Trailer Tent for a small car - home build

[sheffcortinacentre]

Never mind the mice it's those evil 8 legged bastard's.

[Rod/b]

If you’re not going for floorboards it might be worth getting a piece of canvas made up that zips or clips in place like a tonneau cover for when you are sleeping or its going to get bastard cold in there, especially if there’s a breeze blowing up from underneath.

[Bfg]

6 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Never mind the mice it's those evil 8 legged bastard's.

Yes I've heard of them ...

[Bfg]

On 19/06/2024 at 03:51, Rod/b said:

its going to get bastard cold in there, especially if there’s a breeze blowing up from underneath.

Warning noted..  I'll not go commando  

[Bfg]

Steady progress ...and now on the road. . .

   

^ Having long ago committed to the rear lights I now had number plate and its illumination and warning triangles (thanks Noel Tidybeard) to lay out.  The size of those reflectors, and even the number plate, are a bit OTT in my less-than-humble opinion, but then I'm not the desk jockey who makes up the rules.    Anyway ^ ^ is as they now are.  

   

^ the wiring, taken direct from the trailer board, was run over the chassis rail and into the rhs storage bin.  ^^ using loops of plastic, in lieu of P-brackets, the wires are now secured. The front loop is plenty big enough for the wire to easily pull through ..to allow for the trailer's 700mm telescopic length.

^ At last Katie  and trailer coupled together for the first time.

The trailer itself looks huge when you look at it in isolation but imo its size is not disproportionate to the TR4.

   

^ Connect the wiring and check their function.  LED light bulbs are a great bonus in the daylight.    Then.. ^^ Checking the lock . . .

^ The full-lock angle is far tighter than the TR's forward turning circle, but the trailers short wheelbase and only 19" between the tail light and trailer (when the trailer is straight) will make it very quick turning and so easy to jack-knife in reverse. 

As you can see the half-Surrey-top-lid sits nicely on the boot rack.

   

^ On the road the trailer's green lid can be seen in each of the rear-view mirrors, but is safely tucked into the width (and the slipstream) of the TR4.  Even the roof panel on the boot rack doesn't conceal it from view, and that's a great reassurance for such a lightweight trailer.  These cars are not powerful by today's standards, but still it's easy to forget it's there.  That is aside from the noise. Being empty but for a couple of wooden blocks they could be heard over any pothole or ridge.  I'll try lowering the trailer's tyre pressures to try to soften its ride.

So now I need to practice driving with it ..in particular manoeuvring.  

Bidding you also have a good day,

Pete.   

[Bfg]

As I'm having a lazy Sunday today, I thought I'd post a little more about Katie's somewhat quirky little camping trailer . . .

Thursday before the Interclub Weekend at Malvern. . .

 

   

^ No issues for me, Katie or in towing the trailer, From Ipswich we had a pleasant enough drive up to Rockingham Castle, near Corby .. but found it was closed until 1pm.  So unwilling to wait two hours, and so with time to spare I cut across country to take a route down the old Roman road - the Fosse Way, then to Stratford Upon Avon, before heading to Malvern.  I enjoyed an excellent  lunch at the 'Duck on the Pond', Long Itchington, and while in that vicinity visited a home where I once owned (and ran my kit-car business from).  All in all- a great drive. Towing a trailer placed a speed limit upon us which was in fact very comfortable. 

My friends Rich and Andrew unfortunately had far less an easy time and were much delayed.  And so, with their not arriving before 9pm, opted to try glamping in preference to pitching their tent to go camping (just for that night).

         ^^  With just about room to squeeze into the camping site, Quirkie was pitched for her first night in the 'wild'.  Hurrah

^ Early Saturday morning at Malvern, with Katie under her sun shade and quirkie trailer-tent pitched next to Rich C-R's blue-canvas pavilion. Evidently, judging by the front corner of the trailer.. when first starting Katie she vents her bilges.   Andrew's well travelled Around-Britain-Run GT6 in the foreground.  

As a newbie .. it takes a little less than 15 minutes for me to pitch this trailer tent, set out its mattress and bedding, and to put the kettle on.  Rich's tent took the three of us an hour-and-a-half to pitch !  I'm very glad it wasn't raining. 

