First full week away......done!

We'll, I've managed to survive my first full week away in the van (I've only done long weekends so far).  It was up in bonny Scotland, and it was made easier by the help and advice so freely given on here, so first off a big thank you to everyone who has helped with my newbie questions so far.

I learned quite a lot during the trip, including (in no particular order):

1) you can get quite conscious about shutting the doors in a busy campsite.
2) the site showers really are restricted to 12 seconds of hot water per button press.
3) you really can get beer battered chips in Scotland.
4) the sites formally recommend that you leave a pitch marker if leaving, so thats something I need to organise.
5) the heating is very effective.
6) the 3 lochs overnight camping is great (Trossachs 3 Loch drive).
7) camping in the forest is great (Cobleland).
8) I'm not sure that big C&CC sites are for me (Milarrochy bay).
9) I liked Britstops, despite the fact that there were 12 vans crammed in.
10) Black legged ticks take 2 hours in A&E on a Saturday evening to remove (dont ask...!).
11) I'm not bothered that there is no digital TV signals in the Trossachs.
12) Duvalays are really really quick to set up and really really cosy.
13) Fried bacon sets the smoke alarm off, but nothing else does.
14) A place for everything and everything in its place is the secret to a happy camper van life.
15) Daubenton bats are the same size as pippestrelle bats, not bigger.
16) Some children can be really quite annoying.
17) Some adults can be really quite annoying.
18) 16 and 17 often go together.
19) The disklok is even easier to use and store than I expected.
20) Hundreds of pretty, fresh faced, young European boys and girls stride past you walking uphill, talking and laughing, while you struggle red faced for breath.

So thank you once again for the help and encouragement so far.  As the end of the year gets ever closer I have a couple more trips, then I will be back on here asking for assistance etc with winterisation.  During the handover, the guy told me that you can get winter covers for the vents.  I asked him what they were for.  He said "for winter".  Yep, he actually said that.  Which is why I'm so grateful for this forum.

All the very best
Sally
x

Well done Sally. Most of those points are so true. I particularly liked the annoying children and adults comments. The other comment about European youth running up hills is nothing to do with nationality, it's to do with our age.

What an original post! Forum members will no doubt enjoy it as much as I have - bringing back memories..... but not for No. 10 !! 

Agree strongly with 12 & 14. And 15 was news because I always thought that the Daubentons were larger. Thanks for the correction.
Cymro

Great report, Sally!  You're obviously going into this with a great attitude and seem happy to be heading up the fairly steep learning curve whilst not taking things too seriously. I'm guessing in between the frustrating stuff you're in for a lot of fun in your van.

Keep asking away if you have any specific questions and also keep the trip reports coming, I enjoyed reading and empathised with much of what you said.

Great to see you are having fun! You will always be learning. Took us about a year to figure out there is storage under drivers seat lol enough for 2 pairs of dirty walking boots! Totally agree with yo7 about the bacon too.

The heating is great but uses a lot of gas when not on a hookup. Just had 2 weeks in Hebrides and wild camped for first time.

When coming to Scotland , always bring tick tweasers.....especially in the trossachs. Always been a favourite place of ours. Cycled the three lochs some years back, in the pishing rain of course!

Hope you get out and about ,more.....even in the winter!

Certainly sounds like you enjoyed the trip, and no mention of midgies (although frostbite is probably more likely right now  ). We must revisit Cobleland, the memory of the site flooding is still preventing us going back. It's an easy walk along the cycle path to Aberfoyle and, with a little effort, up the hill to the David Marshall lodge.

I've read that opening a window a little allows doors to be shut with less of a clunk but it doesn't bother me when others shut their doors and if others are bothered about mine.........well tough 

Not seen a Daubenton but I've rescued two Pippestrelles that managed to find their way into our living quarters.

Our smoke alarm is tuned into the toaster, never fails to go off ( and the bacon get's done in the microwave  )

A tip on dealing with ticks:
Spread a blob of vaseline around the wee beastie. It can't breath and will either suffocate and fall off dead or let go and crawl away. Be ready to squish it as soon as it detaches either way in case its still alive and tries to grab on again elsewhere.

snow863 wrote:A tip on dealing with ticks:
Spread a blob of vaseline around the wee beastie. It can't breath and will either suffocate and fall off dead or let go and crawl away. Be ready to squish it as soon as it detaches either way in case its still alive and tries to grab on again elsewhere.

Well I wish the doctor at A&E, and the triage supervisor, and the nurse, and the second doctor, knew about a) tick tweezers and b) Vaseline.  To say that they were completely flummoxed is an understatement   .  They got if off eventually, and sent me away with 2 weeks worth of antibiotics.

The midges were noticeable by their absence, apart from a few around Loch Lomond.  I walked into Aberfoyle along the cycle path, and had an ice cream before shopping.

The previous owner of the van left a full tank of LPG, so I’m seeing it as free heating for now 

I was really pleased with how the van (and me) performed.  The diesel consumption was an average of 36.5mpg; I know that the trip computers are notoriously inaccurate, but anywhere around there is good enough for me.

Even coming home to find that a fox had dug up my lawn searching for grubs and beetles couldn’t knock the smile off my face 

I’m surprised that the local medical staff were flummoxed by a tick bite.
Lymes Disease is, and should be, treated very seriously.

