Europe By Camper - Travelling Europe By Motorhome: Preparation

Our two week mini tour, we're so not ready!

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For two weeks only, EuropeByCamper will be back on the road. Destination still to be confirmed, but our method of getting to Europe on this trip won’t be the conventional one for motorhomers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dover? Tunnel? Nope. We’re going Harwich to the Hook of Holland!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcyQe08QkaxgYJd67yP9zPiGKx4jlVhI4wvcVh5CNhPgEF234Lusz81vIPbUkxI3Tl-CMcMe-23rJUeMiv7oZGoaXu42zl_QRskv37twGVf0Q6VWubLUqAI0o4BT3iGzvgqn89_rrr2Q/s1600/stenna+line+(Medium).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcyQe08QkaxgYJd67yP9zPiGKx4jlVhI4wvcVh5CNhPgEF234Lusz81vIPbUkxI3Tl-CMcMe-23rJUeMiv7oZGoaXu42zl_QRskv37twGVf0Q6VWubLUqAI0o4BT3iGzvgqn89_rrr2Q/s200/stenna+line+(Medium).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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One of the perks of having a travel blog is that on occasions you get approached by third parties who offer their products or services in exchange for a (hopefully favourable) write up. We were approached by Stenna Line earlier in the year who asked us if we’d like to travel on the Harwich to Hook of Holland crossing. This is something we hadn't considered previously, but given our northern location it has clear benefits. Usually, by the time we’ve driven almost 300 miles to Dover, the thought of then driving through France for a further 1-200 miles doesn't really appeal and so we end up sleeping near the terminal in Calais. </div>
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What we think we’ll like about <a href="http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/routes/harwich-holland/" target="_blank">Stenna Line</a> is that we rock up in Harwich at 9pm, hopefully board fairly quickly and then make our way straight to the restaurant. Relax on-board for a few hours, before retiring to our cabin where I am told there is a good chance of there being a Mini Bar, which may or may not add bias to our review! Departing fresh into The Netherlands means we should be ready to tackle 4-500 miles of Germanys finest Autobahns and hopefully arrive at our destination in early evening. It’s all sounding good so far. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfMkQQ8DRGMqFmFM0LXc6urSbI6WdFRi4UgV_IFvsOavhXMK97j866ec2Jxq_jP5mOzEus5JwicDMgvI21htld7r_aB9Nq661zLR4cVdmiwqaPdWYxFZ8gXOrgGBNXQQq-y1QGQXhHks/s1600/cab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfMkQQ8DRGMqFmFM0LXc6urSbI6WdFRi4UgV_IFvsOavhXMK97j866ec2Jxq_jP5mOzEus5JwicDMgvI21htld7r_aB9Nq661zLR4cVdmiwqaPdWYxFZ8gXOrgGBNXQQq-y1QGQXhHks/s200/cab.jpg" width="200" /></a>We’ll be taking with us lots of new things to try, one of those is a collapsible table Argos have sent  us to review from their new camping section and also our Cadac Safari Chef. Phil at <a href="http://www.rhinoinstalls.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rhino Installs</a> was too busy to fit us a Gas BBQ point before we left (although, I did only ask him on Saturday!) and so we’ll be using little gas bottles until we get back. Somehow we've managed to find time to fit our laptop based dashboard dock into the new van and we'll be using a combination of Autoroute 2013 and Garmin nRoute using OpenMaps offline downloads to navigate, plus a GPS tracker for those who worry too much back home. I must do a video about this soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We'll also be posting lots of updates via Instagram, which coupled with its new 15 second video recording could make for some interesting sneek previews between blog posts but you can also catch up with us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EuropeByCamper" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<br />
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The remainder of equipment on test will be some of our own products from <a href="http://www.motorhomewifi.com/" target="_blank">Motorhome WiFi</a> which are in their final testing stages and will be ready to launch upon our return. If we can’t stay connected, nobody can!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Going on holiday when you run your own non-digital business is certainly daunting. We’ve set two dispatch dates on our website and promised ourselves we won’t be glued to our e-mails, but instead ‘check-in’ to them every day or so. Only time will tell how customers react to this but hopefully they’ll understand that we all need a break sometimes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We get back and then head straight off to the <a href="http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Shows/The-Western-Motorhome-Show/_sh6" target="_blank">Malvern Motorhome Show</a> which is promising to be a good one if last year is anything to go by. If you've not been to such an event before, I’d recommend going as this one is by far the most fun and there is bound to be <a href="http://www.jacksonscamping.com/caravan-and-motorhome-spare-parts/c618" target="_blank">lots of motorhome accessories and parts</a> on offer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Its all a bit of a blur at the moment and I don't mind saying that we're not really looking forward to it at the moment, but I'm sure once we hit the road everything will fall into place. Watch this space!</div>
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Our two week mini tour, we're so not ready!

