is the setting to purge and bleed the system.

This should be rectified at PDI but often isn't,ours wasn't,or was it ?

If it is left on "5" it will lead to premature pump wear and possible failure.

Knowing this fact I changed the setting on ours when we received the van,hmmm.............

For some reason today I checked the setting as I lead a sad and lonely life and it was on "4 & a half".

Now as can be seen from the picture the pump is not in the most accessible place to see the numbers on the pump face,oh no that would be far too easy and accommodating.

Also it is easy to presume that the "pointer" bit of the dial is one end of the bit that you grip to turn it,it isn't it is a small arrowhead at the side naturally in the same colour as the rest of the dial so it is easy to overlook ( wouldn't it have been helpful to make it another colour ? ).

So,standing on my head in the front locker clutching a torch in my teeth I adjusted it down to "2" which is at the boiler side obscured of course by the big black pipe.

You won't be able to tell it is set wrongly when the heating is on,at least I couldn't,the system ran and worked fine.

Apologies if this is all teaching your grandmother to suck eggs but better to sort it now than have to pay circa. £150 plus fitting for a new pump.

So I may have done Yorkshire Caravans a disservice by altering it when it was OK in the first place,that's me,the eternal fiddler and buggerer up of things.

Now you can all scuttle off to wrap parcels and get pissed,I would much rather mess with my pump.

Ian

PS.

In case anyone is not aware,you can click on any of the pics in the blog and get a nice big version.

A Winterization Tip

The Alde 3020 HE manual states :-

"If storing the vehicle for winter,ensure the flue terminal is covered to prevent pest animals nesting in the flue".

I have therefore covered the Alde flue terminal with a bread bag wrapper which seems to do the job admirably.

Incidentally,if anyone wants a copy of the Alde manual,let me know and I will send one.

Ian

If

Radiator Protector & Fridge

Well eventually got hold of the Bailey upgrade to cover the front nearside radiator fins and fitted it this afternoon.

It didn't slip into place quite as easily as I would have thought but it was not too much of a problem.

Also received a replacement fridge door ventilation catch,or I thought I had.

Bailey have sent every part a man could desire to do with the fridge door catch,except the one I want.

This is what I needed:-

What I got was catches,wires,LED's,striker plates,screws but not the above,which seems a bit strange.

Anyway YC Leisure are going to order it again from Bailey so in another three months hopefully I will have it.

Ian

Solar Panel Again.

Richard,one of my correspondents,contacted his dealer to ask whether it was essential to cover the solar panel when disconnecting the battery:-

Good evening.

I purchased a Cadiz from you in July 2015. 

At this time of the year I am about to lay-up for the winter, and one of the tasks involves removal of the battery so that I can keep it topped up.

I have been advised that before the battery is removed, the solar panel should be disconnected from the charge controller, or at the very least, the solar panel should be covered. Other people say there is no need for any precautions, as long as the battery terminals are not allowed to touch each other.

Can you advise just how the battery can be removed, please. What, if any, precautions are necessary?

Yours,

Richard Hexter

This is the reply he received from Northam Farm caravan dealers :-

Hi
There would be no need to cover the solar panel, just simply disconnect it from the charge controller and keep the two terminals away from each other.

So there we are,the dealers disagree with Truma.

I have not received a reply from Truma yet and will post it when,or if,I do.

There is at least one positive in that if you forget to cover the panel it would appear that
no great problem will arise if the dealers don't bother.

I don't suppose they replace controllers on a regular basis.

Having said that another of my correspondents says he fried his controller by not covering the panel. 

Take your pick.

Ian 


 

Toilet Cassette Door

Was at the dealers today and noticed that on the 2016 Cadiz they have redesigned the toilet cassette door.

I wonder why ?

I have never had any problem with it ( I use the word "I" as SWMBO doesn't even know it is in existence ).

Now if it had been the gas locker door.....................................................

Ian

A Couple of Jobs

Went up to storage today as the sun was out,for a bit anyway,to do a couple of "wintery" jobs.

First was to move the van back a couple of feet to prevent flat spotting of the tyres ( I used to put winter wheels on when we had the Orion but we are hoping to get off for a few days in January so I haven't bothered this year).

