Engin is the type of human we need in this crazy world. You couldn't even begin to imagine that type of hospitality here in the UK. I dunno if he's just one in a million or a great example of the Turkish people as a whole but I definitely want to go!
Honestly I think he is just a hero but can also vouch for all the other Turkish people we have met that they are all amazing and kindness is shared everywhere you go. Even the manager at the hotel upgraded our room for free to help ease the pain a bit 🥳🧡 It is such a shame that people in the UK don't extend the same hospitality, it's not built in our culture the same way but we know for sure that we won't be turning a blind eye in future if we think we can help someone.
This is a brilliant demonstration of how the Turkish people are. 5 Months in Turkey now for us. We have been Welcomed, Helped, Fed, Watered and Supplied with endless gifts of Çay (Turkish tea) Oranges, Lemons, Pomegranates, Cakes and so much more.. It is in their nature and culture to help and provide hospitality. We love Turkey!! We love the people. Drive safe guys. Ant & Cid.
5 months! I'm jealous, we wish we could stay that long! You are so right, the Turkish are so hospitable. We can't believe how lovely they are and they keep surprising us. Hope you're enjoying your travels guys!
I've been to Turkey 🇹🇷 so many times, and find the people absolutely loverly. If I had a choice to move anywhere in the world, it would most definitely be Turkey 🇹🇷 👍😎👍🇬🇧 m-E-m
Engin has to be a guardian angel, what were the chances of being in a foreign country, breaking down without cover and having him stop to help. I know it was expense you didn't need but it could of been a lot worse should that Greece clutch repair had not been done properly and ended up having to be replaced... again!. Here's to trouble free motoring across Turkey. Take care x
The kindness of strangers is always the highlight of my travels. When I think of places I have visited it is those people who first come to mind. We are all Jock Tamson's bairns.
You're absolutely right! The people we meet along the way leave such an impression on us ☺️ it makes the journey so special. I had to look up the Jock Tamson reference and I love it, we are all the same!
Glad to see you got the van fixed what remarkable people you met that got you back on the road again such kindness ,Wishing you a less stressful time on your future adventures
He is now a living legend! We'd probably still be stuck on the side of the road without him! There are some absolute gems out there. Hope you're doing well 🧡
You guys have such a great attitude inspite of challenges and you meet some lovely people,with warm hearts,Engen is one of them,your smiles and laughs are infectious. Good to watch your journey. Hope all goes well with no more repairs needed.😊
Thank you for your lovely comment Lisa! We tried to keep smiling throughout and stay positive. At the end of the day when things go wrong you have to trust and lean on others and keep fingers crossed that it all works out. In this case it did which is all we can ask for!
Merhaba, (Hello guys) From London. I am following John & Mandy. then began to follow you. Sorry for that incident. But, some life experiences like this. Life is equal; Like women and men. Toll and short. Sweet and Chelle, Day and night Good and bad. Merry Christmas, be happy all. Hoşgeldiniz.
Thanks for the well wishes Steve! It really was a bad start to our Turkish adventure but hey ho, these things happen and are sent to test us. We came out the other side smiling having learned a lot and made memories we will never forget 😁
We've learned so much from being on the road 2 years and you learn to just surrender to the situation and have to trust strangers and hope for the best. You learn a lot about yourself and about the van when things go wrong!
How scary did your van look on that tow truck! Wtf! Then it had to go on it a 2nd time!!! Have you weighed your van recently? I would have been in bits with the stress of it all!! Wow, restores your faith in human kindness! What a lovely bunch of genuine kind people, especially Engin and fab support from John & Mandy too. Well done all!
Thanks for the lovely comment! It was the scariest moment in our whole vanlife journey so far. Seeing her wobbling around on that rickety truck, the front wheels off the floor and smoke coming out of the tow trucks exhaust going uphill. But thankfully the next day they bought a slightly bigger truck and it was a much shorter journey!
Hi Both.. So glad you got it fixed.. and that work in the uk would have cost you more than double.. Thank heavens you had the gadgets with you.. you could not have broken down with nicer people.. Stay Safe and enjoy trouble free trip from now on..
