That's a Weight off my Shoulders...

We got the Van weighed this morning. What a palaver that was.

The place we went to was only 10 miles or so away but we still managed to get lost. Not a confidence boost for a man about to drive 1,300 miles in two foreign Countries. The Sat Nav ended up taking us down some treacherous country lanes which nearly resulted in a crash. The van took a bit of a beating from overhanging branches instead and now a couple of the nearside windows have some scratches on them. I read somewhere how to get the scratches out, but I haven't got time for that now.

We eventually found the place; it was almost impossible to miss actually (too much reliance on TomTom there methinks). It was the most minging site you could imagine and the guy 'operating' the weighbridge was as thick as thick cheese. It was obvious I didn't have a clue what to do yet he didn't bother trying to help. In the end, covered in mud, I wandered around the place staring into offices until, at last, I was spoken to. It got a lot easier from there although I still had to wallow in the mud a bit more before I finally got the news I had been dreading.

It cost me ten quid and all I got for the privilege was a printed sheet of headed invoice paper with lots of numbers and references on it. I had to ask him three times before he finally realised that, yes, I was actually interested in knowing the result and the overall weight of everything inside the white monster that looked so out of place amongst the Skip lorries. 3640 he announced. I pretended I knew what that meant, muttered 'kilo's I presume' under my breath and wandered back through the mud to join my family and all our stuff that we had hurriedly stuffed in just half an hour before. As we drove home ignoring the TomTom, we tried to work out from the log book if that was good news or not. My instinct said it was bad news but then I've been paranoid since the first time I filled it up with diesel. It is, after all, heavy fuel.

The Log book said 'revenue weight 3850 KG gross' which means less to me than the X Factor does to Napolean. I think I can be forgiven for being confused because whilst attempting to master this particular chapter in my thesis on Motor Caravanning I have been confronted with terms including Actual Laden Weight, Gross Train Weight, Maximum Axle Weight, Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass, Maximum User Payload and Mass in Running Order. Why does it have to be so confusing? Anyway, I didn't find out for sure where I stood until I got home and checked the Bessacarr manual (see what I did there?) to find it telling me I am allowed '3850kg MTPLM' and a Gross Train Weight of 5500kg. I'm guessing the 'train' bit refers to the allowance when towing so I think it means my van can be a total, overall, aggregate weight of no more than 3,850 kilos. Hoorah. That means I am currently underweight and don't have to be such a meany and summarily evict unnecessary teddies etc. It also means we can take more Christmas presents with us to open on our second Christmas Day assuming we can keep them out of the childrens' sight until then. What I didn't do, however, and if I'm honest I don't think was possible anyway, was have the rear axle weighed. Im not too worried abut that though because I am quite a way under to feel ok about it. I have deliberately stored all heavy items between the two axles.

We are having our first Christmas Day tomorrow and will then finish off our final bits of packing. My list has shrunk to an acceptable level now and only has a few normal last minute panic to do's on it like 'find driving licence' and 'enter route into TomTom/Route Planner'. I went out and bought a few more 'essentials' today including a canister shaped inverter with extension leads which should give us 240v power in the kitchen area whilst driving along. I might even find the time tomorrow to try it out.

What if?...

After the oil burning smell and the lights going out on me, I thought I might need breakdown insurance just in case something goes wrong whilst I'm away. I rang the dealer to ask if the van came with a warranty to include breakdown cover and was told definitely not. So, I got on to the Caravan Club and asked for a quote.

It took half an hour and whilst the lady was very polite, all of the measurements I gave for the van during the application process were just outside either the maximum allowed or would 'take me into the higher cost bracket'. Misrepresenting a risk is a bad thing in insurance coverage terms so I was surprised to hear the lady happily lie to the system, especially as she probably thought she was doing me a favour. Despite pretending that my van was a better risk than it really is, the quote I got back was horrific. It was going to cost me a whopping £152 to cover me for breakdown whilst in Europe for just the two weeks I was away. Another seven quid would have also seen me covered for the rest of the year, although given the false statements in the proposal, I would probably have not been covered at all anyway. This quote, remarkably, doesn't cover me whilst in the UK except whilst on route to the port for an overseas journey. I thanked the lady for her time and hung up in yet another state of dissatisfaction with the Caravan Club.

