There is something WRONG with our NEW VAN

[@GoodenuffCollective]

Your new plates are AW SM . Awesome. Love it ❤

[@deeoh3708]

Cool isn't it :)

[@nigelandsueadventures]

YES!!! Congratulations Craig, we were wondering if anyone would notice!! You win the prize. It actually took us several days to figure it out! Marcus from Car Turf gives all the cars AWSM and then we got to choose the numbers.

[@krisgen29]

Thanks Sue & Nigel for another great video. To me, when you share the details of your frustrations, it makes the videos very interesting. It has a contrasting effect, between the enjoyment of your travels, and knowing the realities of this kind of travel. It's great knowing the pitfalls that can beset anyone, which makes things interesting. How you are able to navigate the difficulties; how handy Nigel is with his practical knowhow; and then showing the finer details about how everything is handled, such as inserting and removing the water pump fuse, is so interesting and informative. How do people know about everything going on unless there's someone explaining it? Keep up these great vids. Shall I call you: the new Leyland couple?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thank you! We are all about keeping it real. I mean travelling is awesome, but shit always happens. I’m so lucky Nigel is so handy.

[@JTysoe-y2e]

I have enjoyed your journeys more than most. When you have young ones running around taking more photos of themselves it's a relief to share your journeys! I am still trying to get my head around travelling via van in a foreign land given we take a lot for granted when travelling in our own country, i.e., there are less unknowns. So will be watching you two closely. Anyway, my ~ 7M Mercedes van has arrived at the dealer and we will do a handover on Aug 5. We have gone for a new RWD and will see how we go from there. To begin we will look to leave Sydney on a Friday and come back on Sundays. I still have one at school with two years left to go. He will travel with us in a swag under the awning with a couple of dogs when not doing weekend sport. I am picking up little things from your shows, thank you.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Our e mail is in our web site nigelandsueadventures dot com

[@howardcook5416]

As mentioned before we have the exact same van, bought new 2014, even same coloured seat covers, we have also replaced the tap, when the temperature drops -3 deg, the water tank will auto drain , but make certain you leave the tap open otherwise the tap will freeze and split, we love the shower ,only use green fluid for the toilet ,never had any probs, we have a solar panel with a 100amp lithium battery, we spend the winter months in warmer climates, never found the need for a bigger freezer, best wishes

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yes that’s probably what happened. Thanks for the heads up, we did hear that about the water tank draining in cold weather. Where are you based.

[@howardcook5416]

So sorry we are late replying, we had a house in France for 10yrs ,but had lived full time for 4 yrs in a larger van, we have returned to live in the UK ( Pagham) makeing plans for our winter sojourn ,4-5 months, we have duel residence in France Regards

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@howardcook5416 oh you're lucky to have the dual residency! I'm house-sitting in West Sussex this week - so close by.

[@deeoh3708]

The Rhine is such a beautiful area, full of history. Thanks for showing us. Brought back memories of my river cruise from Bern to Amsterdam.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Oh that would have been beautiful! Glad you enjoyed seeing it again.

[@LynneCarey]

Frustrating with the water problem. Hopefully you can get it sorted sooner than later. The scenery is magnificent, and the historic buildings. Really lovely. 🤗

[@nigelandsueadventures]

The scenery and history is just amazing over here Lynne!

[@createandliveyourbestlife]

Hi Nigel and Sue, sorry to see you had some teething problems with your new Van. That said it looks pretty good, and I can't wait to see your added personal touches, so you have the best possible adventures. The block-out curtains look so good! The vista you are travelling through is wonderful, love the history, and real character buildings are beautiful. ❤️Stay safe, have fun and enjoy this adventure. 🙏🏻❤️🙋🏻‍♀️🇦🇺

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much!! We love all the history, and will probably feature one historical site in each video going forward.

[@createandliveyourbestlife]

@@nigelandsueadventures Thanks, great to see, given as you know from your OZ adventures so much of our Historic buildings and forests have become ‘Tar & Cement and tick take steel & glass building in our cities” 🥺😭

[@raykuipers3146]

Beautiful river we went along there 16 yrs ago ,loved it. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.❤

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Glad you enjoyed it. It’s amazing part of the world, and it was great to see the small villages.

