Home away from home

Over the years we have added a few changes to our touring caravan here, which one does of course.   Makes it more like home.  And we all like our home comforts, even on holiday.    

Walter has had a few jobs on his list this year.   We cannot have him sitting around reading all day.  Encourages laziness.

One job was to purchase a new tap for the sink, and install it, which was no easy task.   This involved Walter lying on the floor with head and shoulders in the cupboard under the sink.   I took a photograph of him in this position but decided, in the best interests of our marriage, that I should not publish it on this blog.  

When we bought the caravan, the pump was immersed in a small container in the bathroom.  The container held about five litres of water.   Totally inadequate for two taps.   So Walter, in a very practical and creative moment, bought a large plastic box, with lid, and installed it under the seat.   He drilled a hole through the plastic and then through the wall into the bathroom, in order to attach the pump to the pipe work in the bathroom. So now we have a water tank which holds about 30 litres of water.   We have been using this tank for eight years without any problems.   Well done Walter. 

When we bought the caravan we noticed that the waste pipe outlet was behind the wheels on the door/annex side of the caravan.   When we commented on this, we received a Gallic shrug, and a  'French people just let their waste water run onto the ground', answer.  Next to the annex!  

So after a couple of years crawling under the back of the caravan to place a waste water container under the outlet, we paid to have the pipe and outlet moved to the other side of the caravan.   But even then the caravan repair man still did not take it to the edge of the caravan, but at least we can fit a flat container under the caravan easily, and if it spills over, it does not run out into the annex.   The piece of orange tape hanging from the pipe, marks the spot so I can line up the container.

Looks comfortable?   Well it is not, except if you are a light weight child.   Once there used to be a traditional bench type arrangement here, but the previous owners wanted something a bit more plush.  The problem is that they used cheap foam, which compresses under one's bottom.   No support at all.   Looks good though.

The caravan came without fly screens on the door or windows, so for a few years we had to close all windows at night, in order to keep the mosquitoes out.   But no more.    We bought this door screen in a cheap shop in Australia.     Magnets hold the screen together.   No gaps at all.   Very clever.

And I hand sewed net curtains, due to not having a sewing machine down here, in order to cover all the windows.   Perfect.

And of course we cannot resist making at least one trip to Ikea, in order to purchase some little gadget or item!   Spotlights, small dish rack, rubbish bin, glasses and the list goes on.  And now of course a mattress topper and new mattress.    

Home away from home.