Once upon a time
there was a very small campervan. It was neat and white and new and very, very
shiny. All its beautiful fittings and
furnishings were spotlessly clean and tidy and its owners were very proud and
very careful to keep it looking pristine.
However, as the
years passed and the miles and trips started to add up, the very small
campervan began to look rather less shiny and new, and, I regret to say, the once-proud
owners became a little less careful. Indeed they began to take the very small
campervan for granted and to rely on it carrying them and their belongings uncomplainingly
up and down the country and even across to the continent without them having to
worry about anything.
Alas, this happy
state of affairs was not destined to last. One terrible day the very small
campervan went for its yearly health-check and instead of being told to go away
and come back next year, the somewhat neglectful owners were given some very bad
news. Thanks to a series of hard winters and the over-lavish spreading of
road-salt, the very small campervan’s underneath was in a dreadful way and it
would no longer be allowed to drive anywhere until a great deal of extremely
expensive mending had been done.
Now the
once-proud owners bitterly regretted that they had taken their faithful small campervan
for granted and had omitted to pamper its underneath enough with lots of
soothing grease and oil. All they could do was to find a very kind and skilled
mechanic who told them reassuringly that all was not lost and that he could and
would restore the very small campervan to full and legal health in time for
them to set off for their summer journey to France.
The moral of
this tale is that if you want your very small campervan to go on carrying you
everywhere your fancy takes you, out of sight must never mean out of mind.
Well you caught it in the nick of time and I'm sure the very small campervan will enjoy its restorative pamper :-)
ReplyDelete[PS pleased I can comment again...long story but was linked to cookie settings]
Woo-hoo! Good to see you back. Those dratted cookie settings are usually at the bottom of most commenting problems, but can take a lot of sorting out.
DeleteIt's amazing how the corrosion suddenly arrived in force. I blame the wet winter too - all that horrible humidity. It will take a few days, but hopefully all will then be well. :-)
Poor little camper-van, but thank goodness it can be saved Perpetua.
ReplyDeleteI think that must be at least number three of unfortunate incidents to happen to you this year so hopefully that is now an end to them all.
The kind mechanic was very hopeful, but has to wait for new parts to arrive before he can set to work. To be honest this kind of corrosion was almost bound to happen sooner or later, but it did seem to appear quite suddenly. That had better be the last of the bad luck for a while. :-)
DeleteI'm glad you have found a mechanic who can restore your beloved camper van to health. Don't be too hard on yourselves. I think we have all done the same thing with new vehicles - the vow to keep them clean and maintained made with the same enthusiasm we say our wedding vows, but once the honeymoon is over it's very easy to start to let things slide. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to put it, Kristie. :-) Yes, over the 12 years we've owned it, we've let things slide rather a lot, but promise to do better in future. The corrosion has run riot since the last annual test and a couple of new parts are now on order, with remedial work being done elsewhere, poor thing.
DeleteWe've never had a new vehicle...and Leo believes firmly that all vehicles are held together by road dust....but as we always had an Audi that didn't matter - indestructible!
ReplyDeleteHere the price of an Audi would take your breath away so we have some Japanese whatnot....but we are saved by having no salt on the roads.
I am glad that you were able to have the campervan repaired...it's not just that it is useful, over the years you become fond of a vehicle with all its little peculiarities - it takes on a personality.
Whereas we tend to buy new or ex-demonstrator models with very few miles on the clock and then run them as long as they will last. The van is 12 years old this month, so no spring chicken and the combination of the past hard winters and this year's incredibly wet and humid one has resulted in some ferocious corrosion in places. The mechanic is waiting for a couple of parts to arrive and in the meantime will work on the rest. It should be good for a few more years after all this effort. :-)
DeleteI'm so glad it can be saved and hopefully will be able to serve you for many more years. I'm one to do nothing for my car but oil changes and now that's it's over 100k it wants lots of stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings exactly, Rubye. We're not good about getting our vehicles serviced regularly as the cost is now so high. This one is 12 years old, so entitled to need some work, though we're not looking forward to the bill.
DeleteRescued, in the nic ? nik? of time. I do so hope the same does not apply to kitchens.
ReplyDeleteI will give it a deep clean honestly. Just not now.
I think it's 'nick', Ray. :-) No, neglected kitchens won't suddenly start to corrode and become unusable, thank goodness, or mine would have succumbed years ago.
DeleteHurrah. Not just mine then?