Oh us too! It was quite worrying but we realised there was very little we could actually do and we have to fully surrender to the situation, put our trust in strangers (which as British is not in our nature as you know!) And it all turned out ok in the end! Fingers crossed that's enough garage visits for this trip!
It really does help lift your heart when you realise that the world is home to wonderful folk. The propshaft on our Sprinter ((Herman) started to fail whilst driving down through France. We came upon a terrific garage in Caceres, Spain. Just a regular independent car garage and they got us sorted really quickly.....and for, imo, a very reasonable cost. Good luck on your travels and Sprinters rock!!! 👍
Ah Ciaran that sucks but at least you got it sorted and sounds like you found a fantastic garage to help you out! 🥳 It teaches you so many lessons too!
Thank you! I think having John and Mandy there helped keep us calm plus having the experience in Greece before helped us get through it. Still massively worrying though, let's hope those worries are behind us! 🧡
New to your channel via J&M, I drive a Merc313MWB also 2012 so I'm happy to see that our babies can be fixed OK by the locals. Looking forward to your adventures as I like your style of bvloging X Happy New Year X
Cheers guys! We wanted the video to reflect our reality of the situation and all the unknowns and ups and downs. But we came out the other side still smiling and that's what is important!
Wow! What a week 😬.... so relieved to see you back on the road AGAIN 🙄😁. I'd like to know: Did you give the hotel a colour brief? I see they were very accommodating in the bathroom with the sinks! 😄 Akyaka looks just perfect to watch the sun go down .... safe travels guys - make sure you keep briefing DeeDee! 😉☺️
Haha the hotel was so on brand which made us very happy 😁 some have even suggested we broke down on purpose so we could stay in the orange themed hotel 🤣 I promise we didn't! We will keep giving her pep talks for sure!
Hi Just to let you know the the parts you were referring to OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer and then the other type is the after market manufacturers which are comparable but not to the same standard. Just started to watch you have fun on your adventures you have excellent guides in John and Mandy.
Don't you have all the luck, are you going back to the Greek garage for some compensation? That said, glad you had a great experience with such a nice family and the help you received, it makes you realise that there are nice people out there, in every country.
Ha don't we just, we're hoping that's it for a while! Yeah we're planning on phoning them but the language barrier is daunting. When we do we'll update everyone. They were brilliant, so humbled by it all. Hope you're doing well 🧡
Cheers! Yes we're glad to be back on our journey around Turkey, safe and sound ✌️ we hoped going to a Mercedes dealership would mean getting Mercedes parts but apparently not!
Hari OM Bugger... had that happened before you left Greece would they have covered reinspection on a works warranty? Given it is Mercedes, is there a chance you could write central office explaining what has happened (and you have the vids to back it up), there might be some reimbursement? Anyway, deep breaths... I too was so pleased you had J&M to steady the ship and praise whatever power you wish for the sending of the angel that is Engin!!! Worth learning a few sentences of Turkish for your new friend, I'd say. What a superstar. Right-oh, on you go! YAM xx
We did think about that Yam but because we're no longer in the country for the same mechanics to reinspect it, I think it's just one of those things we have to swallow. The slave cylinder wasn't changed by the Greek garage so they may not have seen a problem with it and perhaps it's just coincidence that it's now failed soon after. Really no way of knowing for sure if the two are related. We are so grateful for Engin and everything he did for us. He really was an angel 😇 and J&M were our rocks throughout. We were lucky to have them all with us during a stressful time!
ugh.. thats life, huh? van-life just adds a bit more challenges. So glad all is well and that you got to experience the kindness of people. Honestly, thats what its all about right? (oh, that and the unexpected expenses!). May I ask where in Turkey you were at this point?.. I feel that the Turkish people are among the kindest and most gracious I have met on my travels. I'm looking forward to your ongoing travels and experiences. Happy Travels!
Absolutely Kathi! It is all part of the adventure and the responsibility we take on by living this life. Vans are machines that break down from time to time (fingers crossed that's our last one for a while!) We were near Canakkale in the North of Turkey when we broke down which turned out to be a good place to be with all the people we met and the help we received! Now back to the journey!
