Diary of an Ordinary Van

[Vee4]

All these years of being Ordinary can make you a little crazy ...



but we're still getting the job done. Recently at Birmingham Town Hall, there was Ashley Hutchings' birthday celebration, the difficulty being that the Town Hall is now fully surrounded by pedestrian areas with no vehicle access to the Stage Door (unless you are a VIP and booked in advance). Luckily, it was a bank holiday when the parking meters were inoperative all day so the plan was to find the nearest bay, park up, and hand-carry the equipment. Amplifiers are much lighter than they used to be, utilising Class-D amplifiers and rare-earth magnets for the speakers, so that's not as bad as it sounds (and yes, they do sound good too). I confined my tool kit to a small Xcelite set, a spare 9 volt battery, an LED flashlight and a copy of the (most recently known) running order. I only needed the last two items and I was very popular all evening ..."When am I on?"





We were out of the Zone before midnight (with dashcam footage to prove it) so only one LEZ charge to pay.

[Altransit]

I have an odd aversion to LEZ, ULEZ, parking charges, 20mph zones, and traffic cameras, so I just stay away from city centres these days, but it's good to see that some of these old rockers are still giggin', and even better to see the OV providing the necessary support

[Vee4]

I have an odd aversion to LEZ, ULEZ, parking charges, 20mph zones, and traffic cameras, so I just stay away from city centres these days, but it's good to see that some of these old rockers are still giggin', and even better to see the OV providing the necessary support.

I know what you mean, but the OV has go where the customer goes. Not being based in London now, the ULEZ is just another expense - at least they have an efficient 'autopay' system so I don't have to worry about missing an entry. The TomTom speed and camera alerts help to avoid entanglements with the authorities.

[Vee4]

Another post that was still in the pipeline!

The Ordinary Van has been a regular at Cropredy Festival since 2010, the Mk5 before that, reliably carrying equipment to and from the festival site. The festival was shuttered in 2020 and 2021, as with most festivals because of the Coronavirus pandemic. It has carried on from there, unlike some smaller festivals that did not reopen. One consequence of the hiatus was that the company supplying caravans for the backstage 'dressing rooms' sold most of its stock in order to survive and unless you were a superstar with a cast iron contract rider, the only option was a tent. So much for being Ordinary! As it turned out the tent, although not exactly 'glamping', was a very good alternative and cheaper too, so it is now the annual order. Here we are in 2025 between the tent and a caravan:

[Altransit]

I've lived in Bicester for the last 20 years, and until today, knew nothing of the Fairport Convention Cropredy festival 20 odd miles North of me

Every day truly is another school day

[Vee4]

I've lived in Bicester for the last 20 years, and until today, knew nothing of the Fairport Convention Cropredy festival 20 odd miles North of me Every day truly is another school day

Counting the original garden party in 1976, it could be said that Fairport's Cropredy Convention has been going for 50 years. The band was founded in 1967, so next year will be their 60th anniversary.

Interesting factoid: the original Ordinary Van, the 1969 Mk1 V4, provided transport services for Fairport Convention in the early seventies. Actually, it was far from ordinary:

[Vee4]

I was planning a formal retrospective, up to the end of 2025, but I'm not sure I'll have time. I'll add some factoids as they come to mind.

Interesting Factoids from a Long and Ordinary Life #1 - Fuel


Thanks to Wikipedia for the photo.

1. Total fuel purchase (imperial gallons): 4685 (21300 liters)
2. Total fuel purchase net: GBP 23065
3. Total fuel purchase inc. VAT: GBP 27589
4. VAT rates: 15 to 17.5 to 20%
5. Highest price per liter: 1.969 (July 2022)
6. Lowest price per liter: 0.999 (Jan 2016)
7. Cumulative MPG: 41.43

I don't have exhaustive records for the earlier Transits but, from memory, the petrol (gasoline for our USA readers) vans ran 15 to 20 mpg (well, I was in more of a hurry in those days!) and the Mk5 diesel was in the thirties. The Mk7 TDCi was an obvious improvement, consistently running around 45 mpg on the highway. The TDCi also proved smoother and quieter than its predecessors.

[Vee4]

I was planning a formal retrospective, up to the end of 2025, but I'm not sure I'll have time. I'll add some factoids as they come to mind.

Interesting factoids from a Long and Ordinary Life #2 - What's Old?
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Blazer Blue

When is a banana not a banana?

When it's a TDCi...


So what did survive? Cue Gloria Gaynor ...

In no particular order:

1. The Mk5 ran 270,000 miles with nothing more than routine cam belt and oil changes, eventually falling foul of the first London LEZ. The TDCi lasted well, despite my original concerns about its complexity - things like the dual-mass flywheel, the turbo, the EGR valve and the electronics. It had routine oil changes, a new temperature sensor and reversing light switch, and never left me stranded. I tried to take care of it, in as far as you can from the driver's seat, and there's probably an element of luck, i.e. was it a good day in Turkey? The self-tensioning timing chain took care of itself (what price wet belt?). The TDCi doesn't qualify for ULEZ, but given it's no longer London-based and TFL Auto-Pay, the charge is just another tax.
   ~
2. Cooling system - radiator, pump, hoses, heater, fan, etc. Never even drained.
   ~
3. The entire exhaust system, end to end! This surprised me after previous experience, particularly with the Mk1/2.
   ~
4. The front brake disks! One set of pads, but still the same disks and the same calipers (brake fluid replaced every two years). How many times did I hear: "You'll have to have those changed next time..."
   ~
5. Master hydraulics - servo and ABS (again, brake fluid replaced every two years).
   ~
6. Everything in the cab, including the CD player. Oh, one air vent went floppy.
   ~
7. Heated wing mirrors. Still original, no breakages.
   ~
8. Headlamp units. Lamp changes as necessary, of course. Developed a slight bloom in front of the main beams, not enough to draw MOT comment.
   ~
9. Front coil springs and shock absorber struts, and rear shock absorbers.
   ~
10. Finally - something I should have listed but forgot. Let's see what's left after the next instalment (that's the UK spelling) when there's a list of what didn't survive.

