Note: I didn't have any footage of the near accident because my Dashcam SD card was full. Yes, I may have been able to claim for the belt under manufacturer's warranty, but I needed it sorting quickly and I suspect it would have been excluded under wear and tear limitations, the Motorhome is less than 3 years old, and has done just over 16,000 miles.
Mitigating your losses by doing what you did is the way to go! Mechanic sounds like a keeper, they're almost like finding a good doctor these days. All the best! 🍻
A close shave Bob I was in the contra Flo on the A1 in Newcastle on Monday and an HGV passed me in the outside lane ( restricted to 2m). Not sure if you use your dashcam for vloging footage but I have mine set on loop record so when it’s full it overrides the oldest recording.
I spend much of my time in the inside lane these days. Find it more relaxing & it’s great keeping out of the way of everyone else rushing about. Saves fuel too. Glad you got your Motorhome sorted out without any further issues 👍
The worst one for me was on the M1 last summer when 3 sets of ladders had fallen off a van, just a few vehicles ahead of me - there where cars and lorries breaking and swerving every direction. Rare things but as you say you feel somewhat shocked just after.
Going by what the garage found, it looks like the belt tensioner sized up and that destroyed the belt. There's a lot of pressure on these belt tensioners, but I don't think it's a common problem on this engine. Glad it didn't cause any major damage.
we had a similar issue while coming home from southport few months ago, our fiat doblo camper threw the aux belt tensioner and destroyed the belt, so no power steering or alternator all the way home, luckily no other damage done, since sold the camper van and bought a caravan and newer car to tow with, we absolutley love southport and visit a few times every year, would be our choice place to move to if we could.
Crazy how a thoughtless driver on the outside lane managed to hit your mirror. Glad you sorted the belt issue ASAP. Best wishes for your future travels. 🙂
Glad it all worked out for you. They sorted my sons car, he was very pleased with the work. If I knew you were there, I could have given you a lift. Stay safe👍
My goodness so glad that your both ok. Luck was on your side with the pro lems with the belts. So glad that your all ok and getting back on the road again. 🚐❤️❤️
I am glad you are both ok but it must of shaken you both up quite badly. At least you have a good garage to fix the belts problem, fingers crossed all will be well for you now. Take care.
Gosh that was an awful set of circumstances. Thankfully none of you were hurt in the near miss collision. As for the belt breaking it really could have been so much worse. So glad that you are all safe. Take care Gill
Wow that was lucky you made it to the garage before more damage. I sometimes wonder how some people get their driving licence in first place. Wonder if the 40c weather we had damaged Mr weakened the belts? Stay safe
Lucky escape indeed, we had an idiot van driver whack our offside wing mirror when in Scotland, it cracked the mirrorguard protector, much cheaper to replace than a new mirror, so worth its weight in gold
It only takes one idiot driver to potentially cause a serious road accident. I know as a driver myself that full attention is essential, while travelling on the roads. I’m glad that it didn’t turn out to be more serious for you Bob. Timing belt failure can spell the end for any engine.wish you and Jenny safe travel wherever you go.
Thanks bob for all the info , think you were a very lucky man, we will all know where to go if we are in the Southport area , will follow you all on your Wales trip , love to Jenny , poppy, and Tara .
We know that section of the road works and it's very narrow even in a car! Some people have no concept of their driving actions on other motorists, you did well to avoid as did the driver inside you too. The garage in Southport did a great job and good they actually showed you the issue, all garages should do that it's much better to understand the costs etc for repair 👍 glad you got the air con sorted, we couldn't do without ours especially for the dog travelling 🐶
Glad everything worked out Bob. It must have been scary having that Van tearing past you at speed. You were lucky to make it with your timing belt in jeopardy. Glad the guys at Southport sorted you out.
Hi Bob, glad your ok with the near accident, cant believe the AC belt has broken in such a low mileage and less than 3 years old, my thoughts are it was damaged when fitted by Fiat at the factory or it has had foreign object damage whilst driving, ie piece of metal on the road has damaged it, then quick wear takes place and it breaks, thank god the timing belt did not suffer damage as you say it would be catastrophic and cost over 5k ti fix, good luck on your next outing,
Wow Bob that was lucky, great that you got it sorted. Good garages like that are a great find and worth staying with. That section of the motorway you were on is a nightmare, they spent millions making it a smart motorway and it was still gridlock and now they’ve decided to upgrade the central barrier to concrete, typical highways planning at its best! Take care, Martin
Hi Bob thanks for the footage,and it looks like you had two lucky escapes.But in relation to the aux belt issues ,do you know if it damaged the main drive belt,when it snapped.Glad it all worked out for you eventually.
