The First Trip!

So our lovely van was finally ready! We picked her up last Thursday and began the big pack!

Finally after packing everything essential for a few days away we got on the road at lunchtime Friday.  This blog charts that first adventure.  I have to warn you now that it did not go quite according to plan...

Cut Short

It seems strange to start a blog with the end of the story but it will help to put the time scale into context.  Originally, the plan was to be away until Tuesday.  We'd stocked the fridge, filled the cupboards and brought all the clothing necessary for a normal bank holiday weekend in Britain.  That's right everything from bikinis and swimming shorts to waterproof trousers and jumpers.  

So much for the original plan.  By Saturday night we were back in Liverpool as Buttercup was chugging, spluttering and generally making it perfectly clear that she was NOT happy!  

The journey home was interesting to say the least.  Due to non-working indicators (she's having them mended as we speak), Dom and I had to utilise the human indicator function every time we needed to move. You may recall that the weather was not really conducive to opening a window and sticking your arm out.

Buttercup was vocal in her dislike of the hills of Derbyshire and refused point blank to go any faster than 20 miles an hour up hill with the accelerator firmly to the floor.  At one point the poor motorists of Derbyshire found themselves stuck behind not only us but a tractor as well!

The real highlight of the homeward journey was in Ashbourne where Buttercup decided to stall at the lights on a hill.  If you've ever driven a VW camper you'll know that the handbrake is in a weird place.  Basically, it sticks out of the lower part of the dash and when fully on is directly in the way of the gear stick and first gear.  Which is unfortunate as the gear most needed when the handbrake is on is of course first gear!  With much grappling, balancing of clutch, and spaghetti arms it is possible to move off quite smoothly but not when you stall and then discover the accelerator pedal has hit the deck! Picture the scene, a stream of traffic behind me, the accelerator pedal stuck to the floor, the handbrake and gear stick doing a dance and the prospect of not being able to get her going again.  I may have uttered a word or two that can't be repeated...

Luckily, Buttercup did restart despite Mr Impatient in the Audi TT behind us (Yes we broke down and got in your way but believe me it wasn't planned!) beeping and we got home in one piece.

But this isn't the whole story, this is just the setting of the scene. You see we were away for aprox 36 hours but as you are about to find out, it was packed with some weird and wonderful moments.  Enjoy!

Arbor Low

Having set off on our journey with Buttercup we were looking forward to trying out all the gadgets.  The first stumbling block was the fridge.  Dom had loaded the fridge with a small bottle of bubbles to toast Buttercup with the night before but for some reason, the leisure battery had taken exception to this.  Mmmm, we'll have to work out what we did wrong as with a fully charged leisure battery, the fridge should work for 36 hours without charging. Result - luke warm bubbles and a battery to charge up!

We didn't have any clear idea of where to drive to.  We literally got in the van, crossed the Runcorn Bridge and headed vaguely in the direction of the Peaks.  This is the true joy of a van.  You don't need a set route or destination.  Everything you need is with you apart from the toilet but more of that later.

As you may have sussed out by now, I am a bit of a hippy at heart.  Of no particular religious persuasion, I tend to describe myself as a Pagan (without the sacrifice bits!), Spiritual Hippy with Buddhist tendencies.  Make of that what you will but basically my maxim is treat each other well and look after the planet.  Imagine my glee when Arbor Low stone circle appeared on the map.  Even better it's English Heritage of which we are members.

This stone circle is quite literally in the middle of nowhere and you have to cross a farmer's land to get to it.  It's amazing to think that thousands of years ago, neolithic man used it as a centre for their ceremonies and life events.  Now there are just sheep and the occasional tourist to be awe struck by the surroundings. Either way, it seemed fitting that our first trip in the Hippy bus should include a visit to one of the most important stone circles in England.

Jamaica Inn

Moving on from Arbor Low we decided we should find somewhere to stop for the night.  Having checked out a few places we found a nice wide lay by across the road from a pub.  Perfect!  The last toilet break of the evening would be sorted and we could even enjoy a little drink in the process.