^ home from home, the kitchen/galley worked well.  Otherwise, and even with the bunk infill and its mattress in place - I can safely boil the kettle and brew fresh coffee on the open locker's lid.  Ventilation circulates up from the foot well, but it's not overly drafty.   Btw., The air mattress I'm using is of the self-inflating type, almost 2m long x 70cm wide x 75mm thick.  It's very comfortable even for me, and when part deflated and folded in three is convenient to stow out of the way.  I snuggle up inside a king-sized duvet so, without a word of a lie, I can conclude ; camping off the ground is really very much more comfortable.

- - - - -

* Rich's emporium, attracted customer interest even before the gates had officially opened.  Andrew and I were on duty all weekend and so saw next to nothing of the show.

After Malvern ; Katie, 'quirkie' and I went walk-abouts first to Worcester, and then into the Wye Valley to camp, across to Goodrich Castle to visit, then the following day to the three castles of Welsh Marches, before dropping down to Caldicot and Chepstow castles.

   

Many of the valley roads were pleasant to drive through in the sunshine, but so narrow that I was constantly on the watch-out for approaching traffic and potential passing places.       ^^ visiting one of the 'three castles' ..clearly my reversing and parking would benefit from a little more practice. 

 

^ It's always easier to just pull off the road to park. 

Just nice

£10 per night was the cheapest and just as pleasant as anywhere.  Coffee, sausage egg n' mushroom butty for breakfast, light lunch at one of the historic venues I visit, and then local pub food and real ale in the evening.  It's tough studying history like this ..but someone has to do it.

Bidding you a pleasant summer.

Pete

 

 

 

 

[Dan302]

Brilliant to see the trailer tent in use!

[Dobloseven]

You've done it again,Pete.Well done!Many years ago,stayed on a caravan rally by Caldicot Castle.Seem to remember that someone had made a family home out of it in the past,when originality wasn't considered important,and there was a photo of him cutting the lawn with a mower towed by an old Rover.Funny what sticks in the mind 

[St.Jude]

That’s a wicked little thing you’ve built yourself.

[Missy Charm]

I think that's a superb bit of design; it makes a very small area extremely functional without resorting to anything complicated enough to fail.  

[Slammed 66]

That’s just absolutely brilliant! Well done that man

[Bfg]

Thank you all for your positive encouragements & motivation.

Last year I was down in the dumps - this year I've made an effort to enjoy the summer and the country  

Now the trailer (camping stuff) and car are mostly sorted, there's much less stress in preparation and packing to go away for a few days.  Add sunshine and a light breeze, bird song in beautiful rural countryside, and an event or venue you enjoy .. what's not to like ! ?  Katie attracts so many smiles and friendly enthusiasm ..she's like honey to Winnie The Pooh.  Quirkie  on the other hand tends to bemuse other campers. Most have never seen anything like it, and wonder how someone of my size can disappear within. ? ?

This month's bank holiday weekend 24th-26 August, we're booked in to camp over at what's claimed to be England's biggest Medieval Festival, at King's Grove, East Sussex, TN22 3HW.  It should be a great weekend.

Katie has 100 horses under her bonnet, but we've decided not to participate in the tourney. 

- - -

 

And then on the 8th September we'll be going across to Shuttleworth Collection, Old warden, Bedfordshire for a interclub Triumph meeting (200 or so cars have already pre-booked).  I'll be staying at a nearby campsite, just the other side of Biggleswade, and then on Monday will head up into Norfolk to visit a couple of medieval priories.   Shuttleworth though, for those who have never been - is a unique aero museum focused on pioneering and pre-war vintage aircraft including gliders. It's something upclose and informal ..and very special. 

Pete.

[Bfg]

On 13/08/2024 at 20:36, Missy Charm said:

I think that's a superb bit of design; it makes a very small area extremely functional without resorting to anything complicated enough to fail.  

Big Thanks. I'm really pleased with its simple functionality.

In retrospect I would have made the cupboard 1" deeper, as neither the 12" dinner plate nor the cooker sit flat within it. Each have to be packed on edge for transit.  It's not at all a big deal ..but still a schoolboy error.  In my defence I was planning to use my old camping stove, but opted to buy this type because it is so very much more stable.  And I now have 10" plates (which I didn't know I had, but found them aboard my boat).  I'll also change the cupboard door hinges to flush fitting ones, rather than these which are mounted on blocks.  So.., just a few minor points of development derived from the experience.