I fired up t'internet, filled out just a couple of forms, told the whole and complete truth and within minutes had much better deals from everyone I asked a quote for. I mentioned this on here and was contacted by some readers who told me that my van should have had a 3 year warranty including European breakdown cover. I checked the paperwork and they were right. I have AA cover for the first three years of the van's life. I can forgive the dealer for making a mistake. However, I'm really impressed with this warranty and therefore very surprised that the dealer didn't make more of a point about it (or any mention in fact) as a selling point.

My normal insurance documents have now come through just in time for the trip, so I now feel fully covered, if not fully prepared...

Review of the Van, So Far...

Ok, I know it's early doors, but I thought it might be worth documenting my first impressions of the Bessacarr E495 that I have bought and will be using for this trip. It will be interesting to revisit this naive review when I get back to see if first impressions last and also to see if anything else worthy of note comes up along the way.

I've never done this before, so please bear with me if I waffle;

Styling

I think the Bessacarr E495 is ugly from the outside. Sorry, but it is. In fact, I think pretty much all of the converted van based models are. Well, they just they look awkward. They are for motoring what Cherie Blair is to modelling. For me, compared to the new 2007 models, my van looks dated and clumsy, especially when you stare at the massive overhang at the back. My initial view was that the overhang would probably prevent me dangling bikes off the back and remove any chance of plopping a scooter or smart car back there. I would have thought that adding anything other than a few stickers would result in a loss of traction and possibly wheelies at the front. The inside is a different story however. On paper, the layout really suits us and our needs and the style/colours of the furniture are very conservative (you might say ‘nice’) unlike some of the garish colour schemes we have seen in other vans.
I'd be fibbing if I said we had an extensive library of knowledge on which to base our opinions, but from what we have seen and heard, we are happy with our van and what it offers us for the price. I'm sure our trip will change at least some of that.

Pre-delivery and Handover

There were a couple of issues with the van that I thought shouldn’t have been there when I collected it. One of the seat sides (the plastic bit) was damaged and the ladder had a rubber end missing. The shop fixed them straight away though. Despite explaining my virgin status, there wasn’t a lot of effort put into showing me how everything worked so I was left to suss that myself. It wasn’t until later that I realised I couldn’t lock or unlock the habitation door or that the driving lights kept going out. The dealer did resolve those quickly however and even topped up my diesel to cover the mileage.

Price

We negotiated around £3,000 off the screen price and also got lots of extras included either free or at cost. You could say that we are just good at negotiating, but it was surprising how far we got them to drop and that created a bit of paranoia about whether the van was rubbish and they would sell it for any price to any old mug. Some post purchase due diligence put that theory in the bin thankfully. We were just lucky to have chosen the very end of the season to jump into this unknown pool and just happened to stumble on an overstocked supplier willing to accept a good deal.

The Driving Experience
Before the one mile test drive, my only other van experience was when I hired a Luton Transit for one day several years ago. The test drive was terrifying but driving away after I had paid for it was just ghastly. Mrs. F was in our car following behind me. She was absolutely no help when I approached the first junction and somehow pointed this mobile vessel the wrong way down the slip road of a very fast and very busy dual carriageway. That was the first three point turn and not the easiest of circumstances, especially as I hadn’t had the reversing camera fitted by then. I think I did the turn in 7 points and only held up about 100 people. I was impressed with the high cab position at this point because it afforded me the opportunity to lip read some of the delayed drivers’ comments on the situation. I’m still not sure what they meant by Cupid Anchor though.