Mind you talking of "flat spotting",I have never come across anyone who has actually flat spotted their tyres.

Perhaps it is an urban myth,bit like getting "egg-bound",never come across that either despite many parental warnings.


Secondly I decided to swap the battery over and put the one in the van on a good charge.

According to the Truma manual it is necessary to cover the solar panel with a blanket or cardboard before disconnecting the battery or else it does the controller no good I am led to believe.

Anyway all went well,battery swapped then I remembered that someone on CT said there was a fuse in the nearside bed locker for the solar panel.

Had a root around and eventually found it.




As shown in the picture it is in the bundle of wires at the right hand side of the nearside bed box by the side of the fridge.

It is definitely for the solar panel as I took it out and the panel stopped working.

Whoever bundled the wires together couldn't have put the fuse on top for easy access could they ?

So next time I battery swap I will simply remove the fuse instead of balancing on a rickety ladder in the wind with an old curtain.

Incidentally if anyone wants a copy of the Truma solar panel manual ( it covers a bit more than the Bailey Handbook ) then drop me an e-mail and I will send a copy.

The solar panel must do a good job of keeping the battery up to scratch as when I put it on my C-Tek charger at home it showed fully charged within the hour so perhaps a swap wasn't strictly necessary.

Ian

Rubber Care

No it's not about that!!

Before and after winter I usually use some silicone spray on the window,door and locker seals to stop them hardening and cracking.

As the spray is a bit hit and miss I purchased a Rubber Care Stick from my local VW dealer.

Cost is £8.

I imagine something similar is sold by other dealers although I couldn't see any in Halfords.

This should make applying a bit of lubricant to the seals a bit easier,especially if it is windy.

Of course you can also use it on the car.

Ian

Fitting VIN Chip

Fitted the various components of the VIN Chip bundle today.

I thought I would give a few words of advice.

When applying the small window stickers be careful during the application as it is a bit fiddly and they can separate in the middle,I made a cobblers of one of them,luckily I had enough left.

Applying the micro dots is also a bit fiddly and not as easy as I imagined.The instructions say that it will show as a black dot on light surfaces whereas mine were whitish in colour,perhaps they dry black,will have to see.

The instructions for the two chips provided say that they are not readable through metal,as the van is made of aluminium ( a metal when I last checked ) sides covered in GRP I was a bit stumped as the where to put them.

I gave CRiS a call who said that caravan sides were no problem it was just that,unbelievably,some people had put them in the microwave.

Found two suitable places and registered the locations with CRiS

The UV pen is very good so have put the last eight digits of the VIN all over the van,they really can't be seen and show up very well under the UV torch provided.

Ian

Winter

Just a reminder,particularly for those who might be new to caravanning,that with the chillier temperatures arriving this week,don't forget to drain your van's water system and toilet down before it freezes and causes expensive problems.

I have compiled a short list for winterization of your van,doubtless I may have missed something off but the basics are there:-

1.Drain water system
2.Drain toilet flush and leave top off cassette and flap open.
3.Spray toilet flap seal,window seals and toilet seals with silicone spray so they don't go hard and crack.
4.Put all upholstery on its side to allow air to circulate if you can't store it indoors.
5.Remove all foodstuffs etc. which may freeze and leak when they thaw.
6.Open locker doors to allow air to circulate ( I have left the wardrobe door shut as I mentioned in a
   previous post it swelled a bit when left open.
7.Spray some WD40 or similar into all the locks to avoid frost damage.
8.Give the solar panel a wipe to maximise the weak winter sun.
9.Place some moisture absorbing crystals or salt here and there ( I know this is controversial but it
   can't do any harm ).
10.If there is a pleasant day open the van to allow air to circulate whilst it is out of action

Ian

VIN Chip

My Vin Chip paraphernalia that I ordered at the NEC show arrived a couple of days ago.

 Vin Chip

There are a certain lack of instructions in the box to identify the constituent parts and where they go,the details are all on line but are a bit vague as to what goes where, but I think I have it sorted now.

Been trying to think of the best places to put the chips as they have to be within 30cm of the detector to be read.

To me it all seems like a good idea but the weak link in all this is,in my opinion,the police.

