At Last

Tom Downie · Aug 4, 2020

After a long wait yesterday we finally added Bella to our family. Bella is a Grand California 600 and like any new addition to a family we are now taking time to get to know her. (we thought the Ocean was complicated) It was a day mixed with sadness too as we bid farewell to our much loved Ocean, Lola, but as we are both now fast approaching 70 we really needed something with a WC on board an the GC seemed a good compromise between the California and a big white as well as retaining some of the kudos.
Bella was supposed to have been built in week 8 but we just didn't make the cut before lockdown and then the poor service from our friends in Swansea delayed it more though thankfully only by just over a week. She is two tone, indium grey at the bottom and silver above the waterline. We did not go overboard with the options but there were certain must haves like a rear camera and ACC (I just love ACC).
We are booked to go to travel to Spain in September but with the present situation that is looking unlikely, The problem being if the FO advises not to travel your health insurance is invalid. This years trip is postponed from last year as in 2019 the Pont Aven broke down, but if we don't make it there is always 2021. Cant go and visit our grandchildren in Manchester either. We still have a place booked for the Gloucester meet in September so if we don't make it we will meet some of you there and we can introduce you to Bella.
Found some handcuffs in the back but could find no mention of a "safe word" in the documentation.

subthree · Aug 4, 2020

Tom Downie said:
Found some handcuffs in the back but could find no mention of a "safe word" in the documentation.

Congratulations on Bella!!!

Handcuffs? Were they an "optional extra"?

BeagleMum · Aug 4, 2020

Tom Downie said:
After a long wait yesterday we finally added Bella to our family. Bella is a Grand California 600 and like any new addition to a family we are now taking time to get to know her. (we thought the Ocean was complicated) It was a day mixed with sadness too as we bid farewell to our much loved Ocean, Lola, but as we are both now fast approaching 70 we really needed something with a WC on board an the GC seemed a good compromise between the California and a big white as well as retaining some of the kudos.
Bella was supposed to have been built in week 8 but we just didn't make the cut before lockdown and then the poor service from our friends in Swansea delayed it more though thankfully only by just over a week. She is two tone, indium grey at the bottom and silver above the waterline. We did not go overboard with the options but there were certain must haves like a rear camera and ACC (I just love ACC).
We are booked to go to travel to Spain in September but with the present situation that is looking unlikely, The problem being if the FO advises not to travel your health insurance is invalid. This years trip is postponed from last year as in 2019 the Pont Aven broke down, but if we don't make it there is always 2021. Cant go and visit our grandchildren in Manchester either. We still have a place booked for the Gloucester meet in September so if we don't make it we will meet some of you there and we can introduce you to Bella.
Found some handcuffs in the back but could find no mention of a "safe word" in the documentation.

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Love the grey and silver

Perfectos · Aug 4, 2020

Very Grand,
like the pink Fizz,
looks like you’ve got the hang of this, I can think of worse places to be holed up than Bideford.

Congrats and Enjoy.

The safe word is “Ohhh Darling it’s so Grand”

:cheers

Jester · Aug 4, 2020

Good evening to to both,
welcome, believe the “safe word“ is gas bottles.

Tom Downie said:
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Wilbur · Aug 4, 2020

I had my van serviced at Carrs Exeter an whilst waiting I saw this Grand California being parked ready for its new owners. I spoke to the sales chap and he was undertaking the final checks. An hour later I spotted 2 people walking towards the vehicle beaming a huge smile.........must be the new owners? Yep it sure was and we had a brief conversation. A rather nice and expensive bit of kit, that said you can't take it with you! I wish you both well.

Tom Downie · Aug 5, 2020

Breeze1 said:
Good evening to to both,
welcome, believe the “safe word“ is gas bottles.

Noting that you also have a GC I understand "Gas Bottles". We have made a conscious decision to stick with the size that was in our Ocean and I am constructing an insert from 4" hard foam. We thought that 2 x 1kg bottles was unnecessary weight. We also had a bit of a scare with the water system as when we filled the tank it leaked out underneath. I eventually found the 2 valves for draining the pipes in the cupboard under the flap which the dealer had left open. As I said earlier it is more complicated than the Ocean but it has been an adventure so far and we haven't been any where.

Jester · Aug 6, 2020

Tom Downie said:
Noting that you also have a GC I understand "Gas Bottles". We have made a conscious decision to stick with the size that was in our Ocean and I am constructing an insert from 4" hard foam. We thought that 2 x 1kg bottles was unnecessary weight. We also had a bit of a scare with the water system as when we filled the tank it leaked out underneath. I eventually found the 2 valves for draining the pipes in the cupboard under the flap which the dealer had left open. As I said earlier it is more complicated than the Ocean but it has been an adventure so far and we haven't been any where.

We are going through the same learning curve we drained the system as it had been standing in Germany for 3.5 months awaiting shipment.

Just had the gas turned over to the Gaslow system meaning fill up at a petrol station. Out again tomorrow. But only as far as Eype Dorset.

I hope your adventures start soon.

Will

Tom Downie · Aug 7, 2020

Breeze1 said:
We are going through the same learning curve we drained the system as it had been standing in Germany for 3.5 months awaiting shipment.

Just had the gas turned over to the Gaslow system meaning fill up at a petrol station. Out again tomorrow. But only as far as Eype Dorset.

I hope your adventures start soon.

Will

Yes the gas supply was a bit of a surprise. We have changed tack now as the GC uses propane but out T6 Cali was butane. As a matter of interest tell me more about your installation. How difficult was it? Who does this? and what is the ball park cost?
Tom

Jester · Aug 7, 2020

Tom Downie said:
Yes the gas supply was a bit of a surprise. We have changed tack now as the GC uses propane but out T6 Cali was butane. As a matter of interest tell me more about your installation. How difficult was it? Who does this? and what is the ball park cost?
Tom

Hi Tom,

First visit read up on it re benefits, https://www.gaslowdirect.com/ expensive to install approx £650 but you own the cylinders and I had the filler point installed just under the bumper very neat installation this connects to 1 or 2 cylinders I have 1x 6kg and 1x11kg. Pop along to the petrol station ( not every PFS supply's LPG but a good few do, also covers europe) it stops when full automatically all for £0.65 pence a ltr. installation took around 3 hours and a neat job. No more lugging gas bottles around.

Very easy to convert back should you need to. Mine was done in Dorset.

PFS selling LPG https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...ll,[50.64023375792275,-2.5151425890624868],9]

Will