First Night in the Van...

So now we come to the first night we spent in Buttercup.

We had imagined ourselves in an idyllic pastoral setting, with birds tweeting merrily and the sunset glinting off the chrome.   A nice level place, preferably near water where we could enjoy a glass of red and sigh with contentment. Well plans are made to be changed...

The gist of the plan was as follows.  Drive to Formby, collect Buttercup, return to Liverpool, pack the van and set off.
This, however is what really happened.
Drive to Formby - check
Start Buttercup - Houston we have a problem!

Unfortunately one of us had left the radio on and because it hadn't worked, we'd forgotten to turn it off.  Result, two VERY flat batteries and a van that refused to budge an inch. We hooked her up to jump leads but she was having none of it. It soon became very clear that we would have to leave both the batteries on charge overnight and hope against hope that the problem would be fixed.

Camping trip cancelled, we returned to Liverpool a bit on the grumpy side.  The reason we'd decided to try her overnight was due to an appointment we had the following Monday.  This would be the day we would introduce Buttercup to the Camper Shak www.thecampershak.co.uk who are doing her face lift.  We really wanted to try the bed, the layout etc before discussing possible changes with Mike and Diane (more of them later). We decided the next best thing was to stay in her on Sunday night before heading straight to the Camper Shak the next morning.

Luckily, Buttercup started and we took her for a pootle around the local area just to make sure she was running ok. And so the first night of camping in her arrived.  Not the quiet countryside we had imagined but the driveway of a respectable bungalow in Formby.  But hey, at least the toilets were practically ensuite!

The next morning we arrived at the The Camper Shak with Buttercup where we met Mike and Diane Marsland.  What a lovely couple!  As a customer you really feel as if you matter. Cups of tea are the first thing on the agenda before settling down to discuss our requirements.  Nothing is too much trouble.  We are given lots of advice and Diane makes a list of all the things we have to source for the van and even emails the product codes over as well.  We are shown around the workshop, see units of all kinds, meet their apprentice and are generally made to feel very welcome.

The attention to detail is fantastic.  It is obvious that Mike and Diane are passionate about Camper Vans.  But as well as passion they have knowledge, experience and above all empathy with their customers. They realise that to us these vehicles are not just a van, they are, in fact, part of the family.  Two hours easily slip by and we leave there safe in the knowledge that Buttercup will be in safe hands.  

From here, we head straight to www.mscprestigegarage.com .  When we bought Buttercup we knew she had something weird going on with the electrics.  The engine had to be started with a rocker switch in the engine bay and when you switched the ignition off it kept going until you turned off the switch again.  Very odd! So on Mike's recommendation "we take all our vans there, you couldn't do better" we booked her in with Mark.

Again, the customer care was brilliant and the passion for vintage cars was apparent. Mark was keen to have a look at her straight away.  So my partner (who did electrical engineering at Uni) and he had a chat. Dom had already told me that the wiring was really not right and needed to be sorted.  As he was explaining this to Mark, he lifted up the bed to show him the leisure battery. This is the bed where we had slept very comfortably, last night.  We certainly weren't expecting what happened next.

Mark stepped back and said "mmm there's a live wire in there. It's arcing against the metal there. Oh and it's right by your fuel tank.  Do you know what, we'll get that out right now!"

I'll just point out again, that the fuel tank he's talking about full of highly flammable petrol and next to the live wire was right underneath us last night!  
And we thought life in a vintage camper meant life in the slow lane...

Thankfully, Mark sorted the wire within seconds. As we drove off in our modern Polo having left Buttercup there to get the rest of her electrics done we reflected on our first night in the van.  

Ok so it wasn't in a beautiful location,  we didn't see the sunset, we didn't hear the birds cheeping.  But hey, we didn't blow up either and that is more important.  And on that almost literal bombshell I'll leave you to check any loose wires you may have hanging around!

Next time...Did we buy a goodun?

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Tempted to get your own Buttercup?

The first blog described my fascination with VW camper van's and how I came to own Buttercup.  Words can't really describe how made up and excited I am about this adventure. This is a genuine dream come true and one that I would urge anyone to try.  That said, owning a 40 year old van has many plus points but before you rush out and embroil yourself in the vintage car and vehicle world there are a few things to be considered.

STORAGE - these vehicles are old and they like the sun.  They do not like being left out in the rain.  I am lucky enough to live in Liverpool. Great city. Fabulous city. Innovative and creative city.  NOT a year long dry city!  And being so close to the Mersey and the coast, the rain is not just wet but salty too.  This is yet another thing that vintage vehicles hate! The solution is a garage.  Easier said than done.  Frankly, finding a garage in this city has been like finding hen's teeth.  So she has been living at parent garages which are dry but also 25 miles away! Very convenient for a spur of the moment camping trip...

TIME - You have to make time for these vehicles.  Don't buy one just to look pretty on your driveway because all that will happen is the rust will set in and the vehicle will get harder and harder to start.  Perhaps more importantly with the time issue, don't expect to just get in the van and go.  Sometimes, the van may just say no!  So with that in mind ALWAYS allow extra time to get anywhere. But let's be honest, if you've bought one of these lovely old vehicles you've already accepted that life in the slow lane can be just as much fun as life in the fast lane.

