Picking up our 1st ever van, 2nd hand ,diesel ,t5 at at Sussex campers we looked at your van but decided to go slightly bigger .we also looked at the renault traffic conversation but a bit out of our price range. Hopefully going on the prices of 2nd hand vans you should get a lot of money back doing an upgrade at Sussex … good luck and get well soon x
Great vlog. Like you, I have a minimalistic van. I had my VWT6 panel van converted to my exacting specification. No hot water, no fixed tanks, no gas, no battery. I do have a hook up and when I am not staying on campsites I use my portable Beaudens 250 watt hours power station to charge my phone, ipad etc. I have a Dometic 21L compressor fridge which is charged through my 12v cigarette lighter whilst driving and then spasmodically through my power station or on hook up. I use a portable gas hob with gas cannisters. My lighting is battery powered AA batteries. I don’t have to worry about a habitation service. I stay on campsites in the winter so I can use my electric heater on hook up but once the weather warms up I can wild camp.
Good to see you Ken. It’s been strange without your banter. Change your van and get something a little bit larger. There are some wonderful micro-vans out there.
God bless you! How horrible for you both! What a crazy thing to get? Now, months later, it is great to see you up and sorta about! I have been ill too, but with a crazy thing called Colitis. Two hospital stays and three cases of pneumonia later, it’s been a rough year. At 71 I feel like 90! Getting old ain’t for sissy’s! Heal up! Best wishes!
Poor Ken! I feel for you! I had a really bad 'cold' between Christmas and New Year and was in bed a week. I hope you are feeling better soon. Sending love and hugs to both of you.
So nice to see you both , Ken glad you are starting to recover , Carol you don’t forget to look after yourself as well as looking after Ken . Take good care both of you xx
Hi Carol and Ken, Great to see you out and about. Carol remember to also take good care of yourself. I agree with what you are saying here about vans, simple is best. Especially as you are trying to keep the lower height. External water tanks tend to freeze so if you can get a van without all the better. Have you considered using a Coleman 2 burner gas cooker. You can just attach a 1kl propane bottle and cook with, far better than the huge gas bottle. They tend to last quite a while too. Just a thought. Take care, you are both in my prayers 🙏. Huge hugs 🤗 and love ❤️ from Perth, Western Australia 🇦🇺.
Hi guys, I'm sorry to hear that your health hasn't been good,I wish you a speedy recovery, and I'm in complete agreement with you about the petrol and diesel implications that our government want to bring in. I'm of the opinion that this policy has been rushed through with no real thought of the implications of it. Keep up the good work please.
I am not keen on conspiracy theories because most people can’t keep a secret but the headlong dash to net zero provides endless opportunities for thinking it is a conspiracy. I predict a few disasters along the way will derail their plans but we must speak up for common sense.
We have a VW California Ocean which seems to meet most of your requirements. No toilet or shower, 1.98m height, 5m length, pop top where you can sleep upstairs if you want, you can sit in it quite comfortably with the roof down - we’ve done that plenty of times in bad weather. You can still cook with the roof down. Built in fridge, cooker and sink. Built in Diesel heater. Roll out awning. We’ve had ours for 3 and 1/2 years and it’s been great.
You can certainly get a solar panel, though we don’t have one. It comes with 2 leisure batteries, which you could upgrade to Lithium, but again we have found the supplied batteries fine even for off grid camping.
Interessant to hear your arguments for campervans. We only hava a small caravan for the same reasons you have a van. 😁 we do a lot of free camping with our trailer.. but we love the fact that we can explore with the car if needed... also we live the cosyness and the comfort of our trailer. But I must say i admire your very way of simple living... love to see your travelt. Very inspiering.
Lovely video Ken and Carol, we have a VW California Coast which seems to tick most of your boxes, and holds its value very well. Doesn't have a wallas diesel heater, but has a diesel heater, and pretty much all your list is answered. The Coast is sadly not made any more so the Ocean is the option to go for. The VW chest fridge is a bit of a pain for two reasons, because it forms part of your work surface, so you are constantly moving stuff off it, and of course as you said, it is difficult to find things. But overall, it is still the standard which everyone else follows. Oh, and the offside sliding door is great if you are doing shopping, etc, but a nuisance if decanting passengers into the road. No difference on site.
