A quick trip to the Fiat garage and we’re back on the road again. We head straight to France to pick up our adventure exactly where we left it two days ago.
Waking up this morning, the gas still worked and we were able to brew our coffee using our Bialetti Stovetop Espresso Maker Alison researched extensively and bought on Amazon. Things were already looking up! Since our appointment at the Fiat garage wasn’t until the afternoon, we connected to our friend’s internet and got a couple hours worth of work done. That felt good. I didn’t realize how stressed not having a consistent connection was making me.
Our videographer friend, Jon, popped over later in the morning to shoot some more video. We did some Q&A and he filmed us prepping to get on the road. Then we drove around the block while he shot us coming and going. Finally we set off for the wonderfully named town of Wuustwezel and the Ribbens Fiat garage.
Running diagnostics on Amelia’s engine.
The folks at Ribbens were very nice. We arrived and they waved us directly into the garage and onto a lift. We handed the keys over and they started running tests, while we continued working inside the motorhome. A little more then 20 minutes later the owner’s son (who looked no older than 12) told us it seemed the air intake valve needed to be replaced. He said they could do it now and it would take 1.5 to 2 hours. We agreed and he showed us a spot in the show room where we could wait and gave us the WiFi code. We grabbed our stuff and decamped to the show room. From there we finished up working and then I went out to get us some sandwiches and coffee.
Amelia up on the lift again for more repairs.
At about the 1.5 hr mark, the young mechanic came back to us to tell us Amelia was ready and the bill would be sent to Vanomobil. We were definitely happy with Vanomobil’s service and commitment to their guarantee. We would have preferred to avoid the trip back to Belgium, but we were happy we didn’t have to fight with Vanomobil on every detail. We thanked our mechanics for their help and moved all our gear back into Amelia.
Amelia’s air filter is removed to be able to replace the intake valve.
Once Amelia was out of the garage, we released the cats, packed up all the loose stuff, and hit the road. Since the garage finished earlier than expected we decided to head straight back to France and pick up where we left off. We found a France Passion, Les Vergers de Brunembert, not far from Samer which produced cider, apple juice, and some diary products. We set the GPS and away we went!
Which way to the Les Vergers de Brunembert? Oh… to the left.
Our drive back was very windy but otherwise uneventful. No traffic jams and we avoided the construction we encountered on our first day, so we had good timing. We arrived at the Les Vergers de Brunembert around 19:00 and pulled into an orchard next to another motorhome. Already we were feeling more relaxed and being on a farm definitely helped.
Amelia in the orchard.
Stiff from our drive, we went for a walk down the country lane. The fields were bright green and spring was in full force around us. There were lots of happy cows wandering the fields munching on the grass. Alison is already dreaming of the cheese! I have a feeling we should have named this the “Cheese Tour of Europe.” Oh well, good thing I enjoy cheese too!
Cows in the orchard.
With skies threatening rain above us, we made our way back to Amelia for the evening. Another long day but the gas worked, the electricity worked, and we were back on the road again. Maybe this time it is for good!
*knock on wood*
Alison <3's Amelia! We hope she’s all better now and ready for the next adventure.
Andrew
Latest posts by Andrew (see all)
- Reflections on motorhome living after 90 days on the road - August 8, 2015
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