Pete

 

Btw.,   I'm presently refitting my old boat, moving its galley across to where the chart table once was.  It's a lot more sophisticated than the trailer tent, in respect that it has a built in cooker sitting opposite a sink, but otherwise I'm using what used to be a clothes hanging locker as a cool box and upper cupboard, rather than a fridge. No hot water unless I boil a kettle. and cold water pumped from the tank by hand. Again it's all rather simple . . . 

^ Very limited small-boat space limits the size of the worktops and storage on this side of the galley, but I hope it will work. On the right side of the cooker will be three draws ..only 6" wide but still useful for cooking utensils, cutlery, and kitchen bits n' bobs.  An 8" pot or my copper 'quickboil' kettle will stand off the cooker, on the top above those drawers. Of course the top face needs to be formica or tiled.   The stainless steel splash is functional as a heat shield but it looks odd from a side angle. I'll probably revise that sometime soon. 

P.

 

 

[Bfg]

I'm presently checking over the car and camping trailer in readiness for driving down to East Sussex and the medieval festival. I had driven some 750 miles across to Malvern and the castles of the Welsh Marches and during that trip got off the road, in the gate entrance to a field and grounded the car's exhaust. That twisted its clamps just enough to allow the exhaust pipe to sometime vibrate against the chassis. in the campsite I'd crawled under / reached from the side to undo the clamp and to rectify it, but it still needed a little more.   Yesterday i did that. . .

I don't have my car ramps here at home, so timber blocks under each of the four wheel had to suffice.  I was careful that the wheels were chocked from rolling forward and the handbrake was firmly applied so as to be safe to crawl right under the car. The trolley jack was not loaded but was just there as an extra safety measure. 

I hope now to have corrected the exhaust sometimes chattering against the chassis, and while under there also checked the security of the tow-bracket's bolts (this being the first check after I fitted it and used the trailer).  I also checked the oil level in the differential (one of the least convenient frequent maintenance points !). It was fine, and the oil clear ..but it's good to have the reassurance.  I've checked the car and trailer lights are all good as I was advise one brake light wasn't working unless the side lights were. on. They're okay now though.   Another job was to add supple rubber tubing between the chromed boot rack and the Surrey-top lid as I also suspected that these were sometimes vibrating as well.   

- - -

Otherwise, as I prepare for the weekend away, and camping for four nights at the festival, I had a look on the internet to see how i might cook toast on a open camp cooker burner.  The best I could see was to use a skillet to evenly distribute the heat, or instead spread a light smear of butter and then do similar to fried bread in a frying pan (but without it dripping with fat).  Whilst there i spotted a you-tube on dutch toast which is like French toast (soaking the bread in milk & egg mix before frying).  The Dutch take I watched added sugar and cinnamon to sweeten it, and then suggested maple syrup as a dressing.  Too sweet for my tooth but I liked the cook cutting the bread into small cubes.  This morning I combined then in my home kitchen, as an experiment before I go away.  After all.., a decent cup of coffee and breakfast helps save a lot of £££ in buying from the food trailers.  Here's what i cooked up this morning..

In an 8" non-stick frying pan... I cut and otherwise tore a large mushroom into small pieces, a lightly fried those in a modest nob of butter, adding a single slice (actually the end slice of a multi-seeded loaf) of bread. You'll see I cut this into bread into 3/4 wide strips and then those strip in half.  I felt these (short fingers) would be more easily laid out in a frying pan than square pieces. it worked well.  I turned the bread to brown both sides.

I mixed half a teaspoon of coffee mate (I won't be taking milk with me camping as I have no fridge) into 1/2" of hot water in a coffee cup, and added a single large egg. I whisked these with a fork and then poured the mix over the toast and mushrooms.  This was cooked over a low heat, this until I could lift the edge with a spatula and slide the whole across the non-stick pan.  I added seasoning (coarsely ground sea salt & black pepper) which I'm particularly partial to.  

^ It was still egg-runny on top, when I flipped it over (using two spatulas ..as I'm not proficient to manage this with just one). Just in time by the look of it. Nicely browned but not burnt.  