Hi just found your TH-cam I follow john& Mandy great couple,looks like you have been unlucky with your clutch ,I’m afraid you was done a little the release bearing did not need replacing just the slave cylinder was leaking so no pressure to the clutch never mind hay I will be following you as from now on I will go back to some of you older blogs to catch up ,till next time take care keep safe,john 😷🥂👀🌟🤷♂️🤷♀️🦮🤔🥸😎
Crikey deedee looked precarious on that truck 😳. What a legend Engin is. The spreadsheet price is not ideal; fingers crossed it’s plain sailing from now on both x
She was way to big and heavy for the truck! The wheels off the floor at the front was an obvious sign of that but we had no choice but to cross our fingers 🤞
all I can say is nothing has changed in all those years, Turks are a remarkable race. You wouldn’t believe the memories you have stirred in my old brain. Kia kaha, stay safe xx
Val Path thank you for saying good things about Turkish people. hope u can visit again Turkey. now dolar and euro very expensive in Turkey best time for visiting.
So if I understood correctly the culprit was a non mercedes part swapped out by the Greek garage. I believe that was a Mercedes dealership. I thought they were mandated to use Mercedes parts.
So we asked the Turkish Mercedes garage if the Greek one was registered and they couldn't check. When we've looked at the invoice again, the title of the business doesn't say Mercedes 😂 so we think the garage is just connected to the Mercedes dealership 😳. We're going to ring them to find out but if they aren't Mercedes then we can't do much. Bit of a mad experience when you write it all down like that! Hope you're doing well 🧡
We use AA for European breakdown and they have always been great when we have ever had a problem in the passed (we broke down in France last year). But because we'd crossed into Turkey the cover obviously doesn't apply anymore 🤣 typical that it would happen just after we'd crossed onto the Asian continent!
Hi Guys just flicked over from J and M , just in case you have similar issues in the future please ensure you put a spare wheel or a lump of timber or anything under the chassis in case the jack fails , never trust hydraulics! Remember that what got you in trouble originally. Wishing you good times and Stay safe, Pat
Yeah we tried to be as careful as possible, only jacking it up a little bit, just enough to get under but not so all the weight of one corner was off the floor!
you have restored our faith in humanity , what a nice guy engine was and hats off to john, no messing about there right under the van sorting stuff out , BUT I need to pull you on one small thing , I'm not saying you made this happen but the hotel had orange sinks and come on what hotel has orange sinks , me thinks courtney may have been under the van with a spanner so she could have a few days in said hotel lol {jokes of course} , glad you got sorted and to be fair if that was the UK you could pretty much 5x that price you paid , great video guys I'm now off to look for the paistry in our van , Where could it be
John is the man! Even rolled out the grey carpet for it! That van garage has everything in it! Courts was buzzing when she saw the orange sinks, I think it was the highlight of her week! That does make me question why the spanner we never use had grease all over it.... Yeah we're so lucky that it happened in a country where the pound goes far. Yep engine is now TOP BLOKE number 1! He needs an award. Hope you guys are safe and well! M 🧡
I don’t think the Greek garage did a bad job, they fitted OEM (original equipment manufacturer) clutch parts which is to Mercedes spec. The clutch bearing didn’t fail… they grind noisily when they fail, so I don’t understand why they replaced the clutch bearing again. It was only the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder that broke… you’re quite unlucky that it broke just after having a new clutch. The slave cylinder is most probably under warranty.
No, you're right the Greek garage still did some great work and I think they changed out the clutch bearing before they even looked into the slave cylinder so unfortunately we paid to replace that part that was probably perfectly fine, even if not the best Mercedes quality choice. Annoying that that was the more expensive part too but hey ho! We were just unlucky that the slave cylinder failed shortly after the rest of the clutch had been replaced. It's all part of the adventure and we're grateful that it happened in a way because we learned a lot and met some amazing people 🧡
The reason it cost you that much because you went to actual merc benz garage, like in UK they will cost a lot more than local garages. Local garages probably will charge less but you can't be sure of the part they will use. Also being a foreigner you might be charged a lot more in a local garage. I think the problem with the local garage wasn't they can't fix it, the problem was they wouldn't be able to lift it, otherwise the problem you had was pretty simple to fix. But i think you have done the best you could do in that situation. Also regarding to small truck carrying your big van, as long as it fits it will carry, that's how Turkish people will see it 😅 so health and safety you are used to in UK doesn't quite apply in Turkey 😅
Thanks Burak! Mercedes garages are definitely our first choice - when getting mechanical work done in a different country it always gives us peace of mind to be at a proper dealership. We always expect it to cost a bit more but you make a good point about smaller garages possibly ripping us off as tourists so we'll bare that in mind for future. The truck was pretty scary but I like your theory that if it fits it's fine 🤣
In Turkey most of the things are cheaper compared to the rest of Europe, but the products related with the motor vehicles are not, unfortunately. The reasons are; 1.) They are imported from Europe and local pricing is not applied on these vehicles 2.) Crazy amount of taxation on the motor vehicles in Turkey. In addition as a vegetarian couple you'll have a really hard time in Turkey, I can assure you on this 🤣
Well that explains why the cost wasn't as cheap as we may have expected (purely because everything else in Turkey is so cheap!) But overall the service we got was incredible and the mechanics were amazing at prioritizing us and getting the work done as quickly as possible.
