Відео

Thank you😀 We just tried to cover all the little things that we were unsure of😀. Or things that just make a long stay more comfortable perhaps. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Billy😀 That’s really much appreciated. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Billy😀 Yeah that’s the thing, it’s good for the health as well. I’ve always had a bit of joint pain (just things worn out and broken due to working in construction). Nothing like the pain of arthritis of course, but even i notice how much better it feels to be warm in Winter. I think for the people much older than us (and where the travelling may seem like much more of a chore) the health benefits are perhaps the main reason for doing it. Hopefully the rest of the Winter here (we’re at home this Winter as well) will be better😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Murray😀 I think that was pretty close to a typical day for us (and most people really). Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Excellent😀 If it is the 1976 boat, I used to have a large framed photograph of her taken during sea trials. Every now and again I would feel the need to tell the wife how it broke records in the years after launch and how she was a whaleback and gutting shelter seiner. Also I would sometimes tell her how a seine netter went about its business. The picture mysteriously disappeared some years ago😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Andy😀 It’s a shame that sometimes we have to go through some adversity to appreciate how lucky we are😀 We feel we’ve been pretty lucky over the last fourteen years or so, and so occasionally we get a bit blasé or start moaning a bit. And then we give ourselves a good kicking and remember how it could have been😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀 It is an amazing experience. Just not being cold is great😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank Ray😀 We just hope to show how easy it is really😀

Thanks Patrick😀

Agreed😀 I think the other thing that is really working for us is being plumbed into the van diesel tank. We're going camping in -10 degrees. With our lpg tank full we would get about 70hrs running on the lowest setting. Half that on the highest. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you Graham😀 Merry Christmas😀

Hi Heinke and Michael😀😀 It’s amazing how those stays become a little community😀. Also we tried these spices you gave us. We tried using it four times a week hoping it would make us as young looking as you guys😀 No luck. Hope the family is all doing well😀 Merry Christmas😀xx

Thank you😀 And the same to you. I still always find it amazing that people on opposite sides of the world can now wish each other all the best😀 Merry Christmas😀

Thanks Sandra😀 That’s much appreciated😀 Merry Christmas😀

Aye two bars on the fire, a book, a wee dram and an early night. Canny beat it😀 Merry Christmas😀

Hi Sheila and Gavin😀 I never really thought about it when we’ve been there, but yeah we’ve never seen even the tiniest bit of litter😀 It’s spotless. And everything works. It’s like Germany on steroids😀 Merry Christmas😀

Hi Gary and Fiona😀 You know the odd thing is that (like the Italian Lakes) Interlaken didn’t feel as expensive as it used to do (apart from the campsite price). Now it feels like your only paying a few quid more than you would in the UK where before it was real heart attack stuff😀 Still only a very occasional visit for us though. Merry Christmas😀

@RobbotheHighlander cheers 👍

Hi Stephen😀 Strangely enough I did try Waze as a backup this trip. Can't programme/shape routes, but I thought it was great😀

Thanks for sharing that Brian😀 I think it’s really important that decent people keep saying that we are all the same really😀 I think that anything where there is a clear objective has a way of bonding people. I worked on construction projects and one of my fondest memories is of sitting in a restaurant in Central Asia (one of the old Russian states). At the table were about 10 people. All colours and nationalities. Indeed some of their home countries were actually bitter enemies. We were all working on the same project. All anyone really cared about was how good you were at your job. All the things that in theory made us different were irrelevant. I’m glad I got to experience those things😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

@RobbotheHighlander yes. Going away on international exercises was a great experience as was living in SE Asia and Saudi Arabia...everyone is basically.the same...wanting families, safety and happiness.

