The Final Preparations for 2018

Today was the first Habitation Service since buying Iona. This service must be completed every year to maintain the manufacturers warranty. It entails checks on the bodywork, seals, chassis/body fixings, electrics,12v and 240v, Gas for leaks and flame efficiency, fridge, damp checks and more.

This year we decided to have a local mobile Approved Workshop Engineer  come and do the service. These Approved engineers are able to do the work to maintain any warranty. Our local engineer, Richard Lawson, has been doing the job for 18 years, and was originally with one of the biggest motorhome dealerships in this part of the UK.

Richard was here three hours, although I kept him talking for 20 minutes while he had a tea break. The good news is that Iona passed on everything, well she is only one year old but anything can go wrong so it was a relief to get the all clear.

We then drove to Lincoln to North East Trucks and Vans to get the engine checked after a Fiat recall, there is also an engine management software update to amend the emissions.

Unfortunately, Fiat have got a lot of vehicles to check and mend. It has taken over a month to get a repair date. The garage wanted the van the night before so that it is cold in the morning, however, when we checked in we were told that the kits Fiat had sent were missing a bracket which should have been delivered this morning, but the delivery had not arrived. So Iona maybe repaired tomorrow as planned or there could be a slight delay. “Are you desperate for your van back” I was asked.  I dare not say we were not planning a trip for a couple of weeks, just in case we were moved down the pecking order.

Unfortunately we had a phone call from the garage this lunchtime, the missing part had not arrived but was being couriered in for the afternoon. So Iona may be ready tomorrow, if not it will be after the weekend. After three days and a weekend the engine repair is finished. The garage have also completed an engine software update, to make the emissions EU compatable.

On the way home I called into our local Auto-Gas stockist to fill up with propane ready for the next camping trip. The second time filling up is not so scary, although the noise it makes before it even starts is a bit off putting. Add to that the time it takes for the pump to zero before it starts filling can have you questioning if you have connected everything correctly.

Anyway, it all worked and the system took 19.2 Litres so I was down to about 5 Litres which would not have lasted the next trip. The cost was £14.85 which saved us £22 compared to normal exchange bottles. Gas-it is well worth fitting if you are going to camp off grid a lot.