Awnings, Batteries And A Dog Bed Change Of Mind.

I thought I would share the latest update I put on the small camper site with you. It's all part of my life. I still haven't hit the road yet. The weather has been awful since I began preparing the van for travel. Mostly rain. I can deal with the cold but I do not like being constantly damp.

JB’s Vauxhall Astra update number 27 I think.

Being as how you are such an intelligent lot you will have no difficulty remembering that in JB’s update number 8 or thereabout I mentioned I was thinking about adding an awning to my van. Being a man true to my word (never mind what she told the Judge in court) I kept on thinking. Eventually, however I did make an awning. I even put some photos of said awning on subsequent (good word that) updates. Some of you (the more discerning) even said nice things about it.
Unfortunately, the material I made it from (an old tent) was rubbish. Ripe would describe it adequately. Where I had stitched it, it began to tear badly. To cut a long story short I scrapped it. Hours of sewing into the wee small hours had come to nothing. I found some stronger material and started again. OK look, I shall be honest. I am now on awning number six. It just wouldn’t come right. My own fault because I tend to jump in without thinking properly (according to the ex that is, but she never had a good word to say about me right from the start. I blame her mother, she always had to poke her fat nose in where it wasn’t wanted… No, I am not going to get into recriminations, But she should have kept her fat nose out of it). Anyway, I will not be making another one. This will have to do (see photos).

So, about five yards of sewing for each awning attempt. That equals, er… 5 x 6 is 56…no 65… six awnings at five yards per metre… er... a hell of a lot of sewing was involved. The final awning still looks bloody awful but I will only use it on dark, moonless nights so who cares? Not me. Not a jot!

Great news on the leisure battery front! I have one. Didn’t cost anything. What happened was I was telling my son-in-law Nigel. That isn’t his real name, but he said he would prefer it if I didn’t use his real name Lee. Anyway, I was telling him about the complications involved if I used the batteries from a mobility scooter when he said, “I have got a leisure battery.” I was non-plussed. “You what?” I said. “I have got a leisure battery,” he said. “Yes,” I said, “I heard you the first time, but I was a bit non-plussed.” He looked at me a bit strange, “What does non-plussed mean?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I said, “I must have heard it somewhere?”

Cut a long story short it turns out he had a leisure battery that he got from a caravan that was being scrapped. At least that’s what he told me. First, I had heard anything about caravans being scrapped, but overall, he is a good lad, So, let’s leave it at that shall we? Least said and all that malarkey. Know what I mean? So yeah, I charged it up and voila! It works. Next thing I must do is get an installation kit for it. I looked ‘em up on Google they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Hmm, I wonder if Lee…er Nigel had one in the caravan he scrapped? I will ask him in the morning. Where I wrote ‘voila! just now. That’s French that is.

You might remember that I removed the passenger seat, so Mia the German Shepherd’s bed could go in the space? Well, the passenger seat is now back in place. I sensed she wasn’t happy being on the floor. She likes to sit next to me and look out of the window. So, the seat is back. I have filled the foot well with foam cushions. Now she still has a good-sized bed, but she can see out. She is much happier. And when she is not in her bed I can easily remove the cushions and have a nice place to sit and write if the weather is inclement (good word that). Furthermore, I have made the seat so that it can quickly be removed again if necessary. I think these things through properly you see.