Our vw camper van dream

Project Humpty Dumpty

2011-01-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Project Humpty Dumpty up dated :

Well, have totalled up 630 miles travelling from Devon to Hastings (Hythe, Kent), to Hitchin, Stotfold (Hertfordshire) and back again in order to obtain the final major two pieces needed to put "project Humpty Dumpty" into another major phase. The sink unit and the Buddy seat are now sitting in Florence (not fitted) but they are there!.

After spending last year managing on a very "basic" interior, we feel this will bring a whole new practical edge to the coming season's adventures.

It is very pleasing to our eye's to see the next phase of the transformation to the inside of Florence coming together.

There remains the next task of a bit of TLC to the 40 year old sink unit and then the fitting !.

So there you have it, I have to stop and think sometimes at why I do such things that reqiure so much effort and time, but the answer is always there, in photos, thoughts and every time I walk out the back door and there she is! Yes, good old "Florence" the dubster. The family member on four wheels.

2011-01-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

JUST THINKING!!!!

Reflecting on life sometimes is best sat on a cliff edge looking out towards the sea, unlocking the depths of your soul !

Just what can beat that!

baby in a vw campervan.............

2011-01-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

We gave this a little bit more thought last night and realised that a baby and campervaning might not be so easy after all, however by hook or by crook it will happen! we planned on getting a tepee tent this year to keep all of our extra stuff in when we are out in our travels having seen a lovely one at the Cornwall Jamboree but now we have to think about things a little more differently, well there is all the paraphernalia that comes with a baby to consider and making room for changing a baby in comfort PRN without being in sometimes pongy campsite toilets and sometimes the trek to get to them, we have avoided a camper van awning so far but now we might have to give in and get one, but i think this year i am going to cling on to my quirky ways and find a suitable Tepee!!

2011-01-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

SUMMER EVENING

After a nights entertainment, drinking crabbies and the finest Ales and Bitters, the evening draws to a close at the cornwall Jamborie.

Back into the florence's sleeping qaurters we go awaiting the new dawn. Only trouble is, it would be the Dawn of packing up and heading home.

This was the last show we attended in 2010 and so looking forward to a feast of more shows and eventful trips in 2011!.

In the mean time, it is hands on deck to try and finish project "Humpty Dumpty" with much travelling in the car to pick up various original interior furniture parts to complete. Also to prepare Florence for the arrival of the new addition to this journey. Will there be enough time to do it all ? "ofcourse there will "!

So here is to another exciting & eventful 2011 for us and travelling florence the dubster.

Watch this space! .............................................................

2011-01-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

The organised pitch "NOT" !

This may well look like a stall selling junk!, but it is actually our idea of an organised pitch at the VW Jamborie at Sithians show ground, Cornwall.

Steptoe comes to mind!

Good times!

2011-01-08T13:14:00.001-08:00

I love this natural photo of Bo Jangles and pickle!!!

Nice bum!!

2011-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Nice bum!

Funny banging noises and firing funny at traffic lights!!! well you have to expect this kind of thing if you are 40 years old and you have been up and down and around Cornwall and North Devon for a few days!! fortunately it was just the points.

Ooops! Going no where !!!!!

2011-01-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

It's days like these that I wish my owners would come back with me to my old home in California! I still started and got my pistons moving, That warmed up my arse I tell ya!

One cat, one camper van.

2011-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Ragster the dub mechanic

When i said i want to get one of those vw campervans and put the cat in the back and off i go..................i did not actually mean this!!!! But hey the Ragster cat was just checking that the engine was hunkydory!!!

2011-01-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Dub dog!!

Sadie the dub dog!! watching the world go by from the back of the camper van!!

Reflections........

2011-01-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

Life is too busy, and life is full of surprises........ as i look back over 2010 i have great memories that stand clear in my mind, of course the brilliant idea of our first camper van and all of the places we have visited and Florence has happily taken us, with one turn of the key a little bit of a warm up off we have gone off with that lovely unmistakable engine sound.