This video made my day! I am so pleased to see Ken back on camera and the both of you together back in your natural little red camper habitat, gently easing back into vanlife. It sounds like its been a horrible few months. Thank you for the update and take care as you get fully well Ken. 🤗 🚗
Good to see you back we have a short wheel base vwt6.1 with pop plenty of room inside to seat 4 people I am 6ft my head doesn't touch roof when sitting on rock roll bed with sestbelt on. We use our pop in wet weather don't use in very windy weather. We have everything we did in our van like you didn't want toilet or hot water . We never feel cramped in our vw and we use most weekends and drive around Europe. One thing to consider though is the fuel consumption we get around 35mpg but we do have huge off road 🛞
So pleased you are feeling better Ken. You didn’t look rough ❤No wonder you have good observational skills now after those wheels got nicked🤣 great you are out for a bit. Nasty bug. We love the Parkup. Used to be one of our favourites when we lived up that way. Your smoke alarm set our dogs off😂. You Not enjoying your food Ken? Must be bad😮. You are so good not needing a built in loo or washroom. We couldn’t handle that. Everything is a compromise. Your little van tucks in anywhere. Hard to give that up. We had a webasto heater on our M/H it was brilliant. Can’t see all electric coming in anytime soon. We need another fuel source. Can recommend the blinds. We loved your outside heat blinds. Under slung water tank can have a heater fitted ( winter pack) does leave more space in the van. Aw you did our little walk too! Lovely blue sky. Bet it did you both good to have a blow. Get home and get the kettle on👍😊
@@LifeistooshortCK yes a lovely spot (Graham) I took my telescope there one afternoon to photograph sunset and Mercury. That was when we had a Bongo. We often went back there. Good to see it again.
We have a VW California 2021. We sit and sleep in it with the roof down no problem.You can get in fridge with the bed down.A thetford 335 toilet fits infront of the lowered bed aswell. Everything you want is a cali ocean tick, i can highly recommend aswell. Downside is cost and new waiting times
Great to see you back on the road again Ken., Yould see the joy in your face to be back out again. I used to come down badly every year with my chest, as soon as covid arrived I have been taking Vitimin D3 and Zinc, everyone in my family got covid and I was in contact with them, but did not get it, and not so much as a cold for the past few yrs. Keep on getting well.
We have had a Wallas hob in a VW T6 (SWB) for a couple of years. The heat up time is a hassle, but one gets used to it. We carried a jetboil so we could boil enough for a brew in a couple of minutes without turning on the Wallas. The heater works OK, but can be a bit noisy at night, and because the heat comes out at cooker level, in cold conditions one's feet can feel a bit cold when sitting. The great thing about not having gas is that you don't need the gas locker, so the extra storage in a small van is very useful. The Wallas does use up a fair bit of battery power, so one needs to have a big enough leisure battery (possibly not so much of an issue now if one uses a LiFePO4 battery).
I am so glad you're recovering! Thank you for the updates on ideas of what you would like, not like in your next vehicle. Why is it that when I was young something that I could heal and one or two days or one or two weeks now takes me months. This sucks. Makes me to take that extra effort to stay well. One of those efforts is to make sure that I never touched my eyes my nose or my mouth without having freshly washed hands. You just never know what you pick up somewhere that you could be putting into your system. THIS could be a little extreme but I've learned it to be true. Those are not the only ways things are absorbed into your system. If I have an open cut or scratch or have picked at something on my skin and it is now and area where infections can't enter the body. Even shaving a razor brush burn can be an area that is available for diseases or infections to enter our systems. I wear a lot of long sleeves and long pants when I may have preferred shorts. Stay well be careful. Maybe I'm just over cautious. Hopefully to live a longer healthier life.🌹🌴
I don’t think you are being overcautious at all. I am terrible for rubbing my eyes and Carol is forever telling me off for it. Prevention is always better than cure. 👍
Great to see you out and about ! We’ve got a VW Cali. Under 5m long, less than 2m high. Fitted blinds. Diesel heater, plenty headroom for sitting with roof down. Maybe the rock & roll beds sit higher as a seat, but the Cali is fine. We’re in West Sussex. Happy to bring it over for you to have a poke around it. Think you’re not far away?
Simple is the best! All of your views on a camper are the same as mine. Continue to rest, Ken. Your good health is essential to your wonderful adventures which I love seeing.
Sorry to hear you have been quite poorly Ken but good to hear you are slowly recovering. Hopefully that wonderful trip out in your little red campervan will be just the tonic for you as it is for us viewers who really enjoy your channel.
Great to see you're on the mend Ken and getting out and about again. We are working our way through your Norway film. And then onto France. Hoping to go over to France in the next 2 weeks with our children. Hello from the big red van called Van-Nando.
That bit of fresh air and a change of scenery will do you the world of good. Funny story with the tyres! It will be interesting to hear your discussions as the search to replace the little red camper progresses. X
O Ken so good to see you back,but take it easy I want to see more of your beautiful cinematography/videography and commentary of all yours and Carols adventures when your 100%❤
We hired a Jerba a few years back with a Wallas. They get really hot while you do something else. It took a little getting used to, as it gets really hot. We were provided some of that silicon sheeting you line baking trays with in order to make toast. Yes, really, you lay the bread and it toasts beautifully. I’d like a small van, but we need a loo. We also have two dogs. So we hired a 6m Fiat with a fixed bed last year and loved it. The dogs could go to bed and we had the dinette area to ours for the evening. We’ve something very similar for this June.
