On the Road Again!

Well.  After the work done the other day to get Suzi Triplo ready for the weekend, the local Kettle Club UK organiser cancelled it!  It gives me more time to ride her and see what I need to do. It does seem to have a problem pulling the revs in top gear.  I was struggling to make 60mph on the national limit roads the other day.  I might have to book it into Cheriton Motorcycles and see if they can see what the problem is.   Fuelling? I guess I could still have a ride over the Rye and see what and who is there.

Today we took Molly back to JC to get them to investigate a problem with the fridge. The Dometic fridge fitted to Molly is a three way version that needs to be manually switched between modes, gas, electricity or battery. When away and on EHU the fridge is switched to electricity and it will act normally. Cooling and maintaining what we set it to. We have used it on gas a few times but if we have EHU it seems best to use it. The problem we have encountered is that after days on EHU and the fridge has been working, and we are on the road, the fridge switched to battery, after about 50 miles the alarm goes off. The battery setting doesn't do anything but maintain the temperature in the fridge. It's this that's seems to be the problem. The power comes directly from the engine alternator. We were prepared to leave Molly there but they had it looked at whilst we waited. It's apparently an Elddis "known problem". The fuse between the engine bay and fridg...

We only had Molly back since Wednesday and we have had a few things to sort out like the TV and the Amazon Fire Stick! A quick run out was needed. We had only had one run and that was to the BP at Dover to fill the lpg tanks. It's cheaper in France but I wanted to use the setup I can actually work! So today we decided to have a run out to Dungeness to give the van a run. As it is the Sunday of August Bank Holiday and it was rammed. With nowhere to park a 7m van we made our exit and headed to Camber Sands and then Rye. Camber was packed and although there is a sign for coach parking there's a height barrier. No coach could sneak under that! So we made our way to Winchelsea Beach. There were loads of cars along the way and we eventually found a space. Whilst we had a cup of tea I tuned the TV into preview. The sound quality isn't that wonderful. It did find 166 channels. Many are the HD or +1 versions of other channels. Then we had a walk on the beach. The tide was way out an...

We picked up "Molly" on April 1st. Paperwork sorted and the VED paid. Handover.  Rear cameras working. Solar panel working. Start mileage was 6500. Then I had to drive a mere 21 miles home. She was locked up on the drive for a couple of hours whilst we packed all the stuff we took out of "Suki" a week ago into her.  Then we went out to fill the diesel tank up. I opted for Tesco at Cheriton as it's the least rip off garage for fuel in the locale. The starting mileage for Fuelly is 6530. Yes. That is £106.00 to fin the tank that was a quarter full to start with. Of course there were a few teething problems. One being the hab door lock was a little tricky. Very stiff to open the handle when unlocked. Maybe a little squirt of WD40 into the lock might sort it? The other time waster was fitting the carpets. They had been rolled up in the underseat storage that made them hard to stretch and get on the press studs that keep them from moving about. What else? Rat...

After a trip to JC the other day we decided that we would trade Suki in for a newer and slightly larger model. Enter Molly. The price was right to make the deal. Molly is a 2019 Elddis Autoquest 175.  She is a little longer at 7.2m and comes with a larger lounge and a rear bathroom. What she didn't some with was solar panels on the roof and a reversing camera. We opted for both these to be added as the solar kit enables the leisure battery to charge when you aren't running the diesel engine. The reversing camera comes in handy when reversing!  Suki wasn't fitted with one but she had reversing sensors fitted to the read bumper area.  Although, when reversing, other than off the drive at home, I use my co-pilot to see where we are going and I generally do a manual check first. It seems that one of the questions asked by insurance companies is about whether one is fitted.  Of course, a year ago when we bought and insured Suki, no one said a damned thing. Some companies ...

It looks as though Suki, who has served us very well for the last year, is destined to be going to a new owner soon. After we get back from Staycation #2 next week she will be going to JC for the last time as our Moho. The 115 is a perfect "starter" motorhome for anyone looking to get into the #moho lifestyle. Or simply want to be able to pack up their things, their dog if they have one, and just go away.  We have successfully had trips to Devon for two weeks, to France for a fortnight and later in 2022, to Spain for three weeks. So what will replace her? All will be revealed. You may have noticed the blog name has changed..... 😉

The second staycation this year will be at Fen Farm Caravan Park on Mersea Island in Essex. We have stayed in Essex before on a "tester" stay in a pod near Clacton. This was before we had a fortnight in Scotland and a week in a glamping pod. More and more places are installing this type of accommodation. They appeal to people that want to camp but don't want a tent or don't have a caravan or a Moho!  Even our local Camping and Motorhome Club site has loads of them now.  A bone of contention with members that own a touring caravan or Moho/campervan as facilities for tourers are now seeing up to twenty or thirty non-members using the facilities and they aren't getting updated or improved. Anyway back to Fen Farm. It's £20 a night and that includes the EHU. It's relatively cheap even for late March.   I know what an island is! What I didn't realise until the site emailed, is that the island is cut off at high tide. There is a webcam so that you can see...