We quickly realised that the lay by was on a bit of slope to one side which meant that the pop top had a bit of a drunken lilt to it.  We also realised fairly quickly that we had chosen the only road in this quiet part of the country that was the equivalent of the M1.  Not only cars but trucks and tractors thundered past.  As I was standing up to get something, one truck drove past with such force that the pop top shook, wobbled then fell smartly down on my head! That's the second time that pop top has caused me damage...

We were starting to resign ourselves to a noisy night. But first we had to cook.  Dom, like many men, loves gadgets.  Tools, equipment, camping stuff all bring about a glow in his eye.  I can't stand cooking at the best of times so when Dom wanted to be the first to try the new cooker, I didn't stop him! With the aid of our newly fitted, swing out cooker (which has not been swung out yet due to wind, rain or both) we enjoyed a feast of Spaghetti carbonara washed down with a lovely glass or two of red. The sun was setting as we finished this feast, the van was relatively warm and we were feeling very satisfied.

 

          

About 9.15 we decided to head over to the pub and enjoy a drink before using their facilities.  As we walked up the side of the pub, I glanced in and saw several people enjoying a cosy drink. By the time we got to the door of the pub it was no later than 9.20.  9.20 and yet there was the unmistakable sound of a turning key.  We tried the door and it was locked!  The next instant, the door was unlocked and the landlord announced in less than friendly terms "We're closing!"

"Oh blimey are you?" I asked in a sort of surprised way but was considerably more surprised by his response of 

"What did you say?" which was uttered with a distinctly threatening undertone.

"Er I just wondered if you were open, I don't suppose I could just use your toilet could I?"  I knew this was a long shot but he did actually agree.

Leaving Dom to the mercies of the scary landlord I quickly slipped inside. Upon returning, I was very glad to see that my boyfriend was still alive and in one piece.  I don't think I've ever been so glad to leave a place in my life.

Something very dodgy going on there.  Don't know what and don't want to know either but it felt as if we were paying a visit to Jamaica Inn! (Great book by Daphne du Maurier)

It was precisely 9.35 by the time we got back to the van so the only thing to do was have another glass of red before turning in for the night.

Life in the Lay By

I can't pretend it was the best night's sleep I've ever had! The trucks seemed to hurtle past all night.  The tilt meant I spent most of the night squashed against the side of the storage. And then the rain started.  Not just light rain, but real, proper bouncing rain that even managed to drown out the sound of the traffic at times.  It was almost a relief to welcome daylight and decide to get up.

Having drawn back the curtains and enjoyed a bit of breakfast, it was time to think about moving on.  Buttercup isn't a fan of cold starting.  It's best to let her run for a few minutes before driving her so I started her up and hit the accelerator.

The cows in the next field obviously thought this was another cow calling them as they all started to head towards the fence.  First one, then two and then a whole row of them all looking at us as we looked at them. A couple of them even mooed in reply!  Just as we thought the whole field of cows was going to join us a welcome diversion in the form of a rabbit sent them running to the other side and we drove off before they could miss us.

Splutter, Cough, Cough

And not long after this, we felt Buttercup start to complain. We made it to Sudbury Hall and had a lovely morning there but by the time we had limped to Carsington Waters it was obvious that Buttercup's bad mood was not going to shift anytime soon.  Reluctantly, we headed for home.  And now she's back in the garage having her indicators sorted and hopefully her cough.  Fingers crossed we'll be back on the road in her this weekend...

Buttercup Goes to the Ball...She

She's Ready!

The day has finally arrived!  Buttercup's face lift is finished and we went to collect her at 4pm.

This has been my dream for 10 years.  The sale of my flat in London has made this purchase possible and I'm made up.  The thought of all the miles of open road, adventures and new places waiting is heartwarming and exciting.