We have the Wallas hob/heater in our new VW Campervan. It's fantastic. VERY economical to run and heats up our LWB hightop van with no problems. As it's a dry heat, the condensation from it is minimal, unlike gas cooking. The heater part is on a thermostat so keeps the van at a set temp. We always keep one window open a little to let some heat out as it would get a bit stifling if not. We were going to get the Remo blinds fitted but a friend told us not to as it's hard to clean off any condensation from your glass with them on. With all the problems with getting gas bottles and the removal of gas refilling areas at fuel stations, a diesel unit is the way to go.
Thanks for the useful information, all good stuff to know and much appreciated 🙂👍
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My missus loves sleeping in the pop top, when we’ve had them. She misses the dogs, but not my snoring. Check out the new Transit conversions. They drive beautifully and the auto box is good, too.
Good to have you back Ken. Good to get out and get a change of scenery as long as you don’t over do it. With regards to campervans. I’m no expert but my profile pic is a one we rented and it’s just slightly bigger than the little red camper with the pop top. It was perfect for wild camping. It’s the Ford Transit Custom Evolution Eco Camper. Was a diesel. No shower, decent fridge like yours and cooking space. If you do decide to sell it, I reckon you’ll get a decent price advertised as Carol and Ken’s The Little Red Camper! Also another thing that makes for a good camper van…good company a cup of tea and a biscuit! 😂. Take Care Carol and Ken. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to hear you are feeling better Ken… take it easy ! We have an Elgrand camper conversion similar to yours… would do without the sink/grey water & stove to be honest…just portable cooker & collapsible sink to have more room…The Ford Nugget camper is on our radar!
I can certainly understand your thinking on the sink, hob etc. I think you could get by very easily with what you suggest 👍We have the Nugget on our potentials list 😁
Hello & thank you for the video it's good you are back doing things and interested to hear you chat together about a new van. We have a diesel heater and it is pretty good but can be a bit noisy. It is an old van bought 2 years ago. We have been thinking about Eco flo or something similar as it can be charged and then used for a couple of days if wild camping. ? It's something we have thought of. That was a nice clear sky you had and good just to do the walk. I guess with any van it's got to be right for what you use it for. We are still getting use tonours and had to have the electrical panel replaced recently. But is much easier now. It's just good to share tips and that's why it's nice to watch these videos. Thank you to you both ❤️
Wow, that is good going, it must be reliable. Yes, everyone has different needs and priorities but we are finding that there is always some compromise to be made with any van. Happy travels 😀
Glad to hear Ken is on the mend. I'm over 6 foot 2 and have a Transporter 6.1 with a Rib bed and a pop top with an 'upstairs' bed. When sitting back on the rear seat there is about 2 inches clearance above my head. If I sit upright on the front edge of the seat then my head does touch the roof, but I have not found this to be an issue. I think Rib beds may vary in height as some can have a Porta Potti underneath but mine can't, due to the sliding mechanism.
Hello from Ireland! We have a Volkswagen T5 poptop. I'm 5ft 7 and my husband is 5ft 9. We sit very comfortably with the top down.. loads of headroom. We also sleep up top except for in very cold weather. We are in our mid sixties. Love your channel! Shirley and Eugene.
I didn't know you've been ill, Ken. Look after yourself and take good care. Wishing you all the best and a lasting recovery Spring is on its way and may it bring renewed health and strength for you.
We have a VW California had it for 4 years, comfortably seats 4 we love the rear seat is on a rail system that allows it to be moved forward & backwards. It goes under 2 meter height barriers, parks in a standard parking space, we love ours.
Ken, so very glad to hear you are doing better. You are looking quite fit, despite how you have described yourself. Can’t wait for both of you to post new videos and once again get back on the road.
I’m glad you’re on the mend Ken because I always enjoy your vlogs… That’s a bit of a comical story and proves that we were all young once. I’m guessing the “secret handshake” may have played a part in your berating 🤔 … 🤧👍🍻
Geez, more than two months sick. That sounds really rough, I'm so sorry. Take it super slow. On a slightly related note, it's so considerate that you were avoiding other people while out and about. But that's how we know and love the both of you. Have fun planning your new and improved van! There's so much more to explore ... All the best from Germany (hopefully Spain in a couple days).
