Our New Home

Finally we got the word that our awning and bike rack had been installed and our camper van was ready for collection. We drove away from the dealership like chattering children with a shiny new toy. We rushed home, grabbed some bedclothes and a toilet roll and took off on our first adventure.

Alas, we were only about an hour outside Dublin when the snow started coming down in sheets. I don’t like to think of myself as a lightweight, but there was no way I was sleeping in the van in that weather. Arūnas reluctantly succumbed and instead we headed down to Cahir where we stayed overnight with some friends.

I have been waiting patiently for the rain and snow to stop so that I can take some decent photos of the van. However, as I’m beginning to lose hope that we’ll ever see the sun again, I’ve decided to post the photos from the dealership site. I’ll add some of my own when the weather clears.

I’m still getting my head round the fact that this will be my home for the next few months. Allow me to give you the guided tour…

Our beautiful new camper van. For the techies, it’s a ’98 Mercedes Sprinter 2.9 Diesel with 62k miles. I’m very happy that it’s not white – it doesn’t stand out as much. The awning had not been installed when this picture was taken. It runs from above the sliding door to the end of the side window.

A side angle (for the boys!)

Our shiny new bike rack. We’ve bought the bikes but haven’t had the opportunity to try them on the rack yet.

Our new front door. The little grey door to the right of the entrance houses an external shower with both hot and cold water – very handy if returning with muddy boots or sandy feet.

The cab, complete with panoramic view and swivel seats. We’d have preferred a left-hand drive as most of our driving will be done on the right-hand side of the road. However, Arūnas is comfortable with the right-hand drive. There’s a third seat behind the driver’s seat, not visible in the picture. This seat converts into a single bed.

Moving along towards my favourite area – the kitchen! The long door on the left leads to the “bathroom”. You can see that the door is raised slightly off the floor, like a door on a boat. This is because the whole unit acts as the shower unit, so the raised door prevents the water running out.

The “bathroom”. It really is quite tiny, but very functional. The toilet is fully flushable. The shower is retractable and hand-held. We’ll probably use alternative facilities when they are available, but it’s great that we can get off the beaten track when we want to.

I just love this bright, sunny space for preparing food. I looked at lots of camper vans and few had as much counter space as this. We’ve now removed the microwave to add even more space.

Under the counter are the fridge, a storage press and a press for the gas tank. The fridge can run both off the leisure battery and the gas.

Opposite the counter are the sink and cooker. What looks like a drawer under the hob is actually the grill and oven. The long door to the left of the picture is the wardrobe. Limiting our clothes to what will fit in the wardrobe might be a bit of a challenge!

Quite a sizeable sink for a camper. The hob has two rings plus a long ring to the left that is heated by the grill below. Useful for simmering or keeping food warm.

Our dining room, TV room, office and bedroom. This picture doesn’t do justice to how bright it is down this end. Because of the windows all around and the sunroof above this area is really bright and airy. The bed is actually longer than it looks as there are cavities behind the sofa cushions. Arūnas can lie comfortably across it without touching his head or feet.

Photos courtesy of Carroll & McAuley Motorhomes.