Out with the old and in with the less rusty

[mr mince]

Farewell to my intro to the Transit world, more rust than bus now, engine is still sound too.

Back before the rust.



And hello to a bus that is far too big for common sense but I had to try one, on the plus side packing for camping will be easier in something this size, once I get the extra chairs out.

[BigMonty]

That's a big bus !
You can do plenty with that.

[mr mince]

That's a big bus !
You can do plenty with that.

Sadly parking in normal car parks isn't on that list

On the plus side it doesn't feel cramped when fully laden with kids, easier to load them into and taxation class is still bus so it's onlt £165 for 12 months tax

[transitandy]

Nice big bus

[mr mince]

After it's new fan and water pipe I loaded up the bus (7 kids, me, wife and luggage), loaded up the caravan (more luggage) and set off down south.

800 miles of towing up and down some serious hills and a fair bit of running around some proper back roads on top of that it's still in one piece. Not sure of the mpg but I've gone through a full tank of veg, 100 litres I took with me plus another 30 bought from Tesco plus some diesel too. Fairly sure it's outperformed the old Estima and definitely outdone the last bus on fuel.
Never going to win any races but well impressed with reliability it handled everything from flat out running and the uphill drags around the A55 and the lake district to the stop start misery of the M6 around Brum and never missed a beat.

[mr mince]

My nice big bus got me turned away from a campsite I've been at before.

NO TRANSIT VANS near shouted the pr*ck at the desk
After politely explaining that it was a minibus and my idea of an extended people wagon he just abruptly said
NO TRANSITS

I'd have accepted a polite no commercial vehicles but to be near enough shouted at pissed me off no end

Crosslaw caravan site

Ignorant sods

Oh and I think the lift pump has started to play up on my bus, talk about air locks and yep I've done the leak off mod and temporarily done away with the fuel filter housing to see if it makes any difference

[BigMonty]

Dude ! that is astonishing.
I would be onto the local press about that. That has to be some sort of discrimination. Then again with some of the chaps on here worshiping their vans you could get them on racial hatred or something.
Its not like its a big sign written transit.
Im actually mad for you.

[mr mince]

Cheers, had a look around a camping website, the worst ones others have had when phoning/emailing ahead about a Transit have been

"No it makes it look like a building site"

"No commercial vehicles plus we're full too!!" This one's my favourite as the bloke hadn't given any dates when he asked if they would take a Transit van.

Thought about local press (the wife is still raging about it) but to be honest I'm not sure I'm keen on extra attention.