Glad to see you up and out Ken. Bit of fresh air is good for clearing out the lungs. Hope you continue to recover well. The Wallas hob/heater looks a very interesting option for a future build, especially to cut down on gas use. Thank you for putting that on my radar. Have to say, my camper is 1.95m with the pop top down and I can’t get under many height barriers already. A lot of them dip in the middle and some are being lowered now to 1.9m, which I presume is to stop the vw size campervans from using them. I wouldn’t let the height barrier thought make my decision anymore. Love that you mentioned Clarkson’s Farm. We’re farmers. Yes, he’s a bit of a eejit at times, but his heart is in the right place and he truly does champion the bureaucracy and hardships us farmers’ face. Who knew he was such a closet conservationist
He is opening our eyes to what is going on. I think you are right height barriers are a small part of the van experience and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we couldn’t get under. Plenty of youtubers show that 👍
Glad to hear Ken that you’re back on the road to recovery… Sometimes when I see all the places you can get to with your little camper I feel envious. Then again I think there’s no way would I want to be cooped up in such a small space… We downsized in 2019 from Tag (Chieftain) to a V-line Sport and it was the best thing that we’d ever done. For a start it meant we no longer needed a tow car, and can now go to places we couldn’t travel before. However at just over 2.3m high we are still cut off with those damn hight barriers. But it hasn’t stopped us from enjoying our wide ranging trips … Just to pick up on one thing that you mentioned about external water tanks. In all the years we’ve been vanning I’ve never had a tank freeze up. Having said that I’ve never been to the artic either 😉 then again maybe I’m just lucky… I think like with everything we all tend to overthink, and as you quite rightly mention, whatever van we go for there is always a compromise. I know in all my years I’m yet to find the perfect van, and dare say even if I had the will to build a van there would still be something I could have done differently… See you Sunday. Good luck 👍🍻
So pleased you’re on the road to recovery Ken; take it steady and be gentle with yourself. 🥰
Thank you 🙏
Thank you, I will
Picking up our 1st ever van, 2nd hand ,diesel ,t5 at at Sussex campers we looked at your van but decided to go slightly bigger .we also looked at the renault traffic conversation but a bit out of our price range. Hopefully going on the prices of 2nd hand vans you should get a lot of money back doing an upgrade at Sussex … good luck and get well soon x
Hope you like your new van xxx
Hello sorry to hear you have been unwell and glad you are now on the mend.
Great vlog. Like you, I have a minimalistic van. I had my VWT6 panel van converted to my exacting specification. No hot water, no fixed tanks, no gas, no battery. I do have a hook up and when I am not staying on campsites I use my portable Beaudens 250 watt hours power station to charge my phone, ipad etc. I have a Dometic 21L compressor fridge which is charged through my 12v cigarette lighter whilst driving and then spasmodically through my power station or on hook up. I use a portable gas hob with gas cannisters. My lighting is battery powered AA batteries. I don’t have to worry about a habitation service. I stay on campsites in the winter so I can use my electric heater on hook up but once the weather warms up I can wild camp.
I take my hat off to you Di because there is a huge amount of common sense in the route you have gone. Simple is good and much cheaper to implement 👍
Good to hear you’re on the mend, don’t look to rough, a little “peaky” perhaps? Take care, great to see you back.
Thanks Richard 🙂
So lovely to see you both, so glad that you're feeling better ken , hope you will be feeling totally better very soon .
Thanks Debbie 🙏
Ken has and always will have the voice for van life.... Great videos as always
Cheers Paul ☺️
They are both very calming.
Loved the story about your foot patrol! Nicely told ......
Interesting vid Ken and Carol glad you are feeling better Ken. You’re posh you are, “absolutely berated!) 😂😂
That was me being polite for youtube 😁👍
Good to see you Ken. It’s been strange without your banter. Change your van and get something a little bit larger. There are some wonderful micro-vans out there.
Thanks Paul. We are checking out what’s out there ☺️
God bless you! How horrible for you both! What a crazy thing to get? Now, months later, it is great to see you up and sorta about! I have been ill too, but with a crazy thing called Colitis. Two hospital stays and three cases of pneumonia later, it’s been a rough year. At 71 I feel like 90!
Getting old ain’t for sissy’s! Heal up! Best wishes!
Colitis is horrible. Hope you are doing OK ❤️
Poor Ken! I feel for you! I had a really bad 'cold' between Christmas and New Year and was in bed a week. I hope you are feeling better soon. Sending love and hugs to both of you.
Thanks Wendy. Hope you are well now too ❤️
Good to see you up and about.
Continued recovery, Ken
Best wishes to you both.
Thank you 🙏
So nice to see you both , Ken glad you are starting to recover , Carol you don’t forget to look after yourself as well as looking after Ken . Take good care both of you xx
Thank you, I will 😊👍
Hi Carol and Ken,
Great to see you out and about. Carol remember to also take good care of yourself. I agree with what you are saying here about vans, simple is best. Especially as you are trying to keep the lower height. External water tanks tend to freeze so if you can get a van without all the better. Have you considered using a Coleman 2 burner gas cooker. You can just attach a 1kl propane bottle and cook with, far better than the huge gas bottle. They tend to last quite a while too. Just a thought. Take care, you are both in my prayers 🙏. Huge hugs 🤗 and love ❤️ from Perth, Western Australia 🇦🇺.
Hi Edith, thanks for the lovely comment. We are also considering switching to Camping Gaz as that is easy to get hold of here and in Europe ☺️
Hi guys,
I'm sorry to hear that your health hasn't been good,I wish you a speedy recovery, and I'm in complete agreement with you about the petrol and diesel implications that our government want to bring in.
I'm of the opinion that this policy has been rushed through with no real thought of the implications of it.
Keep up the good work please.
