Around 3,000 miles. I think about 15 nights sleeping in the van. 3 trips to Cornwall including a weeks stay in August and x2 bank holiday weekends. Maybe x4 nights sleeping in Grandads field And loads of day trips to Croyde, Putsborough and Saunton. A few to Exmouth and lots of trips to pick the kids up from school. Fuel consumption: Around 25mpg (1600 type 1) Jobs for winter: fit westy continental roof bed. Tidy up some of the body work. Plan for 2023: much the same. Lots of beach trips. A few weekend stays in Cornwall and a week at our favourite campsite in Porthcothan in August. A few photos of our trips:
Both TE trips as well as Keith's field formed the backbone this year. A couple of folk music festivals and lots of little one day excursions locally fleshed out our trips. The average fuel consumption is about 22 mpg with drippy push rod tube seals meaning I don't know how much oil the engine uses...more below. Lots of small jobs done this year including new Vitron push rod seals that have finally stopped my slow oil leaks. I recently replaced my steering column plastic shroud, ignition switch wiring and hand brake cable. The main jobs this year were renovating the rear tail hatch with lots and lots of practice to learn how to weld and paint and I'm still learning. I also installed my PV system in the cab luggage tray and added a new fridge in the adapted original Berlin location. Jobs for next year Install struts for pop top Seats and door cards with James Ley Finish off changing rear brakes shoes Fix windscreen washer Install mud flaps More rust treatment and decide how to move forward with paintwork Look into installing heater system Carry on collecting bits for FI refit Lots of holidays planned next year including a two week break starting with TE in May, then carrying on up to the Peaks, then via Chester to Snowdonia, then Pembrokeshire to finally head home. We've already booked the Purbeck Folk Festival and are thinking about the Vintage Nostalgia Festival. All in all a good year
Down to Portsmouth to clear an entire house. Down to Bournemouth with a complete Wickes bathroom stuffed in the back and two mountain bikes hanging off the towbar. Down to Poole to pick up over a quarter of a ton of bathroom floor tiles (handling slightly affected). Couple of Dorchester runs full of daughter's crap. Never missed a beat. I'd prefer not to think what the fuel consumption was Work: Finally fixed central locking on cab doors. Swapped out wiper motor. De-rottified his rear end. Stuck radio back in. No camping, as I prefer a nice hotel with a Jaccuzzi, and I don't have to crap in a plastic box
About 6250 miles. 20-22mpg. Used it for most of the time as a working from home office. Camping.. Techenders twice and Keiths Field. Several runs to Swansea and Bristol but we stayed in a hotel in Swansea, day trips to Bristol. Fitted a less worn out progressive carburettor, £21 off eBay. Fitted a NOS thermostat, £28 off eBay. Melted one piston. Rebuilt engine in a few days work, about £600 parts ( pistons and cylinders, one head found to have a leaking crack on spark plug thread so replaced) Had leaking fuel tank replaced, wished I had just done it myself rather than the mistakes by the garage contributing to eventual engine failure. Fitted heated windscreen, welded screen surround metal. Assembled a screen heater timer and wrote firmware for it with under voltage protection. Fitted 75A alternator. Added a VSR between the batteries. Started fitting Ford EDIS based wasted spark electronic ignition as I can get away from messing with distributors.. And new front seat pads.
Nice at Porthcothan just south is the wonderful Bedruthan Steps ..but sadly closed . You can get down at the southern end at Park Head , but certainly not wise with kids .
Me too, sometimes wonder why I keep hold of it. Probably for when I retire and the company car goes back.
You to take it for a spin from time to time mate, or it'll rot (or rather, rot quicker than it was going to do anyway).
I think I've done about 6,000 miles, the only mpg I recorded was the 36mpg for the summer holiday - I was quite impressed. I've been to the Peak District three times; Devon three times, Exmouth twice and Totnes; Lytham St Anne's twice; The Lakes, Scotland, ferry to N. Ireland - a tour of the North and the West Coast, back over to Scotland, up it's West Coast then to Edinburgh and back home. The odd day trip to Stratford, Bideford and Cannock Chase. Only issues, for once, were a few spots of welding for the MOT, a windscreen wiper in Ireland and a new tyre. Not bad going for a Transit. Meant to be heading off for one last getaway this week, but Heather has the lurgy, so I think Cambridge will have to wait for 2023. Plans? Nothing set in stone yet. Trying to save up for a newish Fiat Ducato so if that happens it'll be no getaways whilst we build that. @MorkC68 Tempted by Lytham Festival for the Crue, I'll let you know if I do.
Despite being regulars to that area of North Cornwall for over 12 years, we have never walked down to Bedruthan Steps. Still on the to do list as the kids get older
Done a few festivals, lots and lots of day trips with her full of grandkids and regular trips to the tip and supermarkets. Fuel economy, mid 20s. Jobs done, just the new alternator and adjusting the brakes but acquired lots of bits in preparation for future fettling.
5000 miles 1 case of sunburn on the bonce Whitby Tour of South West Wales 4 vintage dance festivals Camping in the back garden of my daughter's new house Ross on Wye Cider tour of Gloucestershire Cider tour of Worcestershire Cider tour of Sainsbury's New year's Eve 1 mountain over from Snowdon. Oil ,yes ,where it belongs.
About 3.5K miles in the van this year. My first Techenders in the spring, a few days over in the purbecks camping for my birthday followed by some time over in cheddar. The van has been tucked away for the last few months in the workshop while we moved house, with the baja becoming the daily for now. The van needs a bit of attention now after nearly 4 years since I restored it and living outside in a coastal town doing it no favours. Hopefully I'll find a bit of time over the beginning of next year to start looking at it; the rear bumper needs repainting from where I reversed it into a wall and there are various paint/rust issues to look at (the engine lid hinge panel seems to have deteriorated quite badly along the lip unfortunately). All part of the fun of owning an old vehicle!
The Bedruthan steps were closed due to the steps being unstable way back in 1988 and we managed to get down to the beach at the park head end , as we saw locals getting down a certain pathway ...which is still well possible . Apparently there have been issues over the cost to repair the damaged steps and falling rocks which rendered it dangerous to the public . Hope it does get fixed because i would say it is probably the most impressive looking beach in Cornwall . Its been closed again for the last 2 years sadly .
