After using the campevan a couple of times last year we decided we weren’t overly keen on the layout we’d chosen. So, over the last couple of months, Paul has been moving stuff around to find a layout we prefer. Since we are both quite short we thought we’d try having the bed across the back of the van, making it a tad under 6ft. The cupboards were moved to the front with the wardrobe cum cool box storage one being cut down to fit across the back of the cab. The only downside was the lack of support for the back rest for the seat across the back of the van. I suggested fastening some plywood to the seat frame but Paul came up with a far better idea which would also create extra storage space. Some time ago we had relegated an IKEA shoe rack to the stable where it was used to store all sorts of useless bits and pieces, you know, the stuff you’ll never need again ever but you can’t quite bring yourself to throw away. Well he threw all the stuff away, adapted a couple of the doors, covered it to match the rest of the van and slotted it in across the back, adding some light switches and usb chargers to the top of the unit and a little cupboard on either side to hide the electrics and fill in the gaps. It looks really neat as well. I did comment about the fact that, because it was a shoe rack the you could see the open back of the units but Paul said that was part of his cunning plan. He’d left them like that so when the bed was down I had somewhere to store my phone, iPad and glasses at night. I think we are going to like this layout, it feels so much more spacious, however we still had to see how the shorter bed suited us. And the only way we could do that was to go away for a couple of nights. It needed to be somewhere not too far away and I wanted somewhere flat since the trip had a twofold purpose. Back in 2019 we had taken a trip to Shell Island in North Wales where we used our new Vango airbeam awning which, due to bad weather, had just been deflated, rolled up and stuffed in the trailer where it has languished ever since. Three years later we are taking another family trip to Shell Island so will be needing the bigger awning but I wanted to try it out first to make sure it was still in good nick. With these criteria in mind I booked us on to the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Barnard Castle.
On the day of our trip we actually managed to get away by early afternoon. The traffic was quite heavy but we had no major holdups; although Alfie drooling, yelping and whining in the back made it seem interminable; arriving at the site at a reasonable time. For those that know us we are often pitching up in the dark and eating our dinner at midnight! I had booked a simple grass pitch with no electric to keep the price down. Five quid a day to charge my phone and run the coolbox? I think not! Due to this rising cost of electric hookups on many sites we have invested in a good quality leisure battery and a decent solar panel which allows us to be more off grid these days. We had the pick of a large grassy area, not on top of but close enough to the amenities block to make them convenient to use. As soon as the doors opened Alfie nearly garrotted himself in his haste to escape. We fastened him to the towbar where he recommenced his whining. Once Paul had levelled up the van I dragged the awning out onto the grass. It wasn’t half in a tangle and took a bit of sorting out but we eventually had it spread out and facing the right way. Our next task was to attach it to the van before inflating the poles. Paul had slotted the figure of 8 connectors onto the awning rail before realising he’d not thought to check whether we had the Kador strip to connect it to the awning; it was in the caravan with the other awning. The only thing we could do was to inflate the awning and use the throw over straps to secure it to the van.
“Bloody typical!” I countered under my breath.
Since it has always been my job I grabbed the pump and went to start inflating the first airbeam. Only to find I had the pump for the old Kela awning which didn’t fit the Galli. Fortunately, since he can never remember which pump fits which awning Paul had packed both. Once I had the right pump I set to, pumping away vigorously. To no avail.
“Oh, for goodness sake, what now?” I wailed.
Paul came over and found the problem, the nozzle kept popping off so I was pumping into thin air. I set to once more. Success. Within a few minutes the awning was inflated but looking a little skew-whiff. We attached the throw over straps and I hurled them over the top of the van to Paul who pegged them into the ground. For the next hour we pegged and unpegged the awning, moved it backwards and forwards and stood scratching our heads whilst Paul bemoaned that he’d never been happy with this awning.
Whatever we did we didn’t seem to be able to get it squared off. We eventually got it to a point where it didn’t seem to be pulling out of shape too much. I wouldn’t have minded but we were on a level pitch so it should have gone up a treat. Whilst Paul did what Paul does I unpacked the rest of the stuff. The carpet stank of dog, the inner tent stank of sweaty boys and could only be put up one way as they’s snapped the tape on it’s last outing and there seemed to be half of Shell Island swilling about underfoot. I quickly set up the kitchen so we could have dinner at a reasonable hour. Fortunately I’d pre-cooked it so it only required warming up. As did I. The temperature had dropped as evening had set in and I was feeling the chill now I had stopped bustling about.