They had you over there. That’s the thing in Turkey some. When you find the right people it’s cheap and sometimes the price is 4 times what it should be.
Engin is the type of human we need in this crazy world. You couldn't even begin to imagine that type of hospitality here in the UK. I dunno if he's just one in a million or a great example of the Turkish people as a whole but I definitely want to go!
Honestly I think he is just a hero but can also vouch for all the other Turkish people we have met that they are all amazing and kindness is shared everywhere you go. Even the manager at the hotel upgraded our room for free to help ease the pain a bit 🥳🧡 It is such a shame that people in the UK don't extend the same hospitality, it's not built in our culture the same way but we know for sure that we won't be turning a blind eye in future if we think we can help someone.
Turkish are so friendly and helpful. They love animals to, that's why they have beautiful hearts 🤍
This is a brilliant demonstration of how the Turkish people are. 5 Months in Turkey now for us. We have been Welcomed, Helped, Fed, Watered and Supplied with endless gifts of Çay (Turkish tea) Oranges, Lemons, Pomegranates, Cakes and so much more.. It is in their nature and culture to help and provide hospitality. We love Turkey!! We love the people. Drive safe guys. Ant & Cid.
5 months! I'm jealous, we wish we could stay that long! You are so right, the Turkish are so hospitable. We can't believe how lovely they are and they keep surprising us. Hope you're enjoying your travels guys!
I've been to Turkey 🇹🇷 so many times, and find the people absolutely loverly.
If I had a choice to move anywhere in the world, it would most definitely be Turkey 🇹🇷
👍😎👍🇬🇧 m-E-m
We feel the same Mark! The people definitely make the place extra special 🧡
Engin abi Allah razı olsun senden iyi adamsın teşekkürler yardım ettiğin için turist arkadaşlara.
Engin really was our hero and even now a week or 2 later he still calls to check in on us and see how our travels are going! Such a kind soul.
Engin has to be a guardian angel, what were the chances of being in a foreign country, breaking down without cover and having him stop to help. I know it was expense you didn't need but it could of been a lot worse should that Greece clutch repair had not been done properly and ended up having to be replaced... again!. Here's to trouble free motoring across Turkey. Take care x
The kindness of strangers is always the highlight of my travels. When I think of places I have visited it is those people who first come to mind. We are all Jock Tamson's bairns.
You're absolutely right! The people we meet along the way leave such an impression on us ☺️ it makes the journey so special. I had to look up the Jock Tamson reference and I love it, we are all the same!
Glad to see you got the van fixed what remarkable people you met that got you back on the road again such kindness ,Wishing you a less stressful time on your future adventures
Cheers Graham! We're hoping the rest of the trip is less stressful too 🤣
What a kind guy Engin is 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Such a gem isn't he! Honestly the sweetest guy
What a nice couple. It is so obvious that they are posh. But they are also very humble.
Thanks very much 😂 wouldn't have considered ourselves posh but we're chuffed with the compliment!!
oh nooooo. 😟 What a kind man Engen is. Hope ye enjoy visiting the rest of Turkey x
Thanks Denise! We definitely plan to make the most of the time we get here! Let the adventure begin!
What a wonderful human being the local chap was !!
