After having spent months looking at loads of motorhomes and eventually realising that my budget was minimal, I withdrew some money from my loan account to buy a motorhome I'd seen in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, it had been sold so I started looking again, came across a Winnebago Le Sharo and ended up buying it, ignoring the 'don't buy this van it's a mess' that was going on in my head. Expecting my friend Beth (who I'd taken along for support/advice) to read not only the doubt on my face, but my mind also, I was a bit staggered when she said "Yes, Trudge, buy it, it's a bargain". What I'd forgotten was that she has never owned a modern vehicle and so had nothing decent to compare it to. It stunk like a train and sounded like a tractor, the accelerator cable was sticky right where you needed it not to be (two modes of operation-full on acceleration or fairly rapid deceleration) and the brakes had about 1/2" of play before it felt like you were pressing your foot against a house. They weren't very responsive either. Driving back from London at night was a complete nightmare but Beth was a brilliant co-driver, constantly telling me to keep over to the left as I couldn't get the hang of LHD. Oh yes, I had no driver's door mirror either which added to the feeling of lack of control.
Back at long last in Portsmouth, I parked it close to home and went straight to the toilet.
My friend Lin came the next day to see it, the look on her face said it all. My daughter just sighed and told me she was never going any where in it and that it was a total waste of money.
My mood lightened when Alex, the mechanic son of my friend Karen, came to check it over. "It's all do-able" was his verdict. The smell and the noise was the result of a blowing manifold....sorted. I bought two matching door mirrors from a scrappie on Hayling Island for £30 the pair...fitted. The cd player was rigged up...wicked! All I had to do was get a new throttle cable, to be fixed at the same time as the brakes were being investigated.
So off I went to Halfords... then to an auto parts dealer..then to the local Renault dealership. They searched the Winnebago Le Sharo microfiche's that they found gathering dust somewhere but still no joy. So they sent me off for the weekend, promising they'd get in touch Monday when they could phone Renault in France for the part number. Having missed their call I dropped in on the way home only to be told that the part was obsolete and no longer made. I felt sick, feeling I'd been sold an expensive piece of street furniture. Later, I trawled the net looking for parts and finally emailed the UK Winnebago dealership who replied with the phone number for Mobility RV in Iowa USA. Thirty six hours later I had the cable and connector, as well as information on other bits and pieces that are of great interest. Thank goodness and thanks Mobility RV.
Alex is coming later today to fit it and to sort the brakes out and I shall then drive him to the seafront for a coffee and mince pies! Much work needs doing both outside and in, I have already bought a 3-way fridge to replace the 2-way one and a matching sink/drainer and 3 ring hob with grill. My next purchase will be a water pump so I can check and start any repairs to the water/heating system. Now things are progressing I feel much happier and am looking forward to embracing the freedom this van will bring. Hopefully, once the interior is done my daughter will change her mind and we can all drive off and have fun together!
It will be gorgeous once it is done, it is a lovely looking van and evokes much interest from passers by when we've been working on it. Once the rusty bits have been seen to and it has been resprayed and new decals applied it will be a real head turner. It has a really attractive shape and I love its quirky pull-out shower room. The seats are bum-caressingly comfortable and I will have no trouble falling asleep on any of the beds. Nor will I have any trouble falling asleep in my own, it's 3.10 am- I'm on for a lie-in that's for sure.
Italy