As I have documented on here already, I have so far embarked on just two trips out (400 miles)since bringing the white whale home; the first ending in terror when the lights went out and the second ending in joy when the lights didn’t go out. These trips have helped me form two very important observations about my new vehicle. First, I absolutely cannot get the seat in the right place and second, the drive itself (notwithstanding said inadequate positioning) is very pleasing and indeed easy. The ride is a bit wobbly (mostly side to side from the wind) but all of the controls are easy to get at and the gearbox has really loosened up and is easy to use now (although Mrs. F still struggles to find 5th). The steering is light but a bit random mixing under with over steer for no apparent reason. The foot pedals are almost in the right place but around town I find myself sort of holding my right foot off the ground a bit which makes my leg ache after a while.

I think the engine is plenty powerful enough, especially when you have reached more than 30 miles an hour. Ok, it might be a bit slow off the mark, but I think the power delivery is just about right and sufficient for a heavy load. I even got it up to 85 on the clock once with no material loss in handling. The engine is a bit noisy though but with no experience in the diesel department, I can't really form an objective opinion.

On the down side, the brakes are a bit crap. Sure, the thing stops ok, but there have been times when its felt like the pedal was touching the carpet; if I had been able to get both feet on the pedal, I would have probably felt more confident in the process. Perhaps I’ll just have to drive slower?

Fuel economy is crap as well, but then what else should I expect? I’ve no idea how bad it is, but to be fair to it, it’s less aerodynamic than a box of Shredded Wheat, weighs several tonnes, has got an enormous engine and is being driven badly by an inexperienced man in a hurry.

The worst part of the driving though is definitely the driving position. I just can't get the seat in the right place. I'm only 5 foot 9 and three quarters tall, but I still can't quite squeeze meself in. There is a 'wall' behind the driver's seat which is too close for me and Mrs. F. It doesn't matter if the seat is up or down or halfway up or halfway down, the seat is too close. Worse than that though is that the ignition key is set in a huge block of plastic that digs into your right knee. Whilst that is creating a dent in your cartilage, the other keys on the fob are dangling and tickling you. It's really, really annoying and a really, really bad design.

Extras

Like most of my vehicle purchases, I got carried away with the extras but, fortunately, I got most of them thrown in with the deal. By the time I signed the deal, I had spent all of two weeks 'learning about what I did or didn't need to add to the standard spec.

I got a solar panel that cost me £175 fitted. It was the medium sized one and so far, I couldn't tell you what difference it has made. For all I know, they could have bunged a display model up there because I have absolutely no idea how I might tell whether this crucial piece of kit is worth the money invested in it. I haven't made that particular confession to Mrs. F yet of course. I have simply pointed out the mass of wires and a black box with lots of wires coming out of it in the cupboard which I assume has something to do with it.

I ordered a TV aerial. I was told it was mandatory which made we wonder why it wasn't already fitted as standard. It apparently cost them 256 quid, but I didn't pay a penny for it so I feel slightly guilty for picking on it. Nevertheless, I didn't have a clue how it worked and it took me ages before I finally got a picture on the TV that I also bought as an extra (I looked at the LCD's but thought the picture was rubbish and they were too expensive. Also, the E495 has a very nice place perfectly designed for an old fashioned CRT TV so I bought a 15 inch one that was half price in the shop). I thought (gawd knows why) that the aerial was designed to always receive a decent signal like a car radio aerial. I saw the red dot but I didn't know why it was on there or what it meant. After failing to get a picture, I remembered the instruction manual thing and had a quick read. It wasn't that helpful, but it did make it clear that you're supposed to turn it around and raise it up and down. That took me long enough but I also had a miracle moment in which I learned that TV signal are sent on differing polarities. What that means is that pictures are pumped out either horizontally or vertically, but not both. So, sometimes the aerial will need to lean sideways and sometimes flat. The levers inside the cupboard facilitate the relevant movement and the red dot is supposed to help store it away again; I jump on the seat and look out of the sunroof though so I don't know which way is red, so to speak. Anyway, the aerial works and I didn't pay for it so I think it's great.

