On the Road Again!

When I came to use the old dbPower 600A jump charger a few weeks ago , it had ceased to work. Instead I had to put the V-Strom on the battery charger. With no power in the garage I ended up using the Bluetti AC70 to provide the power. The dbPower was capable of turning over and starting power for the two litre diesel engine in my Vauxhall Insignia. With the van playing up I decided to replace it sooner rather than later. I decided to try and get one with a higher power output rating. The NOCO scores very high on Amazon.  I checked for prices and of course, Amazon with free delivery was the cheapest. It came part charged and so I had to charge it using the supplied USB-C charger.   I haven't had to use it yet. Then we will see.

It's a just over a week since we went to Audiology at Folkestone Royal Victoria hospital, and i had another hearing test. It managed to mix the heat with claustrophobia sitting in the little box. The result was pretty much the same as back in 2022 and again when we saw the private guy in Hythe.  My right ear almost useless. The solution from the private guy was a crossover system where the right ear aid Bluetooths to one in the left ear. Then it seems to the brain that you can hear through both ears. Magic. The private solution would be between £3000 and £3500. 😵‍💫 So I opted to wait for the NHS. That was last Wednesday. A time in the hotbox trying to hear the beeps. The result is I now have the Stretta crossover system. Once you have the app on the phone it connects to...

"Oh shit, here we go".. Opening the QR code through my phone camera, the solution was err, non existent.  A load of old bollocks.  In the end I rebooted and carried on as if nothing had happened. 

I just won a photography award on VIEWBUG! 📸🏆 #VIEWBUG #Photography https://www.viewbug.com  

Day 2 Another lazy do not a lot day. After yesterday's problems with the van not starting we put in behind us.  We made it through the day reading and relaxing.  Maybe it's difficult to explain, but being away in the van doing nothing much, is more restful than at home. Even Reggie is much calmer and more relaxed. Day 3 The test today.  Would the van start?  The Green Flag guy found nothing wrong on Sunday.  The battery was charging and I have the printout from the diagnostic machine he had.  It shows that the battery was good. We cleared away all the gear from outside the van. And then I had to get off the Milenco levellers. The engine started. I left it running as I tidied the levellers away.  Next stop the motorhome service area to dump our waste. All good? Nope. O...

After our stay a couple of weeks ago we decided to come again. The £17.50 a night on a grass only (no EHU) pitch was still running and so we booked another two nights. This time from Sunday to Tuesday. Packing the van up for two nights with our new larger outdoor mat and table we collected from Go Outdoors last time, was simple enough. I set the route to miss the narrow roads but TomTom Camper decided to choose the narrow road way. Until we got pretty much to where it thought we should be and my route.  Then it sorted itself out. On arrival we were met by the warden. I kept my foot on the brake so that the stop/start system didn't drive away.  On the Ducato when you come to a stop, the system stops the engine. When you release the foot brake, the engine restarts.  With an automatic, the van simply drives away.... Except it didn't this time. The engine didn't start. I put the gears in...

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly My rating: 5 of 5 stars Another Haller court procedural that keeps you glued to the book. Simply unable to stop! View all my reviews