We were travelling in France not long after getting our van (a Hymer 654 1992 not having been fully checked before travelling!!) Just driving down the autoroute from Calais there was a major clanking noise so pulled over to find exhaust has come away. We found out we had to call the police who arranged a recovery but it was Friday and as a result spent weekend in a hotel before being transported to a garage to be fixed. The next year we lost the gearbox, luckily had stopped at an aire from where we were recovered. 10days in Le Mans before getting a replacement gearbox from Poland. Lovely garage who looked after us very well. We have been lucky as we are covered by RAC European cover through the Camping and Caravanning Club.
Oh Kat thanks for sharing!! So much to have delt with! I have a VW conversion and on my second trip: I have an electric R&R bed and I came to make up the bed (10pm ish) and nothing happened, dead as….. and no manual override ! I had a grandchild in the pop top and another had to be in the awning with my daughter (it was April and cold) I tried to sleep on the R&R as a seat but. Not long enough and not comfortable, tried the front seat and the floor, needless to say I didn’t sleep and the child in the awning came in too cold around 2am and curled up on the R&R bed. Turned out the bed had fused and I did not know how to sort the problem, needless to say I have several of every fuse spare now!
Having just come back from 3 of the coldest days in several years with no water or heating in our motorhome (turned out to be a broken fuse! 🙄) I was glad to put in into perspective hearing about your terrifying experiences! 😱 So great that it hasn't put either you or us off van life! We must all be crazy 🤪
Scary moments for sure! I am just starting solo female Vanlife and still it does not put me off! Life happens and we deal with it. I hope my brakes will never fail going down a mountain though.... I guess I would just to deal with it! thanks for sharing, very interesting as usual!
Thanks for sharing. The Dog story was totally terrifying. A stupid question, how do you avoid going down a road that is totally unsuitable for a motor home?
Coincidence or what! Yesterday I parked my Renault Trafic in a car park and 15 minutes later as I looked towadrs the car park 30 plus feet away I noticed a van just like mine moving slowly across the car park, seconds later I thought my van is being stolen, another second no one is in the van, another second it hit the brick wall on the other side of the car park. The hand brake must have relaxed, I must have not pulled it up tight enough, and no sadly I didn't put it in gear. I am now trying to sort out the damage and being an old van the Insurance will probably want to write it off and not pay me anywhere near current prices let alone what I aid for it just 12 months ago. Local garages so far are not interested. What should I do?
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that. Sadly, I can’t advise you on what to do- that’s a job for your insurer. Although they should pay out whatever the vehicle is insured for if it’s a write off. But I do hope you find someone who can help you fix it.
Thanks for this! I just got done adding most of your videos to my playlist as a crash course. So the losing brakes on a mountain thing is my worst nightmare, having lost brakes on a hill in my 7000 lb diesel truck. I know how to engine brake- can you say a bit about executing handbrake turns please?
Over the years I’ve had a few “moments” with my old van, coincidentally always on the boys trip down to the 24 hour race at Le Mans. The scariest was on the way to Portsmouth to catch the ferry, while heading west on the A27 towards Portsmouth I was coming up behind a skip lorry. Glancing in the mirror I had a couple of cars about to overtake me, so as we were in my well loaded and under powered motorhome, I decided to stay where I was in the left lane. As the cars were passing I was rapidly gaining on the skip lorry so I tried to brake…….nothing, the pedal hit the floor, I tried pumping the pedal still nothing. I pulled on the not very effective handbrake and we slowed a little bit, but we were still going on the skip lorry. I don’t know if the hand brake started working a bit, or the lorry driver saw me coming, but the gap between us started getting bigger. This was fortunate because at the closest my headlights were between those little rollers on the arms at the back of that truck. Hand on heart that’s how close we come. So in true Le Mans trip fashion we slowed down (not stop) had a discussion about what to do and elected to carefully (very very carefully) carry on. I tried the brakes and found with three or four pumps on the pedal I could get brakes. I was now constantly checking the brakes to make sure they were still working….sort of! We soon arrived at the ferry port, and carefully stopped at checkin, then had the slope down to the waiting area to contend with. That’s when they started working again, so after carefully going down the slope and stopping I checked everything I possibly could, finding nothing visibly wrong. The brakes worked fine for the rest of the trip to Le Mans and back. I changed the brake master cylinder when I got back home. The next couple of incidents weren’t scary just very annoying, looking back they were just examples of my luck. On another trip to Le Mans via the ferry from Portsmouth I went out at about 7am to move the motorhome out of its parking spot. As I pressed down on the clutch pedal to engage first gear the clutch pedal fell off. The weld on the top of the pedal to its pivot shaft had broken. So that turned into an (interesting) drive to Portsmouth from Pulborough (where I live) to Horsham to collect the rest of our group then onto Portsmouth ferry port, then on and off the ferry with no clutch. Once in Ouistreham I found the nearest hardware store and got some bits to do a temporary fix. Once at Le Mans I managed to borrow an arc welder and did a permanent repair. In fact it lasted ten years until the motorhome went to the scrap yard. Of course on another return from Le Mans we had a very bad leak develop from the water pump, so when we arrived at Portsmouth as they were opening the loading door on the ferry we had a human chain with containers filling the radiator with water from the tap on the sink in the motorhome. There wasn’t any point filling it when we got on the ferry it would have leaked away during the crossing. But the look of horror on the faces of people in vehicles behind us was amusing.