^ Out of the pan and onto the small camping plate (one of those melamine-plastic types 8-1/4" diameter).  Together with a glass of orange juice and topped off with a mug of ground (cafetière) coffee, which I do take when I'm camping.. it was an excellent nutritious (high protein, low fat) start to the day.  

Yes as a first try, and using the small frying pan and only things I'd take camping.. it was really good.   

I found last time I camped that washing up was very much more easily done by wiping over with a single piece of paper towel ..than piddling around with water and washing-up liquid and a sponge.    

I have Cornish pasties, which I can heat up in the same pan for lunch, perhaps with a side salad, followed by a juicy orange and a crispy apple. I'm planning to eat out at a pub in the evenings.

Any simple but effective suggestions would be welcome.  

Cheers,  Pete 

 

 

[barefoot]

From B&M, Iceland and assorted supermarkets. Also available without sugar 

[Bfg]

This week I also repaired the puncture I had in the self inflating air bed. This is the third mattress of the type I've owned and used but the first time I've had a puncture.  I don't know if the material used is thinner than previous ones or whether it got pinched with the plywood hatch or infill board.  

^ Problem was not so much it deflating in the night, as air getting in ..and it self inflating when it was supposed to be tucked away for storage. .    Anyway I deflated it and dabbed silicon sealant into the tiny hole, which was then sucked in as the mattress tried to self inflate.  I had to do it twice but it's remained sealed (and tightly deflated) for the past two days.

  

 

^ Another job, which i tackled this afternoon, was to seal the stitching around the bottom half of each of the tent's windows. The windows are zig-zag stitched but unlike a soft-top car's windows these were not sealed.  I used clear CT-1 sealant to do this, not least because I had a tube already open from when working around Katie's Surrey-top backlight. It was not an easy job to do retrospectively ..or neatly against a plastic windows (the four side windows being round doesn't help) but the result is acceptable by my standards.  Btw the second photo is an old one ..from before I re-tensioned the back and sides and added half a dozen more press studs (which I did before I set off for Malvern and hilly Wales).  

The door zips will still drip, because the trimmer didn't include an overlap of top gutter (again as car trimmers automatically do).  The drips i experienced, during a night of light rain in wales, wasn't much because of the designed pitch angles / drainage, but still it should have edged with a bit more thought. The boat trimmers clearly forgot they were making a tent for dry accommodation & sleeping in, rather than a boat's canopy.

And then a final job for today was to modify the bunk board hatch. . .

^ nothing too drastic .. just sawn it in half . . .

... so it now opens (on hinges) in two halves.  This is simply for ease within the confined space, and when just clothes are needed out, or just the bedding (in the other side) needs to be packed away.

That's all for today. The car's checked over and ready filled with fuel, all my washing is done and dry, grocery shopping is in, the route is planned with en route diversions to a castle or two &/or a lunch break away from the motorway ...so all I need to do tomorrow is to pack and also pay for the Dart crossing, ready to leave on Friday morning.  

I bid you a good evening.

Pete 

 

[Landy Mann]

This all looks really good, glad you've been able to use it this summer, something like that on a larger scale would be ideal, trailer tents/folding campers tend to disappointment me in their ingenuity. Really impressed with your build

[Bfg]

On 21/08/2024 at 21:07, Landy Mann said:

This all looks really good, glad you've been able to use it this summer, something like that on a larger scale would be ideal, trailer tents/folding campers tend to disappointment me in their ingenuity. Really impressed with your build

Thank you. 

Certainly a very similar, larger scale / two berth version would be easily achieved, simply by increasing the width to suit that of your own towing vehicle.  This one was built 3" narrower than my TR4. and it's interior width is 43" (1100mm).  Economy and sports cars of the 1960's and early 70's were exceptionally compact, but thereafter widths steadily increased and nowadays a foot wider is the norm for the same classes of car. Big saloons are as much as two-foot wider than Katie's 48_1/2".

Extra trailer width would proportionally increase the storage volume inside, for two persons clothes, etc.  Of course, in practical reality ; two dinner plates take up very little more space than one, likewise cutlery. Likewise many food & beverage items are limited by their packaging / container size, for example ; a pack of bacon, coffee (in small jar) for five days, four nights away, is no bigger for two persons than for one. And the cooker, cooking pots and utensils, and kettle I use., would be fine, even if I were doing coffee and a fry-up for two.

