Four Elements House » Maintenance http://www.fourelementshouse.com a Journey from Living On the Grid to Living Off the Grid in Chenogne Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:32:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 George and the Wrong Gears http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/10/george-and-the-wrong-gears/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/10/george-and-the-wrong-gears/#comments Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:35:16 +0000 George http://ourearthship.com/2007/10/01/george-and-the-wrong-gears/ My dear Readers and Admirers, if you desire a dramatic story of great suffering and agonizing embarrassment then by all means, read on.
If you are weak of heart or have Land Rovers in your best interest I do suggest to refrain from reading on.

It all started when the Mister decided to visit a rustic camping site up in the Pyrenees.
This happened on the way up through Europe during a nice vacation I and the M&M were having.

When you are getting to a certain age there are certain parts of the whole which tend to wear just a little. If, or rather when these parts are put to the test in arduous conditions one has to take into account that something might give.

As it happened on our homeward-bound journey after we drove over and through the aforementioned Pyrenees and made it to the southern regions of France. A strong wind was blowing and the slopes of the low mountains were still steep enough for the M&M to change to a lower gear in order to make it to summit after summit.

A 20 odd kilometers under Clermont-Ferrand the Mister shifted up from fourth gear after a particularly fast ascend with a high tail wind. The second the Mister released the clutch we all felt a braking sensation from the front axle.
The Mister reacted by immediately pulling over to the hard shoulder and the Misses expected nothing less from the Mister.

First thoughts had to be a flat tyre, but, with the BF Goodrich All-Terrains this is highly dubious. After a quick diagnosis by the Mister nothing seemed wrong.., at least nothing in immediate line of sight.

Driving on proved that something was indubitably wrong. At this point even I could not tell exactly what was wrong but I did feel a certain unease.., I swaggered intoxicated over the road like a newly made Land Rover taking his first drive.

The decision to stop was made and we headed of the main road in order to take a pause, another look, and finally call our friends at the ANWB.

After being transported on a trailer the tending mechanic could not find anything with me. He checked all the suspension as we thought that might be it.., it wasn’t. The Misses proved to have an uncanny linguistic talent and was actually able to have something that might be considered a conversation with the mechanic. But, we did leave the garage unsatisfied and confused.., we did feel something.., we we’re quit sure.

Only a few minutes after leaving disturbing noises grew louder and louder and the M&M could even feel vibrations of some sort through my floor. Now we knew for certain something was very wrong and we headed back to the garage.

Again the mechanic lifted me and crawled under me to revisit his previous conclusions. This time more focussed…

When he put my two right wheels in the air, started my engine and released the first gear the noise was unmistakable.

The transfer box was shot, something had given way inside during my arduous adventure through the Pyrenees.

I could not be driven home. I had to be abandoned.., and so they did.

I am to be transported, again, on a trailer, but this time all 950 kilometers to British4x4 where they will.., again.., take care of me.

Stay well…

George

Resolve to be thyself: and know, that he who finds himself, loses his misery.

- Matthew Arnold -

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/10/george-and-the-wrong-gears/feed/ 1 45.7463379 3.1610329 Another Step http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/05/another-step/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/05/another-step/#comments Mon, 07 May 2007 07:22:37 +0000 Dude http://ourearthship.com/?p=50 We bought the Brownchurch awning with sidedrops and front. This so we can stay warm and dry in the summer to come. It might be a bit overkill for Africa, but we plan on spending quite a few weekends away from home. So it is justified… :)

George Awning 2w George Awning 1w

We also did extensive maintenance on George at British4x4. APK was looming again and george went for his anual checkup. While he was there his head came of due to leaking Valve Stem Oil Seals (yeah, I got it right). It caused oil to drip into the engine overnight and when starting George in the morning a huge blue cloud of smoke would fill the street. It’s also bad for the valves due to carbon ofset.

Anywho… while the engine lay apart we also changed the timing belt, a very critical part, especially on a 300TDi. The belt that came of was in good condition, but we had no idea when it went on so it had to be replaced.