There has been a significant amount of publicity of late concerning Ticks and the detrimental impact they can have on your health. I’m aware that there are tweezers specifically designed to remove them but try and find one in the shops. You were right to get medical attention.

StewPotch wrote:I’m surprised that the local medical staff were flummoxed by a tick bite.
Lymes Disease is, and should be, treated very seriously.

Unfortunately I didn’t realise I had a tick until I returned home.  So I rang the out of hours doctor and they advised me to go to A&E.  I’m sure the locals would have jumped right on it.

 Best to get ABs to be on the safe side.

Last year while in Scotland I dropped in to a local GP practice because I was concerned about the large red patch on the site of a tick bite (tick removed with tweezers by me) and they refused to see me - and told me to go to A&E miles away. When I got there a doctor saw me after an hour or so wait and just told me it was nothing to worry about, but to go to the doctor if I got flu-like symptoms at a later date - which I didn't. So all in all it was a big waste of time - but TBH I was a bit glad not to have to take antibiotics "just in case".

BTW, the latest advice on tick removal is that you should not apply anything such as Vaseline (petroleum jelly), and that the best course of action is to physical removal with tweezers or fingernails. This is one example of current advice (by the BMC):

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I have tried using tweezers in the manner suggested and found it impossible to do without squishing the tick and then been left with bits still attached. Likewise the tick hooks are difficult to use without leaving bits behind.
When you apply vaseline the beast just falls off in one piece and there is no nasty mark.
However if its against current medical advice I stand corrected!

If Vaseline works why not use it,? medical profession are always changing their minds over one thing or another. sometimes tried and tested works.

Have you tried removing a tick with tweezers? I have from a cat, best to dab it with ms to make it drowsy and then easier to remove.

I use Neem oil on my dogs, from Early Spring until Autumn, a few drops on their food once a day, they haven`t had fleas or ticks for 6 years just by using this, no drugs or chemicals, no spot ons, etc.just a natural product
with no side effects.

The change of advice has come about (according to the BMC) because they have put more work into studying what causes a tick to regurgitate its stomach contents (along with the virus, if it has it) back into the host - and Vaseline is apparently one of those things that makes it more likely to happen.

And yes - I have tried removing ticks with tweezers from dogs (Shelties, with very fine underfur) and it's not easy! Unless they are very tiny I found that careful use of fingernails was more effective, but still hard to grip the right part.

Tick cards work well with removing them from our dogs, and cheap.

Sally, your post made me smile!  I'm a newbie too & only been away for 2 nights at a time so far.  Looking forward to a week's holiday soon.  We've been considering getting Duvalays but are wondering how small they pack away?  We've got a Symbol and put our down sleeping bags in the cupboard under the seat at present. Enjoy your upcoming adventures!  Caroline

Hi pudcfisher it depends what year your symbol is,ours is 2012 with the fibreglass top,this model has deeper boxes under the bench seat easy to store 1 duvalay the other we leave in a duvalay bag in the gangway until on site.later vans have limited space under the seat due to battery and boiler

bobby b wrote:Hi pudcfisher   it depends what year your symbol is,ours is 2012 with the fibreglass top,this model has deeper boxes under the bench seat easy to store 1 duvalay the other we leave in a duvalay bag in the gangway until on site.later vans have limited space under the seat due to battery and boiler

Hi bobby b ,  Thanks for your reply.  Ours is a 2012, same as yours.  We got it at the end of August from Dolphin Motorhomes, in Christchurch & went back there yesterday to get a couple of queries sorted out.  We walked into town & had a good look around, the Priory, Quay & to Stanpit Marsh - really lovely.  We're planning to come and stay nearby and enjoy another visit soon.  All the best, Caroline

pudcfisher wrote:Sally, your post made me smile!  I'm a newbie too & only been away for 2 nights at a time so far.  Looking forward to a week's holiday soon.  We've been considering getting Duvalays but are wondering how small they pack away?  We've got a Symbol and put our down sleeping bags in the cupboard under the seat at present. Enjoy your upcoming adventures!  Caroline

Hi Caroline - enjoy your first week away whenever it is.

I really love my duvalay, it’s got the comfort and ease of a sleeping bag, but is open like a duvet. But, it is quite bulky when rolled. I sit it on the end of the seat under the cupboard but that’s that do with the style of the van.  From Boaby’s comments it sounds like they might fit.  Although if you’re happy with (and already have) the down sleeping bags, then you may wish to stick with them. 

Sally

Mmmm:scratch head:,  my husband likes the idea of the memory foam base to make the cushions a bit more comfy.  I'm OK with the cushions.  So maybe we'll just get one & shove it under the seat...!  Bye for now.  Caroline

Hi Caroline the caravan and motorhome club have a nice site at holmsley not far from Christchurch,also Harrow wood farm at bransgore .glad you liked Christchurch,stanpit marsh was great in the heat of summer as it had a lovely cooling breeze. Bob

Hello again Bob.  Thanks for the campsite tips.  We've joined the Camping & Caravanning Club at the mo but might join the other club too.  Caroline

We pull them off the dogs.

Many years ago I saw one of my Dads friends use a lit cigarette touch on the top of the tick.