I would imagine a stolen caravan is pretty low down on their list of priorities unless of course you are in the public eye:-

Warwick Davis's Caravan

Ian

Solar Panel

Just a reminder that it does no harm to give the solar panel a wipe at this time of the year as with less sun at a more acute angle it needs all the help it can get to keep the battery charged.

Did ours today and removed a goodly amount of muck.

Ian

Non-Slippy Stuff

Got a little fed up with the stuff that I have in the rear nearside underbed locker ( jack,Lock n'Level,chocks etc.) having slid all over the place when we reach a site.

Bought a couple of rolls of that non-slippy matting from the pound shop,cut it to fit and glued it down.

Job done.

If you buy it from Poundland you will need two rolls.

Ian

Hillside Park

Just had four nights at Hillside Park northeast of Thirsk in North Yorkshire.

We have been to this site previously and it is a haven of peace and quiet at this time of the year,can't speak for the summer months though.

We had one of their extra large pitches which gives much more extra space to move around in,the drawback is that they are a bit away from the wash block,not too bad on a sunny day but when the wind is a-blowin and the rain pouring down....................,SWMBO much prefers on-site showers to the one in the van.

As far as us men are concerned there are only two toilets and two showers for a fifty pitch site which could be a bit busy on an August Bank Holiday Monday.

Must admit I am glad I had the Paintseal applied as the van was filthy when we got there but soon polished up after a wipe with a damp microfibre cloth.

Only one slight problem with the Cadiz in that the wardrobe door must have swelled a bit in the recent damp weather having left it open to let the air circulate.

Anyway after a day of warmth and a bit of jiggery-pokery with a screwdriver and the lock I managed to sort it out.

Have now left it shut whilst in storage.

We managed to awake Mr.Phantom from his slumbers when SWMBO stood on the alarm fob,I will give them credit as I received a phone call within minutes.

Took in a visit to Catterick Caravans ( free tea coffee and pizza ) and Ropers and purchased some decent pegs.

Got some like this :-

They are the bees knees compared with the hooked spindly things I have been using to supplement our supply of proper rock pegs.

They fit nicely into the holes at the bottom of Isabella awning poles,the other ones just bent on a hard-standing pitch.

Isabella sell them,of course at a price,but they are available more cheaply in packs or singly.

Ian

Fridge Vent Securing Doo-Dahs.

I have just been reading and participating in a discussion on Caravan Talk about Unicorn 3 fridge vents and the ridiculous price the seem to be ( over £44 per pair plus postage from Bailey ).

Now I am forever fumbling around for the small plastic securing thingies which fall out quite readily and it is only a matter of time before I lose one or some.

Someone mentioned that they were available as spares so,thinking they would only be a few coppers I thought I would get a few just in case.

I then checked the price on the Dometic site ( not going to be the cheapest place granted ) where they are,wait for it..................................£6.23 each plus £4.99 postage.

Fridge Vent Retainers.

I think I will make sure I don't lose the originals.

There are cheaper sources on E Bay at around £2 or so each,even this I think is steep.

Ian

Clock

Over the few years we have been caravanning I have read on forums of people having difficulty in removing the clock in Bailey caravans with stories of bits dropping down the back into the innards of the van and not being able to remove the clock in the first place.

With BST coming to an end this weekend I decided with some trepidation to risk it and remove the clock to turn back the hour.

Couldn't have been simpler,just pulled it out,it is a moderately tight fit,altered the time and pushed it back.

No loose pieces or anything else to impede progress.


   I was quite surprised how cheap and flimsy the clock was,must have cost all of about £2.

Still it looks OK and does the job so no complaints.

Ian


  

Paintseal

After informing Paintseal at the NEC show that the bits of the van around the windows had been missed they said they would send someone out to sort it out.

True to their word a chap arrived at our storage today at the allotted time and the job was done,windows skylights and everything.

Now yes these bits shouldn't have been missed in the first place but sometimes the worth of a company is how they respond to complaints and in my eyes Paintseal did the business without any fuss palaver or quibble.

Ian

Chapel Lane & Fridge Revelation

We have just returned from three nights at Chapel Lane CC site just south of Birmingham where as previously mentioned we attended the NEC Caravan and Motorhome Show.

