Warranty Work On Athena! And Heather “Steps Up”

[@karlospappy8908]

Mrs K has driven ours a couple of times but I wouldn't recommend it😂😂 Cheers K.

[@RickandHeather]

I assume she won’t read this 🤣

[@heatherdodds549]

I did enjoy it, but Rick is not good with the satnav so I'm cheif navigator

[@birdnest5814]

Great to see Heather take the wheel. You never know when she might have to if you were unable. I didn’t say drunk🤣😂

[@heatherdodds549]

We have said its better I try it just in case he was ill, so now I've done it. Back to navigating now though

[@RickandHeather]

Rude! 🤣🍻

[@silvervandriver9940]

Well done our girl😊

[@heatherdodds549]

I did enjoy it, but happy to be navigator

[@RickandHeather]

She did good!

[@colinmackenzie7322]

I had exactly the same problem with my step. It was a bag of bones

[@RickandHeather]

They don’t seem that well made…

[@colinmackenzie7322]

@@RickandHeather Inside there is a scissor type of mechanism driven by a drive screw is as best as I can describe it and if the step goes too far out it pushes against the very flimsy stops and so it will go beyond the limit of the scissors and gets jammed. It's a design fault coupled with flimsy material. I too spent ages with the switch and thought that was the problem. It wasn't.

[@RickandHeather]

Ours had broken the black spring clips as they were in bits inside but eventually the motor just stopped

[@davidgilmour5555]

What a cracking van…

[@RickandHeather]

They are a great van thanks 🙏

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks, we love it

[@Wheres_wanda_wandering]

It must have been weird seeing what you could have had. Great to see Heather having a drive. I nearly always drive Wanda. Take care Gill

[@heatherdodds549]

I did enjoy the drive but happy navigating

[@RickandHeather]

It was nice but we’re happy with how it all turned out 👍

[@valhodgson3631]

Well done Heather. I never drive our van but it is mainly because I am not a very confident driver and hubby is really not a good passenger lol

[@heatherdodds549]

Rick an ok passenger but a poor navigator so he drives I navigate, team work 😂

[@susanjennings4113]

Great job Heather! We are back in the UK in September from Australia and as we both drive automatic cars we have paid more to hire one for our holiday. Can’t handle a manual transmission anymore I’m very lazy these days 😂❤

[@RickandHeather]

I love an auto but driving a manual can be fun too, just not in traffic 🤣

[@heatherdodds549]

It does make driving easier with an auto, but I'm OK driving either

[@mike142sl]

Well done Heather. Gill enjoys driving Tigger which is good as we can share the journeys. However, and this might be on a par with how you pronounce scones, but I've always been taught not to put automatics into neutral at lights etc! Just leave it in D and on the hand brake. Although with auto stop start you just keep your foot on the brake.

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks, it was good to drive, especially on a route I know very well

[@RickandHeather]

I (Rick) don’t put it in N either…

[@davidlindley485]

Hi Rick and Heather. Regarding you comments regarding light steering, I don’t know what tyre pressures you are running at but I have reduced my pressures to 4 bar and I think that it has improved both ride quality and steering immensely. Dave

[@heatherdodds549]

I did enjoy the drive, steering just took a bit of getting used to. Thanks for the tyre pressure info

[@RickandHeather]

Ours are around 60psi…

[@davidlindley485]

@@RickandHeather our tyres are the Michelin Agilis Crossclimate with a recommended pressure of 80psi. So 4 bar (58psi) made a huge difference.

[@RickandHeather]

@davidlindley485 pretty similar to me then 👍

[@chriswain3513]

yeahhhhhh we've finally seen our van 😂, Nic keeps playing it on repeat 😂🤣, thanks Rick 👍👌

[@heatherdodds549]

We watched our Apollo review lots of times before we got Athena 😊

[@RickandHeather]

Hopefully see you out in it one day!

[@NBNatureTrailvan]

Fascinating - it must have been weird to see the original van that you had ordered. But all ended up right 👍👍 Very cool to see the builds in various stages. And well done Heather for the drive. Sue keeps saying that she wants to drive the Motorhome, but for one reason or another (or another), it hasn't happened yet! 😃

[@heatherdodds549]

I enjoyed driving it, although as Rick can't navigate I won't be driving it on a regular basis

[@RickandHeather]

Definitely was nice to see “our” van but we’re happy with how it turned out 👍

[@cathrynbagley8005]

Well done Heather for driving such a big van. I really should drive ours more.

[@heatherdodds549]

I'm glad I've done it, so if I need to I can in the future

[@RickandHeather]

No excuse!

