A simple dish made in a single pan using mainly store cupboard items for a wholesome winter treat
Ingredients – serves 2
4 sausages One large white onion One can of tomatoes One can of baked beans One can of sweetcorn A clove of garlic (optional) Spicy sauce (optional) Olive oil
Slice the sausages into cubes and fry on a moderate heat for ten minutes. Add the onion and let that cook for another five minutes. Add everything else and simmer for ten minutes with the lid off to reduce it slightly. Serve with crusty bread to dip into the stew!
Yes, it is that time again. Hurray! Finally, after the long winter in our non-mobile houses, we can get out our beloved vehicles.
Checklist
Hopefully you all followed the article Time for bed/ to help put your vehicle to bed for the winter. Now that spring is in the air and we are starting to think about getting out and communing in nature, this is a key time to get things ready.
Doors locks – there’s nothing more annoying than a failed lock. get it fixed now before the season really gets going. Door lock issues can be very straight forward but a simple lubrication can be key. Pun intended. A non residue lubricant is best to move the dirt away as WD40 can leave enough gunk to create issues. We favour silicon spray. A little into each lock.
Windscreen wipers – did they perish in the cold winter freezing them to the windscreen. Inspect and replace now.
Water – check the radiator if you have one. Ensure that the bottles that you emptied in the Autumn / fall have no mice, carefully hidden Christmas presents or mildew. Clean with a weak Milton solution if it is drinking water or food related.
Batteries – check the charge on each battery with a good meter. A flat battery can indicate an earth leak. A failed battery needs careful investigation.
Carburettor – Or equivalent. Check for good operation, no stuck flaps or other deterioration over winter. If you are a professional, this will be straight forward. If you are an amateur, a test drive very close to home will highlight problems! But only after the other checks.
Brakes – your vehicle should roll easily, otherwise this can indicate jammed brakes. Parking in gear for long periods of time can be better for your brake health than a jammed set of brakes. Check the brakes for operation. Check the brake fluid level. If it has been more than 5 years, change the brake fluid as it is hygroscopic and slurps up water incredibly quickly. Water is not a good fluid for applying the brake pads to the disks.
Seals – inspect all door seals for any signs of damage, water ingress or other problems and sort them out now. Glue any loose bits back down with the correct glue.
Windows – ensure that they all open and close fully. Or at least as fully as they did last year if applicable!
Ignition – Once you are feeling confident, get in to your pride and joy and turn on the ignition to number 2. Look at the lights on the dashboard. Check there ARE lights! Are they what you expect / are used to seeing? Have you got fuel (for those with a working fuel gauge)?
Crank it over – don’t expect it to start immediately but things should kick into life within a few seconds.
A little test drive on your driveway will allow you to test the brakes, maybe the steering and other important parts. Softly, softly.
Stay local, take your phone with you and warm clothing. Just in case!
Once you get home, assuming that you have a big smile on your face, make a list of snags, get indoors, put the kettle on and start planning for your summer.
Check out the events page and come and see us at a meeting soon!
Steve Tatner has another gadget called a Ridge Monkey, to go with his Frontier stove from last issue. He writes:
Michelle discovered these a few years back and have taken them with us ever since. They were originally designed for anglers, cooking while fishing by the riverbank.
They have removable magnetic handles which hold the top and bottom of the two pans together.
They are great for when cooking in the van, for instance when frying burgers, you have no need to try and flip the burger, just turn the pan over, its enclosed which stops oil and fat spitting everywhere inside your bus. The medium sized pan also has compartments which is very useful. They are dead easy to clean.
The Ridge Monkey range includes a toaster, thermos mug and water bottles with cooking pans complete with utensils starting at £20.
Club member Julie Barber shared a recipe that some of the members might like to try.
If you have not got a slow cooker, then just cook it in the oven at 180-200C for a few hours or until the potatoes are tender. If you don’t like any of the ingredients, then just swap them out with something that you do like! There is no set way of cooking this recipe, just pop in the main ingredients & get creative if you want to add other bits.
Prep time is about 10-15 minutes and it should serve 5-6 people (depending on how a big a portion you like).
INGREDIENTS
750g minced beef 6 medium red potatoes (or any potato of your choice) 1 medium onion 3 garlic gloves (I use the jars of lazy garlic and put in a tablespoon & a half) 1 can red kidney beans (I use Tesco Mixed Taco Beans in red sauce instead) 1 can of haricot beans (or a tin of baked beans or black-eyed beans if you prefer) 1 can diced tomatoes (with green chilli if you like spicy food) Some water 1 & half tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons pepper Grated cheese (any flavour you like here)
DIRECTIONS
1. Brown the mince & drain off the excess fat 2. Cube the potatoes & add to your slow cooker, then season with the salt & pepper 3. Chop the onion & add that with the garlic to the slow cooker 4. Add minced beef, beans & tomatoes & pour over the water 5. Give it a good stir 6. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours 7. Sprinkle grated cheese on the top for the last 15 minutes & continue to cook covered 8. Now you can do the taste bowl test if you are hungry, or…. let the whole thing cool down and pop into containers 9. Take it with you on your next overnight campervan campout & just warm up in a saucepan for 10-15 minutes
For this Member’s Motor, we look at Andrew Snowden’s ’71 Early Bay and his quest to give her a name.