This site is excellent and surprisingly rural considering its locality is very close to Birmingham,the only problem being inconsiderate dog owners allowing their pets to leave little parcels around the site.

The Cadiz was faultless apart from the microwave blowing a fuse for some reason but this was soon rectified.

Now for the fridge.

When we collected the Cadiz there was a plastic envelope containing three sets of "white fingery things" and a length of clear plastic like this :-

We could never fathom out where the "white fingery things" went until a glance into the same fridge at the show revealed all.

They go in the shelves to stop jars etc. rattling about :-

We had friends over to visit one afternoon who rapidly worked out that the clear plastic thing fitted lengthways down the salad/vegetable drawer at the bottom of the fridge so dividing fruit from vegetables.

Now doubtless there are many of you who have been travelling in your Cadiz's since day one with these refinements firmly in place and now consider SWMBO and I as a pair of dunderheads not fit to pull a Christmas cracker let alone a caravan,but it is what it is,an ex-midwife and a 2:1 Honours Degree graduate pulled up short by bits of plastic in a fridge.

Ian

NEC Show

Visited the Motorhome & Caravan Show at the NEC today and had a really good time poking and prodding around vans and motorhomes.

It seemed much quieter than in previous years and one stallholder told me that attendances were well down for reasons,he suggested,that having a stand at the show is very expensive plus the ongoing costs of transport,accommodation etc, and that a lot of dealers were putting on their own displays for a fraction of the price of attending Birmingham.

In Cadizland little seemed to have changed apart from moving the "Cadiz" name from the rear top part of the van to the bottom of the back window,probably to distinguish 2016 vans from 2015 ones,I must admit I preferred it in its original position..

In a way it was heartening to see no meaningful changes as this presumably means that Bailey got it right in the first place.

A couple of posts or so ago I mentioned that Paintseal had failed to open the van windows to apply their sealant around the bits that the window edges covered.

At their stand I brought this to their attention and to give them credit I had a follow up phone call shortly after and they are visiting storage next week to do the bits they missed.

If any SWMBO's are reading this there are free nail painting/manicuring sessions on the Bailey stand,they made a good job on SWMBO's nails.

I spoke to one or two people who were viewing the Cadiz and mentioned the blog,so welcome to any new readers.

Ian

ProTec Towing Cover

A  couple of posts back I suggested it would be a good idea if a towing cover could be made with a transparent window in it.

I e-mailed ProTec and suggested it and got a rather curt e-mail in reply saying this wouldn't be possible.

Oh well.

Ian

Radiator Guard Yet Again.

There has been some conjecture on Caravan Talk as to whether Bailey would be providing two radiator guards,one for the front and one for the rear locker.

Having looked at the situation regarding the rear locker I think they will only be providing one for the front.

The rear locker radiator fins are recessed upwards a good way so there is little likelihood of catching the back of your hands on them.

I will endeavour to take a photo over the next few days ( forgot today ) so that those who don't have their vans at hand can see what I mean.

Here it is:-

Ian

Radiator Guard Contd.

Had a word with the dealer today who was fully up to speed on the radiator guard.

One now on order for me to fit.

I have a .pdf of the fitting instructions if anyone wants a copy.

Just send an e-mail and one will be on its way.

( Tried to put the .pdf in the blog but it won't let me )

Ian

Radiator Covers

It has come to my attention via Caravan Talk that Bailey has produced some covers FOC for the radiator fins that constantly cut your hand when putting or removing things from the front locker.

Details are here :-

Radiator Covers.

The only drawback seems to be that it takes a trip to the deaers to fit them.

Will have a word with the dealer about it.

Ian

Durham Again

Recently returned from three nights at Durham Grange.

A last minute decision as the weather was so pleasant it seemed a shame to waste it.

Another tramp round the fashion shops of Durham ( why can't they provide comfy chairs for weary husbands,I am sure trade would increase ),also took in the rest of Beamish that we didn't get to see last time,free entry for a year after all.

No problems with the Cadiz apart from replacing the cooker top bumper kindly provided by Thetford and mopping up the Elsan Organic fluid in the gas locker that had leaked from the old milk container I had foolishly stored it in,replaced by a Nalgene bottle from Cotswold,it won't leak again.

