Re: Chuffing lawnmower

Paging petrol-engined mower experts. What goes wrong that causes

> poor, slow running and the belching of grey/black oily smoke for no > apparent reason? > It's a PP mower with a B&S 3.5hp engine.

I think that might answer your question.....

Reply to
The Medway Handyman
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Hi One of the following :- Mower been upside down or too much oil in engine,valve seales gone or worm valve stems,broken oil scraper ring or worn bore. To name but a few mind you the B&S engines were known as the throw away engines in my day.

CJ

Reply to
cj

=2E.. And if the black smoke were assumed to be oily than really being so, too rich a mix caused by a carb problem or clogged air filter.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Oops! Easily done though. Does it seem faster now? I'd love a camper - must get one sometime!

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

I seems to run freer and corner better..well nothing corners worse than a 3 ton camper..except a 3 tom camper with flattish tyres :-) Or a horse box..

I THINK it may be the problem. I hadn't noticed much difference between cruising at 45-50 and 65-70. Whereas on me old Defender, that made a huge difference..which suggested it was some kind of rolling resistance problem, and I'd run it far enough to free off brakes. The other giveaway was the sidewalls staring to crack..I THOUGHT they checked tyre pressures as part of the MOT..

Anyway touch wood, that may make it almost cost competitive with the auto diesel freelander mileage wise.

FWIW I LOVE my camper. Almost as much as I hate caravans. We paid 16k for it in very good nick last year..about 9 years old now, but only 23k on the clock, and really pretty good.

Takes us two and two panting hounds, perfectly.

I reckon the depreciation is sort of a grand a year, and insurance wasn't much - 160 quid - and servicing is minimal on the sort of miles you do, and it costs a grand a WEEK to hire one. So cost effective at a couple of weeks use per year only!

I think the best bit is in heavy traffic, just pull over into a layby, light the stove, draw the curtains, put feet up with a cuppa, and wait till it clears..and you never have to find a loo either..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Yup, I really must get one.

Checklist:

Age: over 40 Dogs: 3 Best thing in the world: Feet up with cuppa

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

Worst thing: emtpying overflowing chemical toilet.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I've often wondered about these and have periodically had a feint dream to get one as a retirement thing and travel the world in it. How is it really different to a caravan though in the living sense? i.e. why do you love the camper and hate caravans?

I can relate to the panting hounds though. Gob all over the windows to clean off.

Reply to
Andy Hall

I imagine it's nice for those not driving to be able to wander about/make tea/lie down/wee etc. How practical any of these are when driving on anything but a straight road I've no idea!

Nose marks on the house windows here. Mainly from the dogs.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

I imagine it's nice for those not driving to be able to wander about/make tea/lie down/wee etc. How practical any of these are when driving on anything but a straight road I've no idea!

Nose marks on the house windows here. Mainly from the dogs.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

Campers are real vehicles, suitable for travelling. They aren't towed, and they can go a bit faster safely, and they are shorter to overtake.

And they don't look like pikeys either.

So they are much kinder on other road users, and probably overall more efficient in terms of mpg. You can indeed put them in smaller spaces. And you can reverse them..I reckon to be a better than average driver, but I have NEVER got the hang of really reversing a trailer neatly and efficiently the way a pro artic driver can..

The one drawback is that if you DO want to stay in one place, you haven't got a car with you..

but if thats your bag, stay at a hotel instead.

OTOH if you just want to pull up at night on the edge of a cliff, the thing will work for a day or so in on its batteries.

In general you wont be going fast in a motorhome though. Most of the ones i have driven are really 60-75mph tops, and you will find yourself driving what amounts to a heavy commercial vehicle, with barkes that aren't that good and which you daren't use for fear of smashing the crockery in the cupboards.

Acceleration will be abysmal: at best you might get to 60mph in a few minutes, at worst you never will at all. You will also find that the speed limits posted on some bends, are in fact, about right if you don't want to wobble and throw cutlery across the thing. Unlike a car where its best to double them.

Hills are OK though these days: I've done Porlock in a camper. Bloody slowly but it got up all rigt.

A typical 4 berth will net you about 26mpg petrol, and 32mpg plus if diesel.

New costs are around the 30-50k mark, but most campers don't get hammered, and many people buy them, get bored and sell them. We found that you couldn't get a sound one for really much less than the 16k we paid. And that has a small leak that needed caulking, some miswired replacement lights, and a blocked shower trap. Nothing to deter a DIYer though.

AS far as living in, (or out of) one, goes, its the same as a caravan when static, pretty much. Less living room as the cab is pretty much useless.

Probably better for touring and the short break, since it takes only about half an hour to turn off the gas, unplug it from the mains (if you hooked up), empty the toilet and fill the water tank, and get off a site.

No, they are fine actually. One lies on the floor looking mournful, and the little 'un jumps on yer lap and puts his paws on the steering wheel..until he gets slung onto SWMBO's lap.

Biggest problem is if you have open windows with the fly screens down. Paws will wreck those in short order.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

dangerous and illegal.

Gas should be turned off before moving..at the bottle.

Loose stuff flies about on bends: if you need to pee or have a coffee or make a sarnie, you stop.

ah..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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