Jump to content

The grumpy thread


Recommended Posts

Posted
7 hours ago, paulplom said:

I read somewhere years ago that on average you only get a puncture every 90k miles. I've had two so far this year.

Sounds about right. I've checked back through my sad twat spreadsheet of maintenance and other than 5 punctures on the van and 2 on the Passat this year, I've had no punctures for the last 300kish miles. 

Posted
On 16/06/2025 at 22:21, Dyslexic Viking said:

Norway is starting to be invaded by foreign tourists all summer long now. It started already in May where I live and will probably last out August. Motorcycles that treat the roads like their own racetrack and campers and caravans that think it is acceptable to drive far below the speed limit on roads where the local massive logging trucks keep the speed limit and more just fine. It's frustrating but I can't really complain as my area is mostly quiet, it's worse for the poor people who live in tourist areas, they experience people shitting in their gardens, people camping everywhere, throwing trash all over and going to the bathroom everywhere. I've seen this myself and it's disgusting.

My dislike of people just grows.

Around my part of Spain it is not so touristy. However, the various councils (there are numerous layers here in Spain) make free parking spots for camper vans. Even then they do not use them. There is a website called park for the night. Shows locations of all of those free parking spots, even in urban roads. Campervanner do not really add much to the economy, YT shows they like free things and only shop at Lidl, They never pay tourist taxes like those in hotels have to pay.

On 17/06/2025 at 08:45, EyesWeldedShut said:

Barring slow leaks, I've not had one in ages. Must be due one soon. Now I'm grumpy too. ;-)

 

Not just the Germans but we get all sort of nationalities rocking up here in Unimogs and the latest, expensive, AWD Sprinter Mahoosives:
Saw one of these the other day parked up 'wild camping' in the forestry turning where we park the Pug Boxer if we take the horses up there. It's a gravelled track with a couple of puddles and the residents drive past in things like Toyota Avensis, Pug 308s and so on. Makes the Sprinter thing look, err, well.... silly

image.jpeg

The was a huge 4x4camper parked behind me at the supermarket yesterday.  Made the 2008 look as small as a pedal car. Odd thing is it had got the same class for emissions sticker as my car. That cannot be a fair way of working out who pollutes the most

  • Like 1
Posted
On 17/06/2025 at 13:23, IronStar said:

Every trip is a time attack if you set your mind to it 😄

Jokes aside, there really is something very fun about driving a completely unsuitable car through twisties as fast as it'll go. 

Yep.

image.png.b1936522cd64c0803b31cf7b232a6109.png

😎

Posted (edited)
On 17/06/2025 at 10:54, andyberg said:

How does the Safrane reward me for making her my daily??? The alternator doesn’t want to alternate anymore 😡😡😡 do you think I can find a reconditioned one anywhere?? Nope, more chance of finding a double decker bus on the moon! A second hand one ordered from Renbreakers but if that’s goosed then it’s potentially goodbye Safrane ☹️☹️

My brother is in France for a week from this weekend 21-28 June. If there are any available over there, get it delivered to where he's staying and he can bring it back to Somerset. PM if I/he can help.

Are you sorted now?

Edited by Sunny Jim
to see if Andy has managed to source an alternator
Posted
On 17/06/2025 at 10:35, artdjones said:

I've made a decision never to have a car without a spare for that very reason. Aerosol cans can't do anything about a damaged sidewall.

Mine weren’t even sidewalls, big holes you could put your finger through, caused by a bolt and a sharp stone. 
Carry a proper spare now but it does take up 3/4 of the boot space.

Posted
15 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Mine weren’t even sidewalls, big holes you could put your finger through, caused by a bolt and a sharp stone. 
Carry a proper spare now but it does take up 3/4 of the boot space.

The current Mazda only has room for a spacesaver (there isn't one) but I saved the full size spare from the previous Mazda.  Never used the gloop and don't want to have to either.

Posted
50 minutes ago, myglaren said:

The current Mazda only has room for a spacesaver (there isn't one) but I saved the full size spare from the previous Mazda.  Never used the gloop and don't want to have to either.

Even if the puncture is completely repairable per se, no tyre place will want to repair it because it's so messy.

Posted
2 hours ago, myglaren said:

The current Mazda only has room for a spacesaver (there isn't one) but I saved the full size spare from the previous Mazda.  Never used the gloop and don't want to have to either.

Even my x1/9 has a full sized, matching alloy wheel behind the driver’s seat. One of the reasons I chose my modern TIPO was a full sized spare wheel( albeit a steel not an alloy).

Posted

that will run silent like a fish, and pull like a great 

Posted
11 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

My brother is in France for a week from this weekend 21-28 June. If there are any available over there, get it delivered to where he's staying and he can bring it back to Somerset. PM if I/he can help.

Are you sorted now?

Hi Jim. Sorry I a bit late to reply, just got off a flight to Hong Kong 😁 Thank you for your very kind offer but I think I have managed to get a new one from West Lancs Auto electrics. He seemed positive that it is correct. Unfortunately I won’t find out until I get back to the UK in 11 days. 