Glad it was no worse than a big fright on the road, and also that your belt problem came to a head when you were nearly home and not in the middle of your Welsh holiday and has been successfully fixed... safe travels....
Bob, I know it would be pretty much impossible to prove but do you think when you have swerved to avoid the guy on the motorway, the sudden change of direction has somehow caused the belt to deviate from its normal rotation and come off. I cant help but think the 2 things are connected? Chris seemed really great. So glad its all sorted for you.
Sorry to hear you’ve had a stressful week Bob. By the sounds of it you are right in being so positive though as what could of been doesn’t bear thinking about. You are someone who obviously looks after your vehicle so well and carefully so it’s scary to think about. My van is a fiat and only a year older than yours so it’s makes me a bit worried
Time to get a Dash cam Bob. Evidence of bad driving like that can now be down loaded to the Police. Your right he could have caused a bad smash in the Motorway. Doesn't bear thinking about
Pleased you caught that before it caused a bigger issue and great you got it sorted fairly quickly - useful to know also to keep an eye, wonder if it was just pure coincidence the two things happened together? All the best, David 👍
@@BobEarnshawMoHo I’m sure you are right it was just an instinctive feel with no logic to it (for example if the van which passed you broke his or her mirror in the impact and the broken parts happened to get underneath and flew up and damage the belt) - again, sure logically it’s not connected and just a coincidence. All the best, David.
Glad you're ok, Bob. There are some dopey drivers about the place, hence my reason for not cycling here in London. Seen fatal results of 2 accidents and a 3rd with bad injury. So I do pray that the Lord will protect you as you travel.
Firstly, really glad that you are all safe and well following your motorway experience! Some people seem to have forgotten how to drive safely these days. Secondly, isn’t it great to hear of a good experience from a garage. Shout out to the local garages!! Can I ask how many miles you have on yours because as a Fiat motorhome owner myself I’m concerned about the belts and will check them myself tomorrow?
That's strange for a belt to go that early........ my thoughts would be either a defect from manufacture (on the belt) or possibly the swerve caused some debris to flick up at a weird angle into the belt/pulleys.... ? Or possibly damaged at some point in the past by road debris and a very lucky coincidence that the aircon went first alerting you to the damage... Either way, lady luck smiling on you , as she should 🙂 🙂
Really sorry to hear about this, a good reminder to check the sat nav is set to record over old footage if full. There are just too many near misses these days. More drivers should be done for careless driving as well as excessive speed. I think you were really lucky with engine issues, I would have been very tempted to just carry on without air conditioning, but not now. Thanks for sharing. 👏👏
It astounds me just how many idiots are out there on the roads - young farming lad put his 4x4 truck into reverse and jumped on his accelerator without spotting a bright red Audi about 4 feet behind him (ME), we had both pulled in to let a tractor by… Fortunately he responded to my horn and stopped inches away from writing my car off. Unfortunately for him, he went into the same post office as I did. Thank goodness you and Jenny were safe (& Poppy) and managed to get your van sorted. Safe travels
We only have Bob's version of the event can we be certain he was not being distracted and strayed into the other lane. We were not there so will never know.
The number of miles you drive I'm sure you can foresee many drivers moves. But when something comes out of the blue it is a shock . Hot sweet cup of coffee needed. Motorhome give a lot of joy, but bite you now and then. Glad to hear all safe and well
First of all you are using the wrong to. It should be 'too' busy. Secondly, I didn't have the camera even attached at the time, if I had, the incident would have been filmed. Thirdly if I get any more nonsence from you, I will block you.
If you're on about the section of roadworks between the m602/m62 Junction and the m61 junction on the m60. Then there's a width restriction in lanes two and three. Middle lane restriction is 7'0 . Bit of a pain and pretty unusually for a width restriction in the middle lane. Like you say though that section of the m60 is tight at the best of times. I don't know how they can get away with having the four lanes when operating normally. Way too tight
So glad it was only a near miss, frightening all the same. You and Jenny will need to come visit CAMC Winchester when it reopens August 15th, I last saw you both at CAMC Cirencester but have moved to Winchester Site. Take care. X
So pleased it turned out as it did Bob,as you say could have been so much worse.our motorhome vehicle service plus mot coming up in October and as we too live in sunny Southport we will give Southport mot a go.looks a busy place.safe travel to your next adventures.Ross and Lesley.