We usually put on the towing cover the night before we leave especially if it is forecast to rain in the morning but of course this means we can't see out of the front windows.

It occurred to me as to why Pro-Tec,Specialised etc.can't make a cover with a transparent window in the middle so you could see out.

A fortune to be made there for someone.

Ian

Sutton Bank & TomTom, Tut Tut.

Not really Cadiz related but it was brought to my attention whilst reading a forum that the TomTom Caravan & Camper  sat.nav produces routes that go via Sutton Bank where caravans are seriously discouraged from going.

If you want to try it for yourself if you have such a unit as we have then ask it to plot a route from Thirsk to Pickering whilst in " caravan" mode and see where it takes you.

Anyway I have contacted TomTom via their Map Share Reporter site and asked them to stop it.

I will post again with the result of my plea when it arrives.

( Just had a thought,Sutton Bank is in North Yorkshire.
Rather xenophobically you always  seem to think that everyone knows where these places are).

Ian

Gone Hooking Crazy.

Since I purchased the suction hooks to hang keys on just inside the door I bought a few more and found other places where they are useful ( well I think they are,others of course may disagree ).

Might give someone a few ideas.

As I mentioned in a previous post they will only attach to the GRP walls and not to the "woody" bits.

Tried to put a couple in the wardrobe to hang a dustpan and brush on but they fell off in a couple of minutes despite appearing to be firmly fixed.

Ian

Berwick Sea View

We have just come back from four nights at Berwick Sea View CC site in Northumberland which is a very pleasant place right on the coast just south of Berwick upon Tweed.

We managed to get a pitch with a perfect sea view,which not all pitches have :-

A couple of things to bear in mind though if you decide to stop here.

One is that it is a linear site which backs on to the East Coast Main Line so there are trains going through from early morning till late at night.Strangely although you can hear them it doesn't seem to be a problem,well not to us anyway but there were one or two comments in the visitors book.

Secondly,as previously mentioned the site is linear and there are about four "dead ends" with no turning space so if you go down one and don't fancy any of the pitches you will need to reverse out with one in particular being quite a distance.

As for the Unicorn,no problems encountered apart from losing a rubber bump stop from the leading edge of the cooker,Thetford are putting a couple in the post.

We did observe that when the heating was on in the evening the locker door just to the rear of the concertina door on the off-side caught slightly on the wooden upright,it was OK during the day so we will put up with it,not a big deal.

The Alde heating was excellent,even SWMBO was hot ( no not like that ).

Now,the Paintseal.

This lived up to its hype.

The van had a bit of road dirt on when we pitched but a wipe with plain water using a  microfibre cloth followed by a final polish with a clean cloth brought it up gleaming.



As can be seen from the above picture,we have an Isabella door canopy.

Whilst watching an Isabella video of this product,the presenter said at the end that some vans wouldn't be able to secure one of the fasteners in the awning rail as the wheel would be in the way.

Isabella Door Canopy Video 

This is the case with the Unicorn so as suggested in the video I rang Isabella and an extension strap was was put in the post to arrive next day,free of charge.

As we came to hitch up to begin our journey to Berwick I discovered that one of the rubber clamps on the Milenco mirrors was missing.

SWMBO came up with the ingenious idea of replacing it with a flat pebble wrapped in a bit of egg box to stop it scratching the door mirrors.

This stop-gap worked splendidly both there and back.

Ian

Fridge Door Catch

I have been asked to clarify which door catch on the fridge ended up broken.

Here is a picture to clarify matters :-

Ian

Got It Back.

Retrieved the van from the dealers with the warranty work completed ( just waiting for a part for the ATC but when I connected it up to leave the dealers it worked !!).

Window blind repaired,bit of covering trim in front of toilet door on the ceiling reattached properly and the motor mover checked/sorted out,all OK.

Had the Paintseal applied and it looks like they have done a good job.

The only slight problem is that they didn't open the windows to do around the frame under the glass so it all got missed,not a big deal but annoying for the price charged.

Have e-mailed Paintseal so we will see what becomes.

When I got back to storage the clip that keeps the fridge door ajar broke,one now on order.

Note to self :- When I go to dealers do not stuff face with the delicious cakes in the cafe and purchase yet more Isabella items.