Posted
20 hours ago, richardmorris said:

What could possibly go wrong…

N

I used to own a saw with Husqvarna stickers that was an obvious knock-off of a Stihl, even down to the colours.

The Chinese - a great bunch of lads.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Posted
2 hours ago, artdjones said:

I used to own a saw with Husqvarna stickers that was an obvious knock-off of a Stihl, even down to the colours.

The Chinese - a great bunch of lads.

Those with remaining limbs anyway.

Posted

I've got a land rcver phone in a box somewhere...😁

Posted
58 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

I've got a land rcver phone in a box somewhere...😁

As opposed to a Land Rover phone pictured here:-

image.jpeg.ea80f2cc80337c3c463671779bcb029a.jpeg

Note secondary slower means of summoning help for you Land Rover.🫢

 

(I own 6 Land Rovers)

Posted

Sorry mlor, that's far too modern...😁

  • Haha 1
Posted
Give it a go, I was once taught no end from a woman in a Citroën H van.
Unless said woman is now Mrs Barefoot, I think you could be expanding upon this
Posted
Panel Vans. Not the Vans themselves, but more the drivers of said vans.
They need to realise vans are massive fucking hunks of metal that you cannot see through and at least try to be a little considerate.
I am utterly fucking sick to death of them just now, always parked/dumped on corners, or near junctions or crossings.
How the fuck are you meant to look for oncoming traffic when they are parked a few feet from the corner on your right side? Even creeping out of a junction to see around them and anything oncoming is right on you?, Meanwhile 20ft down the road there's a massive space they could have stopped and kept the sight lines clearer, but of course they stop at the worst bit and make a hazard. Ever. Fucking. Time. Every. Fucking. Junction.
How the fuck are you meant to cross the road at the designated spot? Pop your head around said parked van and scare the living shit out the driver who doesn't know if you're going to just walk or not any more?
Utter fucking cunts.
Specifically parcel delivery drivers. Not the ones who have been doing it since it paid £2.20 per parcel, they've left the game now that it's a race to the bottom. No - you're dealing with the guys that do this while operating side hustles of justeat, deliveroo etc, on their brother's/cousin's/father's driving licence and likely without proper insurance. And since they're only earning 64p per parcel, who can blame them for parking right by their drop, even when it's a double parked street now only wide enough for one car, or on the corner of your town's most dangerous junction, or actually on a pedestrian crossing?

Me! That's who blames them, the effing inconsiderate halfwits. Beep your horn, swear at them, i don't care what you do, just don't suffer in silence. We as a population will continue to get less and less considerate of each other unless given a gentle* reminder that the world does not revolve around the self. Honestly. I've spent this week in Hungary, where I speak nothing even approaching the local tongue, and yet have been met with nothing but politeness and consideration. And I've observed no road rage, or even anything approaching inconsiderate, let alone aggressive driving. It's been a revelation.
  • Like 4
Posted
27 minutes ago, chodweaver said:

Specifically parcel delivery drivers. Not the ones who have been doing it since it paid £2.20 per parcel, they've left the game now that it's a race to the bottom. No - you're dealing with the guys that do this while operating side hustles of justeat, deliveroo etc, on their brother's/cousin's/father's driving licence and likely without proper insurance. And since they're only earning 64p per parcel, who can blame them for parking right by their drop, even when it's a double parked street now only wide enough for one car, or on the corner of your town's most dangerous junction, or actually on a pedestrian crossing?

Me! That's who blames them, the effing inconsiderate halfwits. Beep your horn, swear at them, i don't care what you do, just don't suffer in silence. We as a population will continue to get less and less considerate of each other unless given a gentle* reminder that the world does not revolve around the self. Honestly. I've spent this week in Hungary, where I speak nothing even approaching the local tongue, and yet have been met with nothing but politeness and consideration. And I've observed no road rage, or even anything approaching inconsiderate, let alone aggressive driving. It's been a revelation.

I can recommend Hungary to anybody! I've never driven there myself except on public transport but have used the trains a lot. A lot of them are very old and not necessarily that reliable (which is the whole reason I am there). I was on on a train that didn't actually break down but the one coming the other way did. They took our engine to go and rescue the other train. We were sat there about 45 minutes whilst this happened and nobody cared.

Everybody just got off and mooched about the station, which was actually a very pleasant place, and watched it all happen, then got on again. 

I just feel that if it happened here people would be moaning like fuck and demanding compensation. The Hungarians seem quite relaxed about such things. I mean they are probably used to it but i don't think that would make any difference over here. The more it happened the angrier they would get. 

Posted
42 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I can recommend Hungary to anybody! I've never driven there myself except on public transport but have used the trains a lot. A lot of them are very old and not necessarily that reliable (which is the whole reason I am there). I was on on a train that didn't actually break down but the one coming the other way did. They took our engine to go and rescue the other train. We were sat there about 45 minutes whilst this happened and nobody cared.

Everybody just got off and mooched about the station, which was actually a very pleasant place, and watched it all happen, then got on again. 

