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Anon
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The Vicar, The AA, and the CF

This story has been long overdue, but I have finally had the time to write it.

It all started when we (Julie & myself) decided that it was time we got rid of the caravn and opt for a motorhome, but which one, and so we began our search on ebay (you got to love that site). So anyway, lots to choose from, but we kept finding the Beddy as the most better looking. Quick my wife would shout look at this one, bid on it. So we put our bid in, but was outbid. My wife was gutted, her beloved van had been sold, she had already been making plans for our first trip.
The following week, she was just browsing ebay when there was an almighty shreek from the front room,the van was back on ebay as the person who bid for it turned up and decided they didn't want it, haha, this time there was a buy it now, so I was told to buy it now.

We were the proud owners of a 1980 CF350 2.3l petrol automatic, 5 berth Advantura coachbuilt motor home. pictured below.



Now the fun begins!!!!!!

Plan A

I had to go to Barnard Castle, County Durham to pick it up.
From the description on ebay it had some timing issues and would probably need a bit of help to get it going. So I press ganged one of my work colleagues who was handy with engines in to riding shotgun with me, the idea being he would help get it going and then drive my car back for me, whilst I drove the van.

We got there and was greeted by what can only be described as the Vicar of Dibley, the Reverend Jan, who was selling as not even her Boss (The man upstairs) could help her get it going.

So 2 hours and umpteen cups of coffee and a bag of fish and chips, plus it had started to get dark,and a few coughs and splutters, we gave up with trying to get it started.

Plan B

First thoughts was do I still buy it, then that infamous light bulb poppin above my head arrived, The AA, years of paying in to it and not ever had to use them, and the fact that your membership now covers any vehicle your driving.

One quick call and the very nice man that can turned up and couldn't.

So he arranged for a pick up truck to collect it and deliver it to Penrith where the DAF garage where my Depot is said previous that they could do the work required to get the van running again.

Cover story, cos the AA are bound to ask questions, so the Rev Jan agreed to the story of I was visiting and stopped of for a cup of coffee on the way back home from a touring holiday, and broke down outside her home. (I'm sure she will be forgiven for a small white lie, and can still go to heaven).

I phoned my wife, with a sitrep, and she couldn't believe that I had asked a Reverend to lie. My wife told me that I would go to hell for making a vicar lie for me.

And so it was passed that the van would be picked up unaccompanied by the very nice man that can, and bring it to Penrith, this was now 9pm in the evening.

I took my car after handing over he cash, and collected all the vehicle documents and headed back to Penrith, dropping my mate of en-route.
I got a phone call at 1am from the very nice man who can that he was 10 minutes away from the Depot, so jumped in my car and headed of to meet him there. The arrival below.



So it was at the depot, and the next day work began in earnest to fix it up and get it running.



2 weeks later and still not running properly, but they had got it started, thanks to me buying a new distributor.
It was running but just wasn't right, so more mechanics helped.



PS. Daf mechanics, I think there was a T missing of the end of there logo on the overalls.

*It was around this time that I had become a full member of this site, mainly due to all the help and assistance that had been offered by some quite marvellous strangers on here, who have since become friends. Thank you to all contibutee's on my help question.*

They was stumped, it was running but backfiring and coughing and spluttering, they scratched there heads and uttered things like, if we could plug the diagnostic computer into it we could get it running, It looked like I would need an old school mechanic.

Mickminnion to the rescue. co-starring Gethin and Roi

They suggested that a new coil would help, so Gethin came to the rescue and gave me a spare coil he had lieing around, so took that back to DAF who had another go at fixing it.

They got it running and took it out for a test drive, and came back and said it still wasn;'t right, and there was also oil pumping out from the rocker cover gasket, so a quick trip to motor factors to order a rocker gasket.