DeleteVery definitely not, Ray. What the eye doesn't see... :-)
DeleteA very timely cautionary tale, Perpetua. Our faithful 'Carly', which is now 14 years old, only got through it's once every-two-years 'health check' last June, by having two new metal straps put under the petrol tank because the old ones were rusting away. And today, whilst giving the Carly a wash & polish in advance of my forthcoming trip to the UK, I noticed the bodywork around the rear wheel arches is beginning to decay. Just like your very small campervan, the Carly is also suffering from too many harsh Czech winters & the lavish use of road salt.
ReplyDeleteVery pleased to read that the very small campervan is not beyond repair & I do hope that the ensuing invoice is not too excessive :-(
Ah, the joys of owning an ageing vehicle, Ricky. The very small campervan is now 12 and modern bodywork certainly doesn't last for ever. Much of the corrosion can be dealt with in situ, but a main member under the radiator has to be replaced and Peugeot was going to charge £170 just for the part! DH has sourced a sound but secondhand one through a garage he knows for £45 and there's also another part to be replaced at unknown cost, plus labour of course. Sigh...
DeleteYour Carly has given you wonderful service all these years, but it sounds like more work will be needed next year if it's going to pass. I hope things go well on your long drive back to the UK.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteaaawwwwwww - I was getting worried! No doubt the old adage of a stitch in time could also pertain and the little campervan is a fitting metaphor for the greater vehicle of life... Crikey is it coming up to France time already??? YAM xx
It is indeed coming up to France time next month, Yam, and we were starting to worry how we would get everything into our very small car if the van weren't available. We haven't been totally neglectful of the poor thing, but the extent of the corrosion in such a short time was a shock. It's now a case of welding, not stitching. :-)
DeleteOh dear!! I suppose the same applies to new (and not-so-new) cars and caravans (not that we drive the 'van anywhere in winter - but leaving it standing can be just as bad, I'm sure!) Must check the Freelander's 'underneaths', particularly! Do hope the financial damage isn't too horrendous. Perhaps Yamini's metaphor idea might be a good basis for a talk sometime - or a discussion. At least the very small campervan didn't collapse under you en route back from Scotland (prayers for 'bubbles of protection' obviously do work!!)
ReplyDeleteI think the same applies to any motor vehicle, Helva, which is of course one reason to be thankful for the annual MOT test pointing these things out to us. The van does stand for much of the year, of course, and this past very wet winter won't have helped at all, with all that driving rain being blown underneath all the time. Thank goodness it's repairable! We would have felt very guilty otherwise. I don't think there would have been any danger of collapse, but the work needed is urgent and the mechanic is now waiting for a couple of parts to arrive. As for the metaphor, I'll give it some thought.... :-)
DeleteWhat would we do without skilled and kind mechanics :) Have a lovely, worry free time when you head off for France in the summer.
ReplyDeleteLife would be very difficult indeed without them, Molly. DH can so some things himself but this is way beyond him. I'm really crossing my fingers for a worry-free time this summer, thanks.
DeleteGlad you have a good mechanic and hope the cost is not too exorbitant.
ReplyDeleteSo are we, Susan. They are to be treasured. As for the cost, DH has sourced a good secondhand part for the most expensive bit, so we're crossing our fingers the rest won't be too dreadful.
DeleteAs long as you have been reminded of your duties in time all is not lost.
ReplyDeleteI bet the very small camper van is heaving a sigh of relief that you are finally getting ‘down' to the necessary.
We are feeling duly chastised and promise we won't fall back into our bad old ways. When the kind mechanic has finished his restorative work, DH will be very lavish with protective grease in future.
DeleteGreasing a still dirty or salty vehicle just seals in the problem; the whole vehicle - top to bottom and underneath - has to be hosed/washed, and thoroughly cleaned, polished, dried and even buffed before greasing!.
DeleteDon't take my word for it - check out a few North American of Canadian websites about protecting vehicles from road salt corrosion. They deal with problem far more effectively and proactively then we Brits, it would seem
To be honest, I reckon this mild and very wet winter has probably washed off any remaining salt from previous winters. We'll see what it looks like when the garage has finished with it.
DeleteA sad tale indeed, but one that can have a not so sad ending. I was amazed to read your posting as I have never had the experience [in NZ or Australia] of roads being salted. With the help of your mechanic you will be able to enjoy your trip to France without too many worries.
ReplyDeleteIt brought a tear to my eye as I wrote it, Shirley. :-) Road salt is heavily used in the UK whenever frost or snow is forecast in the hope the traffic can be kept moving. The resultant brine sprays up under the bodywork and all over the chassis and can wreak havoc over time. Sigh... Luckily we have over a month before we plan to head across to France, so the kind mechanic has plenty of time to work his magic.