I just feel that if it happened here people would be moaning like fuck and demanding compensation. The Hungarians seem quite relaxed about such things. I mean they are probably used to it but i don't think that would make any difference over here. The more it happened the angrier they would get. 

UK trackside workers get spat at by people on delayed trains, if a documentary from a few years back is to be believed 

  • Sad 3
Posted
On 17/06/2025 at 11:54, andyberg said:

How does the Safrane reward me for making her my daily??? The alternator doesn’t want to alternate anymore 😡😡😡 do you think I can find a reconditioned one anywhere?? Nope, more chance of finding a double decker bus on the moon! A second hand one ordered from Renbreakers but if that’s goosed then it’s potentially goodbye Safrane ☹️☹️

Far be it from me to encourage anyone to go to Birmingham for anything automotive, but you'll need the services of an operation like these guys:

  Screenshot_20250620-192548.png.ff9137428e8ce32c9ff8572c8160c590.png

Posted
2 hours ago, chodweaver said:
On 17/06/2025 at 12:53, barefoot said:
Give it a go, I was once taught no end from a woman in a Citroën H van.

Unless said woman is now Mrs Barefoot, I think you could be expanding upon this

I was driving past the entrance to Donington Park and spotted a gaggle of Citroën vans. I bobbed in to take a couple of pictures, got chatting to one of the women, and we spoke about her sunshade. Anyone who has ever strapped a sunshade to the side of a VW will be aware that the fuckers blow down at the drop of a hat. Young Debbie, for that was her name, showed me how to angle my pole back towards the van whilst simultaneously erecting two guylines at about 120 degrees to one another and my now firmly embedded shaft. There's pictures, a better explanation and more tips in my book, How to: CAMPERVAN!

Available from https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-CAMPERVAN-Dave-Richards/dp/B0F6DTHS4H/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=IVE9XXV7I9AP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5IqqqlEO0fyiPiyqzoO-oA2mGkK3uizhSD3YEblMHKcATik5deLiYLWtBjP66um8GceMayFPbKpjDRt2_k19CHliyHXjh0HuvFC48MrvU4lKUWnRMs5hgYGb34fP7DE4AUKbqWBrbkJo6xDdCPHhkrI5SRFrRE3jTPRURqWpPdA9ET3U3pwMBHHYjWSkK5W__t0aFYUC3Xo4soK8-gF-8A.-Qb2ZHwU7GeLrMIfnoiEEHPW5Gg0ZPwXZA6Uez7FqAY&dib_tag=se&keywords=how+to+campervan+book&qid=1750404991&sprefix=how+to+ampervan+book%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-1#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_feature_div

And it's all true. 

 

Posted
54 minutes ago, chodweaver said:

UK trackside workers get spat at by people on delayed trains, if a documentary from a few years back is to be believed 

I guess that's why we don't have any trains with opening windows anymore. Another thing to be grumpy about. 

Posted
27 minutes ago, barefoot said:

 Young Debbie, for that was her name, showed me how to angle my pole back towards the van

 

Oh dear oh dear :)

  • Haha 3
Posted

Is the building trade overloaded with work? No one answers the phone (ok a lot are one man bands) , or messages and when they do, getting someone to come and look at the job is just painful too. 
I resorted to answering a leaflet put through the door. ( I know, usually says “cowboys” load and clear).

Anyway conversation entirely by text. After a missed appointment, he says “but you said you’d be in anytime “, I pointed out, I could be there at any time he said, which isn’t the same “I’ll sit in all week waiting for you”. 
At which point he said he didn’t like my attitude, go elsewhere. Also claimed to be so busy, he didn’t need my work. What with that standard of customer service? Oh, and you did a leaflet drop.

Think I had a narrow escape tbh.

Posted
4 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Is the building trade overloaded with work? No one answers the phone (ok a lot are one man bands) , or messages and when they do, getting someone to come and look at the job is just painful too. 
I resorted to answering a leaflet put through the door. ( I know, usually says “cowboys” load and clear).

Anyway conversation entirely by text. After a missed appointment, he says “but you said you’d be in anytime “, I pointed out, I could be there at any time he said, which isn’t the same “I’ll sit in all week waiting for you”. 
At which point he said he didn’t like my attitude, go elsewhere. Also claimed to be so busy, he didn’t need my work. What with that standard of customer service? Oh, and you did a leaflet drop.

Think I had a narrow escape tbh.

Best I can tell, yes.  They're absolutely swamped so can cherry pick what they want.  It took us four years of struggling to get someone in to sort out back garden out.

I've just given up trying to get a plumber in for anything.  Either no response, ghosted after initial contact or "That's not worth me getting out the van for."

Posted

This is why I'll have a go at almost anything myself, I'm also fortunate that I had a fantastic grandad and dad who put a hell of a lot of stuff in my head👍

  • Like 2
Posted

That's not worth me getting out the van for."
 

This statement tends to anger me hugely.

Posted

" so don't then" would be my immediate reply 

  • Like 2
Posted
5 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

" so don't then" would be my immediate reply 

Mine said “well you contacted me”. Duh? Isn’t that how customer / seller works?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...