Suzi needed the dbPower to give her a jolt of extra power to get her to start this morning. The ride is only around 40 miles return. The original plan to breakfast at Jo's in Brookland was dropped as it seemed I was Billy No-Mates from my local riding buddies. Only two Kettles when I arrived and another, a nice greeny J arrived a bit later. A chat and a coffee later I set off back. This time she started after a few prods on the Kickstarter. The electric was useless. I couldn't remember how many miles ago I put petrol in and so decided to ride back where I would pass four petrol stations. I reasoned that if I went onto reserve I would stop at the next one and fuel up. In the end I made it all the way home. Reserve not needed. I also started the Yamaha My Ride for the ride home. With it being the last day of the children's summer holiday and good weather there was plenty of traffic on the roads.

On the ride to the Kettle Club meeting at Rye last week I went past the BikerPics photographer and the kinks as you enter East Sussex from Kent. The last time they were there I was leading Cal on his Forza 350 and they missed me and got him.  This time I was late and making progress. I think the pictures look good!  Comments? It's nice to have a couple of views of me actually in motion!

My first stop was Jo's Café at Brookland. I was going to have breakfast with a couple of fellow Meldrews'.  In the event there was only Ian J on his 1250GS that made it and then we were joined by his friend Dee on her BMW. So I was late setting off and arrived at the biker parking in Rye about 1115 instead of 1030! I did pass the guy taking photos for bikerpics and saw he got a few of me from the right side. The lot was packed. I met a few Kettle owners from the Autumn meet and had a chat. Then I was approached by Ed B. I haven't seen him since the maybe the 1980's when he was the guy running the Kent Centre SOC.  He has recently got a surprise gift from his wife of a completely restored A model. It's the work of Peter Omerod. It is truly stunning. It's probably better than new. New parts that are probably better than when they made the bike in 1976. I spent too long chatting that I forgot to take any photos myself. Photography by Ed Bannock  I had also...

Today after the usual shopping trips etc it was sunny and warm so I thought I'd get out on Vera. Togged up in my "winter gear" of FT Aqua jacket and ARMR Haro trousers.  I set off on the A259. It's one road from by my house to Rye.  Overtook a few cars. One bloke doing a max of 30mph, hazards flashing, no doubt coaxing a car home with a problem. But at the head of a 30 queue that couldn't pass on ordinary A road. No problems for Vera. Then I had a detour to scope out Jo's Café for a possible future Meldrews breakfast ride out. Looked okay although the parking looked iffy for bikes. At the time there seemed to be no one near it, although I could smell bacon. Then into Rye to park at the biker parking by the dock. After a coffee I decided to ride back as the sun had been replaced with a thick grey cloud. The wind picked up too making it chilly. I paired the LS2 Metro with my phone and hoped that Google Map directions would come into my ears. It didn...

In the end five Kettles turned up. Sadly my photography skills with my phone didn't match the quality of the bikes on show. I got four including mine and my feet instead of the fifth. And what should have been the fifth. Better luck next time.

Only the weather can put the mockers on the run to Rye this Saturday morning. Petrol finally located and tank filled last evening. Game on!

Was a sunny day Not a cloud was in the sky Not a negative word was heard From the people passing by Was a sunny day All the birdies in the trees And the radio's singing song All the favorite melodies... Thanks to Paul Simon for summing up today and my first ride out anywhere on Vera Strom. Although there were clouds in the Kent skies.... Claire had gone out to a friend's house and I hauled out Vera to see about fitting the RAM mount. In the end I couldn't make my mind up where to put it. Instead I togged up and headed for Rye and the Strand. An area belonging to the Environment Agency next to the dock.  The ride out took considerably longer than anticipated. Holiday traffic and trucks delivering don't make for clear roads.   I took the direct A259 route there. A259 route almost door to door! Once there I got through the open end of the barrier and onto the Strand.  Putting my helmet and gloves in the capacious top box.   The Cafe I usually go to had closed ...

Today's Staycation trip was to the nature reserve at Rye Harbour in neighbouring East Sussex. It's only about 25 miles door to door but it shows that we have some wonderful scenic places on our doorstep. The A259 road across Romney Marsh winds through the marsh and salt marshes from Kent into East Sussex and the Cinque Port of Rye itself. We passed through Rye to the harbour, parking up in the free car park near the old ruined castle. They keep the car-park free and ask for donations. The entrance to the path into the nature reserve is right outside. It's over a mile along side the River Rother on one side to the salt marsh on the other. Along the way are hides to watch the waterbirds from. At the end we had a walk on the beach and I let Reggie off the lead to run around and into the sea for a cooling lie down. After a sit in the sun on the rocks we set off back to the car. I checked on my phone to see if the Red Pig food truck was open at Petts Level in nearby Winchelsea...