For the APK a few “small” things had to be done as well. Among them, as it turned out, the front left stub axle. As you may, or may not, remember, a while back George had an encouter with the ANWB when the right front bearing failed. It was repaired, but extensive damage was done to the axle and the new bearing. As a consequence the bearing wore faster than it was supposed to and by the time the APK came along it was already at a point where it had to be replaced. After taking the hub of we couldn’t get it back on due to the damage to the stub axle. So everything was replaced, properly. It is something we never have to worry about again, at least not in the foreseable future…

 

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2007/05/another-step/feed/ 0 George and the ANWB http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/11/george-and-the-anwb/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/11/george-and-the-anwb/#comments Fri, 24 Nov 2006 13:14:48 +0000 Dude http://ourearthship.com/?p=48 It truly is as they say; “Taking a Land Rover for a drive is always an adventure”. I do, however, refer to the older models of the marquee. The later models just stop because of some sort electronic failure and they’re not supposed to do that.
No, I am talking about getting into a vehicle and just not knowing what the day is going to bring you. Allow me to put this in a more literal context:

adventure (plural adventures)
1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss.
2. The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat.
3. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one’s life.
4. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account

It is interesting to note that any of the four statements above constitute for a busy day on themselves. But when the word (i.e. adventure) is put in a Land Rover context we achieve a unique situation where all of the above are achievable in a single event.

So, is this an old automobiles lament? It is not, I assure you. It is merely an observation, a statement if you will, and factional at that. Off course, it could be stated that you run a risk with any old car and it is true that they do break down. But when it comes to servicing, towing and repairing or simply driving a Land Rover it is a whole different matter indeed. Let me tell you the story…

A simple “on the road” drive apparently does not exist. One might hope or even expect a clean run but one must always be aware, and prepared, for any eventuality. As it was this time.

Getting water into the cab is a nuisance but not a technical inability to get from point A to point B. Although the Mister did replace the door seals his feet, or rather his right foot, still got wet. The reason why I mention this is because it creates a mind set for the rest of the drive which would add to the sense of adventure. It must be said that the reason for the drive constitutes for a big part the negative spiral in which we became entangled.

About three quarters of an hour into the drive, in a long left hand high speed turn on the freeway a clear, audible “dunk” was heard and felt. It was actually a quit sickening feeling which I never encountered before; it took me a while to realize what went wrong. It took the Mister quit a bit longer, although the amount of possibilities was limited.

Because of some new noises we stopped to take a look, but nothing was to be seen, so we drove on. During the return voyage the noises coming from my right front wheel were first ignored, then diagnosed as sustainable (we did want to get home), then undeniably present and eventually reason enough to pull over to the hard shoulder and, reluctantly, call the ANWB. This is the first point of the definition of “adventure”.

30 minutes it would take for help to arrive. As it turned out, within 20 minutes the first(!) ANWB vehicle stopped. This one drove by coincidently and the driver turned out to be an enthusiast of the marquee. Actually, owning a 1948 Series I (the oldest one can get) and 3 more of a slightly younger era, one could call him a fanatic. It really takes a special kind of human to own and care for these most ancient, and valued, of Land Rovers.

Not long after a second vehicle pulled over and I was, quit unceremoniously, pulled to a less dangerous location so the ANWB men could work in safety. This would account for the second point in the above list, being pulled without the engine running leaves one without power steering and with a rather short tether braking was quit necessary.

The diagnosis was easily made. The wheel bearing suffered a catastrophic failure.

The boys tried to tighten it up but the conclusion was that one should not drive with this any further for risk of a complete lock up of my wheel, which would be a dreadful experience indeed.

In essence; I was bogged down, not by mud, sand, water or anything else dramatic, but by a wheel bearing. It also constitutes the third point on the list.

The fourth, and luckily the last, point could be construed as us being dragged behind a tow truck to an undisclosed garage with whom we have had no dealings in the past. I do feel comfortable with British4x4.