DeleteIsn't it sad how we do begin to take our trusty vehicles for granted? That said, I've never had to deal with the ravages of road salt -- since I've been living and driving in southern California and Arizona all my life, but I've heard of the damage it can do. I'm so glad you have a good mechanic and will be able to enjoy many more travels with your small white van!
ReplyDeleteI think we all do it, Kathy, however good our intentions when we first acquire our lovely new vehicle. Road salt can be a killer for bodywork and chassis and we've had a series of severe winters with lots of salting. Then this past winter we had a huge amount of rain and humidity, which I think was the last straw. Thankfully the damage is repairable and we have learned our lesson. :-)
DeleteLovely story, Perpetua. So glad the campervan will have loving care before you go on the road again.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased you enjoyed it, Linda. The campervan will be cherished more than ever before and we won't forget again. :-)
DeleteOh your poor little camper van! I hope he hasn't been aware of the neglect prior to his physical check-up! I'm glad you caught the problem in time to get it all taken care of and be ready for your next adventure. I'm forever saying that it's the maintenance in life that is killing me. LOL. Just think of the valuable mental "real estate" that is taken up with keeping everything in ship shape. It's constant hard work. I'm glad you caught the problems now, rather than on the road. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo am I, Debra. DH and I are racked with guilt about our neglect. We started off full of good intentions but life just takes over. Thank goodness the powers-that-be here insist on an annual roadworthiness check on all vehicles over 3 years old and refuse a certificate to any vehicle that doesn't pass until the work is done. The mechanic is now waiting for a couple of parts to arrive and then he'll get to work. I don't think the very small campervan's underneath will be neglected again. :-)
DeleteHi Perpetua
ReplyDeleteDaughter No 1 always bemoans that we do not primp & cosset our once brand new car's interior & bodywork so a salutary warning! Hope the bill is not too eye watering as that wouldn't be too good for DH's BP!
Hi PolkaDot. It's not the interior that's the problem, but the bits we can't see without an effort, so do learn from our terrible example. :-) . DH could never be brought to cosset the interior of any vehicle but he's usually pretty free with oil and grease underneath.
DeletePeugeot was going to charge £170 just for a new main member to go under the radiator, but thankfully DH has sourced a sound but secondhand one for £45 through a garage he used when we were in Oxfordshire. There's also another part to be replaced at unknown cost, plus repair work on the rest of the corrosion. Sigh... His BP reading may indeed show a blip. :-)
It's not often a Baby Sis gets a chance to say "Hmmmn, I told you so..." in a very parental way to a Big Sis, but I have admonished you & your DH gently over recent years for the neglected-looking state your camper van was in. Its bodywork had taken on a distinctly green mossy tinge, so if the underside was even worse I am not surprised the MOT man looked very askance at it.
ReplyDeleteTut Tut! THERE! I've said it. Consider yourselves duly chastised.
Poor camper vans can't speak up for themselves can they? Until they fail their MOT, that is....
But that was just superficial, Baby Sis. Like Helen's husband in the comment further up the page, DH is a firm believer in NOT cleaning paintwork unnecessarily, though at my insistence he did give it a scrub before we headed north in March. In the past he's always been much better at keeping the underside of all our vehicles clean and looked-after than the visible bits. :-) There was no mention of corrosion at the last MOT so I think the months of driving rain this winter really didn't help matters. Anyhow, we consider ourselves duly chastised, as will our bank balance when the bill arrives. :-)
DeleteI think the operative words there are "in the past". As we age, time whizzes along SO much quicker, so we have to be ON it so much more, obsessively so maybe, to ensure maintenance is done in time.
DeleteAs one passes 70 - 75 maintenance goes by the by which is why so many middle-aged people find themselves inheriting dilapidated properties full of old tutt, or needing to clear and sell the same sort of house when 870 or 90+ rellies go into care.
I know i may sound very abrasive, when most of your commentators are so very sweetly sympathetic, but that has been our recent experience, and we have seen SO many of our friends and contemporaries have to deal with the same issue.
Which is why we have downsized and off-loaded well in advance of later life, so The Daughter and Her Husband have much less to contend with when we are frail, ga-ga- or gone.
I guess what i am saying is - it's not just about US. Have a care to those who follow....
There's a good bit of truth in what you say, but this is still a generalisation. My MiL's house is still in great condition and until just a couple of years ago she personally made sure it was all done. Even now she keeps it clean and tidy with only someone in once a fortnight to do the hoovering. I know plenty of people in their 70s and 80s whose houses are cared-for and not stuffed with tutt, though obviously I also know plenty where the situation is as you describe. Untidy hoarders will get worse with age, but naturally tidy people often remain so for much longer than you might expect. The problem comes when one is a hoarder and the other isn't! :-)
DeleteAs for the van, corrosion is a fact of life with older vehicles and the van is now 12, but once the work is done it will be good for some time yet. :-)
Indeed, it can go either way, but I am particularly fearful of the worse option, as it is so very difficult for those that come after.