[@ianpalmer7231]

Well done Heather you did good girl

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks. It's so easy to drive, just alot bigger than my Venga

[@RickandHeather]

She did 👍

[@lesleyjoanne782]

Now that debate is a row waiting to happen Heather! ( we know it’s us though 😂) well done getting behind the wheel!

[@heatherdodds549]

I am happy navigating but enjoyed the drive. 😊

[@RickandHeather]

She’s a good driver but ima terrible navigator so….😂

[@junewilliams939]

Hi both, enjoyed your vlog, and Well Done Heather 👏👏👏 xx❤️❤️❤️

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks, it's good to know I can do it if required

[@RickandHeather]

Thanks 🙏 she did well 👍

[@junewilliams939]

@@heatherdodds549 ❤️❤️❤️

[@junewilliams939]

@@RickandHeather 👍👍

[@david_akerman]

It'd be great if my other half would drive once in a while, if only to reduce the tedium of a long drive, but she's really really not keen! I agree with Heather that the electric power assistance does sometimes feel a bit weird. With other vehicles it just results in lighter steering, so you're not aware of it other than that. I'm not sure how best to describe it, but on the Ducato it does sometimes make its presence felt, as if it's over-reacting to slight pressure on the steering wheel. It's OK once you're used to it but it is odd.

[@RickandHeather]

Yeah I get you totally on the steering add the tyres in and it makes it feel strange sometimes but I’m used to it…

[@heatherdodds549]

By the end of the journey I didn't notice the sensitivity of the steering so much. I don't mind driving as long as it's not on narrow roads

[@ChrisHamlet]

Girl power. Go heather 😂

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks, it was Ok

[@RickandHeather]

Spice up your life 🇬🇧

[@Justripping]

I'm sure I've just seen pirate scratch my arse in the reflection of the windscreen is he from Ladram bay in Devon

[@RickandHeather]

🤣 if you mean the knitted one on the dashboard that’s “Captain Jack” Heather’s mum knitted him for our old van (Pearl - the black one) and he comes everywhere with us!

[@lynnbateman7571]

Good on you Heather, I’ve only driven ours a handful of times and only a few miles at a time. Am building up confidence before I even attempt motorway driving yet 😂😂

[@heatherdodds549]

I prefer the motorway than smaller roads, I'm not great judging the width

[@RickandHeather]

Motorways are probably easier….

[@lynnbateman7571]

@@RickandHeather they are once you get onto them from the slip road, I always worry that I’ll run out of lane before I get onto them 😂

[@RickandHeather]

Close your eyes like I do…. 🤣

[@lynnbateman7571]

@@RickandHeather 🤣

[@ttxela]

Even though our van is an auto I'd still much rather have a manual.

[@RickandHeather]

I don’t mind either but the auto is lovely in traffic jams…

[@LeisureBit]

Great to see the vans being put together, always find it fascinating - I bet it must have felt a bit strange seeing the one you would have been getting. How's the S&L comparing to Elddis for warranty work? 🚐 Go Heather! 😃 Have a great week and bank holiday weekend - All the best, David & Rachel 👍

[@heatherdodds549]

Thanks, it was an easy drive.

[@RickandHeather]

Not really had any S&L issues other than the bed modification and some work we’ve requested like shelves and a plug socket, we’re having the gas heater changed to diesel soon but they’ve always been bang on with us 👍

[@ruthkirby9277]

Well done Heather on the drive home and yes women drivers are as good as men, we just aren’t always given the opportunity or encouragement to drive🙂

[@heatherdodds549]

I'm happy navigating Ruth, but did enjoy the drive

[@ruthkirby9277]

@@heatherdodds549 well at least you know you can drive it if you have to👍🏽

[@RickandHeather]

She’s a better driver than me but gets a bit shouty at people 😂

[@ruthkirby9277]

@@RickandHeather 😂

[@cathrynbagley8005]

Just thought I'd add an extra comment for you - seeing as you asked nicely ....

[@RickandHeather]

Appreciate it as always ❤

[@y0rkiebar]

I've not really noticed any difference with the leccy steering. Go Heather!

[@heatherdodds549]

It was quite noticeable when I started the drive, but soon got used to it.

[@RickandHeather]

It’s a lot to do with the tyres too…

[@philhicks5818]

Hi , how do you on with the all terrains tyres , are they noisier and I guess fuel consumption has gone up

[@RickandHeather]

Yes, noisy and lower mpg but they look ace 🤣 smiles per gallon 👍

[@philhicks5818]

@@RickandHeather yes they look really cool , nice looking van you both have , we are waiting on a new van to be delivered, hopefully mid October, can’t wait

[@RickandHeather]

@philhicks5818 enjoy! What are you getting?

[@philhicks5818]

@@RickandHeather we getting a new 2025 autotrail expedition 68 , as you might already know designed for mountain bike storage , it’s perfect for us 2