He is now a living legend! We'd probably still be stuck on the side of the road without him! There are some absolute gems out there. Hope you're doing well 🧡
I’m up to you getting tea, nothing has changed in Turkey, their kindness and reminds me what a low cost economy is like. Xx
They were honestly all the kindest people and treated us so well in our time of desperation!
You guys have such a great attitude inspite of challenges and you meet some lovely people,with warm hearts,Engen is one of them,your smiles and laughs are infectious. Good to watch your journey. Hope all goes well with no more repairs needed.😊
Thank you for your lovely comment Lisa! We tried to keep smiling throughout and stay positive. At the end of the day when things go wrong you have to trust and lean on others and keep fingers crossed that it all works out. In this case it did which is all we can ask for!
Engin what a legend! 👍❤️
He really is!
Wow guys (and gals)….your luck starts now. Can’t wait to join van life community….the force is strong.
Yes, let's hope so David!! We need some good luck now 😃 🤞 do you own a van yourself?
I have been to Turkey and the people are the nicest most hospitable people I have come across.
We feel exactly the same way!! Turkish people have been the friendliest and kindest of all the places we've travelled so far!
so great to meet a Engin you were very lucky but you had john and mandy well done ,
The universal language is Kindness. 💜
We 100% agree!
Great video guys, your so very chilled out 😊
Thanks Richard! We tried to keep smiles on our faces throughout the stress 😬
Just come across your channel, that is a lovely looking van, really nice colour
Thanks Steve. Really appreciate the comment - we love our van too!
Merhaba, (Hello guys)
From London.
I am following John & Mandy. then began to follow you.
Sorry for that incident.
But, some life experiences like this.
Life is equal;
Like women and men.
Toll and short.
Sweet and Chelle,
Day and night
Good and bad.
Merry Christmas, be happy all.
Hoşgeldiniz.
Hi Eflatun! Thanks for the comment and for coming over from John and mandys channel 🥳 you are so right with everything you said!
Such a shame for your start in Turkey. Glad it was sorted in the end . Hope the rest of your travels go smoothly.
Thanks for the well wishes Steve! It really was a bad start to our Turkish adventure but hey ho, these things happen and are sent to test us. We came out the other side smiling having learned a lot and made memories we will never forget 😁
Wow I don’t think I could have been so calm. Really felt for you both xx
We've learned so much from being on the road 2 years and you learn to just surrender to the situation and have to trust strangers and hope for the best. You learn a lot about yourself and about the van when things go wrong!
Engin is the designed Zeitgeist. I subscibed your wonderful channel.
Thank you so much!! He is a hero
Wow what a week guys !!! What an incredible man to help you guys out like that .
We've only just recovered I think! It was quite the week but you learn a lot about the van and yourself when these things happen!
Hospitality in other parts of the world is next level.
No question! It's unbelievable how different it is compared to the UK
How scary did your van look on that tow truck! Wtf! Then it had to go on it a 2nd time!!! Have you weighed your van recently? I would have been in bits with the stress of it all!! Wow, restores your faith in human kindness! What a lovely bunch of genuine kind people, especially Engin and fab support from John & Mandy too. Well done all!
Thanks for the lovely comment! It was the scariest moment in our whole vanlife journey so far. Seeing her wobbling around on that rickety truck, the front wheels off the floor and smoke coming out of the tow trucks exhaust going uphill. But thankfully the next day they bought a slightly bigger truck and it was a much shorter journey!
@@courtsandmeeks phew! Glad you didn't have to endure the dodgy recovery truck twice! So glad all worked out well in the end 🙂
Hi Both.. So glad you got it fixed.. and that work in the uk would have cost you more than double.. Thank heavens you had the gadgets with you.. you could not have broken down with nicer people.. Stay Safe and enjoy trouble free trip from now on..
Oh us too! It was quite worrying but we realised there was very little we could actually do and we have to fully surrender to the situation, put our trust in strangers (which as British is not in our nature as you know!) And it all turned out ok in the end! Fingers crossed that's enough garage visits for this trip!
And you're so right, @johnandmandyuk we're our rocks throughout! So grateful for them!
What a stress for you. So pleased you’re sorted and people were so kind.
Thanks Alan. Yes we are so grateful for all the kindness and support we had from everyone!
