On The Road Again

MOT (Ministry of Transport Annual Test) done, Oil change, Filters and Full Service done. I discussed the Cam Belt, we are nearly there on Miles, there on Time, is that borrowed time? So now the Cam Belt is new too.

It is funny how once you know the tension goes up so I 'took it easy' on a trip down to Milford on Sea.

We spent a long weekend, the one after Easter, you must remember it, it was fabulous weather, yes you must remember it, that was this years Summer.

We do not stay in the real forest in France, it's not really legal. We crossed the Loire at Ambois and after a long day we were very tired. There is a Forester in the area, a Guardian of the Forest who has a clearing and a tin roofed shack as his depot who invites people interested in the forest and its wildlife to visit. In addition Campingcars are invited to stay and 'observe the big wild beasts of the forest' (deer).

After several kilometres of drive on the road through forest we branched off on the access track and tucked into the clearing all alone. The Forester who has the timber and fungal rights turned up in the early evening to say hello and departed.

After our evening meal and the customary red wine I got the binoculars ready for some wild life spotting, but being so tired we retired to bed.
As darkness fell the noises started, grunts, howls, whines, screams, yelps it was a total cacophony, echoing barks getting resounding replies, several times we opened the window and wearily spied out for movement, it would have been nice to be sitting with a glass of wine in the hope of seeing some of the beasts but we just let the chorus lull us to sleep.

We do not give the 'van much use in the cold winter months. I like to give it a run every month and keep an eye on the state of the batteries. This involves opening the door to take a look at the Solar Panel Voltage/Current Indicator. Leading up to the shortest days the sun has had some spells and I have charged NiCad cells from the Solar supply. I remember on one occasion that the Voltage was only 12.5 on a dull day so I declined the use of 12 Volts to charge the NiCad's.
The other day I checked and the Indicator was dead. One of the Leisure Batteries was flat. It is amazing how quickly the Alarm and other sensors including the Solar Panel Indicator, (yes it takes power all the time in order to show you that it is not producing any), runs down an 80AH battery but remember the demand is 24/7.

I have two coupled Leisure batteries, the other one was switched out via the Isolator Switch, I don't remember when I did that. Closing the Isolator would not be the correct thing to do in this situation, what is needed is a balancing charge. Step forward the BUSE.
As a reminder the BUSE is my invention I solder a Halogen 12 Volt BUlb across an old blown FUse to produce a valuable piece of test gear.

I removed the 20 Amp fuse that links in the flat battery and replaced it with a BUSE, the bulb lit bright so proving that the battery was at least still able to take a charge. The BUSE by way of its Positive Temperature Coefficient of Resistance limits the current to less than an Amp. After a few hours I turned on the Hymer charger then after a few more hours swapped back the 20 Amp fuse. After three days the batteries were fully charged and the Solar Controller was applying 14.2 Volts pulsed conditioning charge as the sun was shining and supplying around 0.6 Amp.

Ssh don't tell anyone it looks as is if I might have got away with it. I can't praise the BUSE too much without it it would have been a struggle to rig up a surge limiter, just closing the switch could have damaged both batteries, rigging the charger to charge just the flattened battery would also have been awkward.

If the lack of Voltage had been due to a short the BUSE would have been used for fault finding, inserted instead of a blown fuse, if a short is still present then the worst thing that can happen is that the bulb lights.
The other use of the BUSE is to supply a balancing charge to the Vehicle battery from the Leisure batteries. This is often done by Camping Car owners by fitting a fuse which will blow if left in circuit when the engine is started. If this fuse, often specified by Motor Home journalists, is replaced by a BUSE then the it can remain in line, once again the worst thing that can happen is for the BUSE to light.

No not really.

Continuing the boating theme, having Mo an V in the vicinity and needing to give the 'van a run out we headed toward Bridge 60 at Foxton today for lunch. And then searched out NB Balmaha.

Mo has Battery problems a the mo', it was interesting to see how the Live Aboard Narrow Boats deal with the same problems as we Campingcaristes.

It seems that it is normal for the Leisure Batteries to be given an excessive charge rate by design so as to deal with short cruise, engine run periods.
With five 110AH Leisure Batteries there is plenty of capacity, you really don't want to be punishing them five at a time though. Mo is doing some mods, adding a series Diode to obtain c. 0.7Volt drop of the 14.5Volts from an unregulated Alternator as fitted by the Marina. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Mo has some bulging batteries and was waiting for a delivery of some new ones next week. Whilst we were aboard a phone call brought the delivery to, "in a few minutes". This meant moving the boat near a road bridge to await the truck.

