Driving in lockdown

Bikes are also laid up for winter, but in the garage. Each has a turn on a smart charger every week or so. Our small car is the only vehicle that gets used between November and April. Not today though as we have four inches of snow..
Al.

Nearly the same as me. I always disconnected the batteries on my bikes in the winter.
Similar to unused vehicles.
Sorry about Snow.
Micky

Likewise we have been keeping the van heated on the drive, as mentioned it has been used to sleep in in the past week and we do use it to get SWMBO out with her mobility scooter to get to quiet areas with our own facilities, so definitely not filling with lpg when unable to use it, as we just replenished lpg used since last fill up in early December.

The garage I get lpg from is just under a mile into Dundee, the next local authority. We then went to Broughty Ferry beach yesterday for our walk. Scottish lockdown rule is you can do a circular exercise route starting in your local authority area, or WITHIN 5 MILES of the local authority boundary, we were parked one mile from our LA boundary.

The fact we have 10 miles of dual carriageway from Dundee to Forfar allows a good run within the rules as described above.

Sorry if this does not conform to your image of sticking to the rules but nothing I have done has breached the letter or spirit of current Scottish regulations.

As I said, if you (one) have/has a real/valid reason to use the van (or car) then that's fine, but I don't classify 'keeping the van in good nick' (whether advised by a mechanic or not) as in the same category.
And as for some rehearsed (to Plod) script about a garden centre running out of compost or whatever, beggars belief.
The 'hard stare' was undoubtedly for being in a MH without (known to the starer) a valid reason....certainly nothing to do with 'not driving an AutoSleepers' or any other marque.

I've taken my van out once since this last lockdown. On quiet main rural roads. I understand you must be careful and not have an accident but have decided my mental health needs a ride in the van. You should try living with my husband and you would understand.

Yes ,have been to Norfolk the last two Fridays, there and back in the same day,NO NOt sightseeing relocating and am allowed to do so.also gave my Topaz a good run, fuel consumption  34.57 out of her, well pleased with that, especially at this time of year.

Will move there permanently i very shortly, .house sold and bungalow buying all going through , both cash buyers . searches all done,no chain. 

Wll put 98 ISSUES OF MMM magazine to give to any member on the forum in return for them to make a donation to ed  admin. for the running of this forum.

Thank you.
Regards,
Margaret

I take my Auto Sleeper Symbol 2005 for a 1 hour run every month. Approx. 32 miles to keep every thing running smoothly. Worked so far. 

I have taken my Auto Sleeper Symbol for a 1 hour run, (approx 32miles). Once a month throughout all lock downs only stopping to re-fuel. I go on my own and have never been stopped.

Took my Neuvo Friday for his monthly run. Everything went well. MOT the end of the month. Waiting for the campsites to open.

I read on another forum  that someone  drove to dealer for habitation check and service to keep  warranty  valid and got stopped and fined £200 for unnecessary  journey. It was a return journey of 75 miles and took his wife with him. Perhaps  if it had been  for mot purpose that would have made a difference.

He should appeal, all forms of garage service are to keep the vehicle safe and useable and are allowed. HAB check itself may not be but if done in the same journey as the service then it's allowed.

As Hairyfool has said all work on vehicles mots servicing repairs even a hab check as you could have problems on the habitation check not making the vehicle safe  .Paul you say he took his wife with him that is not essential unless to go and collect another vehicle or some other good reason. so maybe that was the reason for the fine and he has not given the whole reason as to the fine in his story. so the £200 fine sounds correct in his case

As i understand it,you should stay local.Maybe a closer garage?
The rules are vague and people take advantage.
Of course other people may think you are on holiday in a motorhome driving about!!
My view is you are as safe from the virus as being in doors.
I know many are flouting the rules as it is difficult to know if they are going for food or the doctors  etc
The virus is still spreading so there must be a reason.

Micky

My car is booked into garage on Tuesday  as engine management  light suddenly  appeared on Friday. If it takes a while to get replacement  parts ,I'll have to use the van to get click and collect  from tesco which is 1 mile away. Using a diesel for such short journeys  is not good (probably  the reason the fault has arisen on the car, I'm guessing dpf or egr fault). I'd prefer to get the van up to temperature  but that would mean going the long way round to tesco and if stopped, is wanting to get van up to temp a reasonable  excuse?

In Spain, during the winter, we see lots of motorhomes of all shapes and sizes, laid up without moving an inch, many from early October to late April. They all presumably move off in spring, most without more than a bit of preliminary creaking and groaning. 

If we took our van out then either we would have to potter round country lanes and not get a really good blast- not good- or to get out on the main roads, go past the police HQ. We get all our shopping online so can't make shopping an excuse. It is clear that we would be breaking the law anyway and we're not about to do that.

Fingers crossed that soon we will be given a bit of slack.