The next surprise was to find out that i was pregnant, a few "oh my gods " when i saw a those two blue lines and a lot of pacing around turned into a lovely exciting time ahead, we are both delighted if not a little shocked to begin with, babykins will be born in May.

By the time our first 12 week scan had arrived we had decided on the adaptions we needed to make to the camper van to enable us to have a baby friendly camper van, we seemed to have that all sorted in our minds before the babies nursery!!

However with all of the excitement and planning and straightforwardness of it all, we attended our first scan together, that first vision of your baby is magical and quite amazing, a complete gift and to see it move,well, i was mesmerized.

Not long after the scan we were taken into a room told by a senior lead midwife that our baby had shown some abnormality and needed further tests, and i would see the consultant obstetrician the very next day. This we had not expected, not for a moment, and i honestly thought it would all turn out to be perfectly normal.

Following a special test a C.V.S and three days wait, we were attended our follow up appointment, and put in that horrible but comfortable non-clinical 'bad news room' (as i called it) that our baby had Downs syndrome.

I was relieved, i was relieved because i was scared that i was going to be told our baby was never going to live, and that baby had a very serious illness and would never make it, there and then we were offered and refused termination thank you very much ,and instead given a lot of leaflets on Downs syndrome, i saw a picture of a child with the characteristic Downs syndrome 'look' and realised i had a lot to sort out in my mind.

Well as i sit here today i am 20 weeks pregnant and happily so, i decided one thing shortly after our news that i had two ways to cope with this either to be a complete misery or simply to be positive, so hence i am positive.

We are gifted with a very special baby, and i may be capable of a lot but changing chromosomes i have not mastered yet!!! And so be it, i am however capable of giving unconditional love to this baby and without a doubt i know that Bo Jangles will too, I am sure baby will in time love camper vans too!!!

Project Humpty Dumpty

2010-09-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

So, now we know enough, our van in our eyes was a great choice ,the engine is good, the bodywork is good, we have had a great year and a fab time.

However, someone, somewhere is guilty of ripping out the original interior and did a *Harry Leigh* this is the name of my grandfather god bless him. The grandad who believed that just because he owned a vice he thought he could make and mend anything. Everything was bodged and taped together and painted an uneaven and thus Harry Leigh'd.

Well yes two kitchen cubhoards and bathroom blinds in a campervan is just wrong, i am glad we bought this van from this man as i hate to think what else he might have done.

Our original plan was to wait a while and get a brand new plush interior, but whilst this is good for some, we went off the idea and decided to restore the interior , into her original form, with original units.

So here we have project Humpty Dumpty, trying to put Florence back together again.

We are told we have very little chance of finding all the original interior, well watch out Bo Jangles is on the case in a big way. Just watch this space.

Dubs at the beach

2010-08-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well what we did not bargain for when we bought Florence was the wonderful community that comes with owning a vw camper van , to our astonishment as we were driving along other vwcamper vans began to beep or flash as we passed each other, this i can tell you makes me laugh everytime!! If we are on a long journey we all have our eyes peeled for other campervans and it seems the first one to shout out 'Dub' wins, and then we all share in the magic, that flash of the headlights or wave to each other as we pass.

And of course the shows or gatherings we all share, we attended Dubs at the beach in Paignton, we arrived at the campsite on the saturday evening it was a fabulous campsite amazing sea views and of course brimming with vw campers, and also rain.

Fortunately by the time it had got dark a campfire had been stoked and a brilliant singer with his guitar were setting the scene for a good relaxing evening ahead., everyone had pulled up their camp chairs cracked open a drink .............say no more.

Next morning an early start for the convoy for all the camper vans to travel together to Paignton..........what a big load of show offs we are, i loved every moment of it .

Juds

Good morning Florence .

2010-08-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

In some ways i regret not blogging as i went from one adventure to another, but looking through the photos of us i liked this one of the camper van.

A perfect day was beginning and the sun rays were captured, we were in North Devon for the first time at Watermouth campsite, it is a funny thing how Bo Jangles takes over cooking in the van, he rarely cooks at home, but i love it.

