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

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

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

Moorhampton

Yesterday we returned from three nights at Moorhampton CC site which is ten miles or so NW of Hereford.

It is a delightful little spot which is on the site of an old railway track and station,we were pitched on the ancient track bed.

 A toilet block that is a little larger would be of benefit as there are only two showers for the whole site,but apart from that a very pleasant place to stay.

The Orion was once again faultless I just wish I could remember to shut the water heater valve before switching on the water and dumping a full Aquaroll all over the pitch.

The site is surrounded by country lanes,quant villages and very desirable properties.

Things to be aware of if they are important to you are that there is no Wi-Fi or mobile phone signal apart from Vodaphone and there is no public phone on site.

There is an area I discovered about a meter square on the adjacent bridge which will just about receive 3G.






Before setting off I had purchased a couple of Duvalay sleeping bags as SWMBO doesn't really like making up the bed so I thought this may help,plus of course it would earn a few Brownie points to store against future misdemeanours.

Now I am not the best sleeper in the world,even at home,but I have to say I had three of the best nights sleep I have ever had in the van.

The bags are separate so there is no chance of stealing one anothers quilt and the memory foam mattress is very comfortable.

I bought two of the winter/summer combination packs which come with a winter ( 10.5 Tog I think ) and a 4.5 Tog summer quilt plus a free storage bags.

SWMBO of course had the winter quilt and I had the summer under which I was plenty warm enough.

The only drawback with them is they are quite bulky to store when not on use,we put them in the shower as we were using the site facilities.

It has to be said they aren't cheap,£288 or so inc. delivery for the two,but they do work.

Before anyone thinks it,I have no association whatsoever with Duvalay apart from being a satisfied customer.

There was another Orion on site for the first night,and one thing I did notice,and I have observed this on two Orions on our storage,is that they appear to fade a bit over time unless they are are cleaned and polished on a regular basis.

As I do a bit of TLC on ours it seems OK but others sometimes seem a little dull,so get that polish out.

Ian

Ants & Mice

I have had some correspondence from Paul Medcalf,one of my followers,about how to avoid infestations of ants and mice :-

"I was chatting to a work colleague who has a Swift double axle he was telling me that one year he came back to his van after a day out to find ants everywhere in the van kitchen work tops etc  he followed the trail and discovered where he had pitched was  close to an ants nest and someone told him to spread vaseline on the caravan stabilisers this would stop any thing creeping into the van ie the ants or possibly a mouse !!."

During the summer we have problems with ants at home.

They devoured a piece out of the bottom of our conservatory door so they can be quite destructive apart from anything else.

Ian

End Of The Road Or A New Dawn ??

I was talking to a saleswoman at the dealers yesterday who informed me that the Bailey Olympus is/going to be no more,it is a dead parrot,deleted,discontinued.

More interestingly from our point of view was that she was determindely non-commital regarding the future of the Orion,whether it was going to be discontinued or revamped.

Certainly the Orions they had on sale they seemed determined to shift as the prices were discounted,plus a free motor mover,plus a free awning,plus free storage until the end of the year,so one way or another something seems to be afoot in Orion World.

The Baileys that they had on prominent "full price" display only consisted of Unicorns and Pegasus GT 65's.

So,is it an upgrade ( perhaps with the large panoramic window ) or is it the end ???

Ian

"Greener Caravanning – by Simple Caravan Insurance"

Holidays in caravans are one of the most popular paid for holidays for British people, but how energy efficient is it and what can you do to make your holiday as green as possible?

Before travelling with your caravan there are a few things you can change in order to improve the overall fuel-efficiency of your caravan set-up.

·        By servicing your vehicle and caravan, minivan or motorhome on a regular basis you will ensure the efficiency of these vehicles.

·        Check your tyre pressures. Correct tyre pressure can reduce fuel consumption and reduce adverse tyre wear.

·        Try to avoid using air-conditioning where possible and try not to carry unnecessary items in your caravan as these will create drag and prolong your journey.