The reversing camera was fitted by my friend and cost £400. It is a fully wired set up and the cables are almost invisible, in fact only about 18 inches are exposed and that is only 6mm wide. I asked him to fit a wireless system because that is what I had read was the latest thing and I didn't really want cables 'everywhere'. He talked me out of it by saying that the advantages of wireless installation were outweighed by the performance. Apparently, they suffer terribly from interference and are really poor if you want to use them whilst driving. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that the system he installed for me (which cost about the same a s a wireless unit) is bang on. It isn't (funnily enough) much cop for reversing with (dunno why yet) but it is very very good for checking blind spots when changing lanes and also for backing up to our garage when parking. I can actually get it within 1mm of the garage. Easy. Other than that, it acts as a screen for watching DVD's and also has games built in, but I haven't tried these features yet. In all, however, I am very happy with it and glad I bought it although it did cost a lot.

The alarm is a Toad something or other. It cost me £300 fitted and gave me the additional benefit of central locking. It can also be configured to make the steps come down or windows open etc at a touch of the remote fob button. I decided to leave those options until I get back. The alarm also has an immobiliser built into it which definitely works (much to my annoyance actually) and which operates automatically. I have had some scares with the alarm and still don't know how to set it properly, but as it was a requirement of the insurance and as it really does work and I've also got central locking now, I'm glad I got it. It was expensive though and its presence hasn't stopped me buying a fog horn to use during the night to gather attention. I'm cynical by experience and believe people always ignore car alarms believing they are nothing more than a nuisance created by an inept operator and not a real attack etc.

The awning was another freebie which was supposed to have cost me £560. Yeah, right. I opened it (eventually) but I haven't used it for its real purpose yet although I've no doubt it will perform well. I don't understand why it doesn't come with its own tie down kit though, another extra added to the Fego shopping basket.

The storage cover was an extravagant expense at £220. So far, apart from winding us up when trying to put it on, it has done nothing to my eye other than scratch all of the plastic windows. It doesn't keep the van dry underneath and it is so bulky when you have removed it that I'm already regretting buying it. Maybe that wasn't a good idea after all.

Finally, I got two smallish gas bottles thrown in too. can't think of anything to say about them other than they are red and still almost full of gas. I don't understand why the thread for the adaptor needs to be reversed though.

Comfort

The cab doesn't have air conditioning. It does have a good heater though which has come in handy on both of my trips so far. I could have had A/C added for an extra £1,200 but a quick survey of opinion has shown a mixed view on the subject. I couldn't afford it anyway, so that is one option to possibly come back to. The seating arrangement is great. Four seat belts around a table near the cab is really good. The seats at the rear, however, are a little bit too low on the back which means we will probably spend a lot of time laying down in the back.

The fixtures are very comprehensive and now I know how they all work, I'm really impressed. I'm guessing all Motor Homes are fitted out like this however. I haven't cooked anything yet and I haven't tried the shower either. The water pump is very efficient I think (again, I don't know where the plimsoll line sits) but I think the sink drains unnecessarily slow though.

There appears to be lots of storage space but I'm still paranoid about the weight so I don't know if we will be able to fill it all up. I'm having it weighed tomorrow (we've been packing stuff into it for ages now) so I might have a better idea then.

Insurance and Warranty

The insurance cost £330 and limits us to 5,000 miles a year. There is no cover for breakdown recovery which I can buy from the caravan club for a whopping £152 for my 2 week trip or for £159 for the year. That only covers breakdowns abroad (or on the way to the port) however. I can buy breakdown cover from Churchill for both the UK and Abroad for a lot less than that. Another gripe with the Caravan Club which means I am still wondering why I bothered joining. The warranty is three years 'end to end' or 'back to front' depending on who you talk to or for the mechanical vehicle parts and the habitation part if you speak in English. I think that is very good but it does mean having to pay for both types of annual service.