[@MellanieBroad]

Good luck on getting water leak sorted. Great footage along the Rhine looks so pretty I did a cruise 20 years ago down the Rhine to Lichtenstein was amazing and done Kohn in Germany people are lovely you guys are so brave ❤. Enjoy your new adventures

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Wow that would have been a beautiful cruise! We saw lots of those boats.

[@Lee-astrololee]

Sue and Nigel, l do hope the water issue is the only provlem you encounter, problems are time consuming and frustrating, glad you have been able to at least chill where there is something to do to take your mind off the issue while you wait! Patience is a virtue, if that fails just scream and swear like any Aussie would!! 😅😅😅😅

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks Lee, I can assure you there was plenty of screaming and swearing, well maybe not so much screaming…

[@Lee-astrololee]

@@nigelandsueadventures LOL

[@glendafaber1245]

I loved the cruise I did on the Rhine all those years ago. Loved seeing the castles.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Aren’t they beautiful? So much history in a small stretch of river

[@HermionefromAustralia001]

Great Remagen museum- we visited when we stayed in same spot there in 2022! Twas hot then too! Great to see others in same park! 😊 Best wishes for your water issues- so many things to get organised & learn - well done - admire you! Looking forward to following your tours!

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks Hermione, Did you go into the museum? It's a beautiful little town, we are glad we had the opportunity to visit.

[@HermionefromAustralia001]

@@nigelandsueadventures Yes, a few floors of memorabilia & photos etc. it’s run by locals so quite different exhibits than the usual big museums.

[@jennyrego7321]

Oh no, i hope you get it sorted quickly. Love the little village you've visited.😊

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Oh Jenny there’s so many lovely villages over here! You’re going to love it!

[@S11-h5l]

Bummer about the water leak what a nightmare 😕 Re washing up all I do is in a spray bottle put 50 50 water and white vinegar...the cheapest and most non toxic cleaner for everything! Then, wipe off any lumps of food and oil with paper towel, lightly sray everything and wipe with a paper towel again, continue till it's clean and no rinsing necessary as the vinegar smell evaporates, no suds to rinse off and jobs done in a few table spoons of water mix. Less often I need to fill up my tanks and environmentally friendly 😊😊 Enjoy Germany 🇩🇪 I sent a video on your messenger.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yes we need to stock up on vinegar for the new toilet too! Thanks for the tip Shauna.

[@alisonbanks7593]

Hey you two! Lots of memories along the Rhine there… thanks for sharing!❤ Hope the water gets sorted asap for you. X

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Poor Nigel has never done a Rhine Cruise!!

[@Karen_richwillo]

Good luck with the water leak what a pain for you. Great to see the beautiful villages and river system.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks friends! The small villages over here are just gorgeous.

[@charlesdelile8547]

You are such a lovely couple working together to achieving everything in life, Aussie Aussie Aussie, greetings from Redcliffe Bris. 🍺🍺

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much!! Redcliffe is almost our local area. Beautiful spot.

[@bradkark]

Water leaks are a PITA. The fittings RV’s use are often not readily available either. After a few issues I’ve collected enough parts to replace most of the fittings I have or block off leaking sections to get me out of trouble. It also takes a while to get your head around how all the plumbing is routed and how to get to the leak. I’ve only ever had cassette style toilets. The best move we made was fitting a SOG and stop using chemicals. We no longer get any bad smells, I think that the chemicals cause more problems than they solve.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yes we carried lots of spares in our Sprinter. It is much harder when you haven’t done the build yourself! We’ve heard good things about the SOG, I guess we just have rally don’t like dealing with 💩 soup!

[@bishopkinlyside8477]

Hi Nigel and Sue, wow sorry to hear you have any dramas. It’s such a nice motorhomes like invite when you buy a secondhand or even new. There’s always something going on. Anyway keep loving each other enjoying your holiday. Always love the videos from Logan City Queensland Australia

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Cheers Cliff!! We expected a few teething issues so it wasn’t a huge shock, just a pain having no water for a week!

[@allovesscrapping]

That would be incredibly annoying for you with your water issue. Hopefully things are fixed quickly - perhaps the tape worked. The region you are travelling in is beautiful - the Rhine spectacular.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

It really is such a stunning area. Thanks for watching!

