From Times Past Dormobile Knickers
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From Times Past Dormobile Knickers Onehundred and thirtytwo. Journal of the Dormobile Owners’ Club. March/April 2016 In our tribute to the late Ron Foster in the last Digest, Jean was good enough to forward this picture. Not too sure if they are the knickers on the flagstaff, instead our our usual Dormobile flag. Club members are, L to R. Jeff Reeves, Stuart Wedge, John Beesley, Stuart Burrows and Ron Foster. (You may notice the respect being shown to John Beesley, who happens to be holding a Somewhere south of the Grand Canyon strong stick in a very threatening manner.) Sausages ! and a Happy New Year ! Greetings I've been a bit remiss in not sending any news from the West Coast of the USA recently but my Land Rover Dormobile Add a to your supper. GLOW did have a busy year with three trips and various car shows attended. British Car Day in Van Nuys is always a treat and there was a good turnout of Try SELLAFIELD SAUSAGES. Land Rovers - but this year, mine was the only Dormobile. These are bound to make your barbecue go with a bang ! Last year, there were three. Read more from Ian on page 8. Editorial and Design. Allan Horne. Printed by BG Printers. 0121 3605656 FBHVC News. Issue 1. 2016 FOR SALE TO ENTHUSIAST Insurance Values and Write-Offs DORMOBILE OWNER. I reminded you last time of the possibility of problems with damaged vehicles if the insurance Salvage Code of Practice is unsympathetically applied. The problem is that the The club received an e-mail offering a genuine existing Code relates decisions on writing-off very closely to the ratio of the cost of repair Dormobile orange acrylic tray before it was put on and the market value. That approach might not be applicable to historic vehicles, e-bay. especially of the smaller varieties. This cost us £20.00 plus postage of £4.30. A new Code of Practice is in the course of being drafted and the Federation has been What to do with it ? invited, through the good offices of the DfT, to participate in a review of the most recent draft. We expect that activity to occur during the next few weeks. Our aim will be to We offer it to a club a club member for cost plus the ensure that the interests of historic vehicles are properly considered. next lot of postage. Meanwhile, there is a live issue people should be aware of. There is a presumption that a £20.00 plus £4.30 plus new postage £4.30 = £28.60 vehicle which is inundated in a flood must be written off. While this probably makes complete sense for a contemporary vehicle stuffed full of electronics, it is questionable in Interested ? Contact Allan on 01296 428580 or the case of older vehicles, which may be little affected. We have received warnings that [email protected] or collect it at the AGM. this may have become a live issue after the Cumbrian floods and we will be monitoring the situation. Drive It Day, Sunday 24 April 2016 Roadworthiness Testing Directive Last year saw a record turnout of enthusiasts on the The next month or so should see the Issue of a DfT Consultation which will cover roads for the Federation of British Historic Vehicle various options to amend eligibility for and the process of the MoT to enable the UK to Clubs promoted event. It commemorates the running, meet the requirements of the EU Roadworthiness Directive. We already know that the in 1900, of the 1000 Mile Trial when 64 cars started actual changes to the MoT are likely to be minimal but that the range of possible from London on a test of reliability and roadworthiness. exemptions and definitions might be quite wide. A truly eclectic collection of vehicles takes part, not only historic cars (to be Immediately the Consultation is issued we will commence consideration of what the classified as historic, a vehicle has to be 30 years old or more) but buses, Federation response should be. motorcycles, trucks, military or agricultural vehicles, petrol, diesel and even steam and electric powered vehicles. We will try to consult member clubs as widely as the response time permits, as we know The format for the day is a tried and tested formula. The Federation sets the there is quite a wide variation of views among members as to whether and how far date each year (as close as possible to the anniversary of the 1000 Mile Trial) and historic vehicles ought to be exempted. publicises the event nationally. FBHVC member clubs then plan and schedule The Federation view is obviously going to be dependent upon the extent of changes to regional and local events throughout the country. The events are as varied as the the MoT. Our basic principle will continue to be that no historic vehicle, which is vehicles taking part and include scenic drives, rallies, and meetings at local beauty roadworthy in the terms of the standards at the time it was manufactured, should be spots or historic sites. banned from use on the road by reason of a test which it cannot pass. Important venues such as the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Brooklands, the British Motor Museum at Gaydon and Bicester Heritage have already announced plans to take part, but there will be scores of events the length and breadth of the country. Clubs are encouraged to let the Federation know their plans so that they can be publicised in further press releases as the day approaches and on the FBHVC website and Facebook page. More news from the Federation can be found on www.fbhvc.co.uk 2 23 pre-1974 models fitted with the standard, flat profiled springs where this characteristic is most From Your Editor ( and Secretary ).......... Inside your often criticised. Since the original article was written, we have obtained useful results by fitting larger capacity, adjustable rear dampers to the rear. We used American made Gabriels because We still have at least one keen Land Rover Digest they happened to be available. Set to 'firm', they improve the ride on lighter van conversion types, and are also, in my experience, beneficial on coachbuilt versions, where the handling and owner over there in the states, who is also a railway (or P 2. Federation News. stability are noticeably improved under such conditions as tight, poorly surfaced corners. should I say railroad) enthusiast. Ian keeps us informed on his latest adventure, whilst in South America, Land P 3. From your Editor. P 4. Times Past. CF. Steering Rover owners, Jan and Claire have finished their epic There were some reports of steering pull and uneven tyre wear, although, in our experience there P 5. Chairperson’s Chat. is no inherent tendency for this. The only cure is a careful check of front wheel alignment, trip, and returned home to their native Ireland and The P 6. What’s New ? making sure that both tyres on each axle are of the same make, condition and pressure. Of Netherlands. Their epistle, received with their Christmas P.7. Events Calendar. course, over exuberant use of the extremely tight turning circle or the excellent handling greetings fills a few pages, but if you want the whole P.8. Round and About—Ian. qualities will inevitably result in extra wear on the edges of the tyres. On very much used story, go onto their website. P.11. Round and About. examples, wear in the suspension inner bushes can give rise to steering problems, even if the Jan and Claire. alignment seems to be correct. Other owners have remarked on the improve•ment in ride and The New Year meal for our midland members was P.14. Dear Members. refinement that can be achieved by CF 250 van conversions by fitting the slightly smaller another success, and even better, cost them nowt. Jean Michelin 185 SR14 XZX reinforced radials. Tyre pressures were often questioned, but the P.15. Midland Dinner. best advice that I can give is to experiment within the given range until the best com•promise is explains on page five. P.16. Lives and Loves. P.17. Times Past—The CF. found for load and driving conditions. It is not a bad idea for the motorcaravanner to have his CF owners get helpful tips and advice on items I have vehicle weighed laden in holiday trim, and unladen, each axle in turn. By proportioning these P.23. For Sale gleaned from my old MMM files. weights against the maximum gross weight for the axle and the recommended pressure range, an and Drive It Day. acceptable compromise can be achieved. Even I can do it, such is the wonder of the electronic The Federation keep us abreast of current news affecting P.24. Dormobile knickers. calculator. our old vehicles. They are keeping a careful eye on the Other points MOT situation. We don’t want our Dormobiles taken off the As one or two owners sadly report, and as we have recently experienced on a CF van taken in part road, because the new test is far more stringent than when COPY DEADLINE exchange, it is vital that a standard, Vauxhall supplied and vented fuel cap is used. The effect our vehicles rolled off the production line all those years We very much welcome on the tank of a non-vented cap is severe and expensive, apart from the inconvenience of being ago. stranded on the road with a cap that is almost impossible to remove.