Because I'll have to park the car off the actual camp site during this festival ; I shall be taking a small-car battery in the trailer (placed just behind the axle) to power my LED lights and to charge the mobile phone overnight. Even in my one-man trailer I have the room for that. I carry a piss-pot anyway to save me going out in the night, or getting up so early to traipse across to a toilet block.

If I were building this one again I'd increase the chassis to ground clearance by an inch (25mm). This would raise the body tub by that same amount.  When making this one's body tub - I used reclaimed fibreglass-faced-plywood, which came in 2ft wide (610mm) sheets.  I have no issues with this trailer's sides not being high enough, but if raised by another 2" (50mm) then, together with the extra ground clearance, the lid's open aspect need not be so steep ..for the same interior headroom.  Even though I'm 6'-5" tall.. I'm comfortable with the height inside this trailer tent. It allows me to stand as I pull my trousers up, and to easily step out of the door. That's all I need. It is after all a back-to-basics and easy-to-tow and lightweight box-trailer-tent  rather than caravan.

A similar trailer tent to mine could be made simpler-still in construction (perhaps with straight sides, and still with rounded corners) and with simpler enclosures inside over the suspension units. I certainly feel the tent enclosure should have been much cheaper. Perhaps having photographs of mine, to show a trimmer, would help overcome their open-ended uncertainty (ie., prototyping costs). Having spent £1400 ..on just that.. the total cost ; with new chassis steel, wheels + suspension, tow coupling + jockey wheel, including wiring & lights, reflectors, new mattress + cooker & kettle, etc., was all-up around £2000.    Btw, I didn't want the back window, and I've not yet used the other side door, nor have I yet used the half doors (velcro attached) so useful savings could be made in those.

At most (but not all) of the camp sites I've so far been to, the pitch for a single tent (or trailer-tent) rather than persons determined the cost.  I paid £25 at one place, £20 at two others, and £10 a night at one other in the Forest of Dean.  At one, the most expensive, they also had coin-operated water-heaters for each of the showers, but hot water was freely available in the hand wash basins. I didn't have any coins with me, but that morning washed well in hot water with a face cloth.

Overall then, the savings are typically £40 - 60 per night over B&B and economy, there's not the comfort of a larger room and often an en-suite bathroom, but then (perhaps because I'm so tall) I've often found their beds less than comfortable for me, and I don't like carrying stuff into a hotel and packing again the next morning. I also like camping for the sake of roughing it, and for waking up in a field on the side of a valley ..rather than in another plastered box.  

Noise can be an issue with either, I've had a good nights sleep ruined notably-disturbed by slamming of fire doors and giggling, sounds from the kitchens, air-conditioning units, &/or amorous liaisons in an adjacent room, and by nearby men-at-work early in the morning. Conversely camping near a busy road or motorway, or in the south of England en-route to Gatwick, Stanstead &or Heathrow can also be disturbing ..as can other partying campers.  Choosing carefully can help minimise these disturbances ..also taking into account how traffic noise carries on a breeze. 

So, it can still be a cheap way to go away on holiday, getting close to interesting places, nice forests, rivers or coast, and touristy towns and cities, where B&B accommodation is often pretty expensive. And disproportionately so for one person.  I left the trailer in the park (for ease of parking) and spent a day in Worcester, and another in Caldicot and Chepstow.  During my trip this weekend I plan to spend a day in & around Rochester (to visit its medieval castle, cathedral and priory).

Hope something in the above helps and encourages  

Pete

[Mally]

I'd  uncouple rather than reverse  if at all possible, they come round very quick.

Also don't forget its on the back like I did.

[Bfg]

6 hours ago, Mally said:

Also don't forget its on the back like I did.

I have little yellow flags that flutter, which i can see in my wing and interior mirrors to remind me.  These are also very helpful as a guide essential when reversing. 

Pete

[Bfg]

  

On 12/08/2024 at 10:35, Bfg said:

This month's bank holiday weekend 24th-26 August, we're booked in to camp over at what's claimed to be England's biggest Medieval Festival, at King's Grove, East Sussex, TN22 3HW.  It should be a great weekend.