[@marianjacobs5597]

Good luck with your water problem, hope it all turns out for you both and you can start to settle in before Nigel has to go back to his next 6 week stint. I have to say I am really enjoying this post, Germany certainly has some beautiful scenery, thank you 🏰😄

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Glad you enjoyed it! In real time we have three days to go until he flies out, and you wouldn’t believe the mods we are doing to the van right now!

[@marianjacobs5597]

@@nigelandsueadventures Can't wait, and look forward to seeing what "mods" you have made to the van. Take care. M

[@jaydegier3892]

Hi Nigel and Sue, not an ideal way to start the new journey in the new van. Hopefully although annoying and it should not have happened, it will be an easy fix, bugger having to return it to the place of purchase. Is the new van smaller than the Sprinter. How are you coping with that? The scenery in the video was like watching the Tour de France again. Such amazing footage, those castles are just amazing. Hopefully things will improve. Another great video, thank you for sharing. Stay safe and happy travels. Coen and Jay

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Hi Coen and Jay, yes it’s about a metre shorter than the old van, so definitely a bit squashier! Think it feels roomier though because the bed is lower. The history in Europe is just amazing!

[@jaydegier3892]

@@nigelandsueadventures thank you for your reply, we just hope that you get things sorted quickly. You are still wetting our appetite about purchasing a van but ours would only be for short trips, as I am working and we still have the 2 dogs. I appreciate you taking the time out to reply. Stay safe and happy Coen and Jay xx

[@JTysoe-y2e]

Hello Sue & Nigel, Putting the water ingress issue aside for one moment, would be interested to hear how your new van compares with your previous van, in particular, are you appreciating the smaller size? I assume the new van is FWD?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We will definitely do a comparison video once we have finished the upgrades and have lived in it a bit longer. Definitely the smaller size is a benefit driving on the small European roads. Yes its a FWD.

[@ianrobinson4501]

😊I am enjoying watching your adventures but I was wondering how safe do you feel on your travels

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I guess we take a fatalistic approach, if shits going to happen it will happen. I mean a young mother got stabbed and killed in a bitched home invasion in our suburb a while ago. If we worried about things we’d never leave our bedroom! Life is so short anyway, we want to see as much of the world as we can while we are still active.

[@Davidjeng049]

The water problem must be something lose so best of luck finding the little leak. There are some really great things to see along the Rhine River.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah it’s beautiful isn’t it? We lived it there.

[@JenLardelli-sq3us]

Gidday, Beautiful Village, thx for sharing. I think Nigel's instincts are spot on, (not sure why a tap is being ordered),:when it appears to be another issue! I'm enjoying yr travels! ❤

[@nigelandsueadventures]

It turned out it was the tap assembly, so (spoiler alert) it was a quick fix.

[@JenLardelli-sq3us]

​@@nigelandsueadventuresawesome! Such a simple thing!

[@CookingAroundTheWorld]

Your channel was a very pleasant discovery. I'm a Kiwi, so it's great to hear an Aussie accent. Looking forward to your adventures. Can you tell me if Nigel's happy dance is available on DVD haha.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

You know Nigel is a kiwi right? And maybe we should release a DVD with the happy dance and silly dives

[@CookingAroundTheWorld]

@@nigelandsueadventures It could be a No. 1 seller. No wonder he is such a top bloke if he's a kiwi. My daughter lives in Brisbane, but hasn't caught the accent yet.

[@SadieWatchman]

Hey Sue, we watch mainly on the tv so I don't ever comment but I wanted to let you know that I was on a Contiki Tour in 1994 with Kristy or Kirsty as the tour guide and Scott as the driver and I have a pic of you in the Chateau near Lyon. For ages I couldn't place you until you talked about those times and then I found the pic....such a small world. It must feel quite exciting getting back to Europe for yourselves not dragging a whole heap of drunken young adults around....but then I think you guys were having fun too 😂

[@nigelandsueadventures]

OMG Sadie that’s amazing. Can you send me a copy of the pic to hello @ nigelandsueadventures.com? That would be Kirsty with really curly hair and Scotty the vegetarian right?

[@SadieWatchman]

@@nigelandsueadventures will do....lol I hope they are you :)

[@leonparadiz3866]

just go to a camper shop, buy a tap and change it. Even if it takes you a day, you will still be golden. Some shops even do the fix for you.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

At this point we didn't even have a single tool! We also didn't want to void our warranty with the dealer.

