When we finally got it, we had a few weeks of running around and getting used to it. The dogs very quickly adapted to their new home on wheels - and I got the feeling they were happy within it. For me, it was nice to drive, and very comfortable - my only gripe, really, was the fuel consumption - but we'll see how we get along with that. And I could see a few issues keeping it clean, but...... we can certainly live with that!
Time came around to go to the annual Hovawart GB show down in Oswestry - a round trip of about 800 miles, and so I got organised for a few nights away, filling the fridge, buying some gas for the cooker, putting in my bedding and so on. I was only taking River and Skara with me, so no problems with space. We were all set to go!
We set off at around 4pm on a Friday afternoon with the intention of getting as far as Tebay services on the M6, and spending a night there before finishing the journey on the Saturday morning.
However, my first night in the van wasn't quite the romantic, cosy affair I had anticipated - cuddled up with the dogs and sleeping soundly for a full night. I had chosen a van which gave me the option of sleeping on flattened down seats, if only travelling with two dogs, or up the top if I had all four of them, and after rolling up at 1030, and choosing a quiet corner to park overnight, I got to work to set ourselves up for the night.
I removed the netting which prevents the dogs going to the front seats, took off the headrests from the passenger seat and the single seat behind it, flattened the two of them down to make the bed. The dogs went out for their last pee, the blinds went up, curtains closed, last visit to the loo, lights on. Our first night in the van! How exciting! We sat down to read for a while, and have a night cap. The dogs were a little puzzled by this accommodation, but they soon settled - as close to me as they could get at one point.
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| It looks huge, here, but it really is only a small van! |
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| Cosy together on the memory foam bed. |
I climbed into my sleeping bag and lay down on the flattened seats and at this point I realised that whoever designed this set-up either had no concept of human anatomy, or they were having a laugh. The dips and rises were in the wrong places and there was no way I could get comfortable on my back. Or my left side. Or my right side. I tried with my head at the other end. Same problem.
After about half an hour, I decided the dogs could have my "bed" and I would have the memory foam dog bed on the floor. So the lights went back on, we all shuffled round and settled back down again. But River couldn't get comfortable on the seats either, and she came down to join me. That made it a little cramped, and my arse was hanging over the doorstep, and getting cold. Turned over - no, that didn't work either. I found something to cover my bum, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't find a comfy position in which to sleep. I began to curse the coffee I had drunk at the beginning of the journey.
In a state of agitation, I decided I would go up top. The lights went back on, the bedding boards put into place, the memory foam was taken out of the dog bed and hoisted up, sleeping bag and pillows thrown up with it, and then the scramble to hoist myself up there.
Now there isn't a huge amount of headroom up there, and with a few bangs to the head, I got back into the sleeping bag, pillows under my head. Sigh.. Now to sleep. But it was at this point I realised the memory foam was showing its age - or maybe it was me. Whatever the reason, there wasn't much cushioning between me and the boards under me. I tossed and turned for quite some time - almost fell asleep a couple of times, but came fully awake each time I moved and was aware of the hardness of the floor.
I gave it a good try, but then decided to come back down again. And I needed a pee. So up came the bed boards, threw down the sleeping bag, the foam topper, and then came down myself. Lights back on again to I could see what I was doing. Opened the side door to go out to pee, only to find a truck load of workmen parked just a few yards away. Eek! Opened up the other side door, to find a little motor car which was very much occupied. I daresay the occupants may not have noticed me streaking by their windows or dancing on their bonnet given their own activity at the time, but modesty dictated a more discreet method of relieving myself.
Once back in, I put the memory foam on top of the seats. Skara loved this, and stretched out in luxury until I shifted her to the end of the "bed". Back into my sleeping bag, and sigh...... but not for long - the peaks and troughs of the seat were still too obvious to my tired body. After much time of shuffling and sighing, accompanied by the dogs complaining about my restlessness I think I might have fallen asleep - only to be rudely awakened by quacking ducks. Now, quacking ducks really do sound as though they are laughing, and for all I know they might have been laughing at me. In the dark, I hadn't realised I had parked near the duckpond
I then had the bright idea of filling in one of the troughs with a cushion of some description, so back out of the sleeping bag, lights back on, rootle about in the cupboards for something to do the job, and then back in the bag. I finally felt comfortable and drifted off into sleep again. Skara was happy curled up at my feet, and River was contented on the floor. Only problem was, by this time I didn't have a huge amount of time in which to sleep before I needed to be up and away.
When the alarm went off, and I got up, I realised it was going to take me forever to tidy up to get shipshape for travelling again! How once person can create so much of a guddle, I will never know. And I couldn't blame the dogs on this occasion.
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| My parents have a van about the same size as this one, although laid out differently. But theirs is tidy.....and I somehow doubt I will ever have my mother's ability to keep everything shipshape! |
We were greeted by a glorious morning of rainbows and rain - the duckpond was right next to where we had parked, indeed the overnight rain had created another pond around the van.
