No stopping us now…
18 10 2007The Land Rover has a new timing belt and crankshaft oil seal, Scotland has fully lifted the foot-and-mouth transport restrictions and our first batch of travel biscuits have been baked.
That means we’re almost ready to head south to Lanarkshire at 5.30am on Saturday to collect our new Berkshire sow.
We still have to make a batch of flapjacks, check the trailer over, fry some sausages, check the tyre pressures and fluids on the Land Rover, boil some eggs, load straw, pig feed, water and pig boards into the trailer, throw together a salad, slice and butter loads of bread, check the breakdown and recovery kit, check the camp stove, and pack the fruit and drinks.
I know many people will think “why all the bother, I just get in my car and go”, but even if we weren’t bringing a pig back I’d still make the sure the car was in good order and we had good food to eat for breakfast and lunch before heading of on a 360-370 mile round trip.
But with livestock on board, it’s even more imperative that both the Land Rover and the trailer are thoroughly checked, that both are disinfected before we leave and again on return, that we have food, water and handling equipment to handle any eventuality or delays, and that both we and the pig will be comfortable.
It’s also important to plan the route to ensure we know where we can safely stop to check the pig every two hours or if we need to stop for an emergency. We also need to have alternative routes planned.
Again, a lot of people wouldn’t bother but I firmly believe that you have to make the journey as comfortable, stress free and safe for the animal as possible.
In some ways, the actual journey should be an anti-climax compared to the preparation that will go in to it - although it will take a lot longer than the three hours, 10 minutes that the navigation systems estimate it will take.
Take care and have a safe journey collecting your new pig stoney.
We are down in Fife, should you need to stop for the pig, kids need a wee, or anything… your more than welcome to drop in here.
Townie
It’s just as well that I do my checks before doing a long run. I went out this morning to begin checking over the Land Rover and noticed the clock wasn’t ticking.
I put the key in the ignition and nothing. The battery was as dead as a doornail.
It’s another of those typical Stonehead situations. I knew the battery was due for replacement as it’s been in for five years, but I also knew the timing belt was due for replacement within 8,000 miles.
Timing belt breakage was the more catastrophic scenario of the two potential failures so I had the belt changed this week. And just as well, because the crankshaft oil seal was leaking oil onto the belt so it would have failed sooner, rather than later.
Of course, that inevitably meant that the old battery would fail - it’s a Stonehead thing as regular readers of the blog will know.
I put it on the charger/starter and after two hours had enough charge to start the Land Rover, so I’ve now switched it off again and left the charger on the battery to trickle charge all day and all night.
That should see us started for the trip down to Lanarkshire and back, while I carry the charger/starter in the car plus jumper leads and we’re in the AA so we should be right… I hope.
A new battery will have to wait until next month when I can delay buying myself some new boots again.
a landie wouldnt be the same unless it was seeping oil!!
usually people change the timing belt when replacing a crank seal, not the otherway round - also a good time to replace an ageing waterpump on some vehicles, and timing belt tensioners and pulleys if old
Already done the waterpump (eight months ago). Tensioners and pulleys look okay - for now.
In the last two years it’s had new bushes all round, new shocks, new springs, new steering damper, new heater matrix, new propshaft UJs, new fuel lift pump, electric fan, new high-back rear seats, new seat belts, new cubby box, new sunroof seals, new exhaust (full length), NSR door handle and mechanism, new anti-roll bar links, a heavy duty dog/load guard, new clutch, new wiper switch, new rear light lenses, a new galvanised bumper, and loads of Waxoyl.
But it still looks like an old dog!
We were the same with the Discovery and another 110 we had previously. The people who bought them couldn’t believe the amount of work and parts that had gone into keeping such old vehicles in good fettle - while simultaneously moaning about their Landies let them down. Hmm, that wouldn’t be because they didn’t spend money on maintenance would it? Needless to say, they paid the asking price for ours.
Have a safe trip. Stoney.
Glad to hear you are in the AA. They are excellent in a crisis.
Our RSPCA transit van broke down on the M4 this week (gearbox) right bang in the middle of the evening rush hour, but thankfully it was when we were on the way to pick up the animals from the vet, so it was just the 2 of us who had to hop over the barrier to be safe, and not a shed full of animals !
Actually, it was the police who were the heros of the hour, they arrived in minutes and towed us off the motorway to a safer place until the Green Flag breakdown lorry arrived…. Dave stayed with it whilst another volunteer brought the Animal Centre’s only other van to transport me to the two vets to collect one cat and three dogs.
It always makes sense to do proper preps before a journey, but especially so when animals and kiddies have to be considered.
Oh yes, and GPSs are great, but they can only offer suggestions, they can of course, be wrong… and often are!
Safe journey!