DeleteI still maintain that had the little camper van been put through a car wash or valeted or jet-washed each spring at the very minimum then the corrosive road salt would have been sluiced off at the same time. Not ever to do it is false economy (tell your DH from me - you can say it was me who said so if you like).
You know him, Marion. I'll let you tell him next time we see you. :-) The series of bad winters was the killer, but of course we don't use it when we're in Wales so it does tend to get sidelined between trips.
DeleteNow, Perpetua, your cautionary tale has me searching my own "auto" soul, thinking, perhaps, that we have been neglecting our own faithful pair of wheels and that I must get it in for a look-see. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat was the idea, Penny, that you should take heed of our sorry tale to take care of your own trusty vehicle. After the dreadful winter you've had I'm sure some tender loving care won't come amiss - for your car and yourselves. :-)
DeleteYou've spurred me to look at pressure washers, so that my little VW's bottom doesn't get salty and holey.
ReplyDeleteA very good idea. I think DH hoped all the rain this winter would perform the same function, but by that time the damage had been done.
DeleteI'm glad it can be improved. I can tell you that when we moved to New Mexico from northern New York, where it snows constantly and road-salt is applied liberally, my husband had a Toyota truck which needed some under-body work. The repair shop he brought it to did their best, but they told him it was the rustiest, most salt-damaged vehicle they had ever encountered. The truck was only eight years old at this point, though it had spent its whole life in that salty environment. They were aghast at the damage but we honestly didn't realize it was that bad at all!
ReplyDeleteOh, so are we, Jennifer. It's been such a good vehicle and we really enjoy using it. We will be much more careful in the future. Winters where you used to live are very much worse than ours and I can well imagine how much damage such heavy use of road salt does to anything with wheels. The problem is that the damage is insidious at first until it suddenly becomes very obvious and really urgent. Thank goodness for skilled mechanics.
DeleteIt sounds as if the harsh winter has taken it's toll on your campervan so it's good that your mechanic is able to repair the damage to the underside before your journey to France next month. I can imagine that your little campervan has been of good service to you over the years and hope that it continues to give you further use in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteWe very much hope the same, Linda. Our visits to France wouldn't be quite the same without the very small campervan.The series of hard winters from 2009 onwards were very damaging to vehicles as well as road surfaces and I'm sure we're not the only ones to have had corrosion problems as a result. The mechanic will hopefully be starting work this week and then comes the MOT retest. Fingers crossed...
DeleteIt really is a lovely little camper van and I'm sure the extra love and attention now - even if it's a bit late - will solve the problem. Hope so and that there's something very good for putting on those salt wounds.
ReplyDeleteAxxx
It's a grand little vehicle, Annie, The photo was taken when it was brand-new and very shiny, but even 12 years on it's not looking bad for its age. Rather like its owners, the worst of the wear is not immediately apparent. :-) Hopefully, by the time the mechanic has worked his magic, the salt wounds will have disappeared.
DeleteHappy travelling. I'm envious of the trip to France; only a few years to retirement now though....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark. Hold in there - retirement is on the horizon for you and then it will be time for your own long trips to France. :-)
DeleteNo camper or RV here. Our vacation stays are at rentals, but to arrive at these destinations, we drive our Subaru. It spent the last week at the beach after which I took it to our super-duper car wash in town and got all the salt and sea spray taken off and had the underside washed, too, as we know what salt does to cars. Hope yours is well and on the road soon.
ReplyDeleteHello Delaine and welcome to my blog. Yes, sea spray can be as damaging to bodywork as road salt and you were wise to get your Subaru washed. Because we get so much rain here we tend to think that will do the job just as well, but of course it doesn't. :-) The mechanic will be working on it in the coming week, so we have our fingers crossed....
DeleteHello Perpetua,
ReplyDeleteThere are so many things that one has to pay attention to in life that, invariably, something gets overlooked. It is sad that it had to be the underside of the Campervan, but we are sure that you can look back on a huge number of things that you have given your time and energy to.......not least of which are the wonderfully supportive comments we read from you around the Blogosphere.....and so do not reproach yourself too much. You are kind and generous with people and that counts for more than jet spraying the underside of vehicles.
The mechanics will perform their magic. Campervan will motor nicely to France. All will be well.