For two weeks only, EuropeByCamper will be back on the road. Destination still to be confirmed, but our method of getting to Europe on thi...

Dashboard Mounted Laptop / GPS

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Our dashboard mounted laptop is one of the things that has really revolutionised how we navigate and plan our journeys. We have been using a laptop alongside our TomTom since our very first tour in 2008 and has in the past been balanced precariously on the dashboard or on the passengers knee and we wanted to find a better way of mounting it securely but also being able to quickly remove it without plugging in an endless array of cables.<br />
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The solution presented itself in the form of a cheap laptop manufactured by Dell and aimed at the corporate market. As such it is available with a huge selection of accessories such as docking stations, extended batteries, 12v power packs and so forth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k_poPKfXCbZ4Vbk8zwTdZzBhCGHkhvr-tDqoq2ABpOwYfCSRVZDFHNkPAFQkbgSPGC_ciG-h-3Qze270cmTIVoQgzZx5zAkGc134594J0B-10UXNmzroFGsJ909R3JHsSEXNPiJ9AZE/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k_poPKfXCbZ4Vbk8zwTdZzBhCGHkhvr-tDqoq2ABpOwYfCSRVZDFHNkPAFQkbgSPGC_ciG-h-3Qze270cmTIVoQgzZx5zAkGc134594J0B-10UXNmzroFGsJ909R3JHsSEXNPiJ9AZE/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view form the Drivers Seat - the screen isn't visable so no distractions<br />
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Our setup comprises of:<br />
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<li>A Dell PRO1X Dock (£10 off eBay)</li>
<li>A 4.62A 12v Power Adapter to power the Dock & Laptop (£7 off eBay)</li>
<li>Dell D430 12" Ultra Portable Laptop, Dual Core Centrino; 1.2Ghz, 2GB Ram & 64GB SSD. (£125 eBay)</li>
<li>A Holux 510 USB GPS Receiver (£15 eBay)</li>
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The Dell D430 really does make this installation for a number of reasons. Firstly the 64GB SSD (Solid State Drive) means that the laptops internal drive is not subjected to the rough roads which would probably make it fail in a short space of time. It is available with 2 different batteries and should your power supply fail or is wired into the ignition it will continue to power both the laptop and the dock without an external source once booted.<br />
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Despite being a fairly old machine it cost around £2,000 in 2007 but owing to the fact so many were sold it has really hammered down the second hand price to around £100. There are various options available but I would try and get hold of a 1.2Ghz Dual Core model which has a 2Mb cache which really makes the difference in terms of speed, also try and find a version with XP rather then bloated Windows Vista. They all come with Bluetooth for connection to a mobile phone and some are available with built in 3G data cards.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Docking Station Fixed to the Dash<br />
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In our 2007 Fiat Ducato we don't have a passenger airbag which makes mounting the laptop easier, the dock was simply fitted to a wooden base which was cut to shape the infill and then screwed into place with two self tapping screws. In 8 months and 17,000 miles it hasn't moved an inch!<br />
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Once placed on the dock the laptop automatically charges while connecting to the USB devices; the GPS antenna, the roof mounted wifi antenna and the USB 3G dongle. It can, if you wish, also connect to your vans headunit to play music or the speak directions through the cab speakers if you wish. No manual connection of cables is required and the dock holds the laptop so securely that it is impossible to come off and the keyboard and mouse are very usable in situe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Passenger Seat running Map Point (to be replaced by Autoroute 2010)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Click Photo to Enlarge</b></span></span></td></tr>
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The laptop then fixes to the dock and is sturdy enough not to wobble and easily sturdy enough to use the mouse or keyboard without worrying about breaking anything - the dock really does clip into place well.</div>
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You'll also notice the location of the TomTom in the pictures, sat on top of the removable cup ash tray. I hate wires (the ones you see for the laptop will be re-routed soon) so I stuck a TomTom adhesive dashboard pad to the top of the holder and cut two very small holes at the back and the front of the wire so all the excess cable is hidden away and the TomTom plugs into the cig lighter. It is much easier to access from the passenger seat without heaving to reach forward to the Windscreen or the paperwork clip!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TomTom Mount<br />
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Dashboard Mounted Laptop / GPS

