CMC Sutton on Sea

We are at the moment on the above site which is tucked away on the Lincolnshire coast south of Mablethorpe.

Not been here before but worth a visit if you are in this neck of the woods. 

Sutton on Sea itself is an ex railway town but the trains are long gone in 1970.

If you like a good beach then this is your place. 

Have had two problems with the Cadiz, firstly the slide out table in the front chest will only pull out a third of the way. 

After removing the top drawer ( press in the plastic clips at the sides half way along and lift the front) it appears the right hand runner is malfunctioning and probably needs replacing.

Getting a replacement is no problem but how to replace it Lord only knows, it's all built in around it. 

Will have to have a think unless any of my readers know how to do it. 

Secondly the Avtex sound bar on the TV doesn't work using coax connection as it should. 

Rang Avtex who didn't know why either but could only suggest that the cable was faulty so are sending me another to the site so we will see how that goes. 

Ian

Service

Had the Cadiz serviced today along with an Alde fluid change all carried out by DTH Caravan Services. 

The water inlet was replaced as well as the original was a bit worse for wear.

Also had the water hester/heating circuit breaker replaced and a piece of bent water pipe.

It was bone dry fortunately so that's that for another year.

Ian

Avtex TV Excellent Customer Service

I can't remember if I mentioned in a previous blog that our Avtex TV had gone on the blink.

Freeview was fine but satellite only got a few channels, some with sound but no picture. 

Took it to a local repair shop who said the firmware needed reinstalling, which was no problem, but also found the power socket was unstable and turned the TV off if touched so reinstalling the firmware was off till this was fixed. 

Unfortunately they couldn't get inside it for some reason to fix it.

I then rang Avtex who said they could sort it, left my house at 3:30pm on Tuesday and just received it back, 11:30am on Thursday, all sorted.

All for a good price as well which included pick up and delivery. 

Excellent customer service. 

Yes Avtex are pricey but a bit like Isabella perhaps the more upmarket the item the better the customer service is.

Once again a bit like Isabella their items aren't "disposable"  and they are willing to repair them, saves money in the long run. 

Ian

New Tyres

This is a post I did back in January but just noticed I posted it to the wrong blog so here it is :-

Over the years I hsve never been impressed by the reputation of Kwik Fit, not I hasten to add from any personal experience, but from what I have read in various forums etc.

Our Cadiz tyres are approaching eight years old so well in need of new rubber,sad really as they are barely worn.

Fortunately the wheels are off the van for the winter and stored in our garsge. 

After the  local Kwik-Fit depot fitted me a new valve core to the car spare tyre in about a minute and didn't charge me when Halfords wanted me to book it in for the next day and would have probably charged I decided to give Kwik-Fit Mobile a try for some new tyres. 

The depots can't do wheels with Tyron Bands on as they are not trained to do so and haven't got the equipment needed.

Couldn't get any like for like Michelin replacements so plumped for some Hankooks instead. 

Actually I wonder if top brand tyres are worth it for the low mileages caravans do. 

Managed to get two Hankooks, balancing, replacement of the  TPMS sensors ( had purchased the sensors from Prima Leisure a while ago), Tyron Band refitting and disposal of the old tyres all for about £165 which I thought was reasonable.

After a phone call to book the fitting ( you can't do it on line), it was arranged for today and all went smoothly. 

Cheerful chap, arrived on schedule and job done in about an hour and a quarter. 

So all in all can recommend Kwik Fit Mobile if you want some new tyres.

Ian

CMC Ludham Bridge

Coming to the end of an eleven night stay at the above which is a lovely site, one we have visited many times before, in a lovely area especially as we have had very good weather.

The site is nowhere near full, in fact the whole area is pretty quiet which surprised me with it being Easter week.

As blogged previously the ATC light is now sorted, the tripping MCB for the Alde boiler has been diagnosed by Alde as a failing MCB which will be replaced by my service man when the van is serviced in a couple of weeks or so. 

Also having a new water inlet fitted as the original has seen better days

After talking to the chap on the next pitch who had a new Swift  I wonder when the UK caravan industry will begin to turn out reliably defect free vans? 

He had had warranty problems as so many vans, of all makes seem to have.

This often seems to be backed up by a shoddy dealer response.

With some new vans costing £30k upwards this should not be occurring.

Perhaps a case for, as far as dealers go,proper franchised dealers like the car industry.

Anyway food for thought.

Ian

Al-ko ATC Light

If anyone remembered in my last post I mentioned that the ATC light had ceased to function.

Anyway bought another and replaced it. 

Easy enough job, pull the plug apart under the hitch fairing, cut away the plethora of cable ties, undo the two screws holding the plate on the fairing, undo the small nut holding the light to the plate and pull the old light out. 

Refiiting, as they say in Haynes manuals, is the reversal of removal. 

This job would have been a whole lot easier if I hadn't put the old one back and amazingly it still didn't work. 

All sorted now.

A word about purchasing a replacement. 

I got one for £20 off E Bay with free postage.

Al-ko wanted an eye watering £62 for the same thing, oh with free postage.

Ian 

CMC Poolsbrook

Away on our third outing of the year at the above site near Staveley in Derbyshire. 

Boy was it windy on our second day and raining as well, was glad we left the Eclipse canopy at home this time. 

The two problems that occurred during our last trip the faulty mini Heki above the sink and the faulty Alde sensor, have both been rectified.

Sorting the Heki out is a right Chinese puzzle don't know even now how I sorted it. 

The only odd thing this trip was the Alde boiler tripped the circuit breaker for some unknown reason, been OK since being reset.

I have learnt one thing though, the chap next door in a Unicorn 4 had a caravan tech out as his water flow was very slow.

Turned out it was the filters in the taps that were blocked. 

I didn't know but you can screw the end off the kitchen tap and and a plastic filter lies within. 

He had two fine mesh ones but ours has a rather coarser plastic one which is perhaps just as well.

The bathroom tap looks like it needs a spanner to remove so left that alone.

Every days a school day in the world of caravanning.

Ian