Thanks Vincent 🙂👍
I am not keen on conspiracy theories because most people can’t keep a secret but the headlong dash to net zero provides endless opportunities for thinking it is a conspiracy. I predict a few disasters along the way will derail their plans but we must speak up for common sense.
@@LifeistooshortCK
I couldn't agree more
We have a VW California Ocean which seems to meet most of your requirements. No toilet or shower, 1.98m height, 5m length, pop top where you can sleep upstairs if you want, you can sit in it quite comfortably with the roof down - we’ve done that plenty of times in bad weather. You can still cook with the roof down. Built in fridge, cooker and sink. Built in Diesel heater. Roll out awning. We’ve had ours for 3 and 1/2 years and it’s been great.
That does sound like a good option for us. Do you know if you can get a solar panel and lithium battery fitted? Many thanks.
You can certainly get a solar panel, though we don’t have one. It comes with 2 leisure batteries, which you could upgrade to Lithium, but again we have found the supplied batteries fine even for off grid camping.
@@Trevor.Adams640 very interesting. Thanks for getting back to us 🙂👍
Glad to see you getting well, take care and stay safe.
Get well soon x Ken x
Hi you 2 so glad you are felling a bit better get well soon God bless
Cheers Gary 🙏
Thanks so much
Very good to see you both! Especially happy to hear Ken is recovering ❤
great to see Ken back on your feet, keep nailing them ham and cheese toasties and you'll be fine.
Thanks, will do! 😁
Take your time Ken we don’t heal as quick as we get older but your looking good
Thanks Sheila ☺️
Interessant to hear your arguments for campervans. We only hava a small caravan for the same reasons you have a van. 😁 we do a lot of free camping with our trailer.. but we love the fact that we can explore with the car if needed... also we live the cosyness and the comfort of our trailer. But I must say i admire your very way of simple living... love to see your travelt. Very inspiering.
Chuffed your back doing what you both love, and have missed your adventures, look forward to the Denmark part. Stay safe both. Xx
Lovely video Ken and Carol, we have a VW California Coast which seems to tick most of your boxes, and holds its value very well. Doesn't have a wallas diesel heater, but has a diesel heater, and pretty much all your list is answered. The Coast is sadly not made any more so the Ocean is the option to go for. The VW chest fridge is a bit of a pain for two reasons, because it forms part of your work surface, so you are constantly moving stuff off it, and of course as you said, it is difficult to find things. But overall, it is still the standard which everyone else follows.
Oh, and the offside sliding door is great if you are doing shopping, etc, but a nuisance if decanting passengers into the road. No difference on site.
Thanks for this info, Andrew. We hadn’t thought of that disadvantage with a top-opening fridge. The California Ocean is very tempting though 🙂
This video made my day! I am so pleased to see Ken back on camera and the both of you together back in your natural little red camper habitat, gently easing back into vanlife. It sounds like its been a horrible few months. Thank you for the update and take care as you get fully well Ken. 🤗 🚗
Aww, thanks Sue. Glad you enjoyed it!
so glad your feeling better, i love your van and your channel. you be sure and take care of yourselves, don't over do. hugs
Sorry to hear you were poorly Ken, glad you're on the mend.
Thanks Sheila 🙂
Glad your feelling better.
Glad your on the mend Ken 🤗
Great to you're on the mend Ken x
Take care of yourself Ken
Hi great to see you back out and about again Ken. By the way my wife says you were a fine looking young man keep well the twoofyou❤
Thank you. Your wife is very kind ☺️
Love the music in this one. Get well soon Ken and good luck looking after the invalid, Carol
Thanks Hannah 🙂
Good to see you back we have a short wheel base vwt6.1 with pop plenty of room inside to seat 4 people I am 6ft my head doesn't touch roof when sitting on rock roll bed with sestbelt on. We use our pop in wet weather don't use in very windy weather. We have everything we did in our van like you didn't want toilet or hot water . We never feel cramped in our vw and we use most weekends and drive around Europe. One thing to consider though is the fuel consumption we get around 35mpg but we do have huge off road 🛞
Thanks Wayne. That sounds like a good option. We will definitely take a look 🙂👍
Glad your on the mend Ken .
Thanks!
Thanks so much Greg. That is very kind of you 🙏❤️
Get well soon
Hope you soon feel better
Great to see you back Ken, stay safe. We'll done Carol you are amazing.
So pleased you are feeling better Ken. You didn’t look rough ❤No wonder you have good observational skills now after those wheels got nicked🤣 great you are out for a bit. Nasty bug. We love the Parkup. Used to be one of our favourites when we lived up that way. Your smoke alarm set our dogs off😂. You Not enjoying your food Ken? Must be bad😮. You are so good not needing a built in loo or washroom. We couldn’t handle that. Everything is a compromise. Your little van tucks in anywhere. Hard to give that up. We had a webasto heater on our M/H it was brilliant. Can’t see all electric coming in anytime soon. We need another fuel source. Can recommend the blinds. We loved your outside heat blinds. Under slung water tank can have a heater fitted ( winter pack) does leave more space in the van. Aw you did our little walk too! Lovely blue sky. Bet it did you both good to have a blow. Get home and get the kettle on👍😊
Didn’t realise you lived this way once. We like that spot nice and handy for us 👍
@@LifeistooshortCK yes a lovely spot (Graham) I took my telescope there one afternoon to photograph sunset and Mercury. That was when we had a Bongo. We often went back there. Good to see it again.