All checked over and, but bedding and food, loaded up on Thursday, Friday morning was a leisurely start to my bank holiday weekend away in Katie and little Quirky - the trailer tent.  we drove down from Suffolk and across the Dart Crossing, and then around 8-miles to Eynsford Castle, in Kent, not far off the M25 but in its own little-village world.  That was just 84 miles from home and so a pleasant enough jaunt (as far as the A14 south and M25 can be..) before lunch.  

  

^ Eynsford is picture postcard village, complete with ford crossing and black & white timber buildings, set in the Darent Valley ..which is in turn is part of the Kent Downs area of outstanding natural beauty.  Eynsford bridge is only used for cars and pedestrians. Commercial and agricultural vehicles are obliged to go through the ford..  But I'd dropped in to see Eynsford Castle, which is a rare example of an early Norman 'enclosure castle', notably abandoned c.1312 and as a consequence unaltered by later building works.  

The castle was probably built by William de Eynsford I, a knight and sheriff of Kent. (the son of a Norman knight who fought with William in 1066.  Building upon a Saxon site the stone enclose commenced c.1085. It was to safeguard the terrains of Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, from Odo the Bishop of Bayeux ..who Lorded over adjacent lands.  

If nothing else, this enclosure castle is distinctive in its plainness, insomuch as aside from once having a gatehouse with drawbridge, it has neither mural towers nor keep. It was simply a very stout, later 30ft (9m) high defensive wall with battlement walk enclosing buildings inside (a great hall and a kitchen also in stone, and other buildings in timber). The walls were thick enough though to have garderobes set into one corner. These emptied into the moat.

^ Black Manta photograph, showing to good effect this stone defensive wall made of Kentish flint, which although not so high as many - its ground plan is still impressive ..not least as a private residence. It stands on the east bank of the River Darent, which is now overgrown, but once furnished the castle perimeter with the water for its moat ..and very likely a fishery too. The motte (earthwork mound) upon which the structure stood was never very great, indeed archaeological evidence suggests it was not much more than 10ft (3m) above what is now the nominal lay of the land. Of course the moat, which once was, may have similarly been 10ft deep and 20ft wide, so to breach by underpinning or siege ladder would have been impossible.  

Presently managed by English Heritage, it is just one of their many sites that is free to visit. Aside from the small car-park, there are no facilities or staff on site, but the village itself is but a short walk away.  Btw The railway station at Eynsford, on the Swanley to Sevenoaks Bat & Ball line was opened in June 1862 ..by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.

- - -

  moving on . . .

 

From Eynsford I headed out on the A and B-class country roads, south though the vales and woodlands. Up into the Ashdown Forest, an vast area of historic heathland habitat, which is managed through the grazing of sheep, ponies, cattle and deer to curb it becoming shrub.  Did you know that, globally, heathland is rarer than tropical rainforest.?  It is now protected as an area of special scientific interest, not least because of importance to bird life.  Being just 30-35 miles to the Medieval Festival, being held at the King's Grove, Pippingford, East Sussex, it was very pleasant driving in an open top TR. 

  

^ The private estate at Pippingford was closed to mere plebs, but clearly there's some history here.  I noted one tally sign along the Ashdown Forest, which stated this year there have now been 123 vehicle accidents with deer.  I might only guess then, that the historic hunting in this part of the country is still very much in vogue with that particular aristocratic fraternity.    

^ My modus operandi is to eat out in the evenings, preferably in a traditional country pub, then to cook breakfast in the camper-tent, and have lunch on the go (often a pastie and fresh fruit) wherever I am.  So, after setting camp, which doesn't take long with Quirky the trailer tent, and a wander around to get my bearings, I set off again ..to the pub.  The Roebuck, a Green King hotel / inn establishment at Wych Cross, was just 2-1/2 miles away from the festival's entrance and serves good food at a fair price.  It served me well each evening.  Each evening the beer tent on site, the Buxom Wench Tavern had live entertainment, and copious volumes of ale, wine, and traditional mead had many a young reveller foot stomping and dancing the evening away. 

In the morning (saturday) things were not so bright and cheery though. . .

