Van life in Europe | Morocco trip… it ENDS before it even starts!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- 🚐🌍 Embark on an unforgettable adventure with our family travel vlog as we leave van life in Europe behind! Join us as we travel through France and Spain in order to take the Ferry from Barcelona to Tangier and onwards to explore Morocco. Watch as our van life journey takes a NIGHTMARE detour when our motorhome breaks down in France. Will we be able to overcome this challenge and continue living in a van? Find out in this thrilling and emotional video! 🌟🎥
#vanlifeeurope #familytravel #livinginavan
00:00 - Introduction
01:59 - Into France...
02:34 - The nightmare begins
05:27 - Off to Rouen
08:39 - Off to somewhere else in Rouen... the reality dawns on us
12:12 - A quick detour into the city
13:50 - We get a lift back
14:38 - Time to get a shifty on!
16:22 - Waking up in Barcelona port
19:22 - Boarding the ferry to Tangier
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Hello and welcome to our channel. We are Stuart & Emma and with our children Skye, River & Woody we are a travelling around Europe and beyond full time in our motorhome Betty!
We're a normal family off on an extraordinary adventure showing you the good the bad & the ugly side of life when living in a motorhome with 3 young children.
We create videos about our vanlife adventures in the different towns, cities and wild places we encounter. Our videos give general travel advice and hints and tips about van life in Europe as we visit top city sights and attractions, beautiful natural places and explore diverse cultures. Hopefully we can inspire people looking live in a motorhome or enjoy van life style or simply entertain those of you that enjoy travel.
We post new videos every week. Want to get in touch?
Emails : wearethenomaders@gmail.com
Instagram: wearethenom...
Facebook: / wearethenomaders
![ทททททททท #27 [หลุยส์ เค โตมายังไง ณ สระบุรี]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CaKoYw_Xmtg/mqdefault.jpg)
Wow. Great video guys! With all the problems you face, still beats K town!
Can’t wait to see Morocco’s vid, we are also off there soon 😊
Thanks! That's what we kept telling ourselves. 🤣
It's an amazing country, you will love it! The kids have been blown away by it. Give us a shout if need any tips or advice. Are you travelling in the motorhome?
Err No! 5* all inclusive 😂✈️🫣
We used Tappers to upholster a U shape lounge layout in our Transporter T6. Excellent service and really good quality work. Definitely recommend Richard and Tappers.
Hi Dave we will definitely keep them in mind! 👍
Would you mind sharing more about the repairs. Was it the entire gearbox replaced with a new one. Was it the comfortmatic version. what was the cost of parts and labour? thanks and good luck on the adventure
Sadly you just learned that ‘servicing’ means different things to different people. These days most garages do an engine oil and filter change, air filter and pollen filter change, check the levels under the bonnet and visually inspect the brakes without removing the wheels. Thankfully I am able to do all my own servicing so each winter I do all the above, drain and refill the gearbox, strip, clean and lubricate the brakes, lube and adjust hand break system, lube locks and hinges, and generally clean check and lube any moving parts like the winch for the spare wheel etc.
The factory provides a checklist of what constitutes a service, usually 2 lists, annual & bi-annual, & the lists are part of the documentation that came with the vehicle. If these lists aren't completed something _will_ break.
@@alanhat5252 Show me a mechanic who ticks off and signs a manufacturer’s service schedule as complete and I will show you a lier. It never happens. 😂
We are learning that the hard way. Unfortunately for us the transmission fluid was checked on the list but it looks like it hadn't actually been changed during the service. The French garage said as much. 😥
Great video, well done !
Just stumbled across you ! Enjoyed this video and to watching more from you!
Welcome aboard! Thanks for the sub
Just stumbled upon you great video you've had a tough start with the gears on Betty but fingers crossed your trip will be trouble free.
Thanks Brian! Hopefully we will have less major dramas. We don't mind a bit of drama as it's goes hand in hand with the lifestyle. But not the big problems! 😀
those kids are delightful...x
Thanks so much! They are a handful sometimes... 🫣
Good video
Thanks glad you enjoyed it!
Hi just stumbled on your video that clock tower always reminds me of the one in totnes where I live.....sounds like you have the dreaded auto box as long as you keep up with oil and filter change on it you should be fine glad you got it sorted 😊
Funny you should say that! I thought exactly the same (Em) having been to Totnes a few times. It was gorgeous.
Best move I ever made from Manchester 😊
Lovely family, all the best of luck for you ,getting out of the rat race your kids will have some great memories
Hi Brent thanks for the lovely comment! We are much happier now than we have ever been even when stuff goes wrong. Life is definitely worth living!