@@LifeistooshortCK lived near Horley. ( and various other places in Surrey and South London)
Every best wish and good health 💓
So glad you are feeling better.
Get well soon.
I travel on my own to various parts of ireland and UK.
I think your van would suit me
Sussex Campervans do a solo version with a single bed which is a great option 🙂
Glad to hear you are feeling better
Roll on the warmer weather!
Hear hear 😀
Nice to see you up and about, Ken! Can't wait to watch the video. 😀
Thanks 👍
Nice to see you out and about again.
We have a VW California 2021. We sit and sleep in it with the roof down no problem.You can get in fridge with the bed down.A thetford 335 toilet fits infront of the lowered bed aswell. Everything you want is a cali ocean tick, i can highly recommend aswell. Downside is cost and new waiting times
Thanks for all the info 🙂👍
Glad you are feeling better xx
So glad you are on the mend !
Great to see you back on the road again Ken., Yould see the joy in your face to be back out again. I used to come down badly every year with my chest, as soon as covid arrived I have been taking Vitimin D3 and Zinc, everyone in my family got covid and I was in contact with them, but did not get it, and not so much as a cold for the past few yrs. Keep on getting well.
Thanks Rupert. Good to hear 👍
We have had a Wallas hob in a VW T6 (SWB) for a couple of years. The heat up time is a hassle, but one gets used to it. We carried a jetboil so we could boil enough for a brew in a couple of minutes without turning on the Wallas. The heater works OK, but can be a bit noisy at night, and because the heat comes out at cooker level, in cold conditions one's feet can feel a bit cold when sitting. The great thing about not having gas is that you don't need the gas locker, so the extra storage in a small van is very useful. The Wallas does use up a fair bit of battery power, so one needs to have a big enough leisure battery (possibly not so much of an issue now if one uses a LiFePO4 battery).
Thanks for sharing your experience. So far we have only found 2 dealers that actually use them, Jerba and Autocampers.
We have a 2.9m high van and wild camp a lot as we full time.
Like the diesel cooker idea.
Thanks guys. Love following you on Instagram 🙂👍
@@LifeistooshortCK thanks. We are very fortunate. 👍🏽👍🏽
Oh my....So happy to see you out n about...you look much better...SLOW n GO
Yes feeling much better thanks 👍
I am so glad you're recovering! Thank you for the updates on ideas of what you would like, not like in your next vehicle. Why is it that when I was young something that I could heal and one or two days or one or two weeks now takes me months. This sucks. Makes me to take that extra effort to stay well. One of those efforts is to make sure that I never touched my eyes my nose or my mouth without having freshly washed hands. You just never know what you pick up somewhere that you could be putting into your system. THIS could be a little extreme but I've learned it to be true. Those are not the only ways things are absorbed into your system. If I have an open cut or scratch or have picked at something on my skin and it is now and area where infections can't enter the body. Even shaving a razor brush burn can be an area that is available for diseases or infections to enter our systems. I wear a lot of long sleeves and long pants when I may have preferred shorts. Stay well be careful. Maybe I'm just over cautious. Hopefully to live a longer healthier life.🌹🌴
I don’t think you are being overcautious at all. I am terrible for rubbing my eyes and Carol is forever telling me off for it. Prevention is always better than cure. 👍
Glad you’re feeling better Ken. Love the pic of you when you were a young man. What a cutie
Thank you Marilyn ☺️
Great to see you out and about ! We’ve got a VW Cali. Under 5m long, less than 2m high. Fitted blinds. Diesel heater, plenty headroom for sitting with roof down. Maybe the rock & roll beds sit higher as a seat, but the Cali is fine. We’re in West Sussex. Happy to bring it over for you to have a poke around it. Think you’re not far away?
Thanks for the offer, we will bear it in mind 🙂
Hi Ken & Carol nice video as always nice see you back on the made Ken any way take care both of you see you next time .
Thanks Robert 🙂👍
Glad you re better ken
Cheers
Hurry up and get well mate keep up with the great videos all the best to you both
Will try, John. Cheers 🙂👍
@@LifeistooshortCK 👍
Super happy to see you on the mend Ken - a joy to see y’all back in the little red van together☺️
Glad you’re feeling better. Take good care. Been down with a terrible cold the last days myself.
Simple is the best! All of your views on a camper are the same as mine. Continue to rest, Ken. Your good health is essential to your wonderful adventures which I love seeing.
Thanks Michele 🙂
Sorry to hear you have been quite poorly Ken but good to hear you are slowly recovering. Hopefully that wonderful trip out in your little red campervan will be just the tonic for you as it is for us viewers who really enjoy your channel.