Our dashboard mounted laptop is one of the things that has really revolutionised how we navigate and plan our journeys. We have been using ...

Motorhome Adhesive LED Lighting Strips

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I've been experimenting with LED light strips from eBay, these are about £6 for 1m lengths, with great success.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHiqhG8vXfZjnyQTYX-hXVB2g5GzNzLfjpsfasspMZyOYAtw4PvAnDDse87YyZyzpuN7NunIsmnOzjnVai-tiVPZ89vx_auwVna-5yIvgNeHryvuWBUahT8hJgj_uVhmgWFsR8MaT9s8/s1600/led1+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHiqhG8vXfZjnyQTYX-hXVB2g5GzNzLfjpsfasspMZyOYAtw4PvAnDDse87YyZyzpuN7NunIsmnOzjnVai-tiVPZ89vx_auwVna-5yIvgNeHryvuWBUahT8hJgj_uVhmgWFsR8MaT9s8/s200/led1+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The problem in our van is there are lots of dark spots as the factory fitted roof mounted LED's aren't that bright as they use the older style diode LED's. These were no doubt cutting edge when the van was designed in 2006 but are nothing in comparison to the 12v halogen units they were meant to be replacing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixckLf-rqiozUaCR7vOnoWEmwlUfRHcGhh7bBDoRbGF4UIDV_hXlaGMj4MqnmuZZz9vFpLZfEh60POJ8LbvafJRF_3MzEBk4zSeqUyPf_jYlbsP7jXxm6Vxy0-n8v3lkrNeC_yMjvcHSU/s1600/IMG_1621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixckLf-rqiozUaCR7vOnoWEmwlUfRHcGhh7bBDoRbGF4UIDV_hXlaGMj4MqnmuZZz9vFpLZfEh60POJ8LbvafJRF_3MzEBk4zSeqUyPf_jYlbsP7jXxm6Vxy0-n8v3lkrNeC_yMjvcHSU/s320/IMG_1621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've also gone down the route of replacing some of the spot lights / bathroom lights with the latest 5050 type SMD G4 (two pin) LED's. They do the job and are super bright but again don't match up to the sort of lighting effect I wanted to create in our van. They are very cheap though, at about £1 a bulb straight from China!<br />
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So I started looking at LED strips for sale on eBay. The LED strips have come about because of the SMD (surface mounted) LED's which are forming to basis for LED technology moving forward.<br />
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When buying an LED strip you need to consider three variables:<br />
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<b>1.) Brightness</b><br />
 There are three main types, so it would seem, 1210, 3258 and 5050. These figures as far as I can tell are the size and brighness of the LED's - a 3258 LED is 6 lumen whereas a 5050 LED is 18 lumen so considerably brighter.<br />
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<b>2.) Colour Temperature </b><br />
The main two colour temperature's you will find are described as "warm white" which is found at around 3000 kelvin right the way to cool white usually found somewhere around 4000 kelvin. "Daylight" is actually found nearer 6000 kelvin. However, halogen bulbs are much closer to the "warm white" level of the colour spectrum  so it is likely that this colour temperature will appeal the most.<br />
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<b>3.)</b> <b>Waterproof</b><br />
You can also purchase these LED strips which have a waterproof covering, these are ideal if you want to use them on the outside of your van such as an awning light. They are so thin you could easily run them down the inside of your Fiamma awning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKFQIOGMQvx6ygxQJTSSp3ju2kwOfVDRydjxIpwpP7zIXA3uPYMP7Btn_tR83Hp8Cow7EFAwZJBgMPZCXioRseGPVHk8q4rvBj9EkQIcZAbvqotofam8t1_cpYo4a_xRwQD8DveqaYWg/s1600/IMG_1605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKFQIOGMQvx6ygxQJTSSp3ju2kwOfVDRydjxIpwpP7zIXA3uPYMP7Btn_tR83Hp8Cow7EFAwZJBgMPZCXioRseGPVHk8q4rvBj9EkQIcZAbvqotofam8t1_cpYo4a_xRwQD8DveqaYWg/s320/IMG_1605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