When we arrived at the Camper Shak, we could see the front end of Buttercup, almost like a child who waits at the window for their parents to return. Externally, she hasn't changed so the big reveal of inside beckoned.

Wow!  What a transformation. Cast your mind back to last week's blog with dingy cupboards and tatty upholstery.  The big reveal was everything we could have wished for. And for once, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking rather than my pen.  Today's blog is very short as we are heading off on our first adventure soon.  There will be more shots to follow, this is just a flavour so until the next installment, here she is! Enjoy!

Demolition Day!

Today we are off to visit Buttercup at the Camper Shak where she is undergoing her make over.  Because of this, it seems an appropriate time to describe the couple of days leading up to the day we handed her over to Mike and Diane.  Here goes...

Demolition Day Arrives

Having spent weeks choosing cupboards, cookers, fridges, flooring, upholstery and curtains we had one major job left before we took her in - we had to strip her out!  All the old cupboards, curtains, carpets and other fittings we no longer wanted had to be removed. Although the Camper Shak would have done this for us, we decided we'd like to have a go at it ourselves.

Surprisingly, this summer has actually been pretty good by British standards. There have even been days when it has been deemed 'too hot'!  The week leading up to Demolition Day was full of days like this.  It was scorching!  The pressure and heat had been building and the threat of storms was definitely in the air.
Having woken up that Friday morning I was writing in my office which was bathed in gentle morning sunlight.  Anyone who writes will tell you that it can be pretty absorbing. I don't know how long I'd sat there but I suddenly became aware that the sunlight had been replaced by thick, black clouds and the rain was bouncing off the ground. Not only that, Thor had decided it was play time and for the next hour a storm raged above our house.  At times it sounded as though Thor was indeed, banging his hammer directly on our roof.  Brilliant! This was our one day to clear the van and we were going to be soaked, hit by lightning or both!
By the time we set off to collect Buttercup from the garage, Thor had become bored and Apollo was doing his best to get back on the scene.  This clash of interests meant it was muggy, close, sticky and downright uncomfortable.  Despite this, we got Buttercup back to Southport and onto my dad's drive way.

 

Hammers at the ready...

Funnily enough, neither Dom or I have stripped a VW camper of its fixtures and fittings before so we had no idea what to expect.  Arming ourselves with the work man standard of tea, hammer and screwdrivers we made a start.

First out were the old curtains and carpet. I was surprised just how easy the carpet was to remove. Thankfully no nasty glue was holding it in place and once the seatbelts under the rock and roll bed had been untangled it just came out in one easy piece.  Can't say I'm sorry to say goodbye to either...

                                      

      

The next job was to get the old units out.  Dom was tackling these and again was surprised just how easily they came out!  It was a bit alarming just how flimsy they were.  It seems a miracle that the cupboards hadn't just rattled themselves loose over the years.  The one thing of real quality though is the original cooker, a little Flavel number.  It's in great condition and Mike is going to incorporate it into our new swing out cooker unit.  So despite the heat and mugginess, Dom managed to remove the units pretty quickly.

                  

 

By now we were extremely hot, sticky and more importantly starving.  But one more job beckoned before lunch could be devoured.  The pop top (which is original) was in need of a really, really, really good clean.  Years of muck, dust and who knows what else had clung to every bit of the canvas.  Only one thing would be strong enough to tackle this...Cillit Bang!  Let me give you a piece of advice.  Should you ever find yourself needing to clean the canvas on a pop top, don't do it on the muggiest day of the year.  Spraying and cleaning in those conditions was like having an indoor shower that just didn't get you clean!  Grim was most definitely the word!

Once that was done and lunch had given us a much needed energy boost the last remaining job was to remove the old speakers.  I have had nothing to do with the sound system as this is Dom's area of expertise.  He would rather listen to nothing than listen to music through rubbish speakers.  Having inspected the old speakers they passed the stringent test but still needed to be removed as they will be relocated in the foot well of the driver cab.  The screws had obviously been in place for some time but eventually and with a bit of help from some, shall we say, encouraging words they came out!