What’s in a name?
As I write this, our van has been in our ownership for exactly ten years.
She is ‘the van’. We have never found another name that suits her – and she definitely is a ‘her’ – despite trying a number of names over the years.
We initially tried ‘Sydney’/’Cyd’ and then ‘Adelaide’ in recognition of the van’s roots. She is a ‘71 Australian Early Bay. But neither name stuck. ‘Sheila’ certainly didn’t fit. ‘Bluey’ didn’t work despite her colour.
We tried ‘Roxy’ for a while, as a homage to Rocinante, the horse ridden by Don Quixote as he roamed across Spain in the Middle Ages, madly trying to hold on to a chivalric world that was being overtaken by modernity. A bit like me, or any classic VW driver, I thought! But the name ‘Roxy’ didn’t catch on.
More recently, we tried ‘Scooby’ to reflect the new heart in our van – a two litre Subaru engine. That didn’t stick. An unkind friend now refers to her as the ‘Sub-dub’, a lesser being in his view. But, understandably, not our name for her.
In the end, says Jane, my patient wife, if the van had a name, she’d have let us know by now. So the van remains ‘the van’. And over the last ten years ‘the van’ has taken us across Spain, to France on numerous occasions, and to many festivals and campsites across the UK.
In the early years of ownership, she wasn’t a reliable traveller, to say the least, and we became adept at keeping calm when she broke down badly, enjoying a glass of wine once she was on a low-loader and talking about how we were saving on petrol costs and getting to our destination far quicker!
The scariest moment was in Spain, coming down the long descent from Puerto de Somosierra, when the brakes started making a terrible noise that even turning up the stereo didn’t hide! We nursed the van to the nearest campsite and decided to take advantage of our breakdown insurance. The next day a mechanic checked out the braking system, used my WD40 and mallet, and suggested that we just take it easy for the rest of our trip and use the brakes more sparingly on steep descents. At least I hoped that’s what he said! He couldn’t speak any English and couldn’t understand our basic Spanish. He probably said, ‘it’s a death trap and I’ll report you to the police if you try to leave the campsite’! But we had no further problems.
These days, after much fettling and a great new engine, she’s an absolute joy which can be relied on to get us to our destination and, more importantly, get us home again. The last pre-lockdown French trip covered 2000 miles, taking in Classic Le Mans and the Cahors Jazz and Blues Festival without a hiccup. This year, we have toured North Yorkshire and Cornwall without a hitch. Not bad for a 50 year old vehicle.
I’m not sure why she is a ‘she’. The colour? Her mannerisms? It’s a strange thing given that our previous Bay Westie was, within minutes of ownership, a ‘he’ and within hours named ‘Greg’. In a recent fit of nostalgia, I googled Greg’s registration number – PPH 138L – to see what had become of him. I came across an old request on Volkszone from more recent owners of ‘Bertha’ (Bertha??) who had just had her restored and were searching for her previous history! If there are any magazine readers who know of Bertha (aka Greg), we had her/him from 1999 until 2005. Given the registration number, I can’t understand why we and subsequent owners didn’t name the campervan ‘Phil’ or, if she really is a female, ‘Phyllis’. Strange things, campervan names.
I guess a name gives a van greater personality or individuality or even humanity. But there are limits. In the late 90s, we were looking for a late bay in our price range and one seller invited us to view ‘Poppy’ which was parked in his back garden. ‘Please call out to her as you go past the garage’, he said. ‘Poppy doesn’t like people sneaking up on her’! Giving a van a name is one thing. It may even have a personality. Giving it psychological issues is a step too far. In my view.
OK, our van may not have a name. But at least she has no hang-ups! And she’s given us 10 years of great enjoyment.
The world’s largest transporter show. The club’s key event of the year. Over 100 club vehicles, hundreds of burgers, a good deal of laughter and perhaps a glass or so of wine.
The drive from Loch Lomond to Fort William is rather pleasant. Along the way It takes in Glencoe, which is a real reminder of the beauty that Scotland has to offer. It was interesting to see how the landscape changes from pine forests at Loch Lomond to the harsher bare landscape of Glencoe.
On leaving Lochearnhead, we swing along the top of the Loch Lomond National Park on the A85. We pass Glen Ogle viewpoint where you can stop to take in the sights of the viaduct and take the opportunity to fill up at Lix petrol station (petrol stations can be few and far between, so it is best to keep topped up, especially when your fuel gauge doesn’t work!).