Ian

Warranty & Paintseal

Have dropped the van off at YC Leisure for one or two small warranty jobs doing.

Namely,fixing the AL-KO ATC light which doesn't work ( the ATC does ),when I connected it up in storage it came on for a minute then went off so it can't be the "bulb",probably a duff connection somewhere.

Repairing the kitchen blind which has lost tension.

Gluing,sealing,or whatever the cover strip over the roof join just in front of the washroom door which has a small gap.

Checking the off-side motor mover which didn't come off when we were last away but has been OK since.

Whilst there I decided to take the plunge and have the van Paintsealed ( exterior only ).

Paintseal are doing it on Monday so I will update on what it looks like next week.

Ian

Umbrella Storage

                                                                                     





                                                                          

Ian

Shower Hose

Just a small point but I have noticed that the shower hose tends to get caught in the door hinges when the door is being closed after a shower,unless it's just ours.

Would I imagine be easy to sprain the hinges or the door if not careful.

Ian

Scarborough/Bakewell

We have just returned from four nights at the CC site in Scarborough followed by two nights at the Bakewell Baking Festival in,yes you have guessed it,Bakewell.

The fault free honeymoon with the Cadiz has drawn to a close,not dramatically,more annoying than anything but more of that in a bit.

Scarborough CC site is a pleasant place to spend a few days,situated in West Ayton handily about five miles or so from the Park & Ride.

But beware if visiting in the school holidays and be sure to pick a pitch far away from the children’s playground,unless of course you are a masochist, as there was still shouting and screaming coming from it at ten o’clock at night which we could hear three quarters away across the site so how the poor souls went on parked right by it I don’t know.

The Bakewell Show Ground on the other hand was a rough and ready affair,a bit too rough and ready for what was charged in my opinion but anyway.For the first time we were off EHU and the Cadiz did not let us down.

The fridge and the Alde heating worked perfectly on gas and the solar panel was wonderful,recharging the battery fully the next day after an evening’s use.

Now for the problems.

Whilst in Scarborough the toilet/cassette gave up the ghost in that the flap that swings across the hole in the toilet got jammed in the open position and no amount of trying to free it with the lever would persuade it to shift,therefore we couldn’t empty the cassette,which fortunately I had emptied in the morning so we had a bit of leeway

As the thrill of tiptoeing to the site facilities at 3am wrapped in a towel soon faded it was time to call in a mobile repairer.

The chap who came ( KDR Mobile if you ever need him ) said it was a far from unusual occurrence and was due to a design fault in the toilet in that when the lever is moved whilst sat on the toilet,or leaning heavily on it,two parts of it separate and when the weight is removed these two parts don’t come together correctly and they jam ( I paraphrase this explanation by the way ).

Anyway the remedy appeared to involve inserting a metal strip between the cassette and the toilet via the cassette aperture outside and wiggling it around a bit.

I meant to observe what was done in case it happened again but wasn’t able to as all the action took place between the cassette and the toilet.

Anyway the moral of this tale is,DON’T MOVE THE LEVER WHILST SAT ON THE BOG,therby saving yourself £25.

The second minor thing was that the front of one of the LED spotlights fell off and proved very fiddly to put back.

I couldn’t do it but SWMBO managed it in the end.

The next thing was that the Al-Ko ATC light stopped working.

The ATC still worked it was just the light.

Then the kitchen blind wouldn’t retract properly.

The off-side motor mover didn’t come off whilst in Bakewell as I discovered when putting it back on to leave the site.

Finally the number plate fell off,fortunately whilst on site so it was easily remedied by the purchase of some heavy duty double-sided tape.

These problems sound worse on paper than they actually were and the van is booked in at YC Leisure for warranty repairs on the ATC light,blind and the motor mover checking over.

Luckily no great dramas and feel more confident about going electric free in future.

Ian

Durham Grange

Just had three nights at Durham Grange CC site just outside err.................Durham.

Perfectly pleasant site which we have visited before,some people complain of road noise which yes there is but it is one of those noises which I don't hear unless I listen on purpose.

Within walking distance to the P&R into Durham.

Whilst there we visited Beamish open air museum,well worth the trip,so much to see,so much in fact that we didn't see it all but you can visit again for free for up to a year so we will have a return visit.

