Newbie Numpty News

[Tom Robinson]

What numpty things did you do, or are doing, as a newbie?

 

[kp64zl]

not going camping because it's cold and dark

oh, and buying stuff .....too much stuff

 

[Busted]

Washing our new van twice in a month, instead of every 6 months like the old car. Mind you, we have already had a bird strike and driven over a recycling box (luckily no damage to van - can't say the same for the pheasant or the box unfortunately).

 

[Tom Robinson]

Well, our first “play” in “Tom Robinson” our new Cali Ocean. Cold and windy Sunday afternoon. Roof up, took the plastic covers off the mattresses, tested the fridge and heater, opened and shut all the cupboards (at least 5 times each), measured all the spaces, tested the beds, etc. As we were about to close up I could hear a noise.
“There’s a noise”.
“Ah, it’s the wind”.
“No it’s not! Listen”.
“Must be the fridge”.
“No the panel says it’s off”.
“Maybe it’s the heater”.
“No, it’s not.”
“Check the panel, turn it on, no it’s a different noise, turn it off”.
“You sure there’s a noise, it could be the wind”.
“It’s not the wind, it’s coming from the wardrobe, listen, stick your head down there”.
“Ah, that noise, but there’s nothing down there except the leisure battery”.
“This is crazy, why’s the noise there? That will drive me nuts.”.
“Sounds like a pump”.
Clink, clink, clink (pennies dropping).
“IT’S THE SINK PUMP”.

Silence, ahhhh. How lovely is that!

 

[Elly Swanson]

Well, our first “play” in “Tom Robinson” our new Cali Ocean. Cold and windy Sunday afternoon. Roof up, took the plastic covers off the mattresses, tested the fridge and heater, opened and shut all the cupboards (at least 5 times each), measured all the spaces, tested the beds, etc. As we were about to close up I could hear a noise.
“There’s a noise”.
“Ah, it’s the wind”.
“No it’s not! Listen”.
“Must be the fridge”.
“No the panel says it’s off”.
“Maybe it’s the heater”.
“No, it’s not.”
“Check the panel, turn it on, no it’s a different noise, turn it off”.
“You sure there’s a noise, it could be the wind”.
“It’s not the wind, it’s coming from the wardrobe, listen, stick your head down there”.
“Ah, that noise, but there’s nothing down there except the leisure battery”.
“This is crazy, why’s the noise there? That will drive me nuts.”.
“Sounds like a pump”.
Clink, clink, clink (pennies dropping).
“IT’S THE SINK PUMP”.

Silence, ahhhh. How lovely is that!

Funny that, happened to me too. Oh yeah, I was the other half of the conversion.

Luckily at least YOU can recognise what a pump sounds like

 

[Elly Swanson]

not going camping because it's cold and dark

oh, and buying stuff .....too much stuff

We’re happy to camp in the cold and dark, especially as we now have the heater. But the spending thing . . . . now, that’s a problem!

 

[MattBW]

Very important one, is raising the awning high enough before opening the doors. DAMHIK

 

[Drpps]

Forgetting to clip the electric hook up flap shut after unplugging, and so seeing it waving gently in the breeze in the side mirror as you drive along and having to stop to close it! More than once.

 

[CDinFrance]

Rolling up the awning without checking that there are small twigs and such on it...

 

[andrew bazeley]

Trying to do all the necessary tasks of living, whilst standing up, and getting in each other's way. You can reach nearly everything whilst sitting down!

 

[Resfeber]

Cannot stop checking out additions and accessories online into the small hours. Needs some sleep and R and R. Oh wait a minute, I have a T6 Ocean for that must get out in it rather than making it perfect before using

 

[Amarillo]

Manoeuvring on pitch with the tailgate and four bicycles propped up with a boat cover prop.

BIG BANG!


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[GrannyJen]

Driving off with the tailgate open.

Once did it on a crowded service station leaving a trail of my dirty washing in the road behind me. I've never done it since

 

[BikerGran]

Driving off with side door open! Nothing fell out but I did wonder where the draught was coming from!

 

[Elly Swanson]

What numpty things did you do, or are doing, as a newbie?

Second numpty newbie thing:

Took out the shelves in the back cupboard to cut non-slip matting. Putting them back in and 2 of the shelf holding clips popped off. One conveniently dropped onto the gas compartment lid, the other dropped down into the gap around the water tank, doh. When the shelves aren’t pushing against them they’re a little loose and very “pingy”. So, I removed all of them and put double sided tape (not sticky pads) on the back of them, including the little knob. Now they fit tighter and are stuck on.

Can’t see the one I lost and it’ll drive me nuts if it starts rattling around when on the move. So tomorrow will put some sticky tape on the end of some wire, or a long knitting needle, to see if I can find/get it. If that doesn’t work I’ll try fixing some thin tubing to the vacuum cleaner.