Hi Jim, thanks😀 I think the closest we came to a mods video was the one on 23rd April 2023. That was just the little things we had done at the time. Anything else was just mentioned through all the videos. With so many people making really good videos about CV40 mods, we only mentioned that we had done it. In short… 1. We removed the back door panels and packed with recycled plastic insulation (from B&Q). 2. Removed the sliding door panel and put some of same insulation in there (although the sliding door does come with some insulation). 3. Covered the rear wheel arches and the floor under the settees with sticky backed 7mm foam insulation (which has a foil outer). We just bought that off Amazon. Because we leave the bed permanently made up we put 10mm foam on the floor in the middle (camping mat). We recently stuck the 7mm foil back stuff to the underside of the camping mat as well (if that makes sense). I think insulating the back door, wheel arches and the floor at the back made the biggest difference. I should mention the wheel arches insulation is over the top of the factory fitted insulation. On the 2021 vans it was just some sticky backed foam. It wasn’t very effective and was peeling off. I’m not on Facebook but Rhona is on the CV40 owners forum. Apparently that is really good for tips and stuff (if you’re not on it already). Hope that helps a bit😀 We didn’t really go into a lot of detail in our videos because we would just have been copying the other stuff that was out there really. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Haha😀. And for some reason they don't seem interested!😀

Thanks Stephen😀 It’s probably due to being young in the seventies. Sarcasm as the main form of communication😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Mike and Jacqui😀 We normally split our time between Moncofa (Monmar) and Cambrils (La Llosa). Please don’t take that as a recommendation though😀 We like them (they are very different) but people have recommended campsites to us and we have not seen the attraction at all. It’s a big commitment to spend that amount of time in one place. Perhaps you already know the South coast of Spain, but if not I would try a few places for shorter times the first year. The van is diesel. We chose a Ducato because they (along with the Citroen relay and Peugeot Boxer…same van) are wider than other vans. That means that if you are under 6ft or so you can sleep across the way, which means you can leave the bed permanently made up and have storage underneath (and that design generally allows for a table at the front and for both front seats to swivel). When we were looking we also looked at other vans which felt far roomier inside. I realised it was because the other vans overhead lockers were much narrower. The wider lockers are more important for extended trips of course. Normally we find that at 6m long we (and perhaps another couple of vans on a site) are the shortest vans over wintering. People do it in 5m vans (with a big awning normally), but you don’t see it often. It’s all a compromise. A coach built motorhome or caravan I would say is better for over wintering, but we like the easy access to sites and pitches that 6m gives us. Hope that helps😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hello again Brian & Rhona - Could I ask if you had the ‘Van v Car’ dilemma? - I’m hoping to retire in the next two years and we’re making plans for doing something similar to yourselves with the over-wintering in Spain - Ideally, I would like a van that could do the job of both as the cost of two vehicles would be prohibitive - Do you have a Car as well as the Van? - Be nice to hear your thoughts. Hope you’re both keeping well and enjoying the travel - Mike & Jacqui 👍

Hiya😀 We sold the bigger car we had (Ford Kuga) and bought a really small one (Hyundai i10). We couldn’t afford to run the van and the bigger car. If we had a 5m pop top van we would have no car at all. If we had to choose between van and car we would have gone 5m pop top and still overwintered with it. The 6m van is better for long stays and extended trips generally, but not so great to use as a day to day vehicle as well. I suppose it would depend on how much you use a car. I think if we mostly travelled on public transport and only used a vehicle occasionally we could ditch the car (if our van wasn’t kept in storage, which it is). However we would be a bit restricted. A 6m high top won’t go into a multi-storey car park or under a low barrier. Sometimes it’s not that easy to park in a busy supermarket car park (although much easier than with a bigger unit of course). Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀.

Thanks both - Looking forward to the next video!

Hi John😀 We have had great fun in places where absolutely no English is spoken😀. Google translate is the answer really. Just pointing works, but checking the Spanish for please, thank you, one, two, may we have, beer, wine and may we pay really helps. The Spanish will have a laugh with you if you try a bit😀. Being able to point your phone at any document (menus and bus timetables) and use translate is brilliant. I would say that (as well as English being fairly widely spoken anyway) Google translate has taken away language barriers everywhere😀 Staying slim...in truth I'm pretty moderate in what I eat and drink I suppose really. Although you wouldn't think so from the videos😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀

Thanks Brian😀 It's all little things really, but things that maybe bothered us a bit at first...or we found out the hard way😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi John😀 Never too old😀 What I mean really is that we've been doing it since we were about 50 and after 13 years our trips are more about going to specific places rather than exploring. There are people well into their 80's cutting around Europe (especially wintering in Spain, because of the health benefits).I think it keeps people young really😀. We honestly wish we had it all to do again from scratch😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you, would love to bump into you sometime Kind regards John

...its never too late ... All the best!!