It really does help lift your heart when you realise that the world is home to wonderful folk. The propshaft on our Sprinter ((Herman) started to fail whilst driving down through France. We came upon a terrific garage in Caceres, Spain. Just a regular independent car garage and they got us sorted really quickly.....and for, imo, a very reasonable cost. Good luck on your travels and Sprinters rock!!! 👍
Ah Ciaran that sucks but at least you got it sorted and sounds like you found a fantastic garage to help you out! 🥳 It teaches you so many lessons too!
Oh I would have been apoplectic with all that expense and uncertainty. Well done for filming it all.
Thank you! I think having John and Mandy there helped keep us calm plus having the experience in Greece before helped us get through it. Still massively worrying though, let's hope those worries are behind us! 🧡
New to your channel via J&M, I drive a Merc313MWB also 2012 so I'm happy to see that our babies can be fixed OK by the locals. Looking forward to your adventures as I like your style of bvloging X Happy New Year X
Thanks Roger! Glad you enjoy our vlogs and that we could give you some comfort over Mercedes breakdowns amidst our despair 🤣🤣
Sad part if Engin had broken down in the uk it would of run into thousands
Yep I know, the cost comparison is crazy despite parts being imported from Europe to Turkey the overall price is still cheaper than the UK!
Glad you got things sorted out in the end and thanks for filming and sharing this.
Thanks David! We've driven a few miles now and she is feeling good! Hope you're well!
Good vlog in the disastrous circumstances 👌💙❤️
Cheers guys! We wanted the video to reflect our reality of the situation and all the unknowns and ups and downs. But we came out the other side still smiling and that's what is important!
Wow! What a week 😬.... so relieved to see you back on the road AGAIN 🙄😁. I'd like to know: Did you give the hotel a colour brief? I see they were very accommodating in the bathroom with the sinks! 😄
Akyaka looks just perfect to watch the sun go down .... safe travels guys - make sure you keep briefing DeeDee! 😉☺️
Haha the hotel was so on brand which made us very happy 😁 some have even suggested we broke down on purpose so we could stay in the orange themed hotel 🤣 I promise we didn't! We will keep giving her pep talks for sure!
Trying to catch up with you two!
Great video as ever glad you got sorted
Take care and stay safe
Thanks Steven! We are so glad it got sorted and we met some lovely folks along the way :)
Hi Just to let you know the the parts you were referring to OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer and then the other type is the after market manufacturers which are comparable but not to the same standard. Just started to watch you have fun on your adventures you have excellent guides in John and Mandy.
Woops, we're not particularly good with mechanics 🤣
Glad to see your sorted👍
Thanks so much! We hope she's going to be all good from now on!
FIRST 😎
Courts!thhat's nice view! see you later- 💪
Thanks for commenting!
Don't you have all the luck, are you going back to the Greek garage for some compensation? That said, glad you had a great experience with such a nice family and the help you received, it makes you realise that there are nice people out there, in every country.
Ha don't we just, we're hoping that's it for a while! Yeah we're planning on phoning them but the language barrier is daunting. When we do we'll update everyone. They were brilliant, so humbled by it all. Hope you're doing well 🧡
in Turkey u can find so many friendly people
Good back on road real Merc parts must be difficult to buy, but least seems ok now , 🤞
Cheers! Yes we're glad to be back on our journey around Turkey, safe and sound ✌️ we hoped going to a Mercedes dealership would mean getting Mercedes parts but apparently not!
Hari OM
Bugger... had that happened before you left Greece would they have covered reinspection on a works warranty? Given it is Mercedes, is there a chance you could write central office explaining what has happened (and you have the vids to back it up), there might be some reimbursement? Anyway, deep breaths...
I too was so pleased you had J&M to steady the ship and praise whatever power you wish for the sending of the angel that is Engin!!! Worth learning a few sentences of Turkish for your new friend, I'd say. What a superstar. Right-oh, on you go! YAM xx
We did think about that Yam but because we're no longer in the country for the same mechanics to reinspect it, I think it's just one of those things we have to swallow. The slave cylinder wasn't changed by the Greek garage so they may not have seen a problem with it and perhaps it's just coincidence that it's now failed soon after. Really no way of knowing for sure if the two are related.