My worst experience is probably that time I needed 2 replacement engines. Luckily, I was one of those UA-camrs who films everything so my misery was properly captured. 🤭
Great stuff, Thanks for sharing. yep I think we have all had similar experiences. The wife and I worst experience was while in Spain as we went over a mountain pass in Spain as we reached the top and started to descend a fuel pipe ruptured, the engine cut out a warning light came on the dash stating EDC or something like that. My wife quickly looked up what it was. I had to leave it in gear as I knew the brakes used vacuum (servo) from the engine to work, plus I did not want to lose engine braking. After 10 Kms I was able to find a flat spot to brake and stop. I was able to repair the pipe with some spare gas pipe and clips and we carried on. I tend to give the van a really good service before a big trip and change anything I'm not 100% about. I guess that is the best you can do.
We were travelling in France not long after getting our van (a Hymer 654 1992 not having been fully checked before travelling!!) Just driving down the autoroute from Calais there was a major clanking noise so pulled over to find exhaust has come away. We found out we had to call the police who arranged a recovery but it was Friday and as a result spent weekend in a hotel before being transported to a garage to be fixed.
The next year we lost the gearbox, luckily had stopped at an aire from where we were recovered. 10days in Le Mans before getting a replacement gearbox from Poland. Lovely garage who looked after us very well.
We have been lucky as we are covered by RAC European cover through the Camping and Caravanning Club.
Thanks for that share, glad it all worked out for you...
Glad it worked out & yes- breakdown cover is definitely important!!
Oh Kat thanks for sharing!! So much to have delt with!
I have a VW conversion and on my second trip: I have an electric R&R bed and I came to make up the bed (10pm ish) and nothing happened, dead as….. and no manual override ! I had a grandchild in the pop top and another had to be in the awning with my daughter (it was April and cold) I tried to sleep on the R&R as a seat but. Not long enough and not comfortable, tried the front seat and the floor, needless to say I didn’t sleep and the child in the awning came in too cold around 2am and curled up on the R&R bed. Turned out the bed had fused and I did not know how to sort the problem, needless to say I have several of every fuse spare now!
Having just come back from 3 of the coldest days in several years with no water or heating in our motorhome (turned out to be a broken fuse! 🙄) I was glad to put in into perspective hearing about your terrifying experiences! 😱 So great that it hasn't put either you or us off van life! We must all be crazy 🤪
Oh no! That doesn’t sound like fun at all 🥶🥶🥶
Scary moments for sure! I am just starting solo female Vanlife and still it does not put me off! Life happens and we deal with it. I hope my brakes will never fail going down a mountain though.... I guess I would just to deal with it! thanks for sharing, very interesting as usual!
Thanks for sharing. The Dog story was totally terrifying. A stupid question, how do you avoid going down a road that is totally unsuitable for a motor home?
Coincidence or what! Yesterday I parked my Renault Trafic in a car park and 15 minutes later as I looked towadrs the car park 30 plus feet away I noticed a van just like mine moving slowly across the car park, seconds later I thought my van is being stolen, another second no one is in the van, another second it hit the brick wall on the other side of the car park. The hand brake must have relaxed, I must have not pulled it up tight enough, and no sadly I didn't put it in gear. I am now trying to sort out the damage and being an old van the Insurance will probably want to write it off and not pay me anywhere near current prices let alone what I aid for it just 12 months ago. Local garages so far are not interested. What should I do?