God there are some real bad drivers out there, some people are oblivious to speed limits their flipping dangerous, if you'd only had your dash cam on he would have a nice suprise letter in the post. Well glad your ok Bob take care 🏴 have a fab trip oround our lovely Wales xx
How many engine under sections do you have on Thor, Bob? Most Ducato's have the middle section missing. Fiat don't deem them necessary! We didn't know this until we recently had our service done and just happened to check underneath, and thought that it had been not refitted, at the garage. Turned out, it never had one. Driving through roadworks etc, you could have had a stone or debris flicked up, and jammed the A/C pump. I had 43 years as an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration engineer, and have seen all sorts of crap fell in the belts. We have now bought a pattern part centre section off ebay, and the son in law has fitted it for us (and one to his Ducato) Came from Poland, with all the necessary fitting kit. Seems very good quality for £57. Hope that you and Jenny get over the shock of it all, and can enjoy your ongoing travels. We love following your adventures. Take care, Adrian and Teresa x
That's very interesting, we don't have a middle cover, just the front one, so you might be onto something there. Could have picked up a stone in the service station, roads are terrible.
There are lots of idiotic drivers that ought not to be on the road. I most certainly know how easy your incident could have turned into a bad accident. In the 1990s, I was driving on the A55 and because of the wet weather traffic ahead was slowing down, so I did the same. The idiotic driver behind me was obviously not watching the road ahead and was therefore still driving too fast. He ploughed into the back of my small car with his land cruiser.......the huge force of the impact caused me to lose control and unfortunately I swerved into the outer lane hitting a car. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt, but my car had serious damage to both the front and rear and was therefore a total write off.
sorry about what happened,we also travel in the inside lane but in fact keep away from motorways full stop ,we prefer looking at the views ! my husband changed the timing belt this year and does it regardless of the mileage.he was a mechanic so saves us a lot money.Enjoy Wales especially Min y Don!!!
Well done for keeping yourself save Bob, hardly a day goes by without some mindless idiot putting innocent law abiding citizens at risk,vehicles are lethal weapons in the wrong hands.So pleased to see the van is going to be OK,good luck for the next trip.REGARDS TO YOU ALL.👍⭐️
Hi Bob, so pleased you were able to get all the belts sorted it could have been a different story like you say. Yes that van driver was an idiot which folk would slow down a bit xx
Had this on the A12 going to Epping a couple of weeks ago ,50mph as the centre barrier is being replaced and idiots going past doing 60/65 mph yet they never get caught ......
I have had mirrors hit in the same situation Bob and unfortunately it is drivers that have no clue as to how wide their vehicles are and dare I say, possibly playing with a phone. Format your SD card on the dashcam every month I also suffered this one as I thought I had captured the most amazing footage of a Hercules flying through Glenshee in Scotland only to discover the dam card was full, its the saved locked files that are the problem they don't overwrite. That seems no time at all for that belt to go, possibly missed during the service, I recommend on our machines that V belts are changed every year regardless of condition. At least you are both safe and well so enjoy your upcoming holidays, take care 👍💖
Although I am still a very new viewer to this channel, I am relieved that the silly van speeding down a lane and exceeding the speed limit did not cause what could have been a very serious accident. As for the belts, indeed you were lucky. Hopefully, that is the end of your near misses and any misfortune at all!
Thank goodness you are all ok, i get anxiety now on motorways and i am the passenger, especially when busy and the big lorry's are swerving everywhere. It is lucky in a way that you thought was just the air con belt and the good man at the garage told you what else or you would have never known, have a great trip, were in Wales are you off to? Edit, i will look for you on fb.
Good to see you are all safe. Thought you had been taking lessons on headline writing from Travel Trolls or Kinging it!😀Glad you avoided the AA low loader.It might make you think more about a new van! We have had a good day picking up our New Adamo from Campbells. Hopefully we won’t get as many snagging issues. Enjoy your trip to 🏴 😀Phil and Helen
That WAS a lucky escape, well there's a cost involved in getting that repaired but as you say it could have been a lot worse. In fact, on some vehicles, a broken engine can render the vehicle a write-off so as you know it is important to get these checked. I do wonder when motorhome companies will start fixing the relatively new camera mirrors that are now being fitted to some HGV's. They will eliminate the need for such wide mirrors to get past the coach-built body.
Can't believe this yours is about the same age as mine..did the garage say what how this happened,,,should I be replacing my aircon belt,,,or was it the tensioner...your not having a lot of luck with mechanical side of things,,,at the moment,,
I don't know what caused it, but the tensioner had failed. Probably a fairly rare thing, so best not to worry about it. At least we had so warning that something was wrong.
Vans are so complex, our community minibus (FORD) suddenly lost its steering whilst reversing out of a parking area. Similar to your issue, Bob, it was a belt breakage.
