Ok so first the collywobblies - geez did I pick the right van????? Doesn't matter, this i it.
So I towed her from Konjonup to Perth. I obeyed the stern dictums from all you lot and towed her in 4th.
As there were lot of hills most of my revs were between 3000 and 3250. I averaged between 80 and 90 and sometimes hit 100km.
Overall I did not notice a difference in the fuel consumption between towing and not towing.
I got to the cp and was told to buggar off for 2 hrs so took advantage of that to go buy more clutter for the van.
First hurdle - I cannot put the pop top up by myself. I knew it was going to be difficult so bought a tent bar to go between the two handles. But no go. With 2 people it is instant.
Anyway I asked a lovely hairy kneed bloke (Billeeee would be very happy about this) to help me and it was up no effort or strength at all.
The lovely hairy kneed bloke cooked me dinner and I was able to give him a free misic and wine festival ticket in return.
It looked as if the fridge was not going to work but it did.
I love this little van.
This is my first night
Ma said
05:48 AM Nov 5, 2011
We need piccys Elle, PICCYS.....
pauline said
08:02 AM Nov 5, 2011
Yes Elle piccys please, you must be so excited, hope you don't find too many things wrong but that is what this trip is about i suppose, have a great time.......
Dougwe said
08:03 AM Nov 5, 2011
Have a great trip Elle and keep safe.
Elle on Wheels said
09:56 AM Nov 5, 2011
Hey guys - I've got a few pics on my mobile and will try to put them on the computer. I am off to my solo course this morning. Geez we get spoilt these days. I bet most of you lot never had your collective hands held like me. In a few minutes I will pull the poptop down, disconnect the gas and water and probably drive off with the jockey wheel still on the ground and the speaker still in the window..... oooops this is not a drive in movie show, am showing my age.
In the meantime the maggies are singing and it is a beaut morning.
cheers all
yeoeleven said
10:04 AM Nov 5, 2011
Well done Ellen,
can't wait to see her. Expect to be in Denmark around the 18th. Still waiting for the pressure cooker but the email said it has been despatched.
John
lilly31 said
11:50 AM Nov 5, 2011
Yes well done ellen Many more trips to come and every one will be will be better then the first ..till you wont be able to remember why u worried at all .....
HeadnHome said
01:01 PM Nov 5, 2011
well done, and enjoy yourself .. looking forward to seeing photos of your new setup.
nomadic1 said
05:48 PM Nov 5, 2011
And I hope you have many more happy nights in your van. I'm sure there will be a solution to the pop top problem. Until you figure it out then you will, no doubt, meet lots of helpful travellers who are willing to lend a hand. Happy travels!
Dougwe said
06:42 PM Nov 5, 2011
Elle, it might be worth looking at the air lifters for the pop up section, I don't know much about them but I'm sure I read about them in Caravan World or Off The Road or similar, I have had a quick look but can't find the article. DOUG
-- Edited by milo on Saturday 5th of November 2011 09:00:59 PM
Sheba said
09:47 PM Nov 5, 2011
Check out Milo's link Elle. That's what I'm going to get when I get on the road. Won't cost quite as much if you have some-one who can install them for you, but about $1000.00 if they fit them.
Cheers,
Sheba.
blaze said
10:08 PM Nov 5, 2011
Talking on the phone tonight to Ellen, she is currently in Gingin (wa) on her caravan learning curve with tutor. Ellen will drop into Karrinyup C/P tomorrow. I will check out the lifting problem tomorrow to see what assistance I can pass on. cheers blaze
pauline said
11:20 PM Nov 5, 2011
Good for you Blaze, hope you can help.....
Dougwe said
08:29 AM Nov 6, 2011
That's them Milo and Elle, job well done Milo, maybe I'm not going silly after all. DOUG.
milo said
10:27 PM Nov 6, 2011
Dougwe wrote:
That's them Milo and Elle, job well done Milo, maybe I'm not going silly after all. DOUG.
Vic said
06:38 PM Nov 7, 2011
Hi Elle,
I was supposed to be off today but delayed until tomorrow. I was looking a spending my first night at the SDA Caravan Camp at Maida Vale (near High Wycombe) and noticed on their site they stored caravans or cars, you were asking about places that did this earlier. See this link;
Blaze, If you're talking to Ellie could you pass this on please,
Thanks, Vic
-- Edited by Vic on Monday 7th of November 2011 11:04:56 PM
Esmeralda said
09:57 PM Nov 7, 2011
Elle I have problem with the pop top but silicon spray seems to have done the job and things are much easier now = it may help to get up and have a look at the track (or get someone to do it for you) and then spray.
Cheers,
Elle on Wheels said
10:37 PM Nov 7, 2011
Hey all
thanks for your suggestions and well wishes. Beth someone else mentioned spray so I will do that asap. I can manage to get it up by myself with huge effort and a few burst blood vessels but also I found a caravan place who will install gassed struts for $65 each plus labour and also keep the van for the week I am away so all is excellent. As I wll be lubricating the springs I will only need fairly light struts as I don't want the same problem pulling the poptop down.