Can’t really blame the dealer. Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot all terrible for reliability. Check out all the issues the happy days had with their engines (two!)
Hi we don't blame them necessarily. I bought a VW car many years ago that died after 3 months. Vehicles are always a bit of a gamble! But yes we are learning about Fiat's reliability the hard way! 🤣
don't be put off your Ducato, I have sold Motorhomes for 21 years and pro rata I'd say probably get less aggro with the 15-19 Ducato than anything else. Any auto box can and will go wrong and be expensive when it does , manual is a safer option but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
And without psychic powers your dealer couldn't have predicted that, a service won't touch the gearbox unless requested . You'll hear more people complaining about Fiat based vans becuade there's so many more out there
aah just saw you paid for the gearbox service and they didn't do it that's really bad
Just happened upon your channel today. We are fellow auto trailers too with a comfortmatic box which so far has been fine. We were shouting at the telly "tell us how much it cost, dont leave us guessing " lol. Came on the comments to find out. Hopefully hapoy driving from this point :)
Thanks so much we are hoping for less dramas from here on out! 🫶
Same for us- we also drive a Comfortmatic box and wonder what was the actual problem and how to prevent it-you mentioned some fluid that hadn't been changed, but we have been told that there's no transmission fluid that needs changing when we did our regular services. Our van is nearly 80000km and now we are gonna be scared going on long trips abroad after watching this 😮
With what you are planning to do you really need a big contingency fund to cover mechanical failures.👍
You're absolutely right, we did have a decent sized contingency but that took a massive dent. We are learning how expensive mechanical failures can be!
Seems everyone that goes out of U.K. seems to have big problems with their vans . Myself included not nice even more when you on your own take care 🥰
Thanks a lot! 👍 Yeah I bet! Being on your own must take some real mental fortitude especially when something goes wrong. Stay safe!
Hi Em, Stu and the three "brilliantly named" kids. What a bunch they are ! they could give you more trouble than that gearbox. LOL. My wife and I only saw your vid last night, and we were as frustrated as you were with the gearbox issue, I think you now know for sure there are many of us watching and holding our breaths for a great success story ending to your adventures, whenever that may be. You are young, but we wonder how you funded your travels, did you sell your house or saved massively for it ? Do you have an "end game" plan for the end of your adventure, or are you just "going along with it". Massive credit to you all, each and every one of you, good luck, we are very much looking forward to the next instalment.
Thanks so much for watching our video! Yep it was a frustrating time with Betty. 😮💨 We are renting our house out at the minute but we do plan to sell at some point when the market picks up, not to fund our travels, but to give us freedom in the future. We have been funding our travels by a combination of Stu working when we are back in the UK on occasion and I do online tuition with other children as we travel. We have got a plan for the next few years but we are not thinking too far ahead as things change so much at short notice. Glad to have you both along for the ride!
@@WeAreTheNomaders Thanks very much for the reply Emma. You have some great plans, and to think "in the future" your children are going to have some fantastic stories to tell their own children, what a great experience for you all. We will of course continue to "look in", all the very best for the future, hope all goes well. Betty ! Behave yourself!!!
I normally use the algeciras tanger med ferry
We did think about it as it's much quicker. But we really didn't want to do the big drive along the Spanish coast again. Next time maybe!
Santander to Algeciras just over 1,050km, I normally do this in a long day
Thanks for the video
What year was your Ducato? Not sure if the transmission oil is on the standard service list.
Thanks for watching the video!
Our Ducato is 2015. Yes that's our understanding now! 😆 Although on the service checklist they ticked the transmission, so it should have been checked... We will make sure it's always checked now at services.
@@WeAreTheNomadersBear in mind that there is such a thing as iatrogenic harm in mechanics. Hence “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
Hi i have a comfortmatic gearbox what mileage did yours give problems?and did you change the oil and filter on the gearbox.out of interest what did it cost to repair or did they do an exchange gearbox, like your blogs be lucky.
Hi thanks for watching our video. 😀 The mileage was around 50000. We have had the transmission fluid and oil changed (allegedly!) at the service weeks before this happened. The garage had to install brand new parts no option to exchange. Cost wise it was £7500. I will preface it by saying we definitely overpaid but we were stuck in Rouen so no other option, the work was carried out the next day, it was a part that was reserved for someone else and we had to get it changed in France as this is our home. I reckon it would be closer to £6000 in the UK. My understanding is that the Comfortmatic gearbox is a lottery and could last a long time or like ours go before it should. The FIAT garage did say they were unreliable and the best hope to increase the lifespan was to change the transmission fluid regularly. Hope that helps!