@@BobEarnshawMoHo So true, we were about to depart for a camping trip, fortunately a power steering belt can be replaced quite wuickly and we had wonderful quick service from our local Ford dealers. I never even realised that power steering was powered by belts! Maybe only Fords?
Good news that you’re both ok, the idiot in the outside lane could have caused a serious accident. You’re new best friend at the MOT centre is a hero, who would have believed that!!! Alls well that ends well 👍 ATB Dave & Helen
@@BobEarnshawMoHo had problems with our ducato 19000 miles main dealer wanted £6000 to sort the problems.but would give no guarantee.and fiat in Italy not interested Now sold the van
Bob this is a little bit concering, especially as you have owned your motorhome from new and is less than three years old! It would be very interesting if any other Fiat based motorhome owner's have experienced a similar problem. I for one will now be regularly checking the belts and tensions because this should not have happened. As you know the timing belt, tensioners and waterpump should be replaced every five years regardless of mileage ( usually the timing belt has reached 5 years of age before the mileage has expired)
Hi there you three....I think someone was definitely watching over you on these particular occasions...it really shakes you up doesn't it when you realise how serious it could have been..glad you've got it sorted..take care..x
Note: I didn't have any footage of the near accident because my Dashcam SD card was full. Yes, I may have been able to claim for the belt under manufacturer's warranty, but I needed it sorting quickly and I suspect it would have been excluded under wear and tear limitations, the Motorhome is less than 3 years old, and has done just over 16,000 miles.
Yeah belts are not covered ,not a lot Is when you look into it
Mitigating your losses by doing what you did is the way to go! Mechanic sounds like a keeper, they're almost like finding a good doctor these days. All the best! 🍻
Yes and it's difficult to prove what went first, the idler/tensioner mechanism or the belt.
@@BobEarnshawMoHo of course they would say belt,,,
A close shave Bob I was in the contra Flo on the A1 in Newcastle on Monday and an HGV passed me in the outside lane ( restricted to 2m). Not sure if you use your dashcam for vloging footage but I have mine set on loop record so when it’s full it overrides the oldest recording.
Thank goodness you got that sorted x
Thank God you are both safe.
Sorry both that you had problems with your van, glad you got them sorted by a trusted mechanic near home. Take care. Best wishes Carol & Steve
🇮🇲🇮🇲
Thanks 👍
I spend much of my time in the inside lane these days. Find it more relaxing & it’s great keeping out of the way of everyone else rushing about. Saves fuel too. Glad you got your Motorhome sorted out without any further issues 👍
Me too! Takes pressure off and like you say, saves fuel.
Me too - certainly wouldn’t venture out of it in any contra flow
Love Towing the caravan On motorways And Watching So Many Flying Past! A Bit Worrying Though When We See Caravans Doing The Same!.
The worst one for me was on the M1 last summer when 3 sets of ladders had fallen off a van, just a few vehicles ahead of me - there where cars and lorries breaking and swerving every direction. Rare things but as you say you feel somewhat shocked just after.
Yes, bet that was shocking!
Thank goodness your and Jenny were not hurt. What a terrible shock. Hope you both are recovering and everything going ok with the motorhome. Val
We're fine now thanks, looking forward to our Welsh trip now.
Going by what the garage found, it looks like the belt tensioner sized up and that destroyed the belt.
There's a lot of pressure on these belt tensioners, but I don't think it's a common problem on this engine.
Glad it didn't cause any major damage.
Yes we were very lucky
Glad your both safe & well, it’s very scary , I hate when we are on busy Motorways especially in Spain & France. We had a close one with a lorry .
Wonderful news Southport MOT Centre we’re able to help you so quickly, very worrying this happened on a three year old Motorhome x
Southport MOT centre seem very good but it must be like Jenga moving vehicles around in the yard. Looking forward to watching your Welsh trip.
Yes, think they've got very good at parking!
Glad you're alright!
Thank you!
we had a similar issue while coming home from southport few months ago, our fiat doblo camper threw the aux belt tensioner and destroyed the belt, so no power steering or alternator all the way home, luckily no other damage done, since sold the camper van and bought a caravan and newer car to tow with, we absolutley love southport and visit a few times every year, would be our choice place to move to if we could.
Look like you had a close call mate.
Superb advice from the garage and great service.
Beauty 👍.
Chas.
Yes, a great garage.
Just glad you and Jenny were not hurt Bob. The van's much easier to fix than you are. Safe travels to you both.
Thank you
glad your ok guys and not costing to much
Hi Bob, its good that you got to the garage as soon as you did, otherwise as you said, it could have been a lot worse,
So glad we didn't set off before he looked at it!