Campingcariste had the honour of taking the helm for about half the voyage, Pastels is just pretending. Oh dear, she's facing the wrong way for a start.

The Narrowboat Journal is always an intereting read.

I don't need any encouragement to indulge my interest in Boats and Ships and Rust. So this is for 'jakepithf', me and any other fusiastes.

On the Seine there are Container Ships.

And Cable Laying Ships.

What fun if the did what they do just down the road from 'la spice' on the Charente in Cognac. Mind you the poles might need to be longer.

They even try to walk on water there.

Man over board Captain.

Two years ago we stayed overnight in the Foret de Coubre right near the sea. Last year we were warned not to stay the night as it had been banned. A Brit we met had tried it, been woken in the night 3.00 AM and given a 30 Euro fine. This year there were height barriers so Campingcars could no longer even spend the day near the beach.

Here we are just sneaked in on the exit road, the sign says it all.

Chatting to a British Campingcariste later he said, "well I was not aware of that and I am a member of several Motorhome Forums".

To be honest I don't bother much with Motorhome Forums, many are populated by an awful lot of 'experts' who peddle the same unchanging 'expertise' year after year. The advice to fit a fuse between the Vehicle Battery and the Leasure Battery to trickle charge when stationary is an example.
"But" they say "remember to remove it before you start the engine or it will blow". My 'Buse' idea negates the problem but went largely unnoticed on publication and the 'experts' still trundle out their old knowledge.

Well it is a fact that in many coastal areas restrictions are being put on Campingcars in France.
On the other hand there are some beautiful new Aires being provided elsewhere Mutton Town being a good example.
Back in rip off Britain we feel like prisoners, to stay near Birmingham on a Caravan Club CL would cost around £10 a night. Compare that with a free Aire on the banks of the tidal Seine with the Ocean going Vessels passing by at hight tide.

Blimey it could be cheaper to get a return deal on the Ferry and go to France for the weekend than pay Caravan Club CL fees.

With apologies for a negative start.

Last year I reported the strange circles in the Forest and Woods of France and in the Commune of St Dennis d'Oleron, under every Tree, Shrub, Bush or large Weed. I brought back no photographic evidence.

This year I took my camera on a Cycle Route past a Picnic Place, near the sea to one side and the Forest to the other. I chose just one track into the Forest at random and ventured just 20 to 30 meters in. As I expected there they were, the Magic Paper Circles, in front of me and to my left and right. I didn't need to move my position to capture 4 Circles in all their glory.

Just what Strange Rituals are carried out in these Circles when the Moon and Stars and possibly the Tides are right? Furthermore how did these Worshippers know that I had returned? How did they inflict their revenge on me for last years mention in my blog.

Inflict they did, I had only been back for two days when I awoke in the night with a strange pain in my back. That spread to my arms, followed later by a clenching, gripping pain in my chest.

When boys of a certain age get such pains it is right to worry, we looked out all the emergency numbers. The only comfortable position for me was on the edge of a seat bolt upright. I spent several hours like that until finally I was violently sick over and over again. I was off my food for a week my stomach was so upset, at precisely seven days the clenching chest pains returned in violent spasms lasting for half a day. After this the pain worked itself down until after ten days on bread and water I started to eat everything I could lay my hands on.
Not I may add anything that could not be cooked, peeled, shelled or unwrapped which sadly excludes those lovely spicy olives and cold sausages which often spend days, nay weeks, exposed on a stall out in the hot sun.

Clearly I had got myself a bug from somewhere, we had both eaten all the same things which ruled out contaminated food. There are more theories, (I will post later), however did these Circle People send me a visit from one of their wing-ed carriers?

Incidentally we were talking to an Oleron resident, I told her that I didn't like the Mayor of Saint Dennis as Campingcars were now banned from parking at all on the Atlantic coast.
What did she say? "Maybe you should kill him". ! ! ! Bit sever that I thought.

There is a Little Harbour at St Trojan for some nice Boat pictures.

We can Bike from there to the Atlantic Beaches, It keeps me looking fit and Muscular to go with my Golden Hair and Beach Boy Tan. Sue wanted Tambre to stick on Post Cards, we decided to take in the Poste on the way to the beach. A bit out of our way a bit uphill, oh well!

Blow that when we had got the stamps the road that links to the beach road was one way.

We are only going one way I said as we set off on the pavement. At home a lot of the official cycle paths are on the footpath. This is France a hot afternoon there are no pedestrians no traffic. Just the odd car parked on the path which cause us to hit the road to go round it.

