The Mahout
Free Member
Hi, I've just joined.
If anyone wonders why I've chosen 'The Mahout' for a username, it's quite simple: I call the motorhome 'The White Elephant'.
It's a sixteen year old Swift Royale, and although the vehicle had only travelled some 65 thousand miles when we bought it, it been used a lot. At least one of the previous owners was a bit of a bodge artist, and I keep finding his handiwork.
I'm having to do a lot of work to bring it up to a reliable standard. This of course costs money and means the van can't be used as much as we wanted - hence its name.
Here are a couple of little examples: The plastic push-fit drain pipe from the kitchen sink had a right-angle bend which had split. Instead of spending a couple of quid on a new bend, someone had tried to fix it with some PTFE tape and a cable tie - yes - a cable tie!
The outlet pipe from the grey water tank had somehow lost the securing nut from inside the tank. So rather than fit a replacement nut, he tried to glue the pipe on with some kind of mastic.
oh, and I doubt if the AL-KO rear axle had been greased for donkey's years. it failed and I've had to get it repaired.
You get the idea - one of the 'van's previous owners was none too bright!
I'm lucky that I can do a lot of the work myself. It can be quite satisfying, and I know it's being done properly. I've learned a lot about motorhomes in the sixteen months since we've had the thing.
Anyway, my wife and I are retired and our time is our own. We have taken to motorhoming like ducks to water, and we weren't not put off by a bit of cold weather last winter. The van's got a lovely blown air heater, and we were toasty-warm. This winter's going to be even better, now we have some more experience.
Harry
If anyone wonders why I've chosen 'The Mahout' for a username, it's quite simple: I call the motorhome 'The White Elephant'.
It's a sixteen year old Swift Royale, and although the vehicle had only travelled some 65 thousand miles when we bought it, it been used a lot. At least one of the previous owners was a bit of a bodge artist, and I keep finding his handiwork.
I'm having to do a lot of work to bring it up to a reliable standard. This of course costs money and means the van can't be used as much as we wanted - hence its name.
Here are a couple of little examples: The plastic push-fit drain pipe from the kitchen sink had a right-angle bend which had split. Instead of spending a couple of quid on a new bend, someone had tried to fix it with some PTFE tape and a cable tie - yes - a cable tie!
The outlet pipe from the grey water tank had somehow lost the securing nut from inside the tank. So rather than fit a replacement nut, he tried to glue the pipe on with some kind of mastic.
oh, and I doubt if the AL-KO rear axle had been greased for donkey's years. it failed and I've had to get it repaired.
You get the idea - one of the 'van's previous owners was none too bright!
I'm lucky that I can do a lot of the work myself. It can be quite satisfying, and I know it's being done properly. I've learned a lot about motorhomes in the sixteen months since we've had the thing.
Anyway, my wife and I are retired and our time is our own. We have taken to motorhoming like ducks to water, and we weren't not put off by a bit of cold weather last winter. The van's got a lovely blown air heater, and we were toasty-warm. This winter's going to be even better, now we have some more experience.
Harry
:welcome:
