Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Wheel Covers Update

Just been browsing back through some earlier posts and I noticed that I never reviewed the Specialized wheel covers as promised when I bought them back in February.

Well the actual covers are fine and fit well to the wheel and stay in place even when windy,unlike the previous ones I had.

The only rather annoying problem with them is that the retaining/securing straps are not very long and passing the "longer" strap around the back of the wheel to secure it to the shorter "static" strap is a PITA.

To overcome this problem I bought some thin cord and tied it to the end of the longer strap and then tied a nut ( anything will do really ) to enable me to throw it more easily round the wheel and pull the longer strap with it.

This procedure works but beware as last time we returned to storage I must have got a bit over enthusiastic with the throwing and wound the cord around the brake hub and axle which entailed removing the wheel to extracate the cord and nut.

Needless to say I was not amused and neither was SWMBO as you may well imagine.

Ian

Saturday, 22 June 2013

Chair Bags

We have a couple of Isabella chairs which I purchased at the Manchester show.

They came packed in  plastic bags which are getting a bit holey and worn so I decided to purchase a couple of waterproof bags as Isabella chairs don't come cheap.



By coincidence I found a place which is local to us across the other side of Wakefield,"Bags 4 Everything":-

Bags 4 Everything

Purchased  a couple of bags and they fit a treat,you will need XL for Isabella chairs,they are £12.50 per bag.

They have a draw-string closure and come in Maroon,Blue and Green.

Even though they are a local firm I have nothing to do with them at all apart from being a first time customer.


Ian



Monday, 10 June 2013

Rutland Caravan & Camping

We have just returned from a few days at the above site ( CC Affiliated ) which is near Greetham in Rutland.

A very large and spacious site which is split into Adults Only and pitches for those blighted with children ( in other words not us ).

The pitches are a mixture of grass and hardstanding with plenty of room for an awning and vehicle.

The only slight downside is that the top end of the Adults Only section is a long trek to the bins and toilet emptying disposal point which may be something worth remembering if mobility is a problem.

The Orion once again behaved herself,but I did notice this which was a slight concern :-






It was under the top locker to the rear of the van and I wondered if it was caused by water ingress but there was no sign of water,damp or anything being spilt in the locker,it was all as dry as a bone so I just glued the laminate back down and will keep an eye on it.

Getting back to the site,it is about a ten minute walk to the village along a path from the rear of the site.

If you like Indian food,the Delhi 7 restaurant on the main street can be recommended.

What I did notice,and they seem to increase in number on every site we visit,is the number of motorhomes.

Nothing wrong with that of course but they do appear to be the leisure vehicle of choice for an increasing number of people,and mostly new/newish ones at that.

Hard times,what hard times......................

I must just mention a visit we did whilst there to Woolsthorpe Manor National Trust property which was about a seven mile bike ride away.

It is the birthplace and sometime home of Sir Isaac Newton.

To actually be in the same room where he discoverd that light was made up of different components was magical.

Well worth a visit.

One last thing,if visiting this site DON'T USE YOUR SAT.NAV FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MILES OR SO.

It will direct you down roads unsuitable for caravans and no it didn't happen to us as I knew about it already.

Ian

Friday, 7 June 2013

Weight Plate Upgrade

Contacted the dealer today to enquire if we could upgrade the weight plate MTPLM to give us a touch more payload.

The dealer contacted Bailey and it turns out there is no weight plate upgrade available for our van ( 440/4).

I would imagine that this applies to the whole Orion range although I do not know for certain.

Ian