Wednesday 25 December 2013

Expedition No1 Disaster

I got off to a good start everything loaded and we where off to Ardnamurchan at 10.30, after Ash had a good run in the forest. A nice uneventful journey with a good audio book to keep me company all the way to Loch Lomond where I found a nice lay-by just north of Luss to spend the night in. No alcohol just in case I got moved on by the boys in blue although I doubt anybody would care I was parked there this time of year but just to be on the safe side
A good sleep and I was up, feed and watered, Ash given a walk the full length of the lay-by so we were ready to roll by 9ish the snow line was getting lower but all well, until the bump into a deep pothole broke the back window!!!!(No I haven't heard of it happening to anybody before either). I thought at first it had frozen over it wasn't until just outside Tyndrum that bits started falling out and then another bump finished the job. The RAC were not a lot of help glass is not something they do, but they did put me in touch with Autoglass they could not do anything there and then, it would be Friday (this is Sunday btw) before they could fix it if I stayed where I was. I couldn't, there was glass all over the back of the car and no way could I sleep in it, I was parked at The Green Welly shop and by this time there was a blizzard going on so I decided the best thing, was too ever so reluctantly, abandon the trip and go home. the glass fitter got a smiley at that and said that was fine they could replace it Christmas eve if I was at home. I used one of the covers I use in the roof and warpped it around the back door and started back down country with the night heater going to keep the car warm.


Hay Ho that's the way it goes but I was not a happy camper. I have been working my way towards this trip for months and even with the gales that where forecast I was going to risk it, but for it all to get screwed up by a pothole!ӣ$%^&*().





But I will be having another go, but this time I am going to work with the weather I will keep my eye on the forecast and if I see a window of good frosty weather without the gales coming up I will be off to try that again (that is the nice thing about being self-employed! yes I can) so hang around otters, as Arnie would say "I will be back"

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Shake down run No 4

Well I am definitely mad!!!!I am sitting in XOX at 5 in the evening on my last shakedown run, at a campsite approximately 6 miles from home and it is blowing a gale so hard that I haven’t dared put up the roof.  XOX just has a shudder now and again when the gusts catch us even in this sheltered location, but Ash and I are as warm as toast with the night heater just on tick over keeping everything nice and warm.  Unfortunately I need to do this bit of madness so I know what I am in for next weekend as the forecast for Ardnamurchan (yes!!! that’s where we are off too next Sunday. Glasgow turn northwest and keep on going until you run out of road) is for very strong winds for the 5 days I will be there so I am just getting used to it and with the lid down it is not too bad at all, The gusts are running at 30+ mph just now at a guess (I must get an anemometer just to see what the wind speeds I am experiencing actually are).I think it will be sleeping plan “B” tonight this is where the lid stays down and the mattress and my sooooo warm sleeping bag go on the floor. the forecast is for it to improve overnight but just now at 7 o’clock there is no way I am putting the lid up to get at the bunks in this wind.

All sorts of things have been happening to XOX since out last trip out.

The curtains are fitted now and they are great, Sue has made a grand job of them and the double thickness is helping to insulate us from the cold.









A huge improvement in the driving lights has been achieved by fitting a second hand “A” bar with 2 driving lights fitted to it and the head lights now have tarmac burner bulbs in (80/100) so dip is wonderful and main beam has to be seen to be believed. What a difference it has made, all of these lights are switched through relays and that itself will have helped a lot. We also have 2 new 18 watt LED work lights fitted to the rear cross member running off the leisure battery. I use these as reversing lights as well and it is just like having head lights at the back, just so I can see what I am backing into very clearly.

New lockers are made and fitted (with a folding table DVLA requirement, a "fixed table" and this is the best I could do), not enough storage space of course, in the new year I think I will have another go at them and incorporate a high locker to use as a wardrobe  but for now  clothes will have to just stay in a bag
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The new back step has been made and fitted that has made a big difference to getting in and out of the back door.









Due to delivery problems the silver screen for the windscreen and front side windows has been delayed so I will not have it for this trip but it will be ready in the New Year and I will put it to good use on our 1st outing of 2014. For this trip I have bought a re-usable space blanket and with a few well placed magnets and clips to hold it in place and it is working fine.
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What else have I been buying to fit out XOX for our expeditions? Well Halfords provided a snow shovel and I have found a home for it behind the front passenger seat.  I also got a tyre pressure gauge just in case I need to reduce the tyre pressures if I need more grip (I already have a foot pump to put them back up again). A tow strap was also on my shopping list and after a lot of Google/YouTube time and thinking about what to get, I bought a 4 meter long 3 tonne strap and 2 bow shackles both the strap and the shackles are rated and certificated and they are almost the only bits of kit that I hope I never need to use, the other one is a bottle jack. I decided I wanted to see how difficult it was to change the gas bottle, not too much of a problem disconnecting it (although gloves are needed as it is very dirty from the spray off the rear ty
re) but I could not get the gas bottle between the wheel arch and the tyre without jacking up XOX a little bit, that is when I discovered the jack I had was useless, so a new bottle jack was needed and the replacement will lift 4 tonnes almost 2 feet so I should be OK for tyre changing as well as gas bottle changing.


One of the other things that I have been up to is taking photos of  XOX inside and out for DVLA to get them to re-register XOX as a Dormobile/camper, this is important as I want my insurance company to recognize it as a camper so they will insure it for a value that reflects the work and investment that has gone into XOX and not just the value of the base vehicle. All the photos and forms have been sent off now so I hope in the New Year I will have a result.
So that is about it for the test runs the next one will be for real, 5 1/2 hours from home. Otters here I come just be there for me.