It’s a right pain in the bum, so would recommend checking to see if yours easily come off and if so, sticking them on.

 

[PeterE]

Mis-judging its width and putting a big scrape on the offside! Also scraped the offside wing mirror a couple of times. Very luckily, my insurance covered the repair of the main scrape.... But much more careful from now on.

 

[PeterE]

Getting used to driving a heavy automatic. Although I have driven an automatic a few times, I've never owned one. It takes some learning to avoid wheel spin when pulling off from the lights (204HP diesel). It needs a much gentler foot touch than when pulling off in a manual first gear. My dealer thinks the 204HP is a bit too powerful for the car! Perhaps.

 

[PeterE]

The Active cruise control is great fun and makes long-distance driving more comfortable, but it takes some learning, and is potentialy a bit dangerous. It can be quite distracting when you first use it. You keep pressing buttons and checking the info screen to work out what its doing. Is it on or off? Will it slow up as we approach the slowing traffic in front? If I rely on it to slow up sharp behind cars in front, to a passgenger (my wife), it seems my reactions are slow. She often fears I'm not slowing or stopping - at least not quickly enough, sometimes releasing a small scream. My dodgiest experience was when a small car cut sharply in front of me while I had a big truck up behind. My van showed abruptly forcing the truck behind to pull over quickly to the inside lane. No doubt, the truck driver assumed I was the idiot.

 

[Wobble’s Mum]

I like this thread I can share without judgement!

We bent that figure of eight thing that attaches van to awning by allowing the future son in law to roll it up with the awning door. It now resembles a banana

I opened roof on Dudley once without opening a window and scared myself stupid as the pressure changed and POPPED very loudly

Tidied whole van on a sunny afternoon and cleverly stowed every pair of shoes away in the boot. It was raining in the morning.

Locked myself out of Denzil at 5:30am. In my pyjamas, at work.

 

[MarkVw2017]

1.) Not realising who much i would actually love this machine and there fore look with great apprehension when my kids get into it (as they are scruffy and break things). I thought i could be a relaxed and chilled Dad but Ive turned into Gollum from Lord of the Rings as it really has turned into "my precious"
2.) Not putting the table back in the door properly so it fell out and got jammed in the gap when opening the sliding door
3.) Not checking the actual height of a cali so when we turned up at a car park with a barrier of 2.1m, holding everyone up pannicking as my wife guided me in. I can now confirm, 2.1m was more thsn high enough.
4.) Getting excited and eating a pizza with the kids in the Cali then realising we need wipes, forks, knives, paper plates and of course seat covers.

 

[calikev]

No1 will pass in time when you start getting carpark dings and scratches and stonechips..

 

[Elly Swanson]

Getting used to driving a heavy automatic. Although I have driven an automatic a few times, I've never owned one. It takes some learning to avoid wheel spin when pulling off from the lights (204HP diesel). It needs a much gentler foot touch than when pulling off in a manual first gear. My dealer thinks the 204HP is a bit too powerful for the car! Perhaps.

Our car is an automatic vw polo and our Toyota Hiace was a 2 litre automatic, so I’m used to it. But I was surprised at the power of our 150 Ocean; and yes, I span the wheels tool (rewarded by hubby’s frown and a “careful Ell”). Lots to get used to (with the van, not hubby).

 

[FyfettBoy]

Cold winter's day, enjoying bacon sarnies from the Cali with friends on Chesil beach and the roof up for headroom... rushed off for a stiff walk afterwards, carefully checking the roof closed properly.
Came back an hour later to find the roof side I couldn't see hadn't closed and was now folded in half - aaargh! In my rush, had left the roof bed half down, the roof material then caught in the mechanism...
No harm done (even to the bellows) except that Doone has had the tell-tale little crease in the roof ever since...

 

[Alan]

Going for a long hike on the Pembrookshire coastal path only to realize on my return that I had left the tailgate up

Alan

 

[Drpps]

1.) Not realising who much i would actually love this machine and there fore look with great apprehension when my kids get into it (as they are scruffy and break things). I thought i could be a relaxed and chilled Dad but Ive turned into Gollum from Lord of the Rings as it really has turned into "my precious"
2.) Not putting the table back in the door properly so it fell out and got jammed in the gap when opening the sliding door
3.) Not checking the actual height of a cali so when we turned up at a car park with a barrier of 2.1m, holding everyone up pannicking as my wife guided me in. I can now confirm, 2.1m was more thsn high enough.
4.) Getting excited and eating a pizza with the kids in the Cali then realising we need wipes, forks, knives, paper plates and of course seat covers.
View attachment 41134

Not just me who turns into Gollum then. Love this analogy!