Continuing along the A85, we reach Ben More and Crianlarich. At this point you can go south towards Loch Lomond on a road that then meanders along its shore, but we head further North passing through Tyndrum, which has lots of opportunities to grab supplies and there is a community woodland with a “Gruffalo Trail”; a woodland walk with large wood carvings from the Gruffalo – a great chance to stretch legs and let dogs have a comfort break too.
As we Continue north, we pass Loch Tulla on the left and as we begin to climb in altitude on the approach to Glencoe there is a decent sized car park and viewpoint to enjoy. Continuing the steady climb, the road passes between Locan na h-Achlaise and Loch Ba, both of which also have layby and viewpoint options for a quick stop to take in this breath taking landscape.
As the steady climb flattens off, the road straightens out and continues in a straight line cutting through the landscape for what seems like forever. The view ahead is stunning. The road eventually bends round the base of the mountains and we pass the Kingshouse Hotel on the righthand side. If you decide to travel this way this is where to make a mental note: the next left hand turn after crossing the river Etive – take it and follow the road for just under 4 miles until you reach a spot that will look familiar if you are a fan of the Bond Film Skyfall. This is the spot where 007 and M stand on the roadside sharing a moment together as Bond reflects on the place where he grew up. We stopped here and took our own version of the infamous shot.
We head back to the main road and continue on through Glencoe towards Fort William. There are several spots here to stop and enjoy the area with a walk, cycle, or even just stop and take it all in. There is a car park (well parking) on the left hand side as the road sweeps round to the left. Stop here and get a picture of the small white house sitting in the shadow of the mountain; apparently it’s the most photographed house in Britain! From here you can also hike the Devil’s Staircase.
Carrying on down the road there is a proper car park that allows a well trodden walk up the mountain and just a little further on from that is Glencoe Waterfall and The Meeting of Three Waters. As the road continues to sweep though the Glen, there are more parking spots and opportunities to enjoy this wonderful place. As the road exits the Glen there is an official Visitors Centre and you are greeted by the shores of Loch Leven. This area also offers several campsites; perfect for spending more time in this area if desired.
We continue on towards Fort William, crossing water where Loch Leven joins Loch Linnhe. It is the shores of Loch Linnhe that play host with our campsite for the night; Bunree Caravan and Motorhome Club Site.
We have stayed here once before in 2019 when we completed the NC500 (I will cover that trip in the future) and so we know that one of the secrets of this site is to book a non-awning pitch (ssshhh don’t tell anyone!) as they are all located on the water’s edge with the best views.
We have a quick cuppa before out to Fort William train station. In 2019 we watched the Jacobite steam train cross Glen Finnan viaduct, as it does in the Harry Potter films and said that we would like to do the route from Fort William to Mallaig.
The route takes in stunning views across lochs, mountain terrain and coastlines that are perfect and unspoilt. Not only that, you also pass Dumbledore’s final resting place, an island in the middle of a Loch where his silver tomb is broken open by Vuldemort. Of course you also cross the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, featured in several of the Harry Potter films during the train journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
On arrival at Mallaig we had just under 2hrs turnaround to have a look about. We spotted a seafood cafe that had outdoor seating and was dog friendly, so we quickly got over there before the rush from the train… We enjoyed fresh local prawns that were delicious!
Our return journey to Fort William was just as pleasant, seeing the views from the other direction of travel.
We headed back to Bunree campsite as the sun was setting, just in time for Ruby to have a quick paddle before settling in the camper for the night and watching the rain roll in across the loch towards us.
Phil Aldridge
“Tales From The Driving Seat” is on Instagram @talesfromthedrivingseat and on Blogspot www.talesfromthedrivingseat.blogspot.com
Our most popular event with around 100 club vehicles, our own club field, the marquee, the BBQ, Lorna James singing, kids looking after each other and the occasional glass of wine.
To get on the club field, you need to be an active member and book through http://www.busfest.org selecting the correct club and using the discount code. Sadly bookings for 2023 have closed some time ago, but we hope to see you in 2024!
Our friends at Just Kampers have reduced the price of the excellent and regularly recommended Propex heater.
Make Heat While the Sun Shines (or tries to).
Save money on the Propex HS2000 heater unit at Just Kampers and install a new gas heater in your camper before the weather really takes a turn for the worse. The JK Team are offering £55 off their Propex HS2000 bundle kit (J19842), which gives you the super popular Propex heater as well as the gas fittings you’ll need to get it installed.
While they’d always recommend you get gas appliances like this installed by a registered professional, fitting a new heater is one of those jobs that’s better done in the summer, and you’ll be able to enjoy off-season trips in your toasty new camper!