Glad you got your belts fixed Bob
Crazy how a thoughtless driver on the outside lane managed to hit your mirror. Glad you sorted the belt issue ASAP. Best wishes for your future travels. 🙂
How old was the van when you had it...if bought second hand and its a few years old...always get the belts checked despite the mileage
Hi Bob so pleased you got the problem sorted, have a great time in Wales 👍
Thank you
Glad it all worked out for you. They sorted my sons car, he was very pleased with the work. If I knew you were there, I could have given you a lift. Stay safe👍
That's nice to hear.
My goodness so glad that your both ok. Luck was on your side with the pro lems with the belts. So glad that your all ok and getting back on the road again. 🚐❤️❤️
All good thanks
I am glad you are both ok but it must of shaken you both up quite badly. At least you have a good garage to fix the belts problem, fingers crossed all will be well for you now. Take care.
Gosh that was an awful set of circumstances. Thankfully none of you were hurt in the near miss collision. As for the belt breaking it really could have been so much worse. So glad that you are all safe. Take care Gill
Thanks
Wow that was lucky you made it to the garage before more damage. I sometimes wonder how some people get their driving licence in first place. Wonder if the 40c weather we had damaged Mr weakened the belts? Stay safe
Don't think we ever got quite that hot, but they should be OK.
Lucky escape indeed, we had an idiot van driver whack our offside wing mirror when in Scotland, it cracked the mirrorguard protector, much cheaper to replace than a new mirror, so worth its weight in gold
Yes, quite a bit cheaper apparently.
THAT could have been a lot worse! -Well done! ☺
So glad you came through that safely, and that your belt issue was resolved before it became worse. Phew!
It only takes one idiot driver to potentially cause a serious road accident. I know as a driver myself that full attention is essential, while travelling on the roads. I’m glad that it didn’t turn out to be more serious for you Bob. Timing belt failure can spell the end for any engine.wish you and Jenny safe travel wherever you go.
Lucky escape Bob as you say, good garages are hard to find these days. It gives great piece of mind when you have Trades People you can trust. 😁👍
Yes, absolutely.
Glad everything worked out ok, have a great time in Wales. Will be interested to see where you go, maybe near us!
Thanks bob for all the info , think you were a very lucky man, we will all know where to go if we are in the Southport area , will follow you all on your Wales trip , love to Jenny , poppy, and Tara .
I'm glad you found the fault beforehand 😉
Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday's
We know that section of the road works and it's very narrow even in a car! Some people have no concept of their driving actions on other motorists, you did well to avoid as did the driver inside you too. The garage in Southport did a great job and good they actually showed you the issue, all garages should do that it's much better to understand the costs etc for repair 👍 glad you got the air con sorted, we couldn't do without ours especially for the dog travelling 🐶
Yes, we were very lucky.
Very lucky Bob you didn’t lose your engine well done
The cam belt is usually enclosed in a housing and should not have been damaged by a drive belt. Why did the pulley need replacing?
The pulley wasn't replaced, the belts and idler/tensioner were changed.
Glad everything worked out Bob. It must have been scary having that Van tearing past you at speed. You were lucky to make it with your timing belt in jeopardy. Glad the guys at Southport sorted you out.
Hi Bob, glad your ok with the near accident, cant believe the AC belt has broken in such a low mileage and less than 3 years old, my thoughts are it was damaged when fitted by Fiat at the factory or it has had foreign object damage whilst driving, ie piece of metal on the road has damaged it, then quick wear takes place and it breaks, thank god the timing belt did not suffer damage as you say it would be catastrophic and cost over 5k ti fix, good luck on your next outing,
I suspect it was something got in there.
Didn't realise you were so local to us. We've probably passed each other around PR8 !
Lucky escape there Bob. Glad you got it sorted and nobody was hurt 👍
Wow Bob that was lucky, great that you got it sorted. Good garages like that are a great find and worth staying with.
That section of the motorway you were on is a nightmare, they spent millions making it a smart motorway and it was still gridlock and now they’ve decided to upgrade the central barrier to concrete, typical highways planning at its best!
Take care, Martin
It puts us off going to Yorkshire that way.
A close call on both counts Bob, I'm glad it's worked out for you.Stay safe.
Hi Bob thanks for the footage,and it looks like you had two lucky escapes.But in relation to the aux belt issues ,do you know if it damaged the main drive belt,when it snapped.Glad it all worked out for you eventually.
It damaged the alterator/ac belt which was rubbing on the power steering belt and timing belt cover.