There's definitely no leaks in the van as it has been raining a lot during the past few days.
I went out and bought a high density foam mattress today so am looking forward to a good sleep minus aching hips and dented pelvis.
The training course was great and I'm now a lot more confident at reversing. However on the two occasions i got very smug about it a couple of incidents brought me back a peg or two. Too embarrasing to go into detail but needless to say I will be very humble in future.
Hey Vic - I stayed in the SDA camp on my first night. They store cars and vans for $2 per night per vehicle which is excellent. They also have cabin accommodation available from $22 -$30 per night.
Finally our training group spent the night at Willowbrook CP at Gin Gin. What a fantastic place. It's managed by a family of travellers and they are soooo friendly and welcoming. They have BBQ facilities on their private front verandah and come out evry night to chat and share a meal. Annnnd - best of all they lay on scones and jam and cream every sunday. I should put a post in the recommendations section but mentioned it here as the climax to an excellent caravan training course.
On leaving there I wnet straight to Karrinyup Waters which is a very busy CP with tight parking and had no trouble at all with pulling up in the classical parking angle and whipping it in to position in one go. The sparkling vaneer of competence and experience was somewhat dented when I could not get the jockey wheel to work after much effort and I had to get someone to assist. It was soon discovered that I had been winding it the wrong way.
Anyway sorry about a very long post. I will add pics when I figure out how to get them off my phone. Thanks all for your good wishes.
pauline said
10:53 PM Nov 7, 2011
Good for you Elle, it can only get better from here........ Cheers
Vic said
11:12 PM Nov 7, 2011
I'm off to SDA in the morning, the manager there told me that you can smoke and drink INSIDE your van but nowhere outside. I told him I neither smoked or drank and didn't take non prescribed drugs and he was happy with that they have a strict no drugs policy too.
$30 a night two people and no discount for singles, I forgot to ask him about whether they give seniors or pensioner discounts but I don't think so, will find out tomorrow.
I have been to Willow Brook Farm (Gin Gin WA) a couple of times and it is great and a very popular place with caravan groups.
Happy Travels in the new van,
Vic
milo said
12:55 AM Nov 8, 2011
that caravan course sounds like a good idea Elle, how much are they ? and how long is the course for?
pauline said
07:48 AM Nov 8, 2011
So if you cannot drink outside, does that mean, no happy hours, I do drink and smoke and for $30 a night I think I would be giving that place a wide berth, just my opinion, it may suit others..........
-- Edited by pauline on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 07:48:49 AM
Ma said
07:52 AM Nov 8, 2011
Same as you Pauline
Elle on Wheels said
10:00 AM Nov 8, 2011
Oh well it is a religious place and they state their rules up front so gotta respect that. The other thing is that they don't allow pets so that cuts me out for future stays. But you can't beat their storage rates.
Ma said
10:05 AM Nov 8, 2011
I agree with respecting their religious views Elle.
The set up there doesn't suit us for a number of reasons but I can see how it would suit some of us down to the ground.
Elle on Wheels said
01:02 AM Nov 9, 2011
milo wrote:
that caravan course sounds like a good idea Elle, how much are they ? and how long is the course for?
Hey Milo
the course was run by a well known organisation who are based in WA and probably may be considered a bit expensive by some but I was very happy with it.
It ran for a weekend, involved a morning of theory by highly experienced teachers, then lots of practice manouvering your caravan and reversing, then a 100 km convoy to a great country CP, and another day of reversing practice.
The value of being able to travel with other novices and having an experienced person on hand to show you how to put your awning up and down, and the basic operations of your van was really worth it.
cheers
Dave83 said
01:10 AM Nov 9, 2011
I disagree, if you're going to charge $30 per night and yet impose ridiculous restrictions based on equally ridiculous religious dogma, then I'll be giving them a very wide berth indeed
milo said
02:21 AM Nov 9, 2011
course sounds good elle,
Ma said
03:21 AM Nov 9, 2011
Dave83 wrote:
I disagree, if you're going to charge $30 per night and yet impose ridiculous restrictions based on equally ridiculous religious dogma, then I'll be giving them a very wide berth indeed
That's the beautry of living in Australia.............the freedom to make our own choices.
Like us, if it doesn't appeal for whatever reasons then you CHOOSE to go elsewhere.
Ok so first the collywobblies - geez did I pick the right van????? Doesn't matter, this i it.
So I towed her from Konjonup to Perth. I obeyed the stern dictums from all you lot and towed her in 4th.
As there were lot of hills most of my revs were between 3000 and 3250. I averaged between 80 and 90 and sometimes hit 100km.
Overall I did not notice a difference in the fuel consumption between towing and not towing.
I got to the cp and was told to buggar off for 2 hrs so took advantage of that to go buy more clutter for the van.
First hurdle - I cannot put the pop top up by myself. I knew it was going to be difficult so bought a tent bar to go between the two handles. But no go. With 2 people it is instant.