·        If towing, choose a towcar that is the right match for your caravan so you are not changing gear too often. If you are unsure which to choose then a caravan dealer can help you with this.

·        Watch your speed if towing and go at 40MPH where possible which will use up much less fuel than if travelling at 50MPH+

When choosing your destination go for caravan sites that uphold sustainable practises. This will help you to feel like you are doing your bit, but there are other things you can do to be energy efficient whilst on holiday.

·        Install a paper and plastic recycling bin inside one of your caravan cupboards.

·        Use energy efficient bulbs where possible in your caravan.

·        Only use hot water when absolutely necessary as this will use less energy.

·        Use a bike instead of your car whenever possible. This can be fun and is good exercise for all the family. There are plenty of caravan sites that cater for cyclists so look out for them.

·        To prevent heat loss in your caravan check your door and window seals, hang a heavy curtain over the inside of the front door and keep inside room doors closed to help with heat conservation.

·        If caravanning off-season then invest in a halogen heater. They are safe, free-standing (so can be moved around) and are typically energy efficient. They will save you a lot more money than a gas heater which can get very expensive and is also really bad for the environment.

All of these are simple, and somewhat, obvious tips for how to be energy efficient. Use your head and you will find it is really easy to be an energy efficient caravanner and make the most of your break away without costing yourself OR the environment much.

Simple Caravan Insurance offer comprehensive cover for static and touring caravans that’s easy to tailor to your needs, so you get the right cover for you. 

Simple Caravan Insurance 

Caravan Club : Norfolk Broads

We have just returned from ten days on the Caravan Club : Norfolk Broads site ( formally Broadlands ) at Ludham Bridge,Norfolk.

If anyone is thinking of a stay here then I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

 The site has new wardens for this year and it is immaculate in appearance and the friendly staff seem to work very hard to keep it that way.

It has mainly hard standing pitches ( there are a few grass ones ) which are flat and generous in proportion,the only problem being that it is hard work knocking awning pegs in so bring some rock pegs and a hammer,you will need them.

The heated toilet block is absolutely spotless and there are the usual wash-up and laundry facilitites.

As far as the Orion goes it was pretty boring really,nothing broke,nothing failed to work,all straight forward,oh we had to get a new bottle of gas,and the Isabella Magnum stood up very well to some quite strong gusty winds.

We seem to have the caravan loading down to a fine art now as going down it was quite windy but the van was as steady as a rock all the way there and back.

One disaster that reared its head just after we arrived was that I had forgotten to bring the TV remote control,much to SWMBO's consternation.

Now the thought of SWMBO  after one TVless night is bad enough,but ten ??

It was never going to happen.

The next day it was off to Tesco ( yes it was that urgent ) to get a universal remote which proved to be absolutely useless.

There were hundreds of codes to pick from to set it up,but did it include ours,of course not.

Back down to Tesco for,yes you've guessed it,a new TV ( we can use it in the bedroom at home so all is not lost ).

SWMBO now a happy bunny as she can now watch Masterchef ( one of the worst programmes ever to grace a TV in my opinion but there you are ).

One place to visit that is worth mentioning is the radar museum at Neatishead which is only a few miles away.

Neatishead Radar Museum

If you are in the CC there is a voucher in the voucher book so you can get two for the price of one admission.

All in all an excellent ten days on an excellent site.

( I did mean to put a few photo's in this posting but I have recently bought a new smartphone and I have not worked out yet how to transfer them to my PC,when I do I will put some in ).

Ian

Improvements

It may be a little late in the day but I have just noticed in Practical Caravan a list of improvements for the 2013 Orion over the 2012.

They are:-

Improved TV aerial.
Improved fridge.
Improved heating.

Ian

Bailey Orion Blog Hoodie

I have had a BOB hoodie made up so if you see me on site somewhere make youself known.

There may be a cup of tea in it.

Ian