[@marionmoller8430]

Hi, you put your registration the wrong way around. The one with the two stamps on it should be on the back of the van. Greetings Marion

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks Marion! Marcus saw our video and messaged us straight away to fix it.

[@dale9896]

Good on you Nigel, with he water legend 👍

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I’d be lost without him!!

[@gaarn66]

Hey guys! Fantastic excursion and join in, here for the Sunday morning coffee 😃☕ I am optimistic on your behalf, I am sure that you will be well taken care of and defective transition fittings or water pipes 🤗 at the dealer. Love, and continue with the lovely life Sus and Nigel 🥰 Best regards Lars from Northern Jutland in Denmark.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks so much! Spoiler alert, the dealer took very good care of us and the leak is fixed.

[@gaarn66]

@@nigelandsueadventures 🤗 That's it, you got the right treatment, I'm looking forward to "seeing" more of you guys 😊

[@dale9896]

Great to see your doing your bit going above and beyond helping with dinner putting the fuse in and out mate 😂

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Haha, had at work or hardly working.

[@hfamilytravels]

How frustrating!! Surely the dealer must have known the water was leaking? We had an issue in our motorhome and our waterpump packed up - no leak, our water was trapped!! That was inconvenient enough just on a weekend trip. Hope it's sorted for you soon.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

The tank was empty when we picked it up. There was enough water in the lines for us to check the water was working. We don’t blame them at all, in fact, they were super helpful in getting it fixed.

[@Storm333-h6n]

Hi guys,looking forward to more adventures with you,but I’m not vibing with the new van yet 🧐Hopefully when you change a few things around and add your personal touch’s it will look more appealing…Sorry,but I just adored your old van,it was gorgeous nicer design and brighter with nice white/light coloured interior with the touch of green…Is this van smaller? It’s great to see you both back,stay safe! 😘

[@nigelandsueadventures]

It definitely needs some of our touches! We do have some plans. And yes we miss our old van too!!

[@aeronaut1228]

Watchout! You mounted the registration plates the wrong way. The one with the two stamps (registration + TÜV) on it has to go to the back of your car! Your agent Marcus should have noticed and corrected.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thank you so much! We had no idea. Fixed it now. 🙏

[@NigelBell-g9q]

Hi from Nigel and Sue (local) adventures(!). We discovered your blog several weeks ago by chance and have been following since (!). Good and enjoyable... We've done the reverse in term's of traveling in Europe (and else-where) before around Oz (about to happen) in our contemporary Kombi (50 years later!). We have a son living in Freiburg Germany who's introduced us to much of southern Germany, nearby France and northern Italy. So we re-live our travels through you ...! May we suggest you visit extra special places in Italy such as Sienna and then on to Orvieto, which is the centre for the international movement for ' Cittalsow' ('slow town') being special places in the world for 65 different fundamental reasons. Australia has had three (Goolwa SA; Katoomba NSW - our town; and Yea Victoria). Orvieto (world heritage and Cittaslow HQ) is from Byzantine times (2500 years ago and onwards), located on top of a volcanic uprising with evidence of civilisation ever since! Extra special ... on your way south in Italy towards towards Rome. Keep traveling .... Regards Nigel and Sue (Bell)

[@nigelandsueadventures]

What a coincidence! Are you from Australia or elsewhere? We have driven past Orvieto many times and we are really looking forward to checking it out. We did visit Goolwa and learned about the Cittaslow but I didn’t remember Orvieto being the main one! Thanks for following along our adventures!

[@NigelBell-g9q]

@@nigelandsueadventures Aussies, but I (Nigel) was born in England and came out with family age 6. We're 70 and 73 and with my work (architect - now the national bushfire and building expert) I'm still in occasional project demand and sit on national committees (with a book to write 'Bushfire Architecture' now overdue!). Sue (retired landscape architect/planner/urban designer) is into writing mode about landscape and 'place'. So our 'lap' keeps getting delayed. Hence with Cittaslow etc we love much of what you guys enjoy too. Best wishes - and keep traveling and recording! Nigel & Sue Bell

[@ozlakota1]

fact its leaking on to 12 volt DC CONNECTOR IS WOW FIRE

[@nigelandsueadventures]

I know, scary right?

