WTF! update (or here we go again)

[rubberrat]

Did you see that link I put on an earlier post about Aussie D40s with airbags?
I think the D22 was a tough old bird, sbd once the exploding engine was fixed led a long and healthy life.

[zildjian]

Ok message from Grant just now

"The garage can't fix it so my breakdown company is getting me a hire car and a hotel
and a new ferry booking. Not bad!
Yes. My truck and camper will make its own way back. Not sure how long that will take at the moment."

[TrueDink]

Thanks for all the support guys. I will definitely be taking the truck down to Nissan once it's home. The truck is supposed to be able to carry the weight of a demountable comfortably.

I'm still waiting for the hire car. The extra long French lunch is to blame. Still not sure exactly what is happening. All I know for now is me the dog and my camper are all getting home somehow.

[Sheriff]

This has given me a scare as my camper 'nods its head' noticeably on my D40, so I have made arrangements to have the chassis strengthened. My old D22 used to worry me as the gap between cab and buck opened up with the camper loaded, which is one of the main reasons I traded it in for a D40.

[Mike]

Well what does the collective think about fixing the rig directly to the Chassis rather than any mounting or fixings however strong, to the tub. My thoughts are if the straps are for example fixed into holes or on to fixing brackets directly on the chasis, I wonder if this will tie the camper down in a more secure manor and may help with any flexing, reason for all this is im planning to use some extra ratchet straps from the front camper mounts to the existing mounts in the tub, plus then 2 more, down to convenient holes In the chassis through the gap between the tub and the cab (left and right). If the tub mounts let go then their are two more to take the strain. My rear straps are down to the tow bar so im confident that these are strong enough.
Just a thought

[richc]

Mine is rear to the tow bar (essentially a chassis ✖ member) and fronts go down around the chassis between tub and cab

it does seem to want to sit about 10-12cm further back on this arrangement though , in cornwall it moved back that much and then stopped so I didn't worry about it too much

Rich

[zildjian]

"it does seem to want to sit about 10-12cm further back on this arrangement though"

So are you saying it shifts backwards by that much, co's thats no good,
if it can shuffle about like that we need to look at that agin Rich.

the rear is fine I think, the front could do with a rethink maybe.

if all four corners are pulling vertically down I've always read that is best, rather than the fronts only fastening horizontally to tub front wall say, and yes I'd agree (despite Truedink's story) that fastening to the chassis must surely be better

but willing to listen

[TrueDink]

Ok quick update. I'm in a hotel in Dijon for the night after getting a taxi from the garage where the inspection took place to Europecar to pick up a hire car. In the morning I will drive to and drop off the French hire car at Calais. A taxi will then take us on the ferry to Dover. I will then get a UK hire car to get me home. The only thing I've had to pay so far is a €5 suppliment for my dog at the hotel.

My camper is still at the Renault dealer along with my keys. It will take 7-14 days for a breakdown truck to be sent from the UK to get the whole lot home.

[TrueDink]

I went with Kwikfit this year. Not becasuse of past experience or recommendation, simply because they were the cheapest. I never expected I would need to call them.

I'm being helped by Kwikfit's European partner called IMA. My camper is being brought home by Kwikfit.

It wasn't plain sailing. It took a lot of heated phone calls back and forth to get the outcome I wanted and rightly deserved. Anyway onwards to Calais.

[rubberrat]

Good to hear that's working out. We should update that breakdown/adac thread with our experiences...im going through that process myself when we get back to uk.