Durham Grange,A Recalcitrant Aquaroll and A Frustrating Half Hour.

Have returned from our second visit of three nights to Durham Grange a CC site just off the A1 near err.....Durham.

This was the only site I could find a short notice vacancy for with it being Bank Holiday weekend but it was no hardship as it is an excellent clean and tidy site.

SWMBO found the traffic noise from the A1 a bit annoying but as far as I was concerned it was one of those noises you could only hear if you listened for it.

No problems with the Orion but had a bit of difficulty with the Aquaroll.

We were on a serviced pitch and using the Aquaroll with the "ball valve" attachment in the side to use the Aquaroll as a cistern.

I connected it all up and left it running as it should have switched itself off when the valve shut the water off,instead it overflowed and the water kept coming.

The valve looked OK but I thought there was a piece missing so after some postings on CT and various bits of advice I compared it with the van on an adjacent pitch and mine was the same as his so it was an internal problem.

As a like for like swap was £35 ( although cheaper versions are available ) I was keen to see if I could fix it but of course it was all done up as tight as tight could be and I couldn't undo it to get to the innards.

( Why this is so on a ball valve Lord only knows especially as if there is a fault it is likely that dismantling it would be whilst on site with a scarcity of appropriate tools,it is hardly likely to need attention when I am at home watching TV surrounded by wrenches and the like ).

Anyway I enquired of the warden if he could undo it with a wrench which he kindly did and the long and the short of it is that I replaced the large black rubber washer with one out of the spares kit that came with the Aquaroll and all,most surprisingly,worked again.

The second frustration was inserting the Bailey wheel cover in the groove around the wheel arch.

I had heard it was a bit of a tow and one of my correspondents suggested using a tyre lever,good idea.

It is a complete sod to put on and it took two of us over half an hour to get it sorted during which time one or two words of Anglo Saxon origin may have been uttered.

I had to have a lie down afterwards

The track is now opened up so hopefully it will be easier next time.

We had also bought an Isabella wind screen at least this was OK except that just after we put it up the heavens opened and remained open for twenty four hours.

Incidentally we called at Ropers in Catterick for a nosey and they had a couple of Orions left on sale so if anyone wants one there are some still available.

Ian