I can recall my summer memories though through the winter, via my blog, so all is not lost.

Juds

2010-08-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am sorry i have not blogged, i have been busy enjoying my life for the first time in a very long time, in the five months since i last blogged i have been living a wonderful life.

That fleeting comment 'i am going to get one of those vw campervans, put the cat in the back and off i go' has changed my life, the power of words hey..............be careful what you say in life.

Our wendy house on wheels is called Florence, this name took a lot of discussion but somehow the name just stuck, she has served us well , we have serviced her well, it is the deal we have made. We know if we treat her well she will fire up ready to go on our next adventure at the turn of the key.
Juds

booked volks show tickets

2010-03-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

Got tickets for the Volks world show at Sanddown park, Esher, dub going in for service tuesday, a few minor adjustments and will be ready for her first big trip of the dream !!.
Bo Jangles

the pick up home

2010-03-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

after rushing round at work, dashing to the train station, me, Judds and Shannon crambed on a train like sardines off to pick the Dub up and bring her to her new home .
Off we go handed the money over and dub was officially ours. Trundling down the A380, me taking a long time to get used to the driving of this machine, we decided to stop at a pub near home. Judds and Shannon went in leaving me to lock up. Locked all doors except my door. Turned the key, pulled key out but along with the key barrell, this with judds window not working and can only get in from the outside got me worried but hey, 38 year old vehicle what more do you want !!. All adds to the fun and character !!
Bo Jangles.

dream was born

2010-03-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Having viewed the gremin, judds liked it and it was bought. Finally fate had taken its course and now picking it up end of week.

gremlin dubbie

2010-03-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

After driving past two campers on way home from dropping juddy off at work, with enthusiasm at a low due to the past probs associated with finding one I decided to pop into sainsbury's to get the latest camper mag. Did n't have one so browsed through the auto trader, and there she was, a 1971 californian import westfalia bay camper called the gremlin.
Viewed it that day and was pretty good.

the gremlin dub

2010-03-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Realisation!!

2010-03-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

No joke!! we had a very lucky escape!!we found out that the vw we had been let down on, had been in a false sale ! there was never, that van! we decided that evening, there was unlikely to be a van for us!.
However mr B.J said, lets give it two weeks , and if we find a VW in two weeks locally ,then its fate!!
With absolutely no hope in my heart! and feeling soooo deflated, and a real feeling of no interest in the idea, i went to work!.

2010-03-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

oh dear what an Arse !!

2010-03-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Not the best of starts this seller clearly had no spirit and I was deflated big time. Could not believe I was treated this way as thought "Dubbers" where the salt of the earth as I was told !. Now in a foul mood I found myself driving round Bristol Bah Bah Bah!, dosey people nearly crashing into my car, could not find my way out of this awfull city and came to the conclusion all these people where Mutants from another planet and have trapped me with no way out !. Having finally found the M5 Southwest, pedal to the metal back home rushing to see a Vw Importer and see what he had to offer !

Bo Jangles.

OH!!

2010-03-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Wide awake and ready to see our perfick Mr VW!!.

So off we went with happiness in our souls, to see our happy van!!* ooh yey* seemed our favorite words of the day.

And then Mr Bo Jangles mobile phone rang!, as Mr BJ was driving , i answered.

"yes its juds here we are nearly there"............it was the seller of the van!!

Reply was......................"the van is sold".

Oh hell , we had been driving for nearly two hours!!!!...............................and to be honest we were annoyed that ,we had been let down by people whom we thought had *spirit*, and actually spent the rest of the day feeling, that vwcampers was not for us!

Found one !!

2010-03-06T15:02:00.001-08:00

This day brought new hope !!. Found one at the right price and had the works on it, full electrics, awning, heater, and was a 1972 moonraker conversion for £8500. Having rung the advertiser and much to my belief it was still for sale!. I arranged a viewing for the weekend and asked to have first refusal if he had other interest. Appointment booked for the Saturday at one o'clock travelling 90 miles to see it. Here we go !

Bo Jangles.