Hi Drew and Linda😀 Honestly there are much bigger units go down that road (Lorries deliver of course). As with most sites you have to tell them if you are over 7.5m but since the re-modelling it is much easier. All the pitches have dividers between them now as well which is nice😀 It’s just the really big units that would struggle (probably not get on at all actually). I always think that these mega size units must be great to live in, but it’s really pretty limiting. Although with the sudden rise in numbers of the mega size units, on pitches with no physical dividers, we have found that some of them think it’s perfectly acceptable to steal a chunk of their neighbours pitch as well😀. They seem to think that as long as their wheels are on their pitch it’s okay to have their whole back end sticking into yours. Saw that twice on this trip😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Jackie😀 It was great😀. What always gets me is that the best bits are never what you think they will be. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀

Thanks Graham😀 Even Switzerland prices didn't seem so bad this year, where in the past we would be in shock😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona 😀

Thank you Ann😀 That's always nice to hear. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀 I really appreciate that😀. Unexpectedly, this video lark has turned out to be a really interesting hobby😀 It’s like a constant circle of learning….shoot some video….edit…realise what you could have shot better or differently….e cosi via😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Ruth😀 Thank you. Thing is I really envy anyone who has it all in front of them😀 I wish we could do it all again from scratch😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀 It’s just little things that might ease the way really. I hope you have a great time😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Brian😀. For me planning and booking on the move just got to be a real bind. One year we had booked all the way down to Southern Spain, but nothing on the way back. My thinking was we had plenty of time sitting in Spain to plan/book the way back. I think the way I felt that day in Spain, when I knew I had to go back to the campsite and open up a laptop was really when I decided we were booking everything before we left home😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Gary and Fiona😀 That’s good to hear, because we want the videos to be useful for somebody😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Sandra😀 Yeah, we’re not exactly prolific😀. This was a long time even by our standards though😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you John😀 It’s appreciated😀

Awww thank you😀. I really hope the videos have some use. Its all pretty easy really😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀 Even although this isn’t a job or income for us, I still get a bit annoyed with myself when there is a long time between videos😀. However we still want to put out something that’s as watchable as we can make it😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Aye and buses are few and far between😀 I was thinking about making a short, creeping through the undergrowth like David Attenborough hoping to spot the number 1 Culloden to Inverness😀

I know😀. I keep going over videos and thinking about a better way to do it or make it shorter and the time flies by😀 I’m going to try and do the next one within two weeks though😀. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

I really look forward to following your travels me and my wife have recently bought a motorhome and look forward to going to Spain

You will have a great time😀. And I really do hope our videos help. It’s all just little things that took us a couple of trips to find out😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thanks Debbie😀. It’s taken a while to get the next video ready, but should be in the next day or two😀 Part of the fun (and challenge) is the travel and having your own moveable home really😀. With Spain in particular we are there for over two months and visiting at least three different places. There’s just something about doing it under your own steam that appeals somehow….and having something to stay in that we know inside out rather than a hotel or Airbnb I suppose😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Graham😃 Yeah, I'm glad we got to go more than once. If we ever won a ridiculous amount of money one of the old apartments overlooking the canal would be great😃 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😃

Aye, we're staying at home this Winter. Seemed like a good idea at the time😃. Winter camping sounds great until you're actually doing it!

Thank you😀 We had no idea people would watch at all. Honestly, we just thought that making videos was better than leaving a dusty old box of photographs😀 We’ve never tried Avon. It’s popular up here because of the midges, but the midges don’t bother us too much. The odd thing with the mosquitos this year was that they were tiny. We’re used to hearing that little high pitched buzz and seeing them on your skin. This time you didn’t even feel them. The first you knew was when you felt that itch and the bump😀. Really odd. Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Thank you😀 That’s very encouraging😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀

Hi Leanne😀 Yeah it’s kind of bonkers😀. I think in September it’s ok up until about 2pm or so. We’re really glad we went back a second time. I can’t imagine how busy it was in July though😀 Cheers, Brian and Rhona😀