Fannying about ...

[Pamela]

Limey, the short answer to your question is yes.

The long answer is, well, long. And technical. Your electrician mate can explain more fully. In essence, you have an AC/DC inverter in your power supply. It is inefficient and will drain your battery even if nothing is plugged in. But you can do what you are planning.

My advice to you is to buy a small (100-150 watt) car inverter and plug it into your 12vdc outlet. You should have one someplace. Then unplug it after use.

In my case, I replaced the two deep cycle batteries I had with four heavy duty truck deep cycle batteries to give me more useful power and will be adding a solar charger to the roof to keep them topped up. I will replace the OEM inverter with a more efficient aftermarket one at that time.

Manufacturers use the cheapest stuff they can find to save weight and reduce costs. This increases their profit but at the cost of end user perceived quality. I have also replaced all the plumbing with quality fixtures after a bad winter freeze ruptured the plastic faucets.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by limey

Not as such, no. But rewiring then to work off the batteryand then changing the bulbs to LED would mean they'd drain the battery less .... no?

That's true. LEDs use a lot less power than other light fixtures. I'm a big fan of the low voltage automotive LEDs you can get for a couple bucks from China. Like these:

Although these are designed to replace dome light bulbs in trunks, etc., and might seem a little harsh and bright in living quarters.

[classicman]

I like harsh and bright. My old eyes cannot see in the soft dim light.

[limey]

I have rather cheekily used Mod's privilege to move my Fanny to where she feels more appropriate.
Fanny's first outing
Our attempts to get away with Fanny for her first outing, fixed for today, look like this:
Most of September - wait for new car to be sourced ...
Sunday - abandon idea of waiting for new car, and decide to get towbar fitted to existing car
Monday - ask garage to source towbar, number plate
Tuesday - take car to garage for towbar fitting, car makes awful rattling sound, rear shock absorber replacement needed, garage orders that, leave car at garage, take bus home (10 miles)
Wednesday - get lift to garage, towbar fitted, shock absorber due in lunchtime, remind garage about numberplate, numberplate ordered, return home to take husband to work, he's damaged his eye so take him to hospital instead, take car back to garage, shock absorber fitted, number plate delivered, no news from husband in hospital, ring hospital to be told he went home hours ago, go home find sheepish husband, look at trailer ball-hitch and find that the handle is jammed vertical so I can't actually hitch the car to it anyway, ring neighbour who understands these things - they'll send their boy round ... Mr Limey and I both bark our shins on the towbar at the back of the car in the dark after band practice.
Thursday morning, take Mr Limey to work, come home and fold up my Fanny. Remember to arrange insurance. Ring garage and invite owner to come on holiday with us, obtain reassurance that the hitchlock isn't stuck and will simply snap down once I've attached Fanny. In fact I managed to use the term "ball-lock" in the conversation! Attempt to turn folded Fanny round by hand so that I can try to hitch up facing east without much success, decide to hitch up facing the wrong direction and .... SUCCESS. We are hitched, but car nose is sticking halfway across the road pointing west and I want to go east. Turn car and Fanny, first attempt at a little reversing manoeuvre. Once you are beyond a certain degree of acute angle between car and trailer it makes no difference what you do with the steering wheel. Who knew?! Get rig turned and take it half-a-mile up the road to a lay by (uh, pocket, you guys call'em!). Remember number plate is in house, fetch it and attach it to rear of trailer. Think about unhitching car to fetch my luggage from the house but decide that I'm not unhitching until we get to a caravan site this evening. Remember spare wheel is in shed, carry it half-mile up the road to put in car boot. Haul/carry luggage half-mile up road and put it in car. Set off for ferry with two hours to spare.
Get brave and decide to do a small detour and stop off to collect towing mirrors en route. Fit'em, decide they're more confusing than helpful. (All advice gratefully received). Get checked in for ferry an hour earlier than necessary. Fetch essential liquid refreshment supplies from supermarket. Am now waiting for Mr Limey to arrive off later ferry (he couldn't get off work earlier, and I could get the rig booked on a later ferry.


Sent by thought transference

[glatt]

Half a mile isn't that far away until you have to walk back and forth a couple of times carrying luggage and spare wheels.

Good luck and safe travels!

[xoxoxoBruce]

If you have trouble backing up, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel instead of the top.

By the way, Airstream has a brand new model fanny...


for only $35,000 USD.

[Gravdigr]

$35k buys an awful lot of hotel rooms...

[captainhook455]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

$35k buys an awful lot of hotel rooms...

Aye matey we could be living at the Marriott for a year, maybe more. Besides I like their bars.

tarheel

[Pamela]

post a pic of your mirrors and I will be very helpful.

[lumberjim]

An adventure is someone having a hard time of it, far away from you.

[limey]

Originally Posted by Pamela

post a pic of your mirrors and I will be very helpful.

Thanks for the offer Pam. I will when I get home.

Sent by thought transference

[limey]

So last night we were at Culzean Castle campsite, not far from home. I thought it sensible to have just a short run and set Fanny up while it was still light. No major operational problems to report.

Lantern courtesy of teh Cellar Secret Santa.
Well ... that is that we forgot matches to light the stove for COFFEE in the morning, but managed to borrow some.
And then this morning we folded Fanny and set off to the east coast. A two and a bit hour drive. Another campsite. A slightly smoother erecting procedure.
And we've bought three boxes is matches...

Sent by thought transference

[captainhook455]

Where are the pics of the campsite? Nice bed though.


tarheel

[limey]

Campsite was chosen for its nearness to an event we're attending this weekend.



Sent by thought transference

[Sundae]

Where is the pool? The clubhouse with the slightly "blue" comedian? The over-priced chips?
Limey, I'm sorry to say this is not the camping of my youth!

Glad you broke your fanny's virginity well though. Despite some initial issues.
It's something I wish my parents had done when they had time and health, but to be fair, they didn't have to visit anywhere out of the way and they had Tesco vouchers. So they did city-breaks in the UK. Like me, Mum loves having someone else do the cleaning and the washing up!

Mum wants me to take a Lochs and Glens holiday with her. She's been twice with Dads - not that he knows that. I'd rather have her come to see you & Mr Limey. She'd love Arran. I bet we can do Blackwaterfoot & travel at far less £.