Being towed, by the way, is an adventure on itself. Having permanent four wheel drive means that when lifting the front wheels of the ground and keeping the rear wheels on the ground the transfer box in the middle will run twice as fast as it would normally do. One does not want this. The rear drive shaft was taken out by the boys in order to let the rear wheels run free.

In the end the bearing had welded itself to the hub and had to be forcibly removed. The men at Autopunt.com were efficient, professional and friendly. They took care of me in a way one does not expect anymore. They even hooked me up with a winch specialist who knows all about my Ramsey.

In conclusion, it was, as they say, a hell of a day. It took us 6.5 hours to get home. The other bearing has to be replaced as soon as possible and I made a few new friends in the process.

It is as I stated earlier, taking a Land Rover for a drive is always an adventure.

Until next time…

George

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” – G. K. Chesterton -

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/11/george-and-the-anwb/feed/ 0 George and Pumps and “Clonks” http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/pumps-and-clonks-by-george/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/pumps-and-clonks-by-george/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:45:37 +0000 George http://ourearthship.com/?p=47 Again, and this is getting annoying, if you find this sort of thing annoying that is, it has been a while since I wrote an entry in my Interweb Journal.
So, without further ado, I will get to it.

During, and after, our little trip to England and Sweden the M&M (the Mister and Misses for those who tuned in later) noticed a lack of power from my engine. This was, off course, caused by a faulty fuel pump, which is often the case. Naturally the Mister had to enlist the knowledge of Rob Stewart of British4x4 to get this cleared up.., obviously nobody asked me.

The fuel pump is fixed and this feels absolutely wonderful. The pump gradually deteriorates over quite a long period of time and one doesn’t notice it, but now I am completely invigorated. Luckily, the 300tdi engine that I’ve got will keep on running no matter what, even without a fuel pump, albeit a little slower, but still…

Together with new oil, and oil filter, and a new (steering column) switch I once again feel like an updated version of myself.., George 2.3 if you wish.

But.., just like every dark cloud has a silver lining and after any rain comes the proverbial sunshine, with me it is the other way around. First they make me feel good, and whole, and as soon as one thinks one’s on his way out.., something comes up, something makes a noise or something drips where it should not. In this particular case Rob and the Mister did take an extensive look at an, as of yet, undefined “clonk”. The Misses noticed this while driving to work.., ahhhh.., that reminds me.., well, I will get back on that a bit later.

After taking the hub of a wheel of (right front) and reaffixing this, feeling around all my rods down there, listening intently for a minute, looking everywhere and being altogether smart and deductive about it, we thought we fixed the “clonk”.

We didn’t… after driving of the lift and steering my wheels straight the “clonk” was even louder than before and somewhat worrysome. Then the touching, listening, looking and being altogether smart and deductive about it started all over again.., but to no avail. No conclusive evidence was found and it was decided that we would come back at a later date to have a closer look at the steering box.., we thought that might be it. I must admit that even I have no clue as to what exactly is amiss. We’ll see…

And as far as the Misses is concerned. She has a new job.., I don’t know what she does and, frankly, I do not care, as long as she’s happy, but she drives me every day now. Not far and on the road, but still. It is a very welcome change from standing in the street days on end waiting to be taken on the road again. She is doing fine and we are getting to know each other a lot better.

Until next time…

 Yours,

George

Victory belongs to the most persevering. – Napoleon Bonaparte -

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/pumps-and-clonks-by-george/feed/ 0 52.7350197 5.1640139 Anglo-Saxons and Vikings – part four http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-four/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-four/#comments Thu, 05 Oct 2006 06:14:47 +0000 Dude http://ourearthship.com/?p=46 I really wanted only a two part piece on this, but apparently that’s not happening. So, I’d better get on with it.
George performed extremely well during the drives through the field and through the wee forest at Henrik’s Grandfather place. But, indeed, now has no rear mud flaps.

We did do some work on George, or rather, Henrik did some work on George. Maybe not as much as we would have liked to have done, but still… He fixed the passenger door. Being 21 years of age this door has had a hard life and the metal bits in it are almost completely gone, it practically hung on one hinge and would be falling off soon if nothing was to be done. Henrik fixed it. A bit of grinding, welding, riveting and being generally pleased with himself the door shuts and fits better then ever.