 The picture to the left shows two different LED strips. It's actually pretty hard to photograph them, they are so bright. The strip on the left is a 'Warm White' 1210 strip and the one on the right is a 'Cool White' 5050 strip which is considerably brighter - although it doesn't show that well on the photo. In fact, to see how bright they are just see what they look like compared to my van's headlights - no way could you use them as daylight running lamps! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xDIqD2YbIqWuQdPXLtheh42Kw1CPs7UO6JDHu6w9BamXbwCgH62PqUfcuAUdaJUBHiM5pS1jJBP63UrGXUUGupAVrIi1OweyIG8_r7VGk1LoxjM5MJsW2-kVJhb7h3DFrPi6h-cyVeU/s1600/IMG00173-20110129-1846.jpg">Click here for photo</a><br />
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 The beauty of these strips is that you don't need any additional hardware to fit them, they are self adhesive so can just be pealed off and stuck. They can but cut with a pair of scissors at 3 LED intervals and rejoined or re soldered with connections for a few pence from eBay - great if you want a continuous loop around the van under cabinates, for example.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFYUQhGo6UpyJl-fKvNYwrpIt4lgdmdJ4Uc1D1oHnDu1mJFj3wNnyzo9tG6TsEfWrjZrha716qjZPT0qg3Kj0mxhN60IUQx5J4b-iNqKdzV4787vpJg24SxwekP06T4kQvp4FSxXUZlA/s1600/yhst-6418191912140_1791_7438761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFYUQhGo6UpyJl-fKvNYwrpIt4lgdmdJ4Uc1D1oHnDu1mJFj3wNnyzo9tG6TsEfWrjZrha716qjZPT0qg3Kj0mxhN60IUQx5J4b-iNqKdzV4787vpJg24SxwekP06T4kQvp4FSxXUZlA/s200/yhst-6418191912140_1791_7438761.jpg" width="200" /></a>One word of warning, however. The LED's must be fitted in a location where you can't catch the light straight on - such as behind a rail or under a work surface or similar. They are so incredibly bright and if you stared into one for too long I have no doubt you might damage your sight!<br />
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I've fitted them in three locations in my van - controlled by a very simple 12v flick switch - the same as what Adria uses for it's down lighters. The switch is available with or without an LED tell tale light.<br />
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Now I've used these in my van hooked up direct to the 12v power source which, on mains hookup, runs at about 13.5v without issue. However, you may want to fit an inexpensive voltage regulator into the circuit - I have added one of these to the link section below.<br />
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<b>The Cab</b><br />
It strikes me as a bit odd that Adria didn't put any lights in the cab, since the main seating area in the Twin are the two cab seats where it's impossible to read as standard. The LED strip fits perfectly behind the join between habitation and cab area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFfauqmprjmkl3wyB-7icIEgHr4a0jcTArLEStLxnxdQa7vmZWALGtqI3hYW01fv51sCj8SJOdihC7XYIoyCX9j2fmmEVmRma1bskyOyb-nCZPA67IE6m_hljA2WJw4C0QsTW7R20Gzw/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFfauqmprjmkl3wyB-7icIEgHr4a0jcTArLEStLxnxdQa7vmZWALGtqI3hYW01fv51sCj8SJOdihC7XYIoyCX9j2fmmEVmRma1bskyOyb-nCZPA67IE6m_hljA2WJw4C0QsTW7R20Gzw/s200/IMG_1583.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnwWn_JqRIYfSe8C0CztuPSvcwIp0-iKY8KHFAtEEs4zv9Hs-UEQaO3rqD180knI5tVeYvkWRYSFMkmTKn_ZatYbPq_68cciUDqNdGSSH5I5GxgpD_vhtxkUfnNBUcwDv0LIjse7Im4M/s1600/IMG_1582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnwWn_JqRIYfSe8C0CztuPSvcwIp0-iKY8KHFAtEEs4zv9Hs-UEQaO3rqD180knI5tVeYvkWRYSFMkmTKn_ZatYbPq_68cciUDqNdGSSH5I5GxgpD_vhtxkUfnNBUcwDv0LIjse7Im4M/s200/IMG_1582.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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 <b>Under The Interior Step</b><br />