So there she was, in all her empty glory.  The inside looked both bare and incredibly large with nothing but the bed left in it.  Which was just as well as we had a LOT of rubbish to take to the tip!

We had expected a nightmare job stripping Buttercup but it was actually far easier than we imagined.  And if you've got your own van that needs a revamp I would definitely recommend you do this bit yourself.

The next stage of the re-vamp we were more than happy to leave to the experts at The Camper Shak.  And on Monday 7th July, I dropped her off with Mike and Diane.  She will be totally unrecognisable when we collect her and I for one can't wait!

Next time - Beautiful Buttercup!

A Not so Domestic Goddess!

As mentioned a few blogs ago, Buttercup is undergoing a re-vamp at the Camper Shak. Following our initial meeting with Diane and Mike we had to go away and really think about what we might like.
We did a little decorating in our flat back at Easter and although we're really pleased with it the process of choosing colours, materials, curtains, carpets, paint etc etc left Dom and I a bit underwhelmed.  I'm the first to admit I'm no domestic goddess.  If the sun is shining and the house needs cleaning I will always opt to go out for the day and put the cleaning off for another day.  For me cleaning is a necessary evil and my very best and productive cleaning is done either as a work avoidance tactic (report writing season) or in the panic stricken half hour before guests are expected. And yet we had taken on a project that required not only cleaning and decorating but designing too! Funnily enough, both Dom and I have discovered a previously unsuspected enthusiasm for it!

Choosing Units

There is so much choice when you start thinking about re-designing a van.  There are so many creative ideas out there and if you trawl the net you will find it full of vans that are all different.  I have yet to see two VW campers that are the same.  While this is great for individuality, too much choice can be a bit daunting at times. The one thing we were absolutely decided on was the swing out cooker.  This will be positioned behind the passenger seat and can be used in the van when it rains (which let's be realistic is quite likely in Britain) or swung out to cook outdoors.  That was the easy bit.

We studied photos galore of other vans and selected units we were happy with only to change our minds the next day. And then change them again! Finally we decided upon the configuration we were happy with including a smart new fridge from Just Kampers.  This will be a real luxury as my old van in Oz had the original fridge which though very authentic could have been sued under the trade descriptions act as it really didn't keep anything cool never mind cold!  Not great in the heat of the outback! 

I think the key is to make the decision you are happy with and then not think about it again or you'll find yourself constantly wanting to change and update it.  So with the units picked, we had to focus on other fittings such as curtains and flooring.

Curtains

Dom was happy to leave this to me! 

Like me, Buttercup is a child of the 70's and I wanted the curtains and flooring to reflect this in some way. I really fancied bold patterns and found something I really liked on 

Pinterest - the only thing this is genuine 70's fabric and not readily available.

My back up plan was gingham.

One warm Saturday afternoon, my friend Julie who is making my curtains (please see some of her other crafts at www.facebook.com/YoungatHeartCrafts ) set off to the local fabric place Abakhan's in Liverpool. This is the Willie Wonker Chocolate factory for crafts and sewing and you can literally lose hours in here.

Julie and I were actually quite disciplined and remained on task.  There were lots of prints with the required 70's feel but unfortunately most of them were in cerise pink which is the one colour guaranteed to clash hideously with a bus that is the colour of a mango!

Having narrowed it down to a few choices, I finally went with the back up plan - and ok so they are daisies and not buttercups but I think it will look great!

Flooring

Most of the vans that have been done up seem to have chosen one of two things - 

• checked floor tiles or checked lino on a roll
• wood effect

I was quite determined I didn't want either.  I wanted Buttercup to stand out a bit.  I wanted her to look different.  However that was as far as my spec went.  I had no other guidelines which made looking for ideas quite a vast job.  How do you narrow your internet search when you don't really know what you want? Having typed jazzy flooring, 1970's vinyl flooring and patterned flooring, I gave it one last shot with Funky vinyl flooring. And having spent what seemed like days trying to source flooring for the van (which let me tell you was far longer than we spent choosing carpet for our newly decorated sitting room), I finally found what I was looking for.