Thank goodness both of you are ok, very scary though.
A narrow escape indeed!
Glad it was no worse than a big fright on the road, and also that your belt problem came to a head when you were nearly home and not in the middle of your Welsh holiday and has been successfully fixed... safe travels....
The thing is. You get such a fright , it’s happened to me in my work van.
Bob, I know it would be pretty much impossible to prove but do you think when you have swerved to avoid the guy on the motorway, the sudden change of direction has somehow caused the belt to deviate from its normal rotation and come off. I cant help but think the 2 things are connected? Chris seemed really great. So glad its all sorted for you.
That's what Jenny said, but I'd hope it would be OK in a swerve.
Glad everything worked out well in the end for you.
So glad you're ok bob your right could been alot worse mate 👍 good luck you're travelling
Sorry to hear you’ve had a stressful week Bob. By the sounds of it you are right in being so positive though as what could of been doesn’t bear thinking about. You are someone who obviously looks after your vehicle so well and carefully so it’s scary to think about. My van is a fiat and only a year older than yours so it’s makes me a bit worried
Hopefully it's a one off!
glad you ok
What or how did the belts get damaged?
Don't know, but the tensioner/idler failed.
Time to get a Dash cam Bob. Evidence of bad driving like that can now be down loaded to the Police. Your right he could have caused a bad smash in the Motorway. Doesn't bear thinking about
I was thinking the very same thing! Two: front and rear!
I have a dashcam. The SD card was full!
@@BobEarnshawMoHo Good! ☺
Pleased you caught that before it caused a bigger issue and great you got it sorted fairly quickly - useful to know also to keep an eye, wonder if it was just pure coincidence the two things happened together? All the best, David 👍
I can't see how they could be connected.
@@BobEarnshawMoHo I’m sure you are right it was just an instinctive feel with no logic to it (for example if the van which passed you broke his or her mirror in the impact and the broken parts happened to get underneath and flew up and damage the belt) - again, sure logically it’s not connected and just a coincidence. All the best, David.
Glad the van is ok
Stay safe .Best wishes Martin King
Glad you're ok, Bob. There are some dopey drivers about the place, hence my reason for not cycling here in London. Seen fatal results of 2 accidents and a 3rd with bad injury. So I do pray that the Lord will protect you as you travel.
Firstly, really glad that you are all safe and well following your motorway experience! Some people seem to have forgotten how to drive safely these days. Secondly, isn’t it great to hear of a good experience from a garage. Shout out to the local garages!! Can I ask how many miles you have on yours because as a Fiat motorhome owner myself I’m concerned about the belts and will check them myself tomorrow?
It's under 3 years old and 16,000 miles, but I don't think it was age related.
That's strange for a belt to go that early........ my thoughts would be either a defect from manufacture (on the belt) or possibly the swerve caused some debris to flick up at a weird angle into the belt/pulleys.... ?
Or possibly damaged at some point in the past by road debris and a very lucky coincidence that the aircon went first alerting you to the damage...
Either way, lady luck smiling on you , as she should 🙂 🙂
Yes, I'd suspect something got in there somehow.
Really sorry to hear about this, a good reminder to check the sat nav is set to record over old footage if full. There are just too many near misses these days. More drivers should be done for careless driving as well as excessive speed. I think you were really lucky with engine issues, I would have been very tempted to just carry on without air conditioning, but not now. Thanks for sharing. 👏👏
Yes I was tempted to drive to Wales and get it fixed later, so glad I didn't!
It astounds me just how many idiots are out there on the roads - young farming lad put his 4x4 truck into reverse and jumped on his accelerator without spotting a bright red Audi about 4 feet behind him (ME), we had both pulled in to let a tractor by… Fortunately he responded to my horn and stopped inches away from writing my car off. Unfortunately for him, he went into the same post office as I did. Thank goodness you and Jenny were safe (& Poppy) and managed to get your van sorted. Safe travels
Yes there are a lot of drivers thinking about something other than driving.
We only have Bob's version of the event can we be certain he was not being distracted and strayed into the other lane. We were not there so will never know.
Glad you both safe and well .👍Looking forward to Wales trip .☀️
The number of miles you drive I'm sure you can foresee many drivers moves. But when something comes out of the blue it is a shock . Hot sweet cup of coffee needed. Motorhome give a lot of joy, but bite you now and then. Glad to hear all safe and well
Most probably to busy playing with his camera.
First of all you are using the wrong to. It should be 'too' busy. Secondly, I didn't have the camera even attached at the time, if I had, the incident would have been filmed. Thirdly if I get any more nonsence from you, I will block you.
