Mrs Doggy & I got back from camper van shopping around most of western Europe at the weekend. a trip that nearly didn't happen as the Dogmobile started slowly losing coolant on our recent jaunt to Devon. I still haven't sussed where its going - best guess is a leaky water pump. It's due another timing belt now so I think I'm going to get a belt, whip the covers off and if necessary run the engine like that to see if there's any sign of leakage from the pump. There's no water in the oil, steam from the exhaust or excess pressurisation, so head gasket is unlikely.
Anyway, I tried to avoid taking my trusty steed on this trip - toyed with buying a replacement car but I hate doing that in a hurry. Even explored hiring one as I could get it for "free" on Tesco vouchers, but the 'extras' you have to stump up hard cash for, (overseas travel, limited mileage and so on), made that impractical too. So we crossed our fingers and set off for nearly 1400 miles round Germany / Holland / Belgium / France and back home. Took it a bit steadier than usual and we made it without incident. Should never have doubted......
After a couple of nights in Dusseldorf to see the big caravan/motorhome show, we toured round a load of dealers in Cologne, Bonn, Bielefeld, Osnabruck, (where we got down to 1/4 tank after 702 miles, filling it up took just under 60 litres).
We stopped off to see another camper near the Dutch border and continued to Breda for the night, where we had the novelty of seeing the car disappear into a fully automated underground parking garage they'd somehow stuffed under an old hotel.
Next morning we went off to another dealer near Antwerp, then on to our final showroom near Lille, where we fully expected to fall in love with this little beauty.
This here's a 2009 Concorde Liner 940M - 9 tonnes of decadence propelled by 240 humourless german horses via a 12 speed auto 'box.
Only to find the outside was as rough as badgers bottom, including badly bodged crash damage, loads of scuffs and scrapes, questionable tyres and 'polished' ally wheels that would never clean up. These mobile gin palaces normally have lovely leather interiors, but this one has a nasty velour alternative.
Everything else we'd seen was too small, too expensive or an impractical layout for us. We had to face the fact that we simply can't afford anything European of the size we want that isn't 20+ years old and tatty with it.
So now we're looking at US RV's back in Blighty.
We drowned our sorrows during our final night in Lille, then set off for home on Friday morning - at which point I noticed this....
Think I'll lavish a little TLC on the Dogmobile after all, even if that means a bigger trailer to lug it around behind us on for our next adventure. No escaping the fact this is the best car I've ever owned and will be really difficult to replace. I'm going to put that day off for as long as I can.
Latest expedition
Moderator: Moderators
- Doggy
- Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
- Posts: 10710
- Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:49 pm
- Location: Northants
Latest expedition
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
-
- 2.0 16v
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:30 am
- Location: SW France
Re: Latest expedition
That looks almost as big as my truck...Looks good on inside, You must need an HGV licence to drive it
Re: Latest expedition
I've just looked up the price of those things. More than my house! MUCH more than my house!
<steve_earwig> I think this forum is more about keeping our cars going with minimal outlay than giving our cars more reason to go bang
- Welly
- The moderator formally known as Welton
- Posts: 15033
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:52 pm
- Location: East Midlandfordshire
Re: Latest expedition
Doggy's Neighbours:
Barbara: "David, can you hear something outside?"
David: *rises from chair, goes to window* "errm, I can sort of hear a rumbling noise sound coming down the road"
Barbara: "go outside and look"
David: FFS *goes out to the driveway, stands next to prize-winning Chrysanthemums*
David: [yells] "Barbara you'd better come outside quick, and bring the Camera!"
Beep !
Beep !
Beep !
[automated voice] CAUTION! ------ VEHICLE------IS------ REVERSING~~
Pt...tchsssssssss
Beep
pt-tchsssssssss
Beep Beep
pt-tchssssssss
pyeeeeeeewwwww tshhhhhhh.
Doggy: Hello Dave, what d'ya think?
Barbara: "David, can you hear something outside?"
David: *rises from chair, goes to window* "errm, I can sort of hear a rumbling noise sound coming down the road"
Barbara: "go outside and look"
David: FFS *goes out to the driveway, stands next to prize-winning Chrysanthemums*
David: [yells] "Barbara you'd better come outside quick, and bring the Camera!"
Beep !
Beep !
Beep !
[automated voice] CAUTION! ------ VEHICLE------IS------ REVERSING~~
Pt...tchsssssssss
Beep
pt-tchsssssssss
Beep Beep
pt-tchssssssss
pyeeeeeeewwwww tshhhhhhh.
Doggy: Hello Dave, what d'ya think?
Cars in my care:
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work