Summary

Overall, we are satisfied with what we have bought, how much it cost, the extras we added to it and how we think it will suit us. We aren't particularly attracted by its external appearance but very satisfied with its interior comforts. Time will tell if we still feel that way after a bit of time in 'wild use'.

Privacy? Too Bored to Notice...

Mrs. F raised the issue of privacy yesterday. She is concerned that with six of us living in such a small space for quite a long time, we might not find the private space we all need from time to time. Not just the parents' child free space but also the kids' parent free space. I guess what she means is that any one of us might get on each other's nerves at any point and won't have anywhere to hide from each other or from any boredom.

At home, everyone has their own room and can come and go (or be sent) as moods dictate. However, in the van, we will have a choice of two small areas whilst on the move. And even when we stop, I'm not sure how comfortable we will find leaving the kids alone with the van or for us to let the kids wander off from the van alone. I think she has a valid concern but I don't think there's anything I can do to address it.

Initially, I gave no thought to privacy and discarded any concept of boredom for the kids during the trip. However, I soon learned from the Haynes Manual of Motor Homes that power will not be available to the habitation part of the van (something to do with electromagnetic fields which could interfere with the vehicle's electronics such as ABS, like during take-off on a plane). This means the kids will not be able to watch videos or DVD's or the telly as we go along. It's not a problem for us oldens because we will have the scenery to enjoy and traffic to keep us busy (or we can watch a DVD on the reversing camera if we're really that desperate). But, for the kids, there are only so many games of 'I spy' anyone can tolerate and even though we have invented a new game of 'Caravan Car Spotting' (in which the first one who sees and calls out '"Caravan Car" gets a point), I think they will need some extra stimulating entertainment.

I have, therefore, 'borrowed' a lap top from work and, in addition to Auto Route 2007, installed several movies and games on to it which should keep them entertained a bit. Although the battery on the Lappy is very good, it won't last long enough between charges so I have ordered a flexible 12v fag lighter extension lead and a power adaptor which cost less than 20 quid in all. That should help the boredom although I doubt it will remove the 'I can't see' or 'he's sitting too close' or 'tell him to stop looking at me like that' type of spats kids insist on having in a vehicle. Apart from providing entertainment of the digital kind, I have invested in a few board games and card games too. I'm looking forward to seeing how they cope with the entertainment we had to put up with when we were forced to sit in the old man's 1100 Austin for hours on end en route to the seaside etc.

Although I have tried to address the boredom factor, I don't know how to address the privacy factor. Getting up (or in our case, down) for a wee in the night might prove a tad embarrassing for the girls as may wandering around in undergarments for the boys. I think we'll just have to see how we get on and see what happens. But it is a worry. The van will be very cramped at night and unlike our attempted dress rehearsals, we can't just boot one of us out if we can't hack it.

We have given a lot of thought to who is going to sleep where and have organised the sleeping arrangements thus; Mum and Dad are upstairs. Girls are at the back on the side seats, one on either side. Our 5 year old is on the floor between the girls using the 'furniture blocks' to make a mattress, but on the floor, not on the slide out base. Finally, the 16 year old is on the converted kitchen area bed. The consequences of this arrangement not only allows for all of the children to have a separate bed, but as we won't need the slidey out bit for the kitchen bed, I have removed the poles and wooden ends and will leave them behind. That means less weight which means more space for other stuff. The poles are surprisingly heavy and without the wooden end bits, the kitchen area feels much bigger as a result.

There's now only 2 more full days until our first Christmas Day and only 3 days until we leave the UK for two weeks of travelling gypsy posh style. I have got the number of things on my list down to less than 35 and most of the junk I bought during my Ebay spasm has arrived. Some of it might be useful too. If I keep my concentration up and get round to finishing the route, I might even end up clustering some confidence to take with me.