The switch for this light is located near the door, so you can see what you're doing to take your shoes off and also give some welcome light into what was a dingy dark area near the sliding door.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJnLzw8my-82PptHJEypgdvJeZIwKuiEH-92B3lPAkWDRxE8bYp3Hd4GShsOuamf_C-gy1MXXUEGr2d2o0U1OkaDNI1Le4JFLMiYU19fkIWA_9CduV3g00On8L2pvuODgraEY5NNYsEE/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJnLzw8my-82PptHJEypgdvJeZIwKuiEH-92B3lPAkWDRxE8bYp3Hd4GShsOuamf_C-gy1MXXUEGr2d2o0U1OkaDNI1Le4JFLMiYU19fkIWA_9CduV3g00On8L2pvuODgraEY5NNYsEE/s200/IMG_1589.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsOL6MxGuQRDlHd727-nlTQRXE8o71YEfsB3oLTzqEfyodLYNY8x5ltsAyzlESrc9qiccBieNPRiqORAEFiEij9Xl9Z4eqh2-vgdysfGWr39GxsJgkLKscTu2b6SNFSQq7yIrHc415DE/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsOL6MxGuQRDlHd727-nlTQRXE8o71YEfsB3oLTzqEfyodLYNY8x5ltsAyzlESrc9qiccBieNPRiqORAEFiEij9Xl9Z4eqh2-vgdysfGWr39GxsJgkLKscTu2b6SNFSQq7yIrHc415DE/s200/IMG_1594.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<b>Under the Fixed Bed</b><br />
This was a really dark spot, especially when stood in that area, the strip really helps to bring a sense of warmth into the van.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoqY9DQZzkPR-4dr7e7tFWUraXQVPrnnU6NVTYPGARW_j1_3qMNRqVoF9tVISee0hkUevVJ0TZkwPG8b5ixdJ38BJ6VNe8RMLZECUKTzM4iI7Nmx2tKbn0BeMd0oT2_Uh87Nwcaqtu5Y/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoqY9DQZzkPR-4dr7e7tFWUraXQVPrnnU6NVTYPGARW_j1_3qMNRqVoF9tVISee0hkUevVJ0TZkwPG8b5ixdJ38BJ6VNe8RMLZECUKTzM4iI7Nmx2tKbn0BeMd0oT2_Uh87Nwcaqtu5Y/s320/IMG_1608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Something a bit special...</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjq7Hsa0NGVn_Ac4wmB4k-kmp6MNUNrmTqshK73ri0BrawsEk4_ijoHnyLhKZM-WW0xDZj5HhHuwJ0WlwJvt2225_rH-iQmNgkb5WANL8SaaDRb2N0OadF3_7B-Yt6vjk-MooybHJvoQ/s1600/00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjq7Hsa0NGVn_Ac4wmB4k-kmp6MNUNrmTqshK73ri0BrawsEk4_ijoHnyLhKZM-WW0xDZj5HhHuwJ0WlwJvt2225_rH-iQmNgkb5WANL8SaaDRb2N0OadF3_7B-Yt6vjk-MooybHJvoQ/s200/00.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I couldn't resist but order for £10 delivered some remote controlled, colour changing LED from China for in the bed area! It's not arrived yet, but when it does I'll update this entry! <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320592738434">Link to Product on eBay</a><br />
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<b>Links to Products</b><br />
LED Light Depot on eBay have given me unbeatable service on their 1m 3258 LED strips - delivered within 48hrs on the two orders I've placed with them. Their 1m strips are £6.75 delivered and 2m strips are £12.99 delivered and come with wires already attached. Additional hardware is only required for cutting and rejoining them should you wish to do so:<br />
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<a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/led_lights_depot/m.html?_nkw=strip">http://shop.ebay.co.uk/led_lights_depot/m.html?_nkw=strip</a><br />
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Voltage Regulator:<br />
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170601476229">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170601476229</a><br />
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Motorhome Adhesive LED Lighting Strips

