Buddy the bus: 69 Dormobile

[SiDev]

So dropped the van off as planned last week, just over an hour away and all going well until I was just over a mile away: went to pull away from the lights and I was in 3rd gear and not 1st. Odd. Selected 1st again and went to pull away....3rd again. Only had 3rd and 4th, no 1st or 2nd. Managed to limp there and looked underneath at the rear coupling and one of the poly bushes in the cage had fallen out, meaning I had forward and back selection but no left to right.

I replaced these a few years ago but the bolt holding them in must have worked loose. Didn’t fancy putting in another cheap set so got the CSP one ordered.

So in the bus went and James worked through the list of jobs...

Luckily the fuel tank was absolutely mint so was flushed out and refitted, I’ll send the new one back. The new sender is a lot better than the old one, it worked but was becoming a bit erratic.

Everything else was fitted up and given a tune and it ran so much better on the way back, although looking a bit shit with the mid-matched alloys, nice one Heritage.

The CSP breather made quite a difference as expected, for some reason the guy I bought the engine from fitted a catch-can set-up, its more responsive now and feels more “free”. The stage 1 clutch also feels a lot better than the standard one slipping away.

Just need the opportunity to go away again now!


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[mike202]

The CSP linkage coupler feel like good quality don’t they?

You might start a new trend with the mixed alloys [emoji6]


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[SiDev]

Yes it does feel good, and for £30 I’m sure will outlast 2 cheap ones that would cost the same amount.
Nice to have a change of wheels, if only just 2 for now!


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[K@rlos]

Those CSP couplings are great, far superior to the cheapo versions. I’ve got a Geers engineering solid billet coupling on my bus which is very nice but can only be brought direct from geers in the US which is annoying.

Catch can :roll: They are a crap idea, I loosely know the guy you brought the engine from and he has some strange ideas. It’s an aircooled vw, not a chavved up Honda Civic :lol:

James is a clever chap, your bus is in good hands with him.

 

[SiDev]

Those CSP couplings are great, far superior to the cheapo versions. I’ve got a Geers engineering solid billet coupling on my bus which is very nice but can only be brought direct from geers in the US which is annoying.

This is the one I was after but it was out of stock for buses at the time, literally fit and forget I would imagine:

Catch can :roll: They are a crap idea, I loosely know the guy you brought the engine from and he has some strange ideas. It’s an aircooled vw, not a chavved up Honda Civic :lol:

It was always on my list of things to change, shouldn’t see any oil listing issues now that it’s breathing properly. Got shot of the Empi rocker covers on there as well. Stef told the PO they were a waste of time but he insisted he wanted them. [emoji17]

James is a clever chap, your bus is in good hands with him.

He is, and that’s why I had to wait 3 months for him, worth it though.


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[K@rlos]

Yeah that’s the 1 I have, it’s Geers or fast fab? Can’t remember but I got it from RJ Volksperformance.

 

[SiDev]

Well, finally feels like things are starting to return to normality again, even been camping!
Went for a long weekend to one of our favourite sites, just under an hour from home, weather was decent apart from a rainy afternoon. Got all set up and the coffee on before the rain....

Didn’t last too long, then a bit of badminton, archery, a few beers and then a barbecue on the Cobb...

The kids went off in the woods while we did an impromptu wine tasting, then we watched an awesome sunset, felt more special having not had this kind of experience with friends for ages...

Then the next morning, full breakfast on the Cobb again, before a slow pack up and heading back. Nice.

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[sparkywig]

How do you transport the picnic bench?

 

[mike202]

8) Wheels look great.

 

[SiDev]

How do you transport the picnic bench?

I whittled it from the woods. A decent mornings work. [emoji6]


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[SiDev]

8) Wheels look great.

Back on the Sprintstars, long, long story but Heritage are truly rubbish. Still, I always liked the Sprints.


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[SiDev]

So a couple of weeks ago we decided to go to Latitude festival, we had a few friends going for the long weekend and coincided with the kids breaking up from school.
We headed up early on the Friday morning and met friends with their late bay just outside, 3 hour drive without a break as we wanted to get a decent spot. Set up...

Didn’t take early enough photos of the weekend as it was full-on, but got to see the Chemical Brothers, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bill Bailey, Supergrass, Rudimental, Kaiser Chiefs, Rick Astley, some little known groups and dance acts doing 90’s covers.
Cobb used every day again...

Made some dough when we were there as my mate brought his pizza oven...

Finally tried the toastie maker that’s been sat under the rock and roll bed for 3 years...

There were a few bays and splits being camped in, but it was about 90% T5’s or Tupperware.
The drive back was a nightmare, should have been 3 hours but took 7. Firstly, almost an hour queuing to get out and back on to the main route out, then a crane travelling down the A12 caught fire so we were sat there for 2 hours crawling along, stop-start. Even after that epic drive back, the bus didn’t miss a beat and when I got out at home I could comfortably hold the dipstick.

Now for the next trip....


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[ozziedog]

Looks great, can I get a bite of your toasty :mrgreen: :roll: :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,l,bet youd wished you’d used it sooner :mrgreen:

 

[matty74]

Thanks for sharing the great pics [emoji106] whetted my appetite for Tribfest in August, can’t wait [emoji3]

You just can’t beat a COBB and Ooni combo … loving that sandwich toaster too.


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[sparkywig]

Nice trips.
Could you do me a picnic table if you've got time?

 

[SiDev]

Looks great, can I get a bite of your toasty :mrgreen: :roll: :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,l,bet youd wished you’d used it sooner :mrgreen:

Definitely, ideal for something quick or if it’s raining. I remember being given a baked bean toastie years ago, shouldn’t work, but it does.

 

[SiDev]

Thanks for sharing the great pics [emoji106] whetted my appetite for Tribfest in August, can’t wait [emoji3]

You just can’t beat a COBB and Ooni combo … loving that sandwich toaster too.


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Cobb and Ooni covers off every eventuality, really versatile.

 

[SiDev]

Nice trips.
Could you do me a picnic table if you've got time?

Of course. 8)

 

[gninnam]

Great pics and story - glad the van worked perfectly and the toastie does look epic - the simple things

 

[SiDev]

Well it’s been a long while since the last update, the bus has been giving us plenty of memories as always with various trips and festivals….….but the old boy needed some work and it was time to book him in. I knew the front panel was shot under the windscreen, the bottom seemed solid from underneath but in for a penny, in for a pound, if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing properly, so a best quality full front panel was bought, along with new front steps, a decent rust free door I picked up a few years ago, decent front bumper, offside sill plus all the rubbers, seals and stainless steel fixings as appropriate were all bought. Then I shopped around for someone to do the work, managed to get the guy at the top of my shortlist booked in and work is underway….