It was bold, different and would definitely stand out.  Thanks to www.zazous.co.uk I have found what I hope will make a statement!

It might not be everyone's cup of tea but I personally, think it's fab and I can't wait to see it.

Roll on August Bank holiday when we get Buttercup back and head off.  But remember, don't forget to take your shoes off before stepping on my new floor...

Next time...Demolition Dom!

Is She A Good'n?

So last time we met, we had narrowly escaped blowing ourselves up due to some seriously dodgy electrics.

As we drove home, I couldn't help but worry if Buttercup would turn out to be a bit of a liability. Looking back at my buying process I can see I really bought with my heart rather than my head. 

I'm the first person to admit that my mechanical know how is woeful.  Although to be fair, I stand a much better chance of being able to solve a problem on a old car than on a new computer operated one.  Back in the days of my youth when I drove a collection of motley vehicles that were bought mostly from auction for less than £400, I could change a tyre, change spark plugs and even have a go at doing an oil change.  But I've slept a lot since then and my cars have got newer...When I bought Buttercup, I had my limited knowledge of vintage cars (I used to own a Karmann Ghia, had regular access to a 1983 Mercedes 280SL and drove around Oz in a 1973 kombi) and other than having a feeling she was a good van, I didn't really have any hard evidence to go on.  GULP!

So having left her in the capable hands of MSC Prestige Garage  www.mscprestigegarage.com all I could do was wait for the verdict.  Mark at Prestige had agreed to give her a good look over and give us an honest opinion of her and the condition she was in.

A week later, the phone went and MSC flashed up on the screen.  Here we go, I thought, he's going to tell me, in the kindest way, I've bought a dud!  But thankfully, when I actually plucked up the courage and answered, the news was good!

According to Mark, she is a 'good, solid van'.  He'd gone over her with a fine tooth comb and besides a few little issues, nothing major is outstanding.  In his words "enjoy the season in her then book her in over winter to get the little bits sorted".  I can't tell you the relief.

More good news was to follow.  As mentioned in the second blog, keeping these vehicles undercover for the winter months is essential and the search for that holiest of grails, a garage in a city, had begun in earnest.  

Having advertised on gumtree and phoned every available rental garage, caravan park and private garage going we were starting to run out of ideas.  Everything was either already taken (which is obviously why the number of camper vans parked on the roads of Liverpool is minimal), too small height wise, too expensive or too far away.  Eventually, my wonderful other half found somewhere.  The only thing was we needed to have the van with us in order to check the height restriction.

Let me tell you that co-ordinating a visit to a possible garage when the firm's staff are based in Manchester, we are in Liverpool and the van is in Southport or Formby is like a military exercise.  After one aborted attempt when Buttercup's battery ran out, we finally found ourselves on the way to test the garage at a time that was convenient for all.  Phew!

Anyone who has driven a van or indeed, any vehicle that is taller than your average car will tell you that sloped access to garages, car parks and drive ways are the bane of their lives.  These slopes can make entry impossible and are far more effective than a barrier! Having measured the entry on a visit without Buttercup, we knew there wouldn't be much room to play with. Leaving me to negotiate the slope (well she is mine so I should take the responsibility if I plough her into the car park), Dom stood frantically waving hands, showing thumbs and generally being encouraging.  And I won't deny, my heart was in my mouth as we edged our way down the slope and under the lowest point of the ceiling.  But....we were clear!  She fits!

I felt like Cinderella with the glass slipper!

So now, not only do we have a lovely old van, but we have somewhere to keep her dry in the winter.  Hurray!  If only it was as easy to keep us dry in winter, life would be peachy!

Next time - A nearly domesticated goddess!