Thanks 👍
Welcome back ken glad to see u on road to recovery
Cheers Gary 🙂
Great to see you're on the mend Ken and getting out and about again.
We are working our way through your Norway film. And then onto France. Hoping to go over to France in the next 2 weeks with our children.
Hello from the big red van called Van-Nando.
Thanks for watching, that’s great. Have a fantastic time in France with the family. Will look out for Van-Nando on our travels 🙂
Thanks for the update, glad you are on the mend.
Me too! 😊
Your looking well Ken.
Thanks Rick ☺️
That bit of fresh air and a change of scenery will do you the world of good. Funny story with the tyres! It will be interesting to hear your discussions as the search to replace the little red camper progresses. X
Thanks Louise 🙂
O Ken so good to see you back,but take it easy I want to see more of your beautiful cinematography/videography and commentary of all yours and Carols adventures when your 100%❤
Working on it! Thanks Jackie 🙂🙏
I love your videos I think you're great, get well soon.
Thanks for your support Paul 👍
We hired a Jerba a few years back with a Wallas. They get really hot while you do something else. It took a little getting used to, as it gets really hot. We were provided some of that silicon sheeting you line baking trays with in order to make toast. Yes, really, you lay the bread and it toasts beautifully.
I’d like a small van, but we need a loo. We also have two dogs. So we hired a 6m Fiat with a fixed bed last year and loved it. The dogs could go to bed and we had the dinette area to ours for the evening. We’ve something very similar for this June.
Yes quite a few have said they get really hot. Our day will come when we need that loo
We have the Wallas hob/heater in our new VW Campervan. It's fantastic. VERY economical to run and heats up our LWB hightop van with no problems. As it's a dry heat, the condensation from it is minimal, unlike gas cooking. The heater part is on a thermostat so keeps the van at a set temp. We always keep one window open a little to let some heat out as it would get a bit stifling if not. We were going to get the Remo blinds fitted but a friend told us not to as it's hard to clean off any condensation from your glass with them on. With all the problems with getting gas bottles and the removal of gas refilling areas at fuel stations, a diesel unit is the way to go.
Thanks for the useful information, all good stuff to know and much appreciated 🙂👍
My missus loves sleeping in the pop top, when we’ve had them. She misses the dogs, but not my snoring.
Check out the new Transit conversions. They drive beautifully and the auto box is good, too.
Will take a look 😁👍
Good to have you back Ken. Good to get out and get a change of scenery as long as you don’t over do it.
With regards to campervans. I’m no expert but my profile pic is a one we rented and it’s just slightly bigger than the little red camper with the pop top. It was perfect for wild camping. It’s the Ford Transit Custom Evolution Eco Camper. Was a diesel. No shower, decent fridge like yours and cooking space.
If you do decide to sell it, I reckon you’ll get a decent price advertised as Carol and Ken’s The Little Red Camper!
Also another thing that makes for a good camper van…good company a cup of tea and a biscuit! 😂. Take Care Carol and Ken. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the lovely comment and you have given us another campervan to consider 🙂👍
Glad to hear you are feeling better Ken… take it easy !
We have an Elgrand camper conversion similar to yours… would do without the sink/grey water & stove to be honest…just portable cooker & collapsible sink to have more room…The Ford Nugget camper is on our radar!
I can certainly understand your thinking on the sink, hob etc. I think you could get by very easily with what you suggest 👍We have the Nugget on our potentials list 😁
Hello & thank you for the video it's good you are back doing things and interested to hear you chat together about a new van. We have a diesel heater and it is pretty good but can be a bit noisy. It is an old van bought 2 years ago. We have been thinking about Eco flo or something similar as it can be charged and then used for a couple of days if wild camping. ?
It's something we have thought of.
That was a nice clear sky you had and good just to do the walk.
I guess with any van it's got to be right for what you use it for. We are still getting use tonours and had to have the electrical panel replaced recently. But is much easier now.
It's just good to share tips and that's why it's nice to watch these videos. Thank you to you both ❤️
Meant to say our motorhome 20 years old .
Wow, that is good going, it must be reliable. Yes, everyone has different needs and priorities but we are finding that there is always some compromise to be made with any van. Happy travels 😀
Delighted to see you on the mend. 👍
Thank you kindly ☺️
Glad to hear Ken is on the mend.
I'm over 6 foot 2 and have a Transporter 6.1 with a Rib bed and a pop top with an 'upstairs' bed.
When sitting back on the rear seat there is about 2 inches clearance above my head.
If I sit upright on the front edge of the seat then my head does touch the roof, but I have not found this to be an issue.
I think Rib beds may vary in height as some can have a Porta Potti underneath but mine can't, due to the sliding mechanism.
Thanks for the info Cliff. Appreciated 👍
Hello from Ireland! We have a Volkswagen T5 poptop. I'm 5ft 7 and my husband is 5ft 9. We sit very comfortably with the top down.. loads of headroom. We also sleep up top except for in very cold weather. We are in our mid sixties.