Christmas Comes but Twice a Year

We are leaving home at the crack of sparrows on the 18th December, one week (obviously) before Christmas. The idea is to share Christmas Day itself with my parents in Rojales, southern Spain.

As we shall be taking all of our children with us, to have a 'normal' Christmas (if there is such a thing) means having to also take all of their presents with us too. After all, Santa might not know where my parents live.

One of the side effects of being forced to be mean on the weight allowance is, however, that we cannot possibly hide all of the children's Christmas presents in the Van. If we wrapped and took them all, there wouldn't be enough space or weight left to take all the other things we need, and, boy does Mrs.F 'need' a lot of stuff! I've decided, therefore, that the only way of meeting all the requirements is to have Christmas early and hide a few 'extra' presents somewhere in the van so the kids have still got something to open on Christmas Day itself.

This means having to plan for two Christmases (I presume Christmases is the plural of Christmas?). This coming Sunday, therefore, the 17th Dec, on the eve of our trip, we shall be having our 'first' Christmas and then we shall be having a second one 8 days later. To achieve this, we shall have to get all our cards out early, buy and wrap all the presents early (we always normally leave it to Christmas Eve, like everyone else), and somehow get some of the (lightweight) presents into the van without anyone finding them during our week long trip. It also means two Christmas dinners and, inevitably, having to get Mrs. F two Christmas presents. And, somehow, we will have to explain to our 5 year old how Father Christmas visited us twice.

If Mrs. F is to be the recipient of gifts on each of our Christmas Days, I fear she may well have to settle for 'Andy' presents. For those who aren't familiar with the concept of Andy presents, let me explain. Andy is a guy who only buys presents for his/her partner that he/she actually wants him/her self. For example, last year Mrs. F bought me a Westlife CD. That was an Andy present. So was the Robbie William’s DVD I got for my Birthday and so was the box of chocolates I got at Easter. This phenomenon is named after a guy I knew who really did only buy his wife stuff he actually wanted for himself. His achievements range from mobile phones to TV's to a Playstation and computer games, all thinly veiled as genuine presents for his suffering and gem sparse wife.

Admittedly, some of our children's toys over the years have flanked the borders of Andy Land, but this year, I don't think I have a choice; Mrs. F will, therefore, be getting a nice new torch, a roadside toolkit and, if she’s been really, really good, a guide to all the ‘Aires de Services’ throughout France. I imagine my stocking(s) will bulge with a similar cache of camping related tidbits. Some batteries and a First Aid kit would be nice.

When it comes to our [real] Christmas Lunch, we are relying entirely on my Parents. The fact they haven’t cooked for us for well over 10 years is a bit of a worry, but I’m sure Mrs. F won’t be able to hold herself back if she thinks help is needed. For my part, I’ve managed to source a whopping 2lb Christmas Pud from Fortnum and Mason. Fortunately, it was an unwanted gift to a colleague of mine which means I didn’t have to pay for it, which is just as well because I ran out of money ages ago. I shall happily sacrifice the weight on the way out there because I won’t be bringing it back with me meaning I will be creating an opportunity to re-use the weight allowance on something else, like beer. Or wine! Thinking about it, maybe I should keep quiet about the Christmas pudding and wrap it up for Mrs. F as another Andy present?

My recent flurry of activity has left me staring at the letter box every morning like an obsessed Rottweiler. I ordered so many things from the Internet that I am now reliant on the Postie to get them to me by the weekend. I’m not sure there’s much I can do If they don’t arrive in time. I will just have to leave without them I suppose and give myself a good telling off if I end up needing them whilst we are away…

Getting to that list, finally...

At last I have a list to work to. It covers two pages and has over 40 'things' on it.

After our 'so what's left' sesh, I was so put off by the number of things still left to organise that I actually starting adding things to it that I had already done, just to show myself how much progress I've already made and, pitifully, to make myself feel better.The list has been helpful actually because it has brought a certainty to what I have to get done by next weekend. There's no room left for 'getting round to it', there's only what's first, what's next now.