Anyway I asked a lovely hairy kneed bloke (Billeeee would be very happy about this) to help me and it was up no effort or strength at all.
The lovely hairy kneed bloke cooked me dinner and I was able to give him a free misic and wine festival ticket in return.
It looked as if the fridge was not going to work but it did.
I love this little van.
This is my first night
We need piccys Elle, PICCYS.....
In the meantime the maggies are singing and it is a beaut morning.
cheers all
Well done Ellen,
can't wait to see her. Expect to be in Denmark around the 18th. Still waiting for the pressure cooker but the email said it has been despatched.
John
Elle, it might be worth looking at the air lifters for the pop up section, I don't know much about them but I'm sure I read about them in Caravan World or Off The Road or similar, I have had a quick look but can't find the article. DOUG
like this?
http://www.rvairlifters.com.au/About-Us-pg7292.html
-- Edited by milo on Saturday 5th of November 2011 09:00:59 PM
Check out Milo's link Elle. That's what I'm going to get when I get on the road. Won't cost quite as much if you have some-one who can install them for you, but about $1000.00 if they fit them.
Cheers,
Sheba.
cheers
blaze
Hi Elle,
I was supposed to be off today but delayed until tomorrow. I was looking a spending my first night at the SDA Caravan Camp at Maida Vale (near High Wycombe) and noticed on their site they stored caravans or cars, you were asking about places that did this earlier. See this link;
http://adventpark.adventist.org.au/
Blaze, If you're talking to Ellie could you pass this on please,
Thanks, Vic
-- Edited by Vic on Monday 7th of November 2011 11:04:56 PM
Elle I have problem with the pop top but silicon spray seems to have done the job and things are much easier now = it may help to get up and have a look at the track (or get someone to do it for you) and then spray.
Cheers,
thanks for your suggestions and well wishes. Beth someone else mentioned spray so I will do that asap. I can manage to get it up by myself with huge effort and a few burst blood vessels but also I found a caravan place who will install gassed struts for $65 each plus labour and also keep the van for the week I am away so all is excellent. As I wll be lubricating the springs I will only need fairly light struts as I don't want the same problem pulling the poptop down.
There's definitely no leaks in the van as it has been raining a lot during the past few days.
I went out and bought a high density foam mattress today so am looking forward to a good sleep minus aching hips and dented pelvis.
The training course was great and I'm now a lot more confident at reversing. However on the two occasions i got very smug about it a couple of incidents brought me back a peg or two. Too embarrasing to go into detail but needless to say I will be very humble in future.
Hey Vic - I stayed in the SDA camp on my first night. They store cars and vans for $2 per night per vehicle which is excellent. They also have cabin accommodation available from $22 -$30 per night.
Finally our training group spent the night at Willowbrook CP at Gin Gin. What a fantastic place. It's managed by a family of travellers and they are soooo friendly and welcoming. They have BBQ facilities on their private front verandah and come out evry night to chat and share a meal. Annnnd - best of all they lay on scones and jam and cream every sunday. I should put a post in the recommendations section but mentioned it here as the climax to an excellent caravan training course.
On leaving there I wnet straight to Karrinyup Waters which is a very busy CP with tight parking and had no trouble at all with pulling up in the classical parking angle and whipping it in to position in one go. The sparkling vaneer of competence and experience was somewhat dented when I could not get the jockey wheel to work after much effort and I had to get someone to assist. It was soon discovered that I had been winding it the wrong way.
Anyway sorry about a very long post. I will add pics when I figure out how to get them off my phone. Thanks all for your good wishes.
Cheers
I'm off to SDA in the morning, the manager there told me that you can smoke and drink INSIDE your van but nowhere outside. I told him I neither smoked or drank and didn't take non prescribed drugs and he was happy with that they have a strict no drugs policy too.
$30 a night two people and no discount for singles, I forgot to ask him about whether they give seniors or pensioner discounts but I don't think so, will find out tomorrow.
I have been to Willow Brook Farm (Gin Gin WA) a couple of times and it is great and a very popular place with caravan groups.
Happy Travels in the new van,
Vic
how much are they ? and how long is the course for?
So if you cannot drink outside, does that mean, no happy hours, I do drink and smoke and for $30 a night I think I would be giving that place a wide berth, just my opinion, it may suit others..........
-- Edited by pauline on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 07:48:49 AM
Same as you Pauline
I agree with respecting their religious views Elle.
The set up there doesn't suit us for a number of reasons but I can see how it would suit some of us down to the ground.
Hey Milo
the course was run by a well known organisation who are based in WA and probably may be considered a bit expensive by some but I was very happy with it.
It ran for a weekend, involved a morning of theory by highly experienced teachers, then lots of practice manouvering your caravan and reversing, then a 100 km convoy to a great country CP, and another day of reversing practice.
The value of being able to travel with other novices and having an experienced person on hand to show you how to put your awning up and down, and the basic operations of your van was really worth it.
cheers
That's the beautry of living in Australia.............the freedom to make our own choices.
Like us, if it doesn't appeal for whatever reasons then you CHOOSE to go elsewhere.