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Quote: Originally posted by carpyone on 27/2/2006

I note you used the gas for heating in the day, was this because the electric heating was not able to keep you warm?

It was within a few degrees of freezing outside for most of the time - and we just happened to try out the gas heating first.  It was so good that we didn't bother trying the electric heating for the first two days.

We discovered later that the 2KW electric heating isn't *quite* up to it on its own when it's freezing outside - though I'm sure it will be for most of the year.  

What aerial have you fitted? I have ordered a Status 530/10 aerial, as i was told this was better than the traditional 'flying saucer' aerial. Apparantly the 530/10 can be raised higher manually and turned in the horizontal plain to obtain the best signal.

It came fitted as standard with a german equivalent to the omnidirectional "flying saucer" Status.  Physics being what it is, I have no great hope that it will be of any use at all for many of the sites we'll visit this year.  I've yet to decide what to do but may have a go at getting Sky satellite TV to work. 

Alternatively, I might re-visit B&Q and buy another big wide-band TV aerial, which I'll clamp to a mast fixed to the jockey wheel - and install some fixed coax from a socket in the front locker to the amplifer installed at the TV station in the van.  I've used that arrangement before with great success, even at places like the Forestry Commission site at Beddgelert in N.Wales. 

I don't know what a Status 530/10 is, but I assume that it is an amplified directional - so it should be better.  Again, though, I wouldn't hope for too much unless it has lots of elements (by lots, I mean 18 or more).  Let me know how you get on ......

Like you I had given up using the Avondale shower, in fact I had removed the fittings from the area as they were positioned in a silly position. I hope the Burstner will be better as I have a disabled wife and not all sites supply disabled facilities.

The Burstner shower is *very* good.  The temperature is easy to adjust and stable. The flow rate is quite adequate.   I'd say it's at least as good as any of the electric showers we've used on sites and comparable or better than many of the mixer showers too.   I think we'll only use site showers in future when they are especially good and/or the weather is warm.

One other thing that has occurred to me - you may well have to buy a new wheel clamp.  The Burstner's tyres are 205/65 R15 and many do not fit tyres that big.   At MG Caravan's recommendation, I bought the Milenco clamp.  You need to be aware that it fouls the Burstner hydraulic suspension damper - though it will (just) fit.  If you decide to go with the Milenco, I'd suggest that you assemble and disassemble it at home a few times before trying it on the van. 

Cheers
Andrew

Quote: Originally posted by AndrewK on 08/2/2006

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I s'pose you've discovered just how expensive it's going to be for you to insure it?  I've just had a quote from C&CC for £218.93 from now until the renewal date in June - and £609.50 for a full year (ouch!!!). 

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Hi Andrew,

I've just phoned a couple of Insurance companies for a quote:-

Wise Insurance Servicesn Ltd  02086633939

Price quoted new for old on van,  £444.41 inc vat includes equipment and contents up to £1250 and an excess of £75.

I thought that was good compared to your quote so I phoned the Caravan Club:-

Van, equipment and contents value £15500

Standard 5C Policy new for old for three years with a £75 excess.......... Price quoted £395

If I increase the excess to £200 the quote reduces £337.10

Or if I want to upgrade the Policy to Super 5c with a £200 excess then the premium is £399.99.

I have a maximum no claims bonus and I'm over 50 years old I don't have a tracker fitted to the van but use a hitch lock and wheel clamp. I store the van at home in the season and on a storage site undercover for winter. I'm sure you will agree that these prices are a lot better than the £600+ you have had quoted.Perhaps its the area we each live in but I would have thought it might be worth you phoning round before you renew your policy.

Cheers

Robert

Quote: Originally posted by carpyone on 27/2/2006

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I have a maximum no claims bonus and I'm over 50 years old I don't have a tracker fitted to the van but use a hitch lock and wheel clamp. I store the van at home in the season and on a storage site undercover for winter. I'm sure you will agree that these prices are a lot better than the £600

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Yep, a lot better.  I live a couple of miles NE of Oldham, but when we're not away, the caravan is on a secure CASSoA storage site in Royton, a couple of miles away.  I also am over 50, have maximum no-claims bonus, no tracker and use a new hitchlock (Bullbog Minilock) and a new Milenco wheel-clamp.  I'll definitely ring round for a better quote early in June.  I'd be surprised if I cannot do better than the C&CC quote.