@@WeAreTheNomaders wow that was a big pill to swallow but as you said you was stuck.good luck for the future.
Was the van a still under the dealer warranty ? Good video ✅
@@WeAreTheNomadersSuch a bummer. Sorry it broke for you.
It’s coincidental that you had the gearbox related fluids changed and then it broke shortly following, no?
Do you regret having those fluids changed? The fiat book says don’t change fluids. 50k miles is quite low.
Do you have brake down cover. Thay take you to the shop
Hi yes we have break down cover, but we didn't want to use this as we only have so many visits a year. We only have 4 left so we were trying to save them for a really rainy day!
for sure the best education system :) not just books and shit
Absolutely! Learning through experience.
Is it a Comfortmatic gearbox you have ? There seem to be sooo many problems with them
You get problems with manual gearbox also my friend paid £2500.00 last year on his Fiat?
Yes is was a Comfortmatic sadly... We weren't aware of the problems they have until unfortunately it was too late! Very expensive gearbox
Did your recent service include anything to do with gearbox? Did they try to change the clutch or gearbox fluids?
Not sure problems such as this are that common. Consider the amount of them floating around and only a couple dozen examples online. It’s an expensive fix.
This may be a daft question, but don’t you have any form of breakdown/recovery cover?
Hi thanks for checking out the video. We do have breakdown cover but we only get 5 rescues a year. We are trying to hold on to them for situations where we might get stuck, which...*ahem* Stu did! So that's 1 gone! As we are travelling full time we just don't know what's around the corner. Good question though!
Carry good quality snow chains. They’re magic for getting the van out of mud and other soft stuff.
Hi was it a auto or manual gearbox?
It was the dreaded Comfortmatic gearbox! 😭
@@WeAreTheNomadersDid you find online and try the recommended steps before ripping out the old box? Software resets etc? Guess the clutch fluid was contaminated because a seal failed? Did you see evidence of the damage?
There’s only one place that really knows what they’re doing in the U.K. to have the regular service on the comfortmatic and/or any work done, and that’s Adams Morey at Portsmouth, they really know their stuff with comfortmatics, I travel there from Yorkshire to have mine serviced there👍
We will have to keep that in mind as it's not a massive inconvenience to go to Portsmouth when we travel back to Devon. Thanks for the recommendation! 👍
@@WeAreTheNomaders
Yes you can even stay at the port Solent aire for free then travel in next morning👍 The clutch fluid change and kiss point re-learn is £147 which is paramount to help the comfortmatic keep working, safe travels👍
Is it just clutch fluid change, or there's some other fluid that needs changing for the Comfortmatic transmission?
@@klisurski the clutch fluid I believe is DOT4 0.050L and there’s some special atf fluid goes in the hydraulic actuators 0.7L then the clutch kiss point is set up with the fiat software👍
@@adrianwestwood550I believe the jury is out in that one. The manual says it’s set for life of vehicle and to just monitor fluid levels and colour. If fluid changes colour, seal likely gone.
I reckon driving the gear box sympathetically and giving it time to change is paramount. Don’t let others inc mechanics drive without you present.
How much was the gearbox repair ?
2200 euros ??
We wish! It was £7500.00. It definitely made us have to sit down when we heard it...
@WeAreTheNomaders wow! the robbing French. It's a pity you couldn't have just drove at 30 all the way to Morocco. They'd have fixed for you there for less than a grand for sure
100% we have actually had some work done on Betty here and it was definitely a lot cheaper
@@WeAreTheNomadersThe job was done quickly so guessing the cost was mostly the parts? Plenty of stories of similar costs in U.K. for same job.
What was the actual issue with the gear box?. What part had failed or worn out? Was there any rebate on the old parts for refurbishment? Guessing it was too hard to work out the above with language difference?
two mugs walk into a dealership and get ripped off in the uk on a motorhome sale, VERY VERY COMMON, very very normal, very very expected
🤣 It does feel a bit like that!
Please stop the annoying music,adds nothing.good luck with the repair.
Hi Jerry, I will take it on board with the next videos. Thanks for the feedback. 👍
@@WeAreTheNomadersThanks,truly sorry to hear of your problem.All the best for the rest of your adventure,Take care.🤙
What the hell...you ruining the lives of those 3 kids, get them home
Hi Yunus thanks for the comment. I think we will have to agree to disagree.
You're doing well kids don't need a home just educating on how to survive in today's world
Welcome to africa :]
Thanks! We love it so far! 🫶