Blow that, so that is where the Police station is, on the left as we emerged from the road, its 50 Meters away and a shirt sleeved Officer is standing on the steps chatting to someone in civvies.

Blow that, we need to cross the junction and the next section is also one way, its totally safe didn't see a soul on the first stretch.

About half way down was another car on the pavement and a blue car coming the other way, we dismount and wait for him to pass, the car stopped, a Uniformed arm on the window, he gabbled quite a lot at me I didn't grasp a thing.
"Pardon" I said "I'm English", he looked at Sue, "You English too"? "Oui". A finger pointed to the sign at the end of the road, "The circulation is one way, you must obey the signalment at the end of the road".

"Sorry we will walk OK"? "OK".

I am sure he was despatched from the Station round the one way system in his car to deal with these Law Breakers. I love it, you feel so protected.
Back home our car is parked outside our home. On two consecutive Thursday nights the passenger door lock was damaged and the car broken into. I phoned the Police and got a Civilian each time who gives me two Crime Numbers. "What investigate a crime, who do you think we are"?

Let's have another boat picture.

I like Aldi Supermarkets, particularly when we are on the Continent.

There is no getting away from it, our local store has the reputation as the gathering place for the Unwashed, unfortunate but true.

My Medion Sat Nav came from Aldi, it was an unresearched purchase on a Sunday morning, the night before a friend gave me a print out advertising a 'limited supply offer' typical of Aldi. He had purchased a Medion Sat Nav from Aldi previously, a different model with lots of maps.
They work well he said, and he was right. What I didn't realise was I was buying obsolescence. It is areal shame for a good bit of kit.I suppose lot of them get broken by the kids in a short time, mine looks like new.

Now after my mods it is a Hand Held PC, I knew it could be done but I was wary of stopping it being a mediocre Medion when it was new. I wish had done it a couple of years ago. I complained to Medion recently about their product and had to supply the purchase date, it was May 2006. I couldn't purchase a France map last year so yep 12months and it becomes obsolete. What a poor show.

I won't say it was easy, I admit to some frustration at times, I may even have said knickers once or a hundred times. Now I have installed TomTom with Great Britain map and France Map.

It is good, others who have converted their MD 96800 and installed TomTom have said the same. Take care you frog bloggers we are one step nearer to our annual invasion. In fact several steps. I have cleaned up the 'van, re sealed all the trim strips and yesterday sterilised and pumped several gallons of water through the system.

My Navigator is revolting. Just as she was starting to learn that "No ! none of those exits from the roundabout is the right one" is not an acceptable statement, as we take our third circuit and I start to feel a little dizzy. She has asked, no, demanded full French mapping on our Sat Nav.

In the past we used the Major Roads of Europe supplied with the Medion Navigator 5.1 and had fun with the minor roads. I enjoy looking at maps we will have our Michelin Guide with its many loose pages with us, we may even buy a new one. The search is on for a copy of the Medion Mapping for France.

Medion shows the CD in all its glory on it shopping page on the web. £49.99 expensive but well if it means a peaceful holiday, click on purchase and it says discontinued.

The Medion MD 96800 was sold by Aldi, search the web and you find it has caused quite a stir over the years. The Medion 96800 which also goes by the model, MBPNA 250 T is not such a bargain after all.

TomTom maps are update able, when I bought the Medion I expected at least that facility, you know, just a little product support but no. No updates for the maps you have, when I looked at the France CD shortly after buying the 96800 the mapping was a little old, now it is discontinued.

Search the web and there is a plethora of woe, incompatible maps between models that look the same, maps for 5.1 that do not work on 5.1, the top query, where can I get French mapping. It seems Medions game is to get you to upgrade your model. Would anyone in their right mind upgrade to another Medion?

Look look, it is definitely Navigator 5.1 Software.

Well the thing is only a PNA with Windows Mobile Software. Add some files and make it boot into Windows and you can install TomTom on it. The files are on the web in a chat format, the comment from someone straight after is, "I have tried that, it does not work after step 2 in the instructions" I can confirm it does not work after step 2. There is no more information that I can find, yet it is still offered by the group who say it works.

Sometimes the web provides elegant solutions sometime it is a complete nightmare, the advertising on searches should be regulated, every company comes up with 'Buy Medion France Map for v5.1 here' of course I know that if I enter 'campingcariste in sexy black leather' a whole range of companies will have me on offer.

Does anyone have the France map for this thing? even the original outdated mapping will do, we don't use too many new roads anyway. If I find it I shall offer it to all fellow campers who need it. On free loan of course, no naughty copyright infringements.