I've been experimenting with LED light strips from eBay, these are about £6 for 1m lengths, with great success. The problem in our ...

New Year - New Van, New Blog, New Trip!

So, I've been meaning to start writing some actual content for this blog for a long while but unfortunately paying work usually comes first and thus this has taken a back seat until now!<br />
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We're in the progress of planning a new trip from April 2011 for an epic 12 months plus taking in all of the European countries we've not yet visited and as far east as we dare go this time around. There is a lot of planning to do, books to read and stuff to buy but we have plenty of time (I hope!).<br />
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We were also thinking of buying a new van for the journey to replace our Adria Twin, a Globecar 599DB. We have until the 4th of January to make a decision on that (when the VAT goes up to 20%) so watch this space! We would be importing it from Germany and I've written a guide to importing to go on this blog at a later stage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U1P8_rOWU_RU-PLDDm4Go1m_VStB-N35r_eWkR2kz1QgPELt6tnY41yWD52dtHZBhoPDCIHphLP3TXU_lAEWjq6kkXf8A6PNXgBlGZFKrVNygfcKkbu9L4WHt4bqyxMQxbbWRzCCgVM/s1600/adria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2U1P8_rOWU_RU-PLDDm4Go1m_VStB-N35r_eWkR2kz1QgPELt6tnY41yWD52dtHZBhoPDCIHphLP3TXU_lAEWjq6kkXf8A6PNXgBlGZFKrVNygfcKkbu9L4WHt4bqyxMQxbbWRzCCgVM/s320/adria.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Adria Twin on it's first outing to the Peak District</td></tr>
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Add us on Facebook to keep upto date with the latest developments and we'll update this blog as often as we can with new content and progressions!

New Year - New Van, New Blog, New Trip!

So, I've been meaning to start writing some actual content for this blog for a long while but unfortunately paying work usually comes fi...

Here we go again!

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxyKZfybonlIamLY7UqfTe21EecJqrD5nYaCeDKbdFEP1Gdgu7J9jQyLwNKAaj3WqUzQm_JwZOejIFvJPg0EB5e8ZA20gEe2vgC4OcgFidYeC5aQS5qprUIqlzKE8Dj4VoMY7pMeK2i8p/s1600-h/map-733413.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373820703218405714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxyKZfybonlIamLY7UqfTe21EecJqrD5nYaCeDKbdFEP1Gdgu7J9jQyLwNKAaj3WqUzQm_JwZOejIFvJPg0EB5e8ZA20gEe2vgC4OcgFidYeC5aQS5qprUIqlzKE8Dj4VoMY7pMeK2i8p/s320/map-733413.png" /></a></div>
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So the adventure starts again. Last year Sophie and I gave up our jobs and went travelling around Europe. This year we’re going to try and cram in as much as we can into 18 days. In a CI 694 camper van we will be making a bee-line for Prague and then as many other places as we can fit in along the way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first days or two will be made up by travelling but once we get over to Prague the rest of the places aren’t far away. We have a comprehensive itinerary due to the tight timescales, something we didn’t have on our last trip. I’m not going to post that here though, where is the fun in that!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once we return, I will develop europebycamper.com to provide information on travelling Europe in a camper van – without bias towards a particular book or camper rental as seems to be the case with most of the other sites out there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here we go again!

So the adventure starts again. Last year Sophie and I gave up our jobs and went travelling around Europe. This year we’re going to try...

Our two week mini tour, we're so not ready!

Dashboard Mounted Laptop / GPS

Motorhome Adhesive LED Lighting Strips

New Year - New Van, New Blog, New Trip!

Here we go again!

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