  

^ Katie stayed under wraps that was not at all waterproof. Still it kept her out of sight and out of mind to those coming back from the tavern a little well watered.!    ^^ Historic umbrellas ? ..I think not. I was interested to see how medieval clothing stood up to the elements, but like many things nowadays fashion (fancy dress) products were no match for the real thing.  And at this particular event the real thing was notable by its absence.  I have a traditional Driza-bone Australian cloak (which I neglected to pack) but didn't see one authentic woollen or tweed ruana / cloak / cape.   I later learnt that is this festival used to be at Herstmonceux Castle. After 29 years it was the longest running, and largest international Medieval themed event in the UK.  That ended in 2022, and this year's event was a splinter group (I heard said - organised by the brother of the original), which to me (with a keen interest in history) was little more than a costume party with trinket vendors, and (to me at least) extremely expensive food stalls. . .

 

Even the joust was a pantomine with ladies in short skirts as the heroines, and no (intentional) contact between players.  I've seen very much better.

All was not a washout though...

Thankfully on Sunday and Monday the weather was mostly dry and sunny.  My old friend & college buddy, Chris, came across from Winchester for one day, and we spent a good amount of time listening to Living History players, who were very knowledgeable about the weapons and tools of the later middle ages (from the 13th to 15th century). Although there was an impressive demonstration of early cannons, there was no demonstration of men-at-arms warfare, archery or much in the way of lifestyle. . .

   

^ the early cannons were spectacular, and the falconry display short but nicely included a mounted participant. 

 

^ This chap, part of the living history group, and others with him were brilliant in their explanations.  I'm particularly fascinated by the long bow. The ones being show were yew (a wood selected for naturally composite of hart and sapwood) and the arrows are reproductions of those found on the Mary Rose.  King Henry was an advocate of the bow and ordered that men and boys over the age of seven should each have their own and train with it after church, each and every week. 240 yards range was his requirement for the layman, and most villages had its own butt (a target embankment) for such practice. In this way the country had home guard &/or a ready trained army.

Some of the long bows recovered from the Mary Rose, were in a remarkably preserved state, I'm told the draw weight was typically around 130-150lb.  I pulled an 80lb bow, but only drew the string back 2/3rds the way on a 120lb yew bow. My friend Chris, who is a builder didn't manage that, but to be fair I do have a considerable height / leverage advantage over him.  

^^ One the opposite side of the medieval coin was the participant classes for harp.  I must say that I was very impressed that newcomers should manage to produce such a beautiful sound within the period of one session.     

   

^ Then there was story telling, particularly for the children and silly old farts like me, and demonstrations by Jane's kitchen. She and her husband (playing a bit of a fool) were great.  Preparing dishes for the evening banquet (numbers limited to just 15) and demonstrating cooking over an open charcoal pit.   ^^ my own fried breakfast, wasn't too shabby, even if I say so myself.    

   

^ on one vendors stand, roast lamb was being cooked on one day, venison on the next. Served with potato (when were they introduced to Britain ??).. it looked good but at £13 a paper plate, I didn't give it a try.  Indeed none of the food on site was inexpensive.

All in all it was a great weekend. Mostly not nearly as authentic 'medieval' as the Battle of Bosworth re-enactment I'd been to a few years ago (after the TR international at Ambergate), nor to other joust I've seen, but I met and talked with nice people, saw and learnt things I had not known or seen before and actually very much enjoyed the camping.  It is compact but it works surprisingly well . .

  

^ I'd not expected any notice of it, while I built this small telescopic camper, but it often initiates polite comment and interest, as well as some bewilderment that someone could actually sleep in it.  I find this strange, not least because just a few dozen feet away from where I was pitched was a girl camping in a really tiny backpacking tent. Her tent was barely as tall than my knee.

^^ after four nights (..at a lot cheaper ££ than B&B), i was back on the road again. Across (rather than through) the Ashdown Forest and the across country up to Rochester. Unfortunately an accident caused me to divert through Tunbridge Wells, which added another half and hour onto the 40-mile trip, but hey-ho I think that accident caused another vehicle to shed its load, rather than anyone getting hurt.  I had plenty of time, as the whole trip home was just 130 miles and I'd left the festival site by 10:30. 

   

^ At Rochester I visited the extraordinary and historically important castle,  on the east bank of the River Medway, enroute between London and Dover.   This photo is just of the 12th-century keep which is for the most part has no roof or intermediate floors. I'll not bore you any further, with its history or features, save to say that it's just half an hour from the Dart crossing and with Rochester itself and the cathedral it's well worth a diversion and visit.   It so impressed me that it inspires me as a destination to visit when I get my old boat back on the water.!  Oh that..  It's just another project to keep my mind and body active during retirement.    

