Bailey Pegasus Blog

If anyone knows anyone who is interested,there is now a Bailey Pegasus Blog.

Bailey Pegasus Blog

I am afraid I don't know the persons name who runs it.

Ian

Plug & Seal

Went to storage this morning to do a couple of minor jobs.

One was to put a new "O" ring on the 13-pin plug.

As I mentioned previously,and can be seen above, the original one was stretching when the green cap was tightened onto it and presumably also when attached to the car as well although I have never noticed it.

I replaced the ring with a new one and this time superglued it in place.

When I replaced the green cap after it had set it all felt so much more "solid" if that is the way to put it.

Perhaps movement on this ring has led to the problems with the lights and the pins moving out of position making coupling up a bit of a problem at times.

Incidentally I checked the "O" ring on the spare plug I bought and that is fixed firmly in place so perhaps Bailey are fitting cheap plugs with cheap "O" rings.

Anyway I will see how it goes.

Secondly I put some sealant at the back of the kitchen tap and down the side to the wall of the van as there was a gap waiting for water to get in.

Finally I sealed around the shelf above the sink in the washroom to stop water getting behind it.

Usually I am not too hot at putting sealant on but I watched a video on You Tube and it didn't turn out too badly if I say so myself.

Finally I removed the piece of plastic that was cut short and moved it up ( thanks Justin - I think ) so the gap is at the bottom.I will move it back when it goes to be serviced and get it sorted then.

Ian

Divide & Rule

Whilst looking around some larger vans at the dealers last week we noticed that some had a divider of various sorts between the front and back of the van.

We thought this looked like a good idea for when the grandkids are there and they go to bed first.

I wondered if anyone had installed such a thing on their Orion and was it successful ?

Ian

"O" Dear

During a visit to storage over the weekend I thought I would make sure the 13-pin plug was OK and all the van lights were working after our problems previously.Took the plug apart and made sure all the connections were tight.

Everything was OK but as I put the green cover cap back on the plug I noticed it was pushing the O-ring seal out of its groove and had presumably stretched it.

After a post on CT about sizes ( trying to measure an O-ring with a Vernier gauge is like trying to strike a match on jelly ) some kind soul informed that they are 40mm internal diameter with a cross section of 1.5mm so it may be worth making a note if ever you need one,saves buying the whole plug if it comes adrift.

Ordered a packet from here :-

Simply Bearings

When I replace it  will put a drop or two of super glue on it to keep it in place.

Ian

Pictures Of "The Gap"

Here are a couple of pictures of the gap I was talking about in a previous post.

Ian

Worktop,A Bit Of Advice & Bulbs

SWMBO and I called over to YC Leisure yesterday for a bit of a browse and a plateful of chunder for dinner.

I must admit the grub is rather good in the cafe.

Whilst I was there,apart from purchasing the insurance of a spare water pump,I enquired as to how much it would be to replace the worktop that I damaged when a cup fell on it.As I feared SWMBO was not over enamoured with my efforts at a repair and would like it "done properly".

I was told that they do repairs,obviously not invisible but no doubt better than my effort,so I will see about that in due course.

I was surprised at the price of a new worktop which I imagined would be well over £100 at Baileys prices,but no they are round about £40.What did come as a shock was that it would take THREE HOURS labour to fit it at about £48 an hour so a round total all told of about £200ish.Now I am no expert in caravan repairs but three hours seems a touch on the generous side but I could of course be totally wrong.

I did mention to SWMBO that perhaps I could do it myself.

Suffice to say I won't be doing it myself.

Whilst chatting to the service girl I enquired about warranty repairs as we have a few minor things to look at ( one being "the gap" to right of the wardrobe mentioned earlier but more of that later ).

She said that any parts that needed to be ordered can take up to eight weeks to be delivered so as our van is due to be serviced in September it would be advisable to take it a couple of months previously to assess what warranty parts may be needed and get them ordered prior to the service.

Now to "the gap".

Whilst browsing around I looked in at an Orion 440/4 and lo and behold that also had a gap between the plastic strip and the roof just like ours.

The mystery deepens.

I will see if I can get a photo over the weekend,I took some with my phone at YC Leisure but for some reason they wont download to my computer.

Incidentally the spare bulbs for the roof lights I mentioned in a previous sermon were £2.99 each at YC compared to 50p at the online place.

Ian

The Power Of Suction

On our last trip I took pity on SWMBO who was on her hands and knees with a dustpan and brush tidying up prior to leaving the site.

Yes we have an Asda handheld vacuum cleaner that only works when there is a Z in the month and it is the Thursday before Michaelmas,in other words it is crap.

Therefore I have purchased a Dyson DC34 with extra tools !!.

If there is one thing I know how to do it is keep a woman happy.

Dyson DC34

Incidentally if anyone decides to follow suit,if you go to the Dyson site via TopCashback there is about 5% cashback on the machine and about 10% on any accessories.

TopCashback

Ian

13 Pin Wiring

As regular readers will know we had a bit of trouble with the 13 pin plug recently.