[@jeanie7369]

The scenery is absolutely stunning, and I could spend days exploring those old buildings and castles 🏰. Do they have any free camping over there ? Or is it all paid. And are they strict as to where you can stay overnight? Great vid

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Not as much free camping as we found in Australia, and some countries there’s more than others. In the UK you can camp behind some pubs for free if you buy a pint, so that’s a win win!

[@popeyebob9007]

The water issue is annoying and you were lucky it did not happen while Nigel was back in Arabia. I wonder if the person who designed the van was having a bad day as to me it would have made sense to have any plumbing accessible from a removable panel and the fuses as well. It makes me wonder if the problem is a pin hole in a hose or a small split. Still it is just a hiccup and you will look back on it as another adventure. Better times ahead and keep on truckin.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Exactly! We are laughing about it now. I’ve been really fortunate that most bad things happen when he is here. Wait, maybe that means he has the bad juju!!

[@deniseorourke7235]

Hate to say it but I loved the old van and the way you decked it out When will they fix your water leak

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Oh we loved our old van too Denise! We miss it a lot. Thankfully the leak has been fixed now

[@CraigSNZ]

Owning a french vehicle has a reputation "having a french affair always ends in tears" but yours began with waterworks. Fortunately your van has less electrical components to fail compared to a french car. The engines are really good but highly tuned so that if a hose or radiator system component fails it ruins the whole engine almost instantly so if you get any warning stop immediately. Hopefully being a new van you won't have any problems.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Hopefully that is a good omen!

[@TassieEV]

I assume your Van isn't winterised and you'll be avoiding Northern Europe from about late Oct to Apr each year then? It looked like vineyards from the view off the Castle across the valley, had any German Riesling yet or just beer so far? Will be interesting to know if the new tap fixes the water problem. Any idea what the Canada flag that was flying there in the video, not sure where it was unless it was July 1(Canada Day) and the building put it up for that.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yes the plan is to follow the weather. North in the summers and south in the winters. We will probably do a bit of “winterising” And yes, it would have been around July 1, so that would explain the Canadian flag. I didn’t even think of that!

[@JimmyCall]

How long are you planning to be in Europe/UK? Is it worth modding the van?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

We are planning on 3 years so yeah, it will be worth it!

[@JimmyCall]

@@nigelandsueadventures Cheers. What an adventure.

[@graemeashton1917]

You need to get certain food staples sent from Australia 😂

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Right? Vegemite for one!

[@JimmyCall]

What's the winders under the armrests?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Good question! I asked Nigel the same thing. They raise the armrests up and down.

[@JimmyCall]

@@nigelandsueadventures arrr. I'll have to look in my van now to see if they're there.

[@briangill4000]

Hard to believe the dealer didn't know about the water leak 🤬🤬

[@nigelandsueadventures]

The tank was empty when we got the van (and indeed when they received it from the previous owner). There was enough water in the lines for us to check that the water worked, but not enough pressure for the leak. They were super helpful in getting it fixed.

[@maccamac3607]

Love the ‘awesome’ (AW SM) number plates 😃 great video again, really enjoy your vlogs guys 👌

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Good pick up!! It took us a few days…

[@ibagm.8]

what should I say? You bought a Poessl ??

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yep!!

[@michelletziarkas]

What is wrong with the chemical toilet?

[@nigelandsueadventures]

have you used one? nasty piece of work! We are not fans...

[@simondennis3450]

Don't store your onions/garlic in the same place as potatoes.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Yeah, I've heard that before. Why is that?

[@simondennis3450]

@@nigelandsueadventures They emit a gas, it'll cause the spuds to sprout.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

@@simondennis3450 OHHHH, that makes sense. OK, they are separated now. Long live the SPUD!

[@sprinter4x4australia79]

No Nige Dive in the Rhine. Much disappointment.

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Hahaha, in his defence he was a yore sick when we were there, but you’re right, there has been a distinct lack of Nigel dives lately.

[@riaanvanrooyen6916]

I am un-subscribing from thíscrap channel!!! Leave the old rag and do solo male van life. Less complains and more living!!! AND STOP!!!!! TALKING AT THE SAME TIME!!!!👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[@nigelandsueadventures]

Thanks for watching!