MONEY - a bit like horses, it's not the initial outlay (although that can be staggering depending on the age and spec of the vehicle, remember the £48,000 camper on George Clark's amazing spaces the other week?) that can cripple you, it's the upkeep including Road tax, MOT, storage, petrol and insurance.  Well what's so different from any other car I hear you say?  Nothing apart from the fact you have to have a contingency fund for repairs.  At any time things may go wrong.  Old vehicles need new bits. That is just a fact.

A TRUSY MECHANIC - these vehicles can't be hooked up to a computer for diagnostics. They need someone with a real skill and passion for vintage vehicles.  Like finding a trusted hairdresser, it can be traumatic searching for a mechanic who is honest, knowledgeable and affordable.  We have struck gold... www.mscprestigegarage.com 

And so if this little list hasn't put you off and a camper is your dream - go for it!  It certainly didn't put us off and we certainly haven't regretted it. Instead we are looking forward to the great Camper Van adventure which started with a little trip to Formby beach...cup of tea and icecream.  We couldn't have been a more British cliche if we tried!

Next blog...Near Death Experience!

I remember when...

This time ten years ago I was lucky enough to be in the middle of a back packing trip around various countries.  The tour covered South East Asia where I was in awe of the beautiful paddyfields in Vietnam and gasped at the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia before making it over to Anerica, Canada, Mexico, The Cook Islands and finally Australia.  And this is where the link to this blog becomes clear...
Having landed in Cairns I spent the next 6 months driving around Australia. And when I say driving I don't just mean up and down the usual back packer East Coast trail.  I mean literally all the way around it, taking in Cape Tribulation, Darwin, Broome, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. This was a truly wonderful experience that I wouldn't have missed for the world.  The trusty vehicle that took me on this magical adventure was a 1974 VW camper van (Kombi, surfbus, camper, Vdub, insert your own name as you wish) called Poppy.  Admittedly, taking on the fierce and unrelenting heat and red dust of the outback in a vintage van with air cooled engine and no air con probably sounds insane.  I can't lie, some days were tough.  Hours and hours of unending dust, termite mounds and dead kangaroos can get a bit much.  On the other hand, pulling over to the side of the road, making a camp fire and sitting out under the most beautiful clear star lit nights made up for it.
Like all adventures, that had to end and I returned to England and got on with life.  But ever since then, I have longed for the chance to own another VW camper.  I can't lie, I'm no stranger to vintage vehicles having owned a Karmann Ghia and driven a beautiful Mercedes 280sl for many months.  There is something special about vintage cars.  It feels like real driving.  You have to anticipate any sharp bends or turns.  You have to ready to brake at all times.  You have to cross your fingers every time you start the ignition. And yet...and yet...there is something nostalgic and beautiful and most of all FUN about driving an old car.  My modern Polo with all mod cons is the epitome of German efficiency but I never get out of it thinking wow that was exciting!
So where is all this blathering taking us?
Well this year I finally sold my flat in London.  The sensible thing to do would be to re-invest in property in Liverpool or use it to fund my new business venture. But no, I followed my hippy heart and started the hunt for another VW camper. My partner was very keen to have a camper as we both love getting away at the weekends but didn't understand my, ok I'm just going to say it, obsession with the vintage van.  "Why don't you get a VW van from the 80's?  It will be so much more reliable and cheaper".  But as anyone who has ever owned a camper will tell you the 80's may have had shoulder pads, Prince and Duran Duran but the 70's had the T2 late bay van, T-Rex and Led Zeppelin.  Enough said!
Hours of trawling the net looking for the right van began.  Now let me tell you that the North West of England is not a hot spot of camper van sales. Most of them are in Devon, Cornwall and Norfolk.  Hardly convenient when it is essential that you test the van before you buy.  Having travelled to Nottinghamshire and Shropshire to view vans that were pretty good both mechanically and cosmetically but would still need some customising, we decided to change tactic.  Instead we would look for a van that was mechanically sound but in need of some work on the interior.
Trawling the net once more, I happened upon a lovely yellow van in Sheffield.  Mechanically sound with a new engine but in need of refurbishment inside.  This van had our name all over it.
And so we drove over there one miserable, grey and depressing wet evening.  There we met Sunny a boy camper van.  Now I don't know why but in my opinion boats and vehicles are always girls NOT boys but that could be easily resolved.  Test drive complete with the best gear box I have ever experienced on a VW camper of this age and the deal was done.
The following week I got the train over to pick up my new van.  And here she is!

Since then four things have happened

• My partner has become as enthusiastic as me about the romance, nostalgia and fun that a 40 year old van can provide.
• The van has now become a girl called Buttercup
• She's going in to have work started on her interior at thecampershak.co.uk next week.
• I've started this blog to document the Buttercup's refurbishment but also the fun we will have in her.

Buttercup turned 40 on July 1st and I turn 40 next month.  She will have had her facelift by August 21st which is ten days before I reach the big 4 0 and will no doubt be looking fabulous and glamorous.  If I'm not careful she'll be booking me in for a refurb next...