I have downloaded,printed and laminated a wiring diagram for the plug in case I need it for the future,anyone want one just let me know and I will send you a copy

I got it off the Sargent site but can't seem to find it now.

Ian

Bulbs

Put a posting on CT regarding spare bulbs for the ceiling lights as these things always blow at the most inopportune moments.

They are evidently G4 Halogen 10w clear.

This site was suggested for purchase,no P&P either.

http://www.energylightbulbs.co.uk/search.php?search_query=g4&x=0&y=0&gclid=CKLh2-Lc864CFYImtAod-npwIw

It was also said that they are available from pound shops at two for a pound but not checked this yet.

Ian

A Small Query

Whilst away the last few days we noticed that just to the right of the hob there is a plastic strip that runs from floor to ceiling just to the left of the wardrobe,this strip finishes about half a centimetre from the ceiling in our van leaving the bare wood underneath exposed.

As these strips are,presumably,cut by some sort of computer program I can't see it being "cut short" and if it was it certainly shouldn't have been installed like that.

I wondered if there was a fitting of some sort that went into the gap that had fallen out ?

Could someone have a look in their Orion and tell me if their plastic strip goes from floor to ceiling or not.

I meant to take a photo but forgot,I will do so next time I visit the van in storage.

Ian

All Much Better

We seem to have turned things around having had a few days at Red House Estate CC CL just north of York.

http://redhouse.orpheusweb.co.uk/caravanpages/caravan.htm

A very quiet place out in the sticks,but very enjoyable.

New electric points have been laid and we were told that broadband is being installed tomorrow ( 19.03.2012 ).

We didn't have any catastrophes except for waking Mr.Phantom up from his slumbers when I forgot to switch the alarm off upon returning to the van.

They were on the phone in a few minutes,proves it works.

Everything worked on the Orion and I agree with a previous poster that the front bed is much more comfortable than the rear.

Ian

Old Age Has Arrived

Well I am 58 years old today ( 13th March ).

I said to SWMBO as we sat outside the Orion at the weekend on two folding chairs that our dotage had finally arrived.

All we needed were a couple of tartan rugs to cover our knees.

Whatever happened to headbanging to Status Quo,two colour loons and joining the Communist Party ??

Ian

Whale Pressure Switch Adjustment .pdf

With reference to my last post,Whale replied to my pleas and told me the pressure switch needed adjusting.

They also sent me a .pdf describing what to do and other useful info.

If anyone wants me to e-mail them a copy for future reference then just get in touch and I will be happy to do so.

Ian

A Restful Few Days !!

We have just returned from a rather eventful few of days at Hillside Park caravan site just north of Thirsk,a very pleasant location it has to be said.

http://hillsidecaravanpark.co.uk/ 

Our fun and games began upon leaving home.We had brought the Orion home for a night to see if it fitted in our garden in case there was a need to bring it home on the future.

SWMBO had checked the lights on the van before departure and all was OK.We had gone no more than a quarter of a mile when an alert flashed up on the cars dashboard display to say the caravan brake lights weren't working,upon inspection it was dead right,they weren't.A matrimonial argument ensued as I wasn't quite sure what to do.The car brake lights were fine so it had to be the van.I unplugged and replugged the 13-pin plug but to no avail,they still didn't work.

I then had the bright idea of ringing Mayday Green Flag,after all to tow without brake lights was presumably illegal so they would hopefully come and sort us out.SWMBO was happy at this and calmed down.

About twenty minutes or so later a Green Flag man rolled up,tested the bulbs,they were OK,scratched his head,took the two halves of the 13-pin plug apart,looked at it,put it back together and hey presto they worked,the power of Green Flag.

Anyway after this setback we were on our way and arrived at Hillside about an hour or so later.Set up camp,followed by erecting the awning.Now despite awnings being called a “divorce in a bag” we don't do too badly.The Magnum isn't that hard to erect,the problem came with the pegs.The pitch was a hardstanding with the emphasis being on “hard”.

We only had the standard Isabella plastic pegs,and the thin metal skewer ones and believe me they weren't very good.I was still buggering about as darkness descended and the awning looked as if it had been put up by someone who had had a hard night on heroin.

Of course during the night a stiff breeze sprang up when none had existed during the day and I could hear the awning flapping about and the poles creaking.I was sent to see if it was still there at one point but fortunately it survived.

Next day we sorted that little problem out with a visit to Ropers Caravan World in Catterick and purchased a quantity of rock pegs which worked admirably,the awning now did the designers of Isabella proud.

Incidentally there was also matrimonial disharmony when we disassembled the awning as we couldn't get it to fold properly

As an aside the strange thing about Catterick is that as we all know caravan dealers aren't exactly thick on the ground but in Catterick there are two not a quarter of a mile apart,Ropers and Catterick Caravans.