As soon as we’d eaten I scurried back into the van to get the bed ready so I could snuggle under my sleeping bag to warm up to be greeted by Gnorman, Gpaul and Ggrandad standing in pride of place. Now we were really away, and so cold we couldn’t wait to get Alfie in the van, shut the door and light the small camp stove, which we placed on the floor so we didn’t melt the glue holding the headlining in place. And it was only 8.30! I was just beginning to thaw out when I couldn’t hold on any longer and had to make a last trip to the toilet. I had put it off for so long I ended up doing the Suzy Shuffle across the cold damp grass, almost falling off my flip-flop in the process. I hurried back to the warmth of the van, too cold even to pause and look up to admire the starry sky. I decided to keep my long pyjamas on that night; which turned out to be a bit of a mistake; and snuggle into my sleeping bag with only my nose peeking out. What an unsettled night it turned out to be. My nose felt like an icicle, it took me ages to get remotely warm, my pillow felt like a brick; the memory foam filling has formed solid clumps since I washed the pillow; my long pyjamas kept getting tangled in the sleeping bag and Alfie was laid across the bottom of the bed so I couldn’t move my feet. I could hear Paul sighing as well and in the end; welcome though his warmth was; we had to push Alfie off the bed. We must have dropped off at some point since he managed to sneak back up. We were shattered the next morning and couldn’t decide if we’d made the wrong decision about the bed or if Alfie had made it worse by making an already shortened bed even shorter.
We slowly eased into the day with a coffee before deciding to head off to visit High Force until the campervan had other ideas. Paul had noticed that the front passenger side tyre was going flat, something to do with a leaky valve he said. Typically he had left the tyre pump in my car so we needed to find a garage within a short distance or we were going nowhere and we’d end our trip on the back of yet another RAC truck. After a quick check on google maps we found a couple of tyre places, one on the way into Barnard Castle and one just the other side of the town. Off we went, Paul driving really carefully, trying to avoid potholes, in search of the nearest one. Which is now a cross between a new estate and a building site. So on we went through the town; I would have liked to call off in Barnard Castle but couldn’t face the embarrassment of Alfie being a complete git in the middle of the town. Don’t get me wrong, he’s our git and we love him dearly but he seems to have got worse just lately and I’m beginning to think he’s got doggy dementia. Or he’s just being an obstinate Irish Setter. We found the tyre place who replaced the valve for a tenner and we were ready to set off when the van decided to do it’s embarrassing intermittent not starting thing. Glow plugs apparently and it’s been doing this for the last year! After a few false starts and a lot of some stuff he sprays on the engine it finally started up and we were on our way to High Force where we enjoyed a pleasant little walk to the waterfall.
Later, back at the campsite, Paul spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the solar panel, turning stuff on and off to check the voltages of things whilst I pottered about making lists of things we had forgotten, like gin, sharp knives and a frying pan big enough to cook the Spanish chicken. It wasn’t quite so cold that night but it was still a restless one thanks again to Alfie taking up half the bed, this time lying full length between us and breathing in our faces. We tried to move him but he had his stubborn head on and went all floppy so in the end Paul had to physically lift him off the bed.The next morning was glorious. Just typical because we were leaving. At least it meant we could take our time and pack the awning properly. Which took a lot of discussion, folding and unfolding, more discussion, a bit of rearranging and more discussion before we finally agreed on how it should go. And when we rolled it up it still seemed as though it was going to be too big for the bag until I suggested we use one of the throw over straps to stop it from unrolling as we tried to get it in the bag. What a struggle. Once we had packed the van we took a few minutes to enjoy our coffee before setting off. Rather than going straight home I had pleaded with Paul to stop off and visit Egglestone Abbey a few miles from the campsite. Very pretty it is too.
After a picnic lunch we joined the 90 odd mile traffic jam on the A1. If we got above 30mph all the way home we were lucky and there never seemed to be a reason for the hold-ups. And every time we slowed to a crawl Alfie set off with his whining; at one point even trying to get onto the top of one of the cupboard units despite being fastened down!
As a trial run for the bed I do think we’re going to have to rethink it somehow. Perhaps a trial without Alfie might be needed so we can see what we need to do without having to change the whole layout again. And I didn’t realise until writing this that I had forgotten to take any photos of the van and awning. Duh!