Another highlight was our visit to the summerhouse of Henriks stepfathers’ mother, or Henriks step grandmother. Anyway, it was quite a drive up there, not in distance, but in beauty. The roads we drove got smaller and smaller, starting with a regular 2 lane country road and ending up with a grass covered track. The house itself was small with a kitchen the size of a.., well.., small kitchen. A small table was in it and enough room to turn around. A very big, cast iron stove took up a quarter of the kitchen and was as ancient as the lake not 200 feet away.

The living room was not much larger then the kitchen and held two beds and a couple of chairs and upstairs, merely a large attic, held a small storage area and a smaller room with another two beds in it, that’s where we slept.
 
The whole house was cozily decorated the way old ladies tend do and was generally comfortable. The lady of the house by the way comes out here very regularly and does everything on her own, including walking butt naked to the lake for a swim, where she also happens to fish, albeit fully clothed . Not bad when you’re 75 years of age…
We did have a very relaxing time here in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature and very, very dark and very, very quiet at night.

We only met one challenge whilst staying there. The outhouse. Well, not really a challenge, it was just something new, but strangely comfortable when used to it. Sitting there with the door open, doing your business on a big wooden box, with a nice sandpapered edge mind you, is quite refreshing. And you could share the experience with a loved one, or anyone else for that matter, since there were two holes, snugly next to each other, in the same space. We didn’t try that one out though, I don’t think our relationship is that mature.., yet…

The summerhouse will be sorely missed by the both of us.

Back on the road only one other bit fell off George while on the way back home.., the last 15 cm of his exhaust came off. We did here a “clong”, or “clang” I don’t remember which, and figured we either ran over something or something fell off. And being in the Netherlands where the roads are pretty clean we figured something must have fallen of. Luckily for us, it was only the exhaust and caused no further problems. George performed beautifully and we start to enjoy, and respect him more and more.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, or at least just end it. We had a marvelous time in Sweden and will definitely come back next year.

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-four/feed/ 0 58.4294472 15.9670830 Anglo-Saxons and Vikings – part three http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-three/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-three/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:25:18 +0000 Dude http://ourearthship.com/?p=45 The weather we were having was very good and, being on a farm, advantage had to be taken. It was a great opportunity to get the hay sorted and the seeds planted before the rain could ruin it all. Therefore, Henrik was still working long days, as was everyone else on the farm, and we offered our services. Off course we couldn’t do much as a lot of jobs require driving very large machines, but they did find a job for us.

Quite a lot of hay roles, or roles of hay if you will, had to be rolled inside to stay dry and to be used as floor cover, or dung catcher, during the winter when the cows will be inside.
These roles are almost 6 feet in diameter and I don’t know how heavy they are, but believe me, they are. It got me sweating, and that’s a rare thing. We did have fun though…
I also helped Henrik with covering huge stacks of hay in the fields. This entailed being lifted up with a scoop of a tractor on top of the 14 feet hay stack and cover the top with a tarp which is attached with ropes to steel rods poked in the side of the stack, did you get that?
This was also good for a mornings work with a good lunch at Henrik’s mom as a reward.

Off course we did some relaxing and we saw all the slides Henrik shot on their trip through Africa. And for those of you who think slides are boring.., you should get the right subject and the right stories. This slideshow was everything but boring.
Their journey was phenomenal and took them all the way from Sweden to South Africa.., on motorcycles…
Yep.., that’s right, they did it on a bike..,well two actually, but still, quite impressive.

What else did we do.., ehhh…, o yeah, we visited Stockholm for a day. Beautiful city.

Ah.., yeah, I remember, we did take George off-roading, or rather, greenlaning. Obviously we didn’t destroy him but some parts did fell of.
In Almere (the Netherlands) I went off the road with my friend André and nearly destroyed a tire when my mud flap (or the steel it was attached to) was bended against the tire. After bending it back the problem was solved, but it has been a nuisance ever since.