Since making the list I have made real progress and every time I get something done, my confidence increases. For example, there was a real 'high five' moment just before lunch when I finally got the water heater working on gas. Might not sound like much to the veterans, but, to me, it was the final tick in a very large box to satisfy myself that I really do know how to operate all of the appliances. Until that point, I was pretty much relying on the weather to be unseasonably kind.

I had a bit of a restless night last night worrying about the van and whether it really does have a problem. That combined with a 15 year old's 'sleepover' ensured that I was kept awake most of the night and by the time Jack Frost laid his white dust this morning, I was totally obsessed . I had a look under the bonnet first thing and checked the oil. That was reassuringly fine, as was the absence of any noticeable leaks. To my eye, the engine bay and underneath looked exactly ordinary and oil/incident free. I went for another drive and instantly smelled the burning oil smell again however. I got out and smelled the exhaust fumes but could not trace anything untoward. I got back in and sniffed at the heater like a suicidal maniac desperate for carbon and noticed minute traces of burning oil. Mrs. F, as usual, thought I was mental and paranoid and suggested that that is the smell associated with diesel engines on cold days. She may well be right because having never owned a diesel vehicle before, I've no idea what to expect. I shall just have to keep my eye on the engine oil throughout the trip and keep everything else crossed at the same time.

I started the chore of working on the list and found that I was soon ticking and getting rid of boxes quicker than an impatient 'Deal or No-Deal' contestant. I was actually enjoying myself and only took a break to go for a joy ride in my friend's new Rolls Royce Phantom (like the one Alan Sugar owns). What a car. I quickly worked out however that I could have bought my van six and a half times with the money he spent on that car. I wonder if he will have six and a half times as much fun it than we'll have in our van?

Using the list as my master, I ordered the EHIC documents, I organised the first aid kit, I sorted the tool kit, Mrs.F packed some of the food, I wired up a Euro adapter with reverse polarity and I tried very hard to order a Camping Card International. I went to the Caravan Club website and, after seeing nothing obvious, I entered a search for 'how to buy a Camping Card International'. The results did nothing more than reveal links to documents containing reference to the CCI; nothing told me how to get one. I persevered and clicked every page relating to 'overseas' until finally I found a statement which said 'Where can I buy a Camping Card International (CCI)? - Please contact the travel information officer to obtain this for £4.50. Please note that if you take out Red Pennant travel insurance a CCI will be included in the package.' Gee, thanks. This didn't tell me who the travel information officer is/was or, crucially, where to contact him/her though, did it?

I really am not a fan of the CC website. All of my experiences have ended in frustration and been a complete waste of time. I feel as though further visits will be like watching a remake of Titanic and expecting something other than a sinking. I even tried (foolishly) to check whether I had received a good deal on my Ferry booking. I am going out Dover - Calais and back Bilbao - Portsmouth. The site doesn't support different outs to ins so I'll never find out. Even when I spoke to P&O and asked for a CC discount, they told me to book through the Caravan Club itself which I now know I can't do. I'll ring them tomorrow to get my CCI and at the same time I'll ask if I can book a Ferry over the phone. Even if I can, it's not much use for full time workers like me who only find the time at the weekend when they are closed. If I'm feeling particularly grumpy, I might point out how rubbish I think their website is and how it is all very well offering me a teapot or tie on their site, but what I'd prefer is something I actually need. I might even point out how surprised I am that they don't even have a chat room for their members.

I'm still a little bit worried about the amount of work still to do, getting it weighed and sorting breakdown insurance are a couple that spring to mind, but, overall, I think we're gonna be ok cometh the day. Mrs. F even had a drive today; the lights were on all the time and despite a frantic use of indicators, the lights stayed on thoroughout.

If only Christmas wasn't going to get in the way...