Following up on a previous issue, if you look under the front offside seats, you'll see that you can fully isolate your caravan battery by disconnecting the connector which is in the feed from the battery box.  As I'd already ordered a decent 100amp battery isolator switch, I fitted it yesterday anyway - so the battery leakage problem is solved (twice).

Cheers
Andrew

 

If only I could look under the front seat cover Andrew!! Still waiting to hear from the dealer that it has arrived in this country.

I will though when it arrives.

Thanks

Quote: Originally posted by carpyone on 01/3/2006

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If only I could look under the front seat cover Andrew!! Still waiting to hear from the dealer that it has arrived in this country.

I will though when it arrives.

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Has it arrived now?  Been away yet?  What do you think?

FWIW, we've been away three times so far in our S500TS and are totally delighted.  

Cheers
Andrew

We own a German van and haven't looked back. We looked at loads before we went continental and struggled to find a build quality that matched. Cristalls have a longer A frame which means very solid and stable towing. Our baby ain't light loaded up but still feels great. A lot of the UK are catching up, we went for ours as it had a modern stylish look with a retro look outside. Works well. I liked Cristalls thicker skin, it is extremely warm and doesn't create a racket when the rain falls.

Enjoy being in the euro club - I have a Euro caravans message board but got locked out last time I mentioned it by name and threatended with a ban. I had to grovel to get back in here.

sean, i havent heard of that make Cristall's i will have to take a look .

Hi Andrew,

Sorry about the long delay in coming back to you.I finally collected the van on 11May. Everything seemed OK until I got it home and then I found that the main heater switch in the wardrobe was broken, the plastic lugs had broken inside as it had been overtightened. As I was going away in the van on the 14 I arranged to calling at the dealers on my way. Everything was sorted and we had a good journey to South Wales for a week at Springwater lakes. Everything else worked well and we had no problems. From Springwater we returned to The Old Oaks in Glastonbury and had another week there. Again everything well with the van. I have left the van at the site and return this Friday for another week. It will be interesting to see if the isolation switch fitted to the aerial booster has preserved the battery charge. I will let you know.

I was only home for a few days before I set off again, this time to Twin Lakes in Soumeras in France. This time though I used a static on site and so had an easier journey. This was my week of respite, as my wife went into a care home. I came home relaxed despite been caught up in the French fisherman's blockade of Cherbourg

Hope everything is well with you and you're still enjoying trips in your van.

Quote: Originally posted by AndrewK on 08/2/2006

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I s'pose you've discovered just how expensive it's going to be for you to insure it?  I've just had a quote from C&CC for £218.93 from now until the renewal date in June - and £609.50 for a full year (ouch!!!).

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I got the renewal quote from C&CC a few days ago - £687 (double ouch!!).   I really don't think they want the business.  Has anyone actually paid that much for insurance for a single axle caravan - or is £687 a record?

Although I'm a member of C&CC, I have now joined the Caravan Club too.  Their quote is £410, much better.   The difference has paid for the CC subs many times over.

 

Just in case anyone is remotely interested, our Burstner caravan is now 3 years old.   It was serviced a couple of weeks back and is still completely dry.

We've had no significant problems at all in the three years we've had it so far.   The only things I can remember are a reading lamp fixing that came loose and had to be re-tightened.   Oh, yes - and a 10W lamp failed and had to be replaced - but only because some loon accidentally whacked it with something heavy.

Cheers
Andrew 

Found the topic useful.  We are in the process of changing from a MotorHome [Hymer 494 2.8jtd] back to a Caravan for various reasons, the main one being mobility without having to pack everything up each day, although the 494 is amazing parks on parking meters no problem but with a six year old we are likely to want to be static rather than one or two nights and move on.

We are arranging a holiday back home [working in Germany at present] and we are trying to work out whether it is cheaper to buy a used Caravan here in Germany or when we arrive in the UK.

It may well be that we would want to sell the unit in the UK, any problems we are likely to have?

We had an wonderful Monza when we first came over before we got into the 494 but discovered to convert it to German Tuv [MoT] it would cost us more than the unit was worth, surely everything in EU is standard these days?

Thanks in advance. George Haley - Bad Homburg Germany.