The next little caper,yes they kept coming,involved the water pump.I had checked it out the day prior to departure and it all worked fine but when we got sorted out I noticed that the pump was running all the time.Upon closer inspection the next day there was a leak where the Whale plug entered the caravan so presumably the pump was continuously trying to pressurise the system and failing resulting in the pump continuously running.I tried drying the socket and O rings but it still leaked.Whilst pondering this little conundrum a mobile caravan engineer turned up to service another van on the site so I asked him if he could have a look at it before he went,which he did and replaced the O rings,free of charge so many thanks to him.Why the O rings needed replacing on a six month old caravan on its third trip out remained a mystery,but there you go.

Well the leak stopped,but did the pump stop,not on your nelly.I had posted to Caravan Talk for some advice which mostly revolved around altering or replacing things which I was a bit hesitant to do in case it required a warranty repair.Someone suggested it may be frost damage and the dealers wouldn't want to know anyway,marvellous.There was also a suggestion somewhere on the net that after a lay-up the pump gets air in it which can be removed by shaking it,did it work,did it chuff.

We worked round this little problem by turning the pump off at the control panel after every use of the water whilst I e-mailed Whale and the Caravan Club for some advice.Of course about an hour after despatching the e-mails it suddenly started to work and was still working the next day so hopefully it is now fixed.

Having thought about it I suppose the leak allowed a fair amount of air to enter the system which presumably took a bit of shifting,hence it took a while to work properly again.

That's my diagnosis anyway.

Incidentally after talking to fellow vanners it turned out there were four people on the site with Whale water system problems of one sort or another,newish vans as well.

On Sunday morning we packed up and headed off home to our storage which is only about an hour away.Stowed the caravan safely,put my coat in the boot of the car,enquired of SWMBO as to the whereabouts of the car keys,and all other keys come to that.Where were they,all locked safely in the boot of course which had securely locked itself along with all the doors.

This time I rang VW Assistance as I thought they may be more used to the Jetta than Green Flag.In due course the RAC turned up and the RAC man was reluctant to break into the vehicle as damage may be caused if another way could be found.We remembered that our daughter has a key to our house where I have some spare keys,just in time as we are due to have the house locks changed,so Mr. RAC man,who turned to also be a caravanner,drove me to my daughters house,then to our house to collect the spare car keys then back to storage.

VOILA!! we were back in the car.

That little problem solved we headed home.

Whilst unpacking the car I enquired of SWMBO as to the whereabouts of one of the mirror clamps for the Milenco Grand Aeros.She swore it was there but it wasn't,so back to storage then to find it on the floor by the van.

Well we had hoped for a relaxing few days but I for one am knackered.

Ian

A Wheely Good Idea.

I bought a pair of these off E-Bay :

They are used to align the caravan wheel ( or car if they fit ) if there is need to remove/replace the wheel.

As the Orion wheels are bolts and not studs there is nothing to hold the wheel over the bolt holes whilst you insert the bolts.

Some people use their foot to steady it but these seem a much better option in my book.

The Bailey Orion bolt size is M12 x 1.5 ( this is direct from Bailey ).

They cost round about £8 plus P&P.

Ian

Twist & Shout

Whilst checking out the van electrics a few days ago,I had difficulty inserting the 13-pin plug into the 13-pin socket on the towbar.The central part with the pins had moved relative to the outer ring as it tends to do from what I read.

After a bit of fiddling I managed to sort it out but there is an easier way.

I purchased a new plug,not for the plug - although that will be a handy spare - but for the green plug cover as can be seen in this picture ( it wasn't a Maypole I bought but the principle is the same ) :-

If the pins become disoriented ( for want of a better word ) just insert the green cover and twist,all is well again.It can also be used to leave in place when the electrics aren't connected to prevent water  and dirt getting into the plug.

Unfortunately these little green critters aren't available on their own only with a plug unless anyone knows different.

If you do a lot of people would be interested.

More experienced caravanners than I probably have their own ways of sorting out this little problem but this method appears to work.

Ian

Preparation For Spring

Went down to the van today to remove the winter wheels and refit the usual kind.

Not a difficult job I admit,but firstly I left the keys for the winter wheels at home and had to go and fetch them.Then in order to use the caravan jack I had to hitch the van up to the car to avoid it skewing round.Due to a lack of space this needs to be done on an angle and could I line it up,could I buggery.Fortunately there was a fellow caravanner on the next row who guided me back,thank you that man.Anyway I got it all jacked up when someone returned with their van from further down the row.I explained I was just doing a job but he had a face like granite so I had to disconnect again,drive around,let him pass,call on my friend again,and reconnect.

The worst bit of the job was reattaching the wheels to the drums as they are bolts not studs so you need about six hands to align the wheel to the bolt holes,insert the bolt and tighten it slightly to hold the wheel.I am looking into finding some alignment pegs to make the job easier ( I am sure Bailey could provide these really ).There are various sizes so I have e-mailed Bailey to ascertain the correct size.

I will keep my bloggers informed of progress.

I promised to report on the repair of the work surface dent,so here it is:-

I must admit it is not as quite as good a finished result as I had hoped but it is better than what Bailey would want for the part plus fitting.

Whether SWMBO will see it quite like that remains to be seen.

Every thing else was shipshape so here's to a good year.

Ian