Good evening, Jane and Lance and thank you for your very kind words.
DeleteI have to admit I've never used a jet sprayer in my life and probably won't start now, though DH is quite fond of gadgets like this. I think he's just been so busy (and of course we both had a few health problems in the past year) so things like car maintenance have been neglected to our cost. However once the mechanic has finished his magic, we will be more careful not to let the road-salt have its wicked way again. After all France is calling....
Oh dear, poor camper van, and poor you. I'm so glad that it will soon be mended.
ReplyDeleteWe do take our possessions for granted, especially when they are no longer new. There is a tendency to assume they will just carry on, like a comfy pair of slippers.
Yes, it was rather a shock, Jean, especially to see the word 'dangerous' alongside a couple of the MOT comments. Hence the expensive new parts and lots of work from the mechanic. Sigh... We've never knowingly mistreated the van, just been a bit careless, just as we are with our reliable old slippers. Love the analogy. :-)
DeleteBeautifully written tale, Perpetua, and poor little camper van. I would not be surprised if it was in contact with my ageing car, comparing notes on the benign neglect with which they contend. Happy days for the camper, it will soon be as good as new and off on more adventures!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Patricia. I'm sure you're right and there's an underground network of neglected vehicles, feeling a bit sorry for themselves and quietly commiserating with each other. Fenderbook rather than Facebook, perhaps. :-) Hopefully the very small campervan will soon be posting a cheery message of recovery to full health.....
DeleteI think there are car washes that do the underside. A good wash after each winter would probably do the trick.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right, Sarah. Unfortunately DH isn't a fan of mechanical car-washes, preferring to do it himself (if at all) but he's thinking of getting a jet-washer for the underside.
DeleteI've never washed Helga's underbelly. Maybe that's why we have a few handy ventilation holes here and there....
ReplyDeleteHi MM. Nice to see you out and about again. :-) Is there much salt on the roads down in Languedoc-Roussillon? If not DH would say that a nice protective layer of road dirt on Helga's nether regions is the best thing you can do. As for ventilation holes, you need them in your summer temperatures. :-)
DeleteA little late reading this, and look at all those comments. Glad you caught the problem in time. We have the same salt problem here, living on the Atlantic, and as well having salt on the roads in the winter. Getting the underbelly oiled is a really good idea. Hope all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteNever too late, Bonnie. :-) Yes, I think my cautionary tale has tickled people's fancy. I can imagine the combination of road salt and sea spray must be very damaging to vehicles on the coast of Nova Scotia. Oiling or greasing is helpful, but ,as my sister mentioned, best when the underside is clean. We won't forget again.
DeleteOh my. Your precautionary tale is one to remember. I'm sure you are very grateful to know that all can be restored.
ReplyDeleteVery grateful indeed, Sally, and ,as the part has arrived, the mechanic is now hard at work. I imagine your long, harsh winters in the Colorado mountains must be very hard on vehicles, so please don't fall into our trap. :-)
DeleteDear Perpetua, it's hard to learn that we've neglected something we've valued and it's now in "ill health." But I bet that after it's gone in for plastic surgery, you won't do any more neglecting. You'll be assiduous in your care of it! Peace.
ReplyDeleteYes, we'd become rather careless over the years, Dee, and are now paying for our negligence. I'm glad to say, however, that the plastic surgery is now underway and we are hopeful that the patent will make a complete recovery. After that we will cherish it. :-)
DeleteI am so pleased revival is possible....and I absolutely love your sister's comments ! I hope that your lovely trusty vehicle is back on the road again soon, and continuing its purpose in life, enabling your life perpetually in transit to continue with no problems. Jx
ReplyDeleteOh yes, she tells it to me like it is and no mistake, Janice. We have some interesting conversations, I can tell you. :-) The very small campervan is being worked on at this very moment, now the major part has arrived and we're hoping revival will be complete next week. Watch this space...
DeleteThank you for checking my word verification - it will be interesting to see if it makes any difference from my end. I always preferred the numerical verification but hadn't realised there was a "button" to change it. Always in too much of a rush!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Susan. I hate word verification and am always glad to see it disappear from a blog. That said, the numerical version is very much easier to read, so now you can get to it so easily, I go for that every time.
DeleteNaughty camper van owners, neglecting their faithful friend. Does the very small camper van have a name, maybe personifying him/her will lead to you being more attentive ;)
ReplyDeleteMea culpa, mea maxima culpa..... I'm afraid we've never given any of our vehicles names, though our satnav is called Gladys because of her nannyish tones. :-) Bit we have learned our lesson and the very small campervan will be positively cossetted from now on.
Delete