Was it a black van with a red stripe that hit your mirror
It may have been, certainly brown, why?
@@BobEarnshawMoHo ahh, you missed the dig at Mr.T .... From the A-Tram.
If you're on about the section of roadworks between the m602/m62 Junction and the m61 junction on the m60. Then there's a width restriction in lanes two and three. Middle lane restriction is 7'0 . Bit of a pain and pretty unusually for a width restriction in the middle lane. Like you say though that section of the m60 is tight at the best of times. I don't know how they can get away with having the four lanes when operating normally. Way too tight
Absolutely, but it's a dreadful area even when no roadworks.
So glad it was only a near miss, frightening all the same. You and Jenny will need to come visit CAMC Winchester when it reopens August 15th, I last saw you both at CAMC Cirencester but have moved to Winchester Site. Take care. X
Yes, we'd love to see the new improved Morn Hill!
So pleased it turned out as it did Bob,as you say could have been so much worse.our motorhome vehicle service plus mot coming up in October and as we too live in sunny Southport we will give Southport mot a go.looks a busy place.safe travel to your next adventures.Ross and Lesley.
glad to here your both ok
God there are some real bad drivers out there, some people are oblivious to speed limits their flipping dangerous, if you'd only had your dash cam on he would have a nice suprise letter in the post.
Well glad your ok Bob take care 🏴 have a fab trip oround our lovely Wales xx
Thanks, looking forward to Wales
Some drivers are crazy. Take care.
Wow I that was lucky. Take care and stay safe.
How many engine under sections do you have on Thor, Bob? Most Ducato's have the middle section missing. Fiat don't deem them necessary! We didn't know this until we recently had our service done and just happened to check underneath, and thought that it had been not refitted, at the garage. Turned out, it never had one. Driving through roadworks etc, you could have had a stone or debris flicked up, and jammed the A/C pump. I had 43 years as an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration engineer, and have seen all sorts of crap fell in the belts. We have now bought a pattern part centre section off ebay, and the son in law has fitted it for us (and one to his Ducato) Came from Poland, with all the necessary fitting kit. Seems very good quality for £57. Hope that you and Jenny get over the shock of it all, and can enjoy your ongoing travels. We love following your adventures. Take care, Adrian and Teresa x
That's very interesting, we don't have a middle cover, just the front one, so you might be onto something there. Could have picked up a stone in the service station, roads are terrible.
There are lots of idiotic drivers that ought not to be on the road. I most certainly know how easy your incident could have turned into a bad accident. In the 1990s, I was driving on the A55 and because of the wet weather traffic ahead was slowing down, so I did the same. The idiotic driver behind me was obviously not watching the road ahead and was therefore still driving too fast. He ploughed into the back of my small car with his land cruiser.......the huge force of the impact caused me to lose control and unfortunately I swerved into the outer lane hitting a car. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt, but my car had serious damage to both the front and rear and was therefore a total write off.
Oh, that must have been a shock. Two of the main causes of accidents there - speeding and lack of concentration.
sorry about what happened,we also travel in the inside lane but in fact keep away from motorways full stop ,we prefer looking at the views ! my husband changed the timing belt this year and does it regardless of the mileage.he was a mechanic so saves us a lot money.Enjoy Wales especially Min y Don!!!
Looking forward to seeing and staying near Harlech Castle.
Glad ure both ok and poppy and tara horrible experience for you enjoy your time in wales and hope the campervan gets fixed soon
Did you buy the van from new...if not despite the mileage always get someone to check the belts
I bought from new, it's done 16k. I will be checking the belts, but if the tensioner had failed there would be no warning.
Bit of luck there Bob! At least the Diesel ⛽ price went down a bit today.😊
Yes, crazy isn't it, happy that diesel is only £1.75 a litre!
Well done for keeping yourself save Bob, hardly a day goes by without some mindless idiot putting innocent law abiding citizens at risk,vehicles are lethal weapons in the wrong hands.So pleased to see the van is going to be OK,good luck for the next trip.REGARDS TO YOU ALL.👍⭐️
Thank you
Hi Bob, so pleased you were able to get all the belts sorted it could have been a different story like you say. Yes that van driver was an idiot which folk would slow down a bit xx
Had this on the A12 going to Epping a couple of weeks ago ,50mph as the centre barrier is being replaced and idiots going past doing 60/65 mph yet they never get caught ......