Paulmold wrote:My car is booked into garage on Tuesday  as engine management  light suddenly  appeared on Friday. If it takes a while to get replacement  parts ,I'll have to use the van to get click and collect  from tesco which is 1 mile away. Using a diesel for such short journeys  is not good (probably  the reason the fault has arisen on the car, I'm guessing dpf or egr fault). I'd prefer to get the van up to temperature  but that would mean going the long way round to tesco and if stopped, is wanting to get van up to temp a reasonable  excuse?

is getting your click and collect essential ? yes
is getting a vehicle up to temperature essential ?
if you had to move one vehicle to get another off the drive are you now saying you would drive it until it is up to temperature then swop with the other every time
as you are saying Paul people are having problems with vehicles as they are not being used as they would in normal times and its not good to do short trips  .
when driving in my truck at work all i keep seeing on the motorway boards is stay at home essential travel ONLY

Quilter wrote:In Spain, during the winter, we see lots of motorhomes of all shapes and sizes, laid up without moving an inch, many from early October to late April. They all presumably move off in spring, most without more than a bit of preliminary creaking and groaning. 

I must agree that there is a bit of obsession about laying up for winter. Other than the problem with modern vehicles discharging their batteries (so called improvements) most vehicles will not suffer a great deal. The tyres could do with a partial rotation at intervals but starting the engine just to do that would not be a good idea. Any flat spot would massage out within a mile or two. Many classic cars won't turn a wheel all winter and not all are up on stands.

Due to cancer treatment mine hadn't moved for nearly 4 months until Friday, a delivery of 2 tons of wood needed to get to the back gate. Left the glow plugs on for about 30 seconds after the light went out, started within 2 seconds cranking even though the batteries hadn't been charged either. Kept it running until the temp was up to normal and the tail pipe was too hot to touch which took nearly 30 minutes.

Took mine out yesterday afternoon (1-30pm.). Drove 37 miles passed 3 police cars going through Congleton Cheshire. No problems at all. There was a "69" plated AS Symbol in front of me along the A50, I turned left just before Alsager traffic lights and he carried on.

What was the 'essential-ness' of this 37mile trip?
The fact that the police didn't stop you doesn't make it 'right'.
It's been nice to see the large reduction in traffic where folk have been making the effort and 'staying home'...
by all means use a second vehicle for the weekly (local) shop but is blasting down the A50 in the spirit of what many folk are avoiding?
Perhaps the three police cars were doing something 'more important' than looking out for AS owners.
Think yourself lucky it's not France, Spain or Germany where you need proper documentation to validate any trip and a blast up the dual carriage way won't cut the 'moutarde'.

At one level it is probably "nit-picking" to object especially if no mixing of contacts occurs and on its own the journey is of no consequence.

However the "exercising" of a vehicle is not necessary and it is the multitude of unnecessary journeys being taken which is part of the problem. Every "allowed activity" represents a weakness in managing a pandemic and is one reason why we are still in lockdown whereas Wuhan appears to have not had a second wave and life has returned mostly to normal. Although the Chinese are very sociable and family orientated they are also very compliant to the authorities. They were told no travelling for Chinese new year so they didn't! Look at Thanksgiving in America and Christmas. The government could not have given much stronger advice not to travel/mix here but it still happened.

One article on the BBC site was from a British Expat who was living in Wuhan. He was in two minds about repatriating but was finally persuaded when his Chinese wife was allowed as well but completely regrets it now. The UK has not turned to be a "safe country" as he was told it would be compared to Wuhan now.

It is not unnecessary journeys that are spreading the virus  in my opinion.It is people meeting that is spreading the virus.
20, 000 a day the worst country in Europe.

Micky

HairyFool wrote:
However the "exercising" of a vehicle is not necessary and it is the multitude of unnecessary journeys being taken which is part of the problem. Every "allowed activity" represents a weakness in managing a pandemic and is one reason why we are still in lockdown whereas Wuhan appears to have not had a second wave and life has returned mostly to normal. Although the Chinese are very sociable and family orientated they are also very compliant to the authorities. They were told no travelling for Chinese new year so they didn't! Look at Thanksgiving in America and Christmas. The government could not have given much stronger advice not to travel/mix here but it still happened.

One article on the BBC site was from a British Expat who was living in Wuhan. He was in two minds about repatriating but was finally persuaded when his Chinese wife was allowed as well but completely regrets it now. The UK has not turned to be a "safe country" as he was told it would be compared to Wuhan now.

I made this similar comment  back in November......

 on Tue Nov 03, 2020 1:07 pm

Obeying rules is how the likes of Vietnam, South Korea and dare I say China have kept infections down. The cultures of these countries is to follow rules. In UK too many view the need to wear masks as taking away their civil liberties.

Without nitpicking, I agree with HF in that it's the accumulation of each of these unneccesary journeys whereby, perhaps calling into a shop or garage or breaking down or having an accident pulls others from a different area into the equation.
It's fairly obvious that, despite BJ's persuasive manner, some aren't 'doing the right thing'.
Go out and walk/cycle for exercise by all means, keep away from folk but stay local and don't traipse across the country in a van.
Is it really that difficult to grasp?

There are two primary vectors for transmission, person to person via contact or airborne droplet and person to surface to person.

So no, a drive is not a high risk AS ONE EVENT. But look at the roads and tell me how many journeys are truly needed?