Back in Sweden we took George into a field which was al but flat. A lot of rocks and fallen trees created enough of a challenge.
After driving through a ditch and not getting up the on the other site George again got his rear mud flaps caught. This time, while backing up to get a good run, I heard a load ‘crack’ and the whole bar with both flaps came of. And this time there was no bending back. Now George has a bare rear end…

Go to part four…

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-three/feed/ 0 58.4294472 15.9670830 Anglo-Saxons and Vikings – part two http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-two/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-two/#comments Tue, 03 Oct 2006 06:47:18 +0000 Dude http://ourearthship.com/?p=44 Our mini adventure to Sweden started with a defect in one of George his intercooler hoses. After a bit of an argument on which action to take, go or fix, we called Rob of British4x4 and got a consult. Ducktape the hose and we’ll take a look at it after the holiday.

The problem would be fixed later; George would be due for maintenance anyway.
The only problem would be running out of breath in higher gears going up the hill. Nothing we couldn’t handle.

The first leg of the journey ended in a F1 hotel in Bremen (Germany) where we had Spicy Cheese Nuggets (or something like that) at the Burger King. These are just great, you should get them…
After a bad night in a crappy bed in a crappy room in a crappy hotel (hell, at least it was cheap, or, at least, not too expensive) we left early. We wanted to end up in Malmö, 400 km and 2 countries away.

400 km doesn’t sound bad, but when you drive a (big) box on wheels with a head wind it can get pretty noisy and exhausting. It took us the better part of the day to get to Malmö in an uneventful drive.

The next day we packed up and headed for the Anna and Henriks house. This was the furthest we had to drive, over 500 km, but all of it would be through Sweden and we would end up at our final destination.

This drive too was uneventful; all in all it was a pretty børing drive. Although the scenery through Sweden is great, you don’t get to see much when you’re driving.
It got much better once we shut of the engine at our destination, the silence there was just deafening. Except for a cow or two, there was nothing to be heard.
Now it must be said that Anna and Henrik live in a small house which stands on a farm. This farm stands in the middle of nowhere. Far away from airports or highways or schools or factories or anything else that can make noise.., except for the cows then. It was bliss…

Read on in part three…

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/10/anglo-saxons-and-vikings-part-two/feed/ 0 58.4294472 15.9670830 George and the differential http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/07/differential/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/07/differential/#comments Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:20:02 +0000 George http://ourearthship.com/?p=36 Oh my.., such a long time of withholding information from the people. And we all know that any relation can only be maintained by proper communication.

Please let me start with some administrative information on this subject matter.

The Mister is charged with the publishing responsibilities and due to his inability to sustain a stable website. This has seemed to be somewhat of challenge lately and consequently led to me not being able to “get my word out”. Currently we have a stable environment in which to operate.., so here we go…

I will not engage in frivolous talk about ongoing business, such as the paintjob that’s coming along but is only half way, or the adaptation of my roofrack to be able to fit a rooftent. Although for me these are relative small measures (I do not care much for skin color) I still appreciate the effort.

 

So what has happened the past few weeks? No adventures.., I am regretful to say. We hope to get more of these somewhere in the near future.

 

On a technical note, however, I did have a minute predicament. When backing up my rear differential would lock up, combining that with cornering at the same time and a massive wind up is created in the half-shafts. And this wind up energy has to be released one way or another. Usually accompanied by a load clang, which is unnerving to say the least.

 

After a telephone call with Rob it is back to British4x4 to do some investigating. After removing the diff-guard and the half-shafts we could extract the locking differential.

 

We found nothing…

 

The differential, which turned out to be a Detroit Locker, looks perfect. The Mister and Rob put a standard, very well functioning, Sollihul differential back and I have been driving with that for the time being.

Rob investigated a bit more and thought it might be the springs within the differential that might cause the problem. We’ll see…

 

I hope you will like the new website.