We are so grateful for Engin and everything he did for us. He really was an angel 😇 and J&M were our rocks throughout. We were lucky to have them all with us during a stressful time!
ugh.. thats life, huh? van-life just adds a bit more challenges. So glad all is well and that you got to experience the kindness of people. Honestly, thats what its all about right? (oh, that and the unexpected expenses!). May I ask where in Turkey you were at this point?.. I feel that the Turkish people are among the kindest and most gracious I have met on my travels. I'm looking forward to your ongoing travels and experiences. Happy Travels!
Absolutely Kathi! It is all part of the adventure and the responsibility we take on by living this life. Vans are machines that break down from time to time (fingers crossed that's our last one for a while!)
We were near Canakkale in the North of Turkey when we broke down which turned out to be a good place to be with all the people we met and the help we received!
Now back to the journey!
Hi just found your TH-cam I follow john& Mandy great couple,looks like you have been unlucky with your clutch ,I’m afraid you was done a little the release bearing did not need replacing just the slave cylinder was leaking so no pressure to the clutch never mind hay I will be following you as from now on I will go back to some of you older blogs to catch up ,till next time take care keep safe,john 😷🥂👀🌟🤷♂️🤷♀️🦮🤔🥸😎
Crikey deedee looked precarious on that truck 😳. What a legend Engin is. The spreadsheet price is not ideal; fingers crossed it’s plain sailing from now on both x
She was way to big and heavy for the truck! The wheels off the floor at the front was an obvious sign of that but we had no choice but to cross our fingers 🤞
Did you put a turkey sim in your van wifi unit in the van?
Yes we did. We went to Turkcell and bought 3 tourist pack sim cards. One for each phone and one for the van wifi
Omg didi has been naughty girl ◇◇◇◇❤hopefully everything goes well ❤happy travelling ❤
Yes she has Linda! Very naughty but now she's thrown her toys out of the pram we hope the rest of our trip will be relaxed and enjoyable!
all I can say is nothing has changed in all those years, Turks are a remarkable race. You wouldn’t believe the memories you have stirred in my old brain. Kia kaha, stay safe xx
Aw Val, glad to hear it brought back some lovely memories of trips to Turkey! C x🧡
Val as a Turk thank you 🧡
Val Path thank you for saying good things about Turkish people. hope u can visit again Turkey. now dolar and euro very expensive in Turkey best time for visiting.
So if I understood correctly the culprit was a non mercedes part swapped out by the Greek garage. I believe that was a Mercedes dealership. I thought they were mandated to use Mercedes parts.
So we asked the Turkish Mercedes garage if the Greek one was registered and they couldn't check. When we've looked at the invoice again, the title of the business doesn't say Mercedes 😂 so we think the garage is just connected to the Mercedes dealership 😳.
We're going to ring them to find out but if they aren't Mercedes then we can't do much.
Bit of a mad experience when you write it all down like that! Hope you're doing well 🧡
Who do you use for your European breakdown cover Thanks Simon C.
We use AA for European breakdown and they have always been great when we have ever had a problem in the passed (we broke down in France last year). But because we'd crossed into Turkey the cover obviously doesn't apply anymore 🤣 typical that it would happen just after we'd crossed onto the Asian continent!
Hi Guys just flicked over from J and M , just in case you have similar issues in the future please ensure you put a spare wheel or a lump of timber or anything under the chassis in case the jack fails , never trust hydraulics! Remember that what got you in trouble originally. Wishing you good times and Stay safe,
Pat
Hey Pat, that's really good advice and you're so right! Thanks for coming over from J&M, we love those guys!
Was a tad worried when John was under the van with just the bottle jack holding it!!!
Yeah we tried to be as careful as possible, only jacking it up a little bit, just enough to get under but not so all the weight of one corner was off the floor!
you have restored our faith in humanity , what a nice guy engine was and hats off to john, no messing about there right under the van sorting stuff out , BUT I need to pull you on one small thing , I'm not saying you made this happen but the hotel had orange sinks and come on what hotel has orange sinks , me thinks courtney may have been under the van with a spanner so she could have a few days in said hotel lol {jokes of course} , glad you got sorted and to be fair if that was the UK you could pretty much 5x that price you paid , great video guys I'm now off to look for the paistry in our van , Where could it be
John is the man! Even rolled out the grey carpet for it! That van garage has everything in it!