That's about it so I'll bid you a good evening, and many an interesting trip in your own 'interesting' or classic car.

Pete.

 

 

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Was that oasis haveing a quick jam before there first gig?

[Bfg]

Friends wondered why I'm still single ? . . .

 

[Bfg]

This post might well be suited to the topic 'what have you fixed lately ?' . . .

^ I finally got around to replacing the hinges on the kitchen unit's cupboard door.  I was intending to buy cranked ones, which would then have been screwed to the door's inside face ..but that would probably have involved a lot of back n forth shopping, trying to find the exact size I needed (hardware stores are not what they used to be !).  Instead I found two brass hinges in one of my boxes, which by compromising (screwing on the door's outside face) would do the job.  They don't look as neat as concealed hinges but it does get the job done now rather than 'whenever'.

 

    

^ as it was previously, I'd screwed small plywood blocks onto the inside of the cupboard door, which in turn allowed me to screw-fasten the hinge into double the thickness of plywood (screws into the bottom edge). But those blocks were repeatedly in the way...  The camp cooker, which in practice I only ever used when placed on that cupboard door, was too big.  The arrow shows where the block previously was, so the cooker overhung the top edge of the door, or had to sit 2" further inboard (..not good when the berth is in place).  Similarly the hinge block on the other side was thick enough to make it awkward to get the box out. The plates (with cooking pots inside the box) were just about that same amount too large for the clearance.  

   

^ without those blocks it works. The cooker can sit flat on the cupboard door, or as seems intuitive, sits with its rear feet just hanging over the edge.  And the box filled with plates, cooking pots, cooking utensils and cutlery, now lifts out of the cupboard easily.  

Perhaps it's a reflection of how well this little trailer tent otherwise works, that the block-mounting of the previous hinges seemed such a nuisance.

Another job, one which was not so much a problem as a worry were the hinges I'd used on the berth-box lids. . .

  

^ Cutting this hatch in two, so that the left and right hand sides could be opened independently has proved so very much more convenient, than one big hatch, to open within the confines of the small space.  My concern though was - whether the hinge's hard edges or their screws would abrade or otherwise puncture the air mattress, so yesterday I simply rounded them off.  Again just a little job but peace of mind is worth having.  I've subsequent taped over the hinges too, just to be doubly sure. 

Katie  the TR4 also received a little modification, one in fact I'd made a year or so back but never fitted. . .

   

^ Returning home from Rochester Castle, the weekend before last, the northbound traffic before and through the Dart crossing became a slow crawl and often stopped. After the uphill A2 and M25 motorway run ..the car sat there and stewed in its own heat with the temp gauge raised to 3/4  ..Warmer than I'd like.  Had the engine still been fitted with its original (crude) aluminium 4-blade fan then I'm sure it would have gotten too hot. 

As engine bay temperatures get excessive - the twin carburettors suffer from the exhaust manifolds radiating and convecting heat from directly below. This was evident in the car's rougher low speed running.  The TR's are usually fitted with a cardboard cowling ..to funnel air from the grille to the radiator.  That works to force air through the radiator, but at a price.. the carburettors are then only fed hot air.  That's not good for engine efficiency or power, nor when stewing in traffic ..so I'm experimenting with a compromise.. 

I could have fitted the radiator cowl and then added ducting to feed air the carburettors, but instead..,  to the left of the radiator you'll see I've closed off the gap off, by fitting a transverse air dam. This will encourage more air through the radiator, rather than around the left side of it.  Conversely, the gap to the radiator's right-hand-side has been left wide open ..to feed cool air to the carburettors, to help cool the exhaust manifolds, dynamo and starter motor. 

The TR6's plastic fan is so much better defined than this car's flat aluminium plate original, but.. with hot summers day, heavier traffic, and road-works / lane closures ..even when no work is being done, I think it only fair to give these old engines a chance to breath.   I'll let you know sometime, anon, if this half-dam radiator cowling works.

I'll remove the grille badges today, because as you can see (above) they do close a percentage of the grille opening off. 

Pete