  

Maintain your self…

 

George

 

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.”
-Daniel J. Boorstin-

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/07/differential/feed/ 0 George’s got a brand new bag… http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/05/papas-got-a-brand-new-bag%e2%80%a6/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/05/papas-got-a-brand-new-bag%e2%80%a6/#comments Fri, 12 May 2006 13:17:42 +0000 George http://ourearthship.com/?p=35 Or actually, brand new shoes…

At last the transition has started. After the superficial modifications like paint and lights, which I do appreciate, finally something tangible has been added to my already impressive arsenal.The research has been extensive and the outcome was somewhat predictable.
One of the most important things on any vehicle is the few square centimeters of contact with earth.
All the capabilities of any car are defined by the tires they have. Have poor tires and you have poor contact, poor grip and ultimately a poor vehicle.
So for me.., obviously.., only the best.

I’m fitted with BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires on Wolf rims. I do not foresee any great difficulties deriving from this combination.., in fact.., I look very much forward to putting this statement to the test.., in Africa.

We did go to the Maasvlakte again. The LRCH was having an event there and we were curious as to how such an event would unfold.
To be honest.., it was somewhat boring. The tests they had set out were nice. For some members they were challenging, but all in all not to impressive. Then there was the waiting.., a lot of cars but not much action. I guess socializing is more important then driving.., I disagree. The Mister was wise not to donate any money in order to participate.

I did make a new friend though. A long time ago, just after I was acquired by the M&M, I met Yoon van Minnen. Ever since he has been impressed with me and inquires regularly to my well being.
We met up on the Maasvlakte and eventually the Mister decided to go for a drive and give Yoon a small impression of my capabilities. It became a big impression.
It is always fun to have a virgin join us for a small demonstration; I never get tired of that.

O dear, I remember now why I started this episode. The ramblings on the tires and the LRCH are fine but the big news is that I passed the APK.

Rob Stewart of British 4×4 took care of me ones more and made sure I was in the best shape possible for the annual stress test. My capabilities aren’t tested here; if they would the test would be a walkthrough, or rollthrough. It’s the small, insignificant bits that they look at and Rob managed to get those straightened out.

The “APK man” is someone Rob regularly visits with a wide variety of Land Rovers so one could say he has seen it all. Well.., suffice it to say that after he met me.., that’s when he had seen it all.

Drive safely,

George

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. – George Orwell -

]]> http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/05/papas-got-a-brand-new-bag%e2%80%a6/feed/ 0 52.7350197 5.1640139 George sees the Doctor http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/04/go-see-the-doctor/ http://www.fourelementshouse.com/2006/04/go-see-the-doctor/#comments Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:14:23 +0000 George http://ourearthship.com/?p=34 Dear readers…

This is an important week. This week my annual checkup needs to be successful. My “Doctor” will take good care of me and all involved in the actual care are all Land Rover savvy. This sounds odd. One could argue that an APK should be universal.., no matter which vehicle is brought in.., it should be tested according to the same criteria.
But.., off course.., for a Land Rover, and especially a specialized vehicle like myself, a different set of rules apply. Now.., I do not know these rules and I do not want to know. Only the rules (laws) of physics apply to me.., and even those get broken on occasion.

Be that as it may, it is a necessary evil that we have to go thru and if it has to be done it might as well be done on my terms.

Also, this week I will receive my new wheels and tires. A short delay because of Easter causes them to be delivered a bit later.., but that’s all right. I will be spending the whole week at British 4×4.., it’s like a health spa.

On an off road note: We paid a visit to the Maasvlakte again. The “Prikkers” united in small numbers last Sunday. For me.., it was the last time with the good old Mud terrains. As usual I did not get stuck, but I dare the Mister to put it to the test and go all the way. Next time when we’ll be there is with the All terrains and then we’ll see if can make it though on the Mister and hope he gets dirty digging me out. I will keep you posted on that.., should be fun.

One final note on the Misses is that she took me out for a drive. All on her own, no assistance from anybody. And it went well. Only the gearbox is something to get used to.., but that will come, I’m sure…

Drive and shift safely

George

Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with. – Bob Wells -

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