I have had mirrors hit in the same situation Bob and unfortunately it is drivers that have no clue as to how wide their vehicles are and dare I say, possibly playing with a phone. Format your SD card on the dashcam every month I also suffered this one as I thought I had captured the most amazing footage of a Hercules flying through Glenshee in Scotland only to discover the dam card was full, its the saved locked files that are the problem they don't overwrite. That seems no time at all for that belt to go, possibly missed during the service, I recommend on our machines that V belts are changed every year regardless of condition.
At least you are both safe and well so enjoy your upcoming holidays, take care 👍💖
Yes, I'll be reformating the dashcam each trip now. I suspect something got trapped that caused the ac belt to go.
Although I am still a very new viewer to this channel, I am relieved that the silly van speeding down a lane and exceeding the speed limit did not cause what could have been a very serious accident. As for the belts, indeed you were lucky. Hopefully, that is the end of your near misses and any misfortune at all!
Thank you
Lucky escape Bob hope your ok it can be un nerving something like that .. regards Glyn 🇬🇧
Thank goodness you are all ok, i get anxiety now on motorways and i am the passenger, especially when busy and the big lorry's are swerving everywhere. It is lucky in a way that you thought was just the air con belt and the good man at the garage told you what else or you would have never known, have a great trip, were in Wales are you off to? Edit, i will look for you on fb.
We are going to Red Kite, Erwlon, Min Y Don and Rhuallt.
Goodness me, hope you’re all ok now.
Yes we are, thank you.
Good to see you are all safe. Thought you had been taking lessons on headline writing from Travel Trolls or Kinging it!😀Glad you avoided the AA low loader.It might make you think more about a new van! We have had a good day picking up our New Adamo from Campbells. Hopefully we won’t get as many snagging issues. Enjoy your trip to 🏴 😀Phil and Helen
I try not to do the DISASTER titles too much! 😊
Why did the belt fail so prematurely? There must be something mechanical that caused it to.
Yes, or something got caught in there.
Could have been badly installed
Wow!
Shame about your aircon at least you got more mpg😄
True!
That WAS a lucky escape, well there's a cost involved in getting that repaired but as you say it could have been a lot worse. In fact, on some vehicles, a broken engine can render the vehicle a write-off so as you know it is important to get these checked. I do wonder when motorhome companies will start fixing the relatively new camera mirrors that are now being fitted to some HGV's. They will eliminate the need for such wide mirrors to get past the coach-built body.
Yes, those camera mirrors look great.
You have had a lucky escape Bob x
Glad your all ok bob jenny happy you got air con sorted and timing belt regards rolf marivel ayesha and chance staffi
But how did a guy clipping your wing mirror cause the belt to go.
Don't think he did?
Bob, how many miles on the van please?
Have a look at my pinned comment please.
Can't believe this yours is about the same age as mine..did the garage say what how this happened,,,should I be replacing my aircon belt,,,or was it the tensioner...your not having a lot of luck with mechanical side of things,,,at the moment,,
I don't know what caused it, but the tensioner had failed. Probably a fairly rare thing, so best not to worry about it. At least we had so warning that something was wrong.
Vans are so complex, our community minibus (FORD) suddenly lost its steering whilst reversing out of a parking area. Similar to your issue, Bob, it was a belt breakage.
Good job it didn't go on a fast road though!
@@BobEarnshawMoHo So true, we were about to depart for a camping trip, fortunately a power steering belt can be replaced quite wuickly and we had wonderful quick service from our local Ford dealers. I never even realised that power steering was powered by belts! Maybe only Fords?
And Fiat Ducatos, that was damaged too.
Good news that you’re both ok, the idiot in the outside lane could have caused a serious accident. You’re new best friend at the MOT centre is a hero, who would have believed that!!! Alls well that ends well 👍 ATB Dave & Helen
Thank you, yes Chris is my hero...
Hi Bob how many miles have you done?
Just 16,000, it's not wear and tear...
@@BobEarnshawMoHo had problems with our ducato 19000 miles main dealer wanted £6000 to sort the problems.but would give no guarantee.and fiat in Italy not interested
Now sold the van
Wow, had the engine gone?
@@BobEarnshawMoHo no emissions and auto gearbox.
Bob this is a little bit concering, especially as you have owned your motorhome from new and is less than three years old! It would be very interesting if any other Fiat based motorhome owner's have experienced a similar problem. I for one will now be regularly checking the belts and tensions because this should not have happened. As you know the timing belt, tensioners and waterpump should be replaced every five years regardless of mileage ( usually the timing belt has reached 5 years of age before the mileage has expired)
Hi there you three....I think someone was definitely watching over you on these particular occasions...it really shakes you up doesn't it when you realise how serious it could have been..glad you've got it sorted..take care..x
Yes, it is the shock afterwards.
Wow that was lucky Bob,,