I had to get someone in who new a thing or two about beddie's so back on to this site for help, enter stage right ROI, who put me in touch with Mickminnion, a very nice genuine chap who lived up the road from my depot in Penrith, who came down the next day, and started to take a look.
First was to check how it sounded, so turned it over and vroom, straight away, Mick said its missing, and so he swapped 2 HT leads over and Voila, sweet as a nut, a bit of tweeking, setting up the timing and resetting the fuel and air mixture we took it out for a test run, sweet as a nut, Mick had done the what I thought was the impossible, so if you have any problems see Mick, he is really good. and Mick, thankyou very much.

So 1 month after buying it i drove it home for the first time, after a gentle start, i decided to open it up and clocked 75mph on the M6, with still some left, and presented the van to my wife on my return, who is now called ELVIS, because of a certain motorhome featured in the Film CARS, was named.

Our first real outing is in August, we are heading to Barmouth for a week, so will write about our first tour next time.
Our next will be to the Blackpool illuminations meet on the 13th 14th September this year being organised by gethin, it don't matter that we only live 2 mins from the camp site, but we want to meet the faces behind the names on here. See you there if your going, and Beddy spotting is such fun as well, i've seen loads up and down the M6, but drivin to fast to take any notes.

Thank you to all who was involved in getting our van on the road and running, you are very much appreciated no matter how small your contribution was.

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Sun 15 Jun 2008 @ 19:37 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Glad that your now got "ELVIS" working and on the road.

Next job is an LPG conversion to make her more economical to run........

;]

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Sun 15 Jun 2008 @ 20:14 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Cheers Gethin, and I know the very man who can help me do the LPG conversion. when you next available Gethin lol
Have also had a small noise from the engine, see my blog in cf questions, speak to you soon

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Sun 15 Jun 2008 @ 20:46 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Nice job !

As an aside, are there any of us who don't have a grainy mobile phone pic of the van being delivered home by the rescue services ??!!

I'm now after a CF1 5/6 berth myself... bookmarking all the problems you've had and hoping I don't have to reference them.... which of course, I will. Heh.

Tue 17 Jun 2008 @ 13:46 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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75mph????????????
Mick - dont suppose you come down south???!!!!!

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Wed 02 Jul 2008 @ 22:21 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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It's sad that these so called 'professionals' failed to work out simple faults, I'm a mobile mechanic and if I can't get a vehicle running in 20 minutes I won't charge the customer a single penny, these daf and AA guys are a disgrace to the motor trade.

Okay time to share a VERY usefull tip with you, this one is priceless and saves you a head ache.
Get yourself one of those old neon timing lights, the ones that are next to useless for the purpose they were meant for.
You can pick these up at car boot sales etc for about £2.
(it just has 2 thick wires coming out of it, anymore than that and it's not the correct type)
Looks like this one on Ebay -> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Neon-Timing-Light-Engine-Tuning-Lumen-/260658319505?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3cb0725091

This 'new' tool is your new best friend
connecting it between a HT lead and spark plug and cranking the engine over will allow you to see if power is going down the HT lead, no flashing light means no spark. (check the points gap), try the light on another HT lead, maybe the lead you tested has a fault.
a dull eratic flash indicates condensation in the distibutor cap.
a popping from the engine when being throttled and the dulling of the light indicates that the condensor has gone or the secondray windings in the ignition coil have failed, (99/100 it's the condensor)

You really need to get one of these old neon timing lights as they get there power from the ignition system, allow the brightness/pattern of the light to give you a indicator of the problem.

It's best to try this before you have a fault so you can see what a healthy engine should look like.
you want a nice bright flash, constant flash with no blips.

P.S don't tell DAF's or the AA how to use this simple tool for fault diagnostics, leave them guessing

Pete.
Mon 06 Sep 2010 @ 22:16 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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They look like the three who came to look at mine! But mine ran away! Untill I found this website and the amazing people on it..

PS: How many Daf machanics does it take to change a light bulb?

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Tue 14 Sep 2010 @ 00:47 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
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