Decent discount with CC membership cards as well.

One word,if visiting during school holidays book online prior to going to avoid a long queue.

Anyway onto the Cadiz and once again nil to report,not even a TV remote down the back of the sofa.

Performed faultlessly.

Copied Bill Tweedie's idea of putting a couple of vacuum sucker hooks in the shower to hang wet coats on.

Ian

Servicing.

 Whilst browsing the Bailey warranty I came across this:-

 5. During the first three (3) years of the Warranty Cover, all annual inspections and

repairs must be carried out either by Bailey itself or an approved Bailey Service Centre

or Agent. 

 I began to wonder if this would exclude servicing by a mobile outfit who nevertheless was AWS/NCC qualified.

I e-mailed Bailey and got a rapid response ( so much for those that say they are tardy with communications ),to say this :-

To Mr Broadhead

Thank you for your email

I have checked the NCC (AWS) database and can confirm *********** are an NCC approved workshop and are able to carry out the servicing of your caravan.

Should any warranty work be required to your Caravan we would always recommend you return to your purchasing Bailey retailer regarding servicing/warranty work of your caravan.   If you are unable to return to your purchasing retailer with your request or you do not have a purchasing retailer you will need to find a Transient Bailey approved Retailer or Service Centre in your local area or that may be just outside your area and you will have to travel to them to have this work carried out.

We do have transient and non-transient retailers, the transient retailers will work on any caravan regardless of where the van had been purchased and non-transient agents unfortunately choose to only carry out warranty work on caravans that they have sold; as our retailers are not Bailey franchise we have no control over this option and cannot demand and enforce them to carry out servicing or warranty work.

You are able to find Transient retailers/service centres in and around your local area by visiting our website www.baileyofbristol.co.uk select choose your retailer and enter your postcode.  This will then list all retailers and service centres that are approved via Bailey.

Kind Regards

Chantelle Kimmins

Customer Service Co-Ordinator

Bailey of Bristol

South Liberty Lane, Bristol, BS3 2SS

www.baileyofbristol.co.uk

So if you are in any doubt that your mobile service firm is able to do your servicing then if you e-mail Bailey they will check them out for you.

I have printed the above into hard copy so if there are any problems with warranty in the future I have something to fall back on. 

Ian 

Solution For Losing Keys.

It might be the time of life or it may not but I am forever losing sets of keys.

One thing I miss from the Orion is the TV table to the right just inside the door where I could put keys and the like with a passing chance of knowing where I had put them.

Thought about it a bit and came up with this:-

They are suction hooks which I got from the local DIY shop at 90p each.

Being suction attached you can remove them if you don't like them and you've only lost a couple of quid and not damaged the van.

Now I have somewhere to hang keys,reachable from outside, so hopefully losing them will be a thing of the past.

Before someone says it,yes it would have been more convenient on the brown woody bit but they kept falling off ,the GRP side gave a better hold.

Ian

Bolton Abbey & TV Remote Control

Have just had four nights at the CC site at Bolton Abbey and while the weather wasn't the best we very much enjoyed it.

The Bolton Abbey site is tucked away adjacent to Strid Woods and unfortunately suffers from one thing that I have noticed on one or two CC sites and that is tree cover.

There is barely a pitch that is not overhung by some degree with trees which keeps out the sun,holds onto the damp and drips long after rain,which we had a bit of.

If going to this site try to pick one of the pitches at the top of the site which are generally more open we had one down at the bottom which had a bit of tree cover.

The wardens didn't seem the friendliest in the world,nothing specific just a general feeling.

The Cadiz once again came up trumps with just one minor niggle and that concerned our old friend the slot at the back of the lounge seats leading to the Alde radiator.

If you recall I dropped a screwdriver down there on a previous trip,this time it was the TV remote control which vanished.

Luckily I have thin hands and just managed to be able to reach down for it but others may well struggle.

I know the heat has to get through but I wish Bailey had thought of some sort of " heat transferring" cover or grid.

We had two grandkids with us and naturally it is easy for them,or anyone else,to put something down on the backrest cushion and knock it down the void.

Anyway apart from that all continues to be OK with our Cadiz.

Ian