Courts was buzzing when she saw the orange sinks, I think it was the highlight of her week! That does make me question why the spanner we never use had grease all over it....
Yeah we're so lucky that it happened in a country where the pound goes far. Yep engine is now TOP BLOKE number 1! He needs an award. Hope you guys are safe and well! M 🧡
@@courtsandmeeks SO GLAD you got sorted out guys , have a lovely Christmas
4th… been waiting for this 👍🤗
Thanks for jumping straight on mate!
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In the uk all is uneconomical price to repair
You're not wrong. Mechanics in the UK are extremely expensive!
I don’t think the Greek garage did a bad job, they fitted OEM (original equipment manufacturer) clutch parts which is to Mercedes spec.
The clutch bearing didn’t fail… they grind noisily when they fail, so I don’t understand why they replaced the clutch bearing again.
It was only the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder that broke… you’re quite unlucky that it broke just after having a new clutch. The slave cylinder is most probably under warranty.
No, you're right the Greek garage still did some great work and I think they changed out the clutch bearing before they even looked into the slave cylinder so unfortunately we paid to replace that part that was probably perfectly fine, even if not the best Mercedes quality choice. Annoying that that was the more expensive part too but hey ho! We were just unlucky that the slave cylinder failed shortly after the rest of the clutch had been replaced. It's all part of the adventure and we're grateful that it happened in a way because we learned a lot and met some amazing people 🧡
Didn’t something similar happened to a lovely couple who last talk with John and Mandy🤣
What are you trying to say Alan? 😂 Poor John and Mandy!
It’s ok, we’ll travel alone now 🤦🏼♂️😔
You will do no such thing!
is there a cat at 2.53
We don't have a cat? But there are a lot of strays in Turkey.
Most turks will help you feed you and sort things out for. You if you're heading heading too fethiye I'll keep an eye out for you
Wayne
Thanks Wayne! Not sure if we are going to Fethiye or not but you're right about the Turkish hospitality!
Pls turkish translet
We are trying to find someone to write the Turkish subtitles for us!
The reason it cost you that much because you went to actual merc benz garage, like in UK they will cost a lot more than local garages. Local garages probably will charge less but you can't be sure of the part they will use. Also being a foreigner you might be charged a lot more in a local garage. I think the problem with the local garage wasn't they can't fix it, the problem was they wouldn't be able to lift it, otherwise the problem you had was pretty simple to fix. But i think you have done the best you could do in that situation. Also regarding to small truck carrying your big van, as long as it fits it will carry, that's how Turkish people will see it 😅 so health and safety you are used to in UK doesn't quite apply in Turkey 😅
Thanks Burak! Mercedes garages are definitely our first choice - when getting mechanical work done in a different country it always gives us peace of mind to be at a proper dealership. We always expect it to cost a bit more but you make a good point about smaller garages possibly ripping us off as tourists so we'll bare that in mind for future. The truck was pretty scary but I like your theory that if it fits it's fine 🤣
Turkish subtitles please
We will try and get this sorted on the next video!
In Turkey most of the things are cheaper compared to the rest of Europe, but the products related with the motor vehicles are not, unfortunately. The reasons are; 1.) They are imported from Europe and local pricing is not applied on these vehicles 2.) Crazy amount of taxation on the motor vehicles in Turkey.
In addition as a vegetarian couple you'll have a really hard time in Turkey, I can assure you on this 🤣
true. foods very cheap for tourist people but phone or cars expensive.
Well that explains why the cost wasn't as cheap as we may have expected (purely because everything else in Turkey is so cheap!) But overall the service we got was incredible and the mechanics were amazing at prioritizing us and getting the work done as quickly as possible.
Thoes Spanish mercedes mechanics were dodgy , to cheap .
They were extremely cheap!
Adopt a kitten, see TH-cam, Ladi & Margaret, you will be surprised in a good way.
Aww we would love to adopt but with our future travel plans being undecided we're not ready to commit to another pet yet.
They had you over there. That’s the thing in Turkey some. When you find the right people it’s cheap and sometimes the price is 4 times what it should be.
Ha yeah we were stuck and needed help but they seemed to deliver. It was lucky to have Engin help us and look after us a bit!