Time to Face The Music

joedenise

Absolutely agree with you about having the van at home - I think it would be a nightmare if it was in storage.  It's great being able to take your time cleaning it out after breaks away and then getting it ready to go again.  We're not away until beginning of July so plenty of time to get the bed made and food loaded into it for at least the first few days.  We're going away for about 10 days - was going to be a bit longer but forgot we've got the guy coming to service the boiler mid month so have to be back for that!

RelievedSheff

joedenise said:

Absolutely agree with you about having the van at home - I think it would be a nightmare if it was in storage.  It's great being able to take your time cleaning it out after breaks away and then getting it ready to go again.  We're not away until beginning of July so plenty of time to get the bed made and food loaded into it for at least the first few days.  We're going away for about 10 days - was going to be a bit longer but forgot we've got the guy coming to service the boiler mid month so have to be back for that!

We are out for 9 days (8 nights) this time. I think we have the van pretty much set up for a longer trip now. It will be a good test run with a mixture of proper sites, Brit Stops and "wild" camping spots over the 9 days.

We are using this trip as a test run for our much longer 16 day trip to Scotland later in the year.

We are finding if we spread the van jobs out over a week or so then it doesn't feel so much of a chore. With the boat we had to do the cleaning and maintenance jobs either the weekend before we went away or when we arrived at the boat before we went away which we got a bit fed up with in the end. And there was always something to fix or fettle on it.

The same with loading up to go away. We had to load all of the gear into the car, to unload it at the marina, then load it back on the boat again. Coming home was the reverse. Having to unload the boat, load up the car, then unload the car again when we got home. We skip a step out with the van and just load that up gradually during the week.

It has been a revelation really just how much less hassle the van is then the boat was. Even when we arrive somewhere. No more messing about with ropes and fenders. It is literally park up, turn the gas on and spin the seats round.

It doesn't float though and that is one thing we do miss. Although being by the water seems to be a good compromise  

RelievedSheff

All this talk of van jobs got me thinking the cooker hood grease filter could really do with washing before we go away (The dealership hadn't really given it a good clean before we picked the van up!!). So that has gone in the dishwasher now along with the three grease filters from the kitchen extractor fan!

Still it will be another job ticked off the to do list.

joedenise

We like being parked up near water.  That's what I really miss about France.  Cant wait to get back over there - if things go well we're hoping we'll be able to do the month we've booked over there for September - 🤞it goes ahead!

beanielou

Happy Friday 

RelievedSheff

The other half has just bathed the dog and he had gone absolutely mental running around the house drying off 🤣🤣🤣

Not seen him do that for ages. He doesn't do it as much now he is getting older.

Sun_Addict

My dog goes mad when she has a bath, especially when you wash her face 😆 I always thought of your dog as a young whipper-snapper, how old is he? 

The holiday plans sound brilliant by the way. The great thing is you get to take the dog. I miss mine when we go on holiday, that’s why we only go for a week, although I know she’s fine with DD our live in pet sitter. 

milann

That’s why we got our original caravan when the kids were tiny….so we could take the dog. Both dogs loved it and once I opened the caravan door to start cleaning and packing the dog wouldn’t get out of the van 😂😂

RelievedSheff

Sun_Addict said:

My dog goes mad when she has a bath, especially when you wash her face 😆 I always thought of your dog as a young whipper-snapper, how old is he? 

The holiday plans sound brilliant by the way. The great thing is you get to take the dog. I miss mine when we go on holiday, that’s why we only go for a week, although I know she’s fine with DD our live in pet sitter. 

He will be 5 in November (we gave him a birthday based on how old the vet thought he was when we got him) 

He is still mad as a box of frogs but he has definitely calmed down a bit in the last few years we have had him 😀

RelievedSheff

milann said:

That’s why we got our original caravan when the kids were tiny….so we could take the dog. Both dogs loved it and once I opened the caravan door to start cleaning and packing the dog wouldn’t get out of the van 😂😂

He tries to get in the van every time we walk past it 🤣🤣🤣