[Vee4]

I was planning a formal retrospective, up to the end of 2025, but I'm not sure I'll have time. I'll add some factoids as they come to mind.

Interesting factoids from a Long and Ordinary Life #3 - What's New?
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Blazer Blue

So what fell by the wayside? Cue Johnny Cash ...



And yes, that is 'The Man in Black', Johnny Cash, in the driver's seat. Using any excuse for some gratuitous Linda Ronstadt footage, here she is on the Johnny Cash Show in 1969. It's not known if Linda rode in the car - it was completed in 1976, by which time she was a mega-star. Still is, in my book.

My 'one piece at a time' in no particular order:

1. Power steering pipework
   
   I always claimed I'd be happy without power steering - never had it before, from the Mk1 LWB through to the Mk5 - but you can get used to it, and I had to own up that it is useful in today's crowded traffic and parking environments. However, my suspicion that it was yet another thing to go wrong proved correct and it did cause me maintenance headaches, the pipework mostly. The rack and pump lasted through.
   
   Wait, you say, what's wrong with this picture? Correct - there is supposed to be a plastic guard to protect the drive belts from wheel-arch splash. The service place (who shall remain nameless) left it off after the latest pipework replacement and I had to go back and hope they hadn't lost it. That was a whole saga which began when a pipe split over one Christmas...
   ~
2. Door locks
   
   Central locking? For me, like power steering, something I could have done without. And like power steering, it was another expensive non-routine maintenance problem. Both cab doors and the side door locks needed replacement. When the side door mechanism was replaced, the service place (who shall remain nameless - see above) replaced the door trim inside out - still annoys me to this day - not paying attention.
   ~
3. Ball joints
   
   Question: how many ball joints on the front of a Mk7 FWD? I counted two but at the second replacement, the service place (who shall remain nameless - see above) invoiced me for three. The refund was somewhat grudgingly given and I never did get my credit note for the VAT. The ball joints don't last forever on today's potholed roads.
   ~
4. Rear brake disks and calipers
   Both discs and NS caliper, and pads, replaced at 154000 miles. I could find no photo for this - I think I was just too busy at the time.
   ~
5. Rear springs
   
   This was an expensive surprise at a routine service. Not uncommon as I now know, but the spring cracks where it curls over the top of the front bush, so depending only on gravity to hold it in place. A new service place this time and they sorted it out for me very quickly.
   ~
6. Radius arms
   
   Replaced at the same time as the rear springs, this is the second time round. That was a routine service and a half but it needed doing and there was no more clunking and rattling. Observant readers will note the shiny-looking clip on the gaiter - when the new tyres were fitted (see below, and yes, we are out of sequence here) the tyre place punctured the gaiter while doing the tracking but I didn't notice until I got home. What can you do? A couple of young lads doing the tyres, no manager in evidence, so I didn't make an issue of it, just booked it in for a replacement.
   ~
7. Rear axle bump stops
   
   When the world was young...
   
   
   Later, it rusted and fell off in my hand. It constituted an MOT failure so welding was needed.
   ~
8. Starter motor
   
   It nearly lasted the course. One dark night, I was parked on a driveway (luckily) and the starter failed to respond. I knew it wasn't the batteries - see below. I did everything you do when a starter doesn't work except hit it with a hammer (list available on request). Called the AA, expecting probably a recovery or a Relay, and I do pay the 'commercial vehicle supplement'. The AA patrol turned up and did everything that I already did, but he did hit the starter with a hammer! I had to laugh. I still have the hammer! Because it was pitch dark, I didn't realise that he had left it on the scuttle. We tow-started the van, which wasn't easy, and I drove carefully home. I always drive carefully, of course.
   ~
9. Tyres
   
   The factory set lasted to 140000 miles. I replaced them, all five, with Michelin AGILIS+. I had AGILIS on the Mk5 and they seemed an excellent tyre (UK spelling, thank you) so I wanted them on the Ordinary Van. The set of tyres is probably worth more than the van now.
   ~
10. Batteries
    
    It has the twin battery option, both under the driver's seat. This is the third set. Although I had them replaced with 'official' batteries, the factory pair seemed to last longer than the replacements. Isn't that always the way?
    ~
11. What is a Transit without rust?
    
    Right side. Annoying this, because you'd expect it more on the left side, but not uncommon in my observation.
    
    
    Side door, rear. Just about got away with it on this common failure point. Helped by regular pressure washing to keep the mud out.
    
    
    Right rear. Just starting to deteriorate.
    
    
    Right side, seam behind cab. This was the first place to rust! It did start shortly before the 8-year 'corrosion protection warranty' expired. You can guess how far I got with with my attempt to claim! The box section behind is a bit crunchy now. Again, you'd expect it more on the left side.
    ~
12. That's all for now folks. I'm off to watch some Linda Ronstadt videos, or maybe some Sierra Ferrell.