Hi I have been a member of tlb for some time now but haven't formally introduced myself as I didn't feel I was a fully paid up member. My van was still in the resto stage. Well..... Victor (the kids named him after a character on a childrens tv programme called House of Anubis) is sort of finished & has just taken us on a two week round the country road trip. We (that is my beautiful wife, looking slightly embarassed, in the passenger seat. Kids are in the back) loved it! I would like to say it went smoothly but we had our hiccups, for instance drivers side wiper stopped working in wet Wales on our way to llangybi to visit relatives. The wiper arm was only finger tight!! Washer bottle stopped working for half the journey (bad earth). Both wing mirrors fell off in my hand on two seperate campsites. Had starter motor problems (sticky solenoid) in the wet & in full view of everyone I had to shimmy under the van with hammer in hand to tap it, once wearing a bin liner & once with shirt off to save my togs. On the last day (today actually) I found all 6 bolts on the o/s drive shaft (gearbox end) loose & that we had lost the n/s heat exchanger gaitor. The other hit me on the head as I was yet again on my back tapping at the sticky starter motor solenoid (restoman is in for a b******ing). However ........... Victor loves it at speeds over 40 so craved the open road which we saw plenty of. He handles great even if he is a little wavyDavy on the motorways. He took us from Preston Lancashire to Crickhowel Wales, then on to Cheddar via the Severn bridge (this still haunts me & my forearms will never be the same after gripping the wheel so tightly, I don't like high bridges at the best of times but that is just ridiculous) the day after two people lost their lives to high winds in Cornwall. He then took us valliantly on to Tintagel Cornwall to visit the legend of King Arthurs castle. We made our way further south into Dorset & close to Weymouth where we sunned ourselves. We then pootled on up to Stonehenge touring park (highly recommend this) Salisbury Wiltshire to visit Stonehenge but positively blatted up (most) hills (some I was down to 2nd doing 30mph with a queue a mile long behind us ). One of our boys wanted to go to Scarborough (??) & as I was keen to avoid a really long journey, the M25 AND the Humber bridge we then travelled up to & stayed in Monyash near Bakewell in the peak district via a campsite called Anita's near Banbury Oxfordshire which we didn't like so much - no atmosphere so thumbs down to this one - (I had by this time learned to take a run up to the hills any chance I got) & then on to Bempton cliffs on the North East coast where we concluded our trip. In short despite his failings I loves me van! He looks & sounds fantastic. He is adequately confortable for the four of us & has taken us the length & breadth of the country on his first outing since the 3 year resto was completed only days before the trip began so not bad going in my book! We have had people waving from other VW's (mainly t2 & t25's. Not so much t4 or t5's (dunno what their problem is)) & taking photos from passing cars. All in all it was a great holiday & a real experience! V is for Victor(y). Oh & meet Cliff!
Sounds a great trip A tip for the starter sometimes if you put it in gear and rock the van back and forwards it frees up the starter
I can't see how this would ever work, the starter isn't engaged with the flywheel, but if it makes you feel you've tried something...
What often happens with sticking starters is you turn the key and the solenoid fires the bendex gear forward but not with enough force so jamming on the teeth of the flywheel but not far enough forward to engage the starter motor By knocking the starter with a hammer it shocks the bendex gear and solenoid to spring back so you can start the process again By rocking the van backward and forward it turns the flywheel so unjaming the bendix gear the solenoid allowing it to spring back
I honestly don't know but always dutifully try the rock in gear first and nothing. Then I crawl under if there's no scope for a bump start.
First thing I tried was the rocking in gear, don't know why? I'm sure it used to work on my old Mum's 70's mini?
Wow. Certainly was the length and breadth of the country. Glad you all had fun. Long may it continue. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