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that. Sadly, I can’t advise you on what to do- that’s a job for your insurer. Although they should pay out whatever the vehicle is insured for if it’s a write off. But I do hope you find someone who can help you fix it.
@@WanderingBird I have just got off the phone to insurer, waiting for garage to call now. The process begins! You both / all take care.
Thanks for this! I just got done adding most of your videos to my playlist as a crash course. So the losing brakes on a mountain thing is my worst nightmare, having lost brakes on a hill in my 7000 lb diesel truck. I know how to engine brake- can you say a bit about executing handbrake turns please?
Getting a diesel heater installed on site by "Craft a Camper" will solve the gas heating issues!
Over the years I’ve had a few “moments” with my old van, coincidentally always on the boys trip down to the 24 hour race at Le Mans. The scariest was on the way to Portsmouth to catch the ferry, while heading west on the A27 towards Portsmouth I was coming up behind a skip lorry. Glancing in the mirror I had a couple of cars about to overtake me, so as we were in my well loaded and under powered motorhome, I decided to stay where I was in the left lane. As the cars were passing I was rapidly gaining on the skip lorry so I tried to brake…….nothing, the pedal hit the floor, I tried pumping the pedal still nothing. I pulled on the not very effective handbrake and we slowed a little bit, but we were still going on the skip lorry. I don’t know if the hand brake started working a bit, or the lorry driver saw me coming, but the gap between us started getting bigger. This was fortunate because at the closest my headlights were between those little rollers on the arms at the back of that truck. Hand on heart that’s how close we come. So in true Le Mans trip fashion we slowed down (not stop) had a discussion about what to do and elected to carefully (very very carefully) carry on. I tried the brakes and found with three or four pumps on the pedal I could get brakes. I was now constantly checking the brakes to make sure they were still working….sort of! We soon arrived at the ferry port, and carefully stopped at checkin, then had the slope down to the waiting area to contend with. That’s when they started working again, so after carefully going down the slope and stopping I checked everything I possibly could, finding nothing visibly wrong. The brakes worked fine for the rest of the trip to Le Mans and back. I changed the brake master cylinder when I got back home.
The next couple of incidents weren’t scary just very annoying, looking back they were just examples of my luck. On another trip to Le Mans via the ferry from Portsmouth I went out at about 7am to move the motorhome out of its parking spot. As I pressed down on the clutch pedal to engage first gear the clutch pedal fell off. The weld on the top of the pedal to its pivot shaft had broken. So that turned into an (interesting) drive to Portsmouth from Pulborough (where I live) to Horsham to collect the rest of our group then onto Portsmouth ferry port, then on and off the ferry with no clutch. Once in Ouistreham I found the nearest hardware store and got some bits to do a temporary fix. Once at Le Mans I managed to borrow an arc welder and did a permanent repair. In fact it lasted ten years until the motorhome went to the scrap yard.
Of course on another return from Le Mans we had a very bad leak develop from the water pump, so when we arrived at Portsmouth as they were opening the loading door on the ferry we had a human chain with containers filling the radiator with water from the tap on the sink in the motorhome. There wasn’t any point filling it when we got on the ferry it would have leaked away during the crossing. But the look of horror on the faces of people in vehicles behind us was amusing.
😱😱 oh my goodness!! Those sound scary. Maybe Le Mans is trying to tell you something…
My worst experience is probably that time I needed 2 replacement engines.
Luckily, I was one of those UA-camrs who films everything so my misery was properly captured. 🤭
Great stuff, Thanks for sharing. yep I think we have all had similar experiences. The wife and I worst experience was while in Spain as we went over a mountain pass in Spain as we reached the top and started to descend a fuel pipe ruptured, the engine cut out a warning light came on the dash stating EDC or something like that. My wife quickly looked up what it was. I had to leave it in gear as I knew the brakes used vacuum (servo) from the engine to work, plus I did not want to lose engine braking. After 10 Kms I was able to find a flat spot to brake and stop. I was able to repair the pipe with some spare gas pipe and clips and we carried on.
I tend to give the van a really good service before a big trip and change anything I'm not 100% about. I guess that is the best you can do.
Absolutely. All you can do is be as prepared as possible then hope for the best
Thanks Kat! LoL