Tonks Gets Some TLC

Tonks the T5 takes a trip to Derby for a rather overdue habitation service

- Anne Rogers

Time passes when you’re having fun, so while I thought only a couple of years had passed since her last checks, it turned out that an incredible three years had passed since Tonks the T5 had last had some habitation TLC. Any van which earns its keep will inevitably get a few battle scars and show some wear and tear. Although VW gas systems are usually simple I think it makes good sense to have the fittings safety tested regularly (slightly more often than every three years..!) The same applies to the electrics, since I have no skills in that area beyond the very basics.

Although Tonks’ conversion is solid and well built, there were one or two things which needed attention. This included the very irritating Velcro fitting which ‘secures’ the cover hiding the clamps on the SCA 194 roof. This van-width strip had been replaced during the previous habitation service, but once more was looking messy and migrating away from the bed base edge. Really, a roof costing thousands of pounds shouldn’t have Velcro finishings in my view. Presumably SCA now think so too as at the NEC last February I’d noticed that the newer SCAs had neat press stud fixings instead of the Velcro. When I booked the appointment, I arranged for the Velcro to be removed altogether this time and replaced with the poppers. Other ‘wear and tear’ items showing signs of distress were the edging strips along the edge of the rather neat half barrel fridge door cover, which had started to come adrift.