Motorhome Travels - May 2008

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12/05/2008

The steamer has done the trick, the combination of heat and steam allowed the old tint to peel off reasonably easily without leaving too much glue behind. A quick clean with metholated sprits, and the windows were ready for the new tint. We decided to go with the darker tint as more privacy and better heat reflection is worth the trade off of a slightly darker interior.

 

Yesterday we spent the whole day at Top Tint in Mornington (very professional and great service), and although the actual tinting took less than 3 hours, the act of removing and replacing eight of the eleven windows took all day. Unfortunately due to the placement of some of the cabinetry the windows needed to come out in order to apply the tint successfully.

The privacy it provides is amazing - you can press your eye against the glass on the outside of the motorhome and still see nothing of the interior.

It yet remains to be seen as to whether we managed to reseal all the refitted windows properly – the next downpour will tell!

 

Our time in Melbourne was extended due to the news that I had to undergo some surgery, and as we thought this might take a few months to eventuate through the public health system we decided it would be sensible to use the time by working. The property we are staying on has an enterprise underway building “Dongas” for the commercial and domestic market, so we were gainfully employed to start building these from scratch, and as I have also been working for the local nursing agency a few days each week we have had little time to do much else. Waiting for the surgery didn’t take anywhere as long as anticipated, after only a 3 week wait I had gone ‘under the knife’, and am now quietly recuperating after 4 days in hospital. (although she will NOT sit still [G]).

We have decided that Melbourne has become just a little bit chilly for us and we will be heading north to warmer climates just as soon as the hospital has given the ‘all clear’. We will now probably head up through NSW into Queensland as we have to be in Brisbane by August for our trip to South America, and we have decided that 9 weeks is just not long enough to explore through the Flinders Ranges, the Birdsville Track and back through to Brisbane.

We may have finally got to the bottom of the motorhomes steering issues - Gavin performed a test today to check the thrust bearings beneath the king pins - and it seems that these are binding. He replaced one of these today and we will be able to take the motorhome for a drive after he replaces the other one tomorrow. Lets hope this is the end of the power steering issues. 

 

21/05/2008

The steering is fixed! The bus now drives like she used to and not like a mad vehicle intent on seeking the ditches on the side of the road. The cause had nothing to do with the power steering. The steering thrust bearings were replaced along with the king pins and bushes at the same time we added the power steering. When the bus was jacked up and there was no weight on the front wheels, the steering was fine. It was only once the full weight was placed on the thrust bearings that they began to bind.  This made diagnosis of the problem very difficult.

 

We have finally made it out of Melbourne - there were times when we felt like we would just freeze there! We both think that Victoria is a wonderful place with amazing diversity and fantastic scenery, but is best enjoyed during the warmer months and our trek north is well overdue.  The rain in the last week (there has been plenty) has given us the opportunity to check the windows, that were removed for the tinting process, for leaks. There are a few small areas that need some attention - we just have to wait for a fine day so we can get out there and do it.

Yesterday we took a walk up to Toorongo Falls. With all the rain we have had the falls were flowing well. The ground was very wet and there were all manner of funguses growing along side the track. This is a really nice short walk.

 

The plans to travel the Birdsville Track have been postponed until next year, our planed route is now via the coastal road to Brisbane. We have to be in Brisbane by the beginning of August - so we have plenty of time so we will travel slowly and explore as we go

 

 

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