Love your channel!
Shirley and Eugene.
Thanks for sharing, good to know from your experience. Happy travels 😄
I didn't know you've been ill, Ken. Look after yourself and take good care. Wishing you all the best and a lasting recovery Spring is on its way and may it bring renewed health and strength for you.
Thanks Joanna. Yes, looking forward to some warmer weather 🙂
So lovely to see you nearly back to your old self Ken take care of yourself...also thankyou Carol for nursing him back to health..loved the video..
Thanks so much, June 🙂
Glad you’re feeling better Ken. Soon you will have more stamina for hiking !
I hope so ☺️
Loved the story and photo of you in your younger days Ken! Glad you are on the mend. Thank you both for another interesting video. Take care!
Thanks Linda, glad you enjoyed it 😊
We have a VW California had it for 4 years, comfortably seats 4 we love the rear seat is on a rail system that allows it to be moved forward & backwards. It goes under 2 meter height barriers, parks in a standard parking space, we love ours.
Good to know, thanks Gillian 🙂👍
Ken, so very glad to hear you are doing better. You are looking quite fit, despite how you have described yourself. Can’t wait for both of you to post new videos and once again get back on the road.
Thanks Paul 🙂
How lovely to see you back with us Ken take it easy and you’ll soon be on top form ❤️👍😊
Thanks so much 🙂
The people in it make the ideal campervan 😊
☺️☺️
Ken, very pleased to hear that you're on the mend 👍, but take care to pace yourself and don't be doing too much.
Thank you, I will ☺️
I’m glad you’re on the mend Ken because I always enjoy your vlogs… That’s a bit of a comical story and proves that we were all young once. I’m guessing the “secret handshake” may have played a part in your berating 🤔 … 🤧👍🍻
Don’t get me started on the secret handshake. I had some real grief with that at one point in my career when I upset someone. 😡👍
Glad your on the mend Ken, we have a T5 and my hubby is 6ft and can sit on the rear rock and roll bed and not have his head touch the roof.
Thanks for the info Lisa. It sounds like the rock and roll beds sit lower than the rib ones so something to bear in mind 🙂👍
Geez, more than two months sick. That sounds really rough, I'm so sorry. Take it super slow. On a slightly related note, it's so considerate that you were avoiding other people while out and about. But that's how we know and love the both of you. Have fun planning your new and improved van! There's so much more to explore ... All the best from Germany (hopefully Spain in a couple days).
Thanks. Enjoy Spain 👍
Glad you're feeling better Ken...waiting for you to say "yummy", then I know you're back on form...lol....love it when Carol says cheers..
Thanks so much 👍
Good to see you up and about…enjoy the fresh air and sunshine…from very rainy Southern California
Thanks Judy 🙂
Sorry to hear Ken, good to hear you are on the road to recovery. Take care of yourselves
Much appreciated, thanks Peter 🙂
Thanks for the outing. Take good care of yourself 😊
Thank you 🙏
Glad to see you out and about and feeling a bit better. Don't overdo it though xx
Glad to see you up and out Ken. Bit of fresh air is good for clearing out the lungs. Hope you continue to recover well.
The Wallas hob/heater looks a very interesting option for a future build, especially to cut down on gas use. Thank you for putting that on my radar.
Have to say, my camper is 1.95m with the pop top down and I can’t get under many height barriers already. A lot of them dip in the middle and some are being lowered now to 1.9m, which I presume is to stop the vw size campervans from using them. I wouldn’t let the height barrier thought make my decision anymore.
Love that you mentioned Clarkson’s Farm. We’re farmers. Yes, he’s a bit of a eejit at times, but his heart is in the right place and he truly does champion the bureaucracy and hardships us farmers’ face. Who knew he was such a closet conservationist
He is opening our eyes to what is going on. I think you are right height barriers are a small part of the van experience and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we couldn’t get under. Plenty of youtubers show that 👍
Glad to hear Ken that you’re back on the road to recovery… Sometimes when I see all the places you can get to with your little camper I feel envious. Then again I think there’s no way would I want to be cooped up in such a small space… We downsized in 2019 from Tag (Chieftain) to a V-line Sport and it was the best thing that we’d ever done. For a start it meant we no longer needed a tow car, and can now go to places we couldn’t travel before. However at just over 2.3m high we are still cut off with those damn hight barriers. But it hasn’t stopped us from enjoying our wide ranging trips … Just to pick up on one thing that you mentioned about external water tanks. In all the years we’ve been vanning I’ve never had a tank freeze up. Having said that I’ve never been to the artic either 😉 then again maybe I’m just lucky… I think like with everything we all tend to overthink, and as you quite rightly mention, whatever van we go for there is always a compromise. I know in all my years I’m yet to find the perfect van, and dare say even if I had the will to build a van there would still be something I could have done differently… See you Sunday. Good luck 👍🍻
I agree with everything you say. I always lust after building my own van but it would be a steep learning curve. Never say never 😁👍