The further adventures of Doogle

So your driving indicated 130C is really 85C? That's suspiciously cool for a bus 1600.More usual would be in the 95-105 C range and start to worry (or slow down) at 115. Maybe now you know not to worry you'll drive it less cautiously and see higher more normal temps.

 

True, but running cool sounds much better than running melty. It was running over 130 after climbing hills, but the scale is vague and I was in extreme denial by then.

I’d be quite happy if I just had an oil light, as VW built it. It only comes on at hot tickover, more solidy since you put tickover right. I can live with that, they warn you about it in the owner’s manual. I’ve decided that as far as my oil pressure gauge and my two oil temperature gauges go, I’m going to ignore the numbers, and just keep an eye out for them doing something unusual.

 

In the end, it's usually easiest to fit a T and put the after market sender for pressure on one branch and a stock warning switch on the other..

If a warning light comes on too often you will ignore it when you actually just ran out of oil..

85 degrees C is suspiciously low..

But it is easy to assume that any random VDO sender is actually matched to your gauge.. theres a 150C sender and a 120C sender type at the very least for oil and water.
E.g.
https://www.hambleonline.co.uk/vowo14/TemperatureResistanceChart(1).pdf

 

You have 2 senders connected to 2 gauges that both read garbage IIRC.
I don't need to spell that out.

 

Yes as you say, theres always the thought that crossing the sender wires over might be the fix ..

My picture is a 0..100 psi sender off eBay that outputs 4.5 volts at 100psi and 0.5 volts at 0 psi. I use a computer to read it but you could connect a suitably calibrated old skool moving coil milliamp meter and a resistor..

 

Well we just got back from the Farmyard Party, 30 bands on 4 stages and a few thousand bikers getting hammered, in the grounds of a stately home near Helmsley (there is no farmyard, that was years ago) I’ll post more pics later, but here’s our official arrival photo from the site photographer. I haven’t repainted Dougal pale blue, but in the sun it doesn’t look turquoise to the camera. Good to see that she rides level with two on board- empty I always think the front needs to be lower. Nothing broke or fell off, and I am much more relaxed about ignoring the lies that my gauges tell. Kas did some working out on the way back, we were running at an actual 98 degrees at the top of the M62, and our last tankful post carb adjustment was 24 mpg, the previous one was 19, so Zed has saved us money!

 

Fabulous, I'm pleased for you.
You can split the first years fuel savings and send me cheque.

 

More pics, here’s the woodpile for the camping with fires field. There’s another field for folk who don’t want pinhole burns all over their tent. As you can see they don’t mess around, being on an estate with forests must be a help.

 

We used the solar panel for the first time, my CPAP machine ran perfectly both nights, on previous trips with no hookup it wouldn’t run the second night because the voltage was too low. I’d also replaced the leisure battery as well as it was probably goosed after being flat for a long layup. Whether I’m brave enough to also have the fridge running on 12v all weekend will be the next test.

 

Hi Dave, I’m chuffed to bits to see all this use. Couldn’t have sold it to more suitable people to get the best use out of her

 

We’re all packed up and ready to go to Reeth, in the Yorkshire Dales, for Vans in the Valley, then a couple of nights on a farm site near Leyburn. Our longest trip yet at four nights, we’ll see how it goes.
The cats are going crazy because we won’t let them out - they’re off to cat prison in half an hour.

 

You wont be far from me
Enjoy the dales
If your tempted to go to the Richard the third pub in middleham don’t
The food and service is absolutely shocking.

 

We got here no problem, currently we’re in The Black Bull in Reeth, delighted to find out that draught Black Sheep is still a thing.

 

I can’t post pictures yet as there is only basic 3G here and life’s too short.
Last night was a bit damp at times, we got a good curry from Mick’s curry stall, and there were three bands on in a gazebo in the field.
I felt sorry for the gentle quiet acoustic duo, who were on at the same time as the local church had Friday bell ringing practice. Only when they had a tea break did we hear them, the church across the river is very proud of having 8 bells.

 

The brewery has new owners now

 

We’re currently outside the Bridge Inn at Grinton, the church was having an open day- it turns out that there are six bells- I’ve been up the bell tower and seen them, also had a go with one. The guide for the tour positioned a massive bell so it was balanced upside down and invited me to pull the rope and stand back, lest it break my arm. To get up to the bells there was some serious ladder climbing involved on ancient ladders.

 

I was interested in seeing the clockwork mechanism that rang the church clock, installed in 1896, it only loses 20 seconds a month, I think he said, as long as they remember to wind it up. They could fit a modern electric mechanism, but it would need replacing every 40 years, as it would be completely worn out. There’s a metaphor for modern technology somewhere in that.
Watched a couple more bands last night and drank more beers. Lots of kids and dogs about, late on we sat around a fire pit and chatted to people about dubs and events.
After we’ve made brunch we’re off to a site near Leyburn for a couple of nights.

 

I’ll chuck some photos up later, but after a couple of days camped near Leyburn, after the festival, we’re now back home again.

No dramas at all on the way home, we were slipstreaming the lorries on the A1, cruising at 55 to 60. In crosswinds it does feel a bit like steering a boat, with that big wheel, but I know it’s all new down there, God knows how it feels when it’s worn out.

We’re now up to 13 nights and 1300 miles since I bought Dougal at the end of last August. Touch wood we are still strangers to the AA, so that’s all good.

 

Belatedly some pictures, first the Vans In The Valley

The church clock, and the bells at Grinton



Dougal at Cow Close campsite, Leyburn

The castle where Richard III was brought up, it was seized after he was killed and buried under a car park. Middleham is now home to more racehorses than humans.