The original plan was to have built the frame for Campalot in the spring before we got the house back, and got the panels made and fitted before we came to Spain, However delays in getting the truck paperwork through, then the amount of work we needed to do on the house followed by our move south a month earlier than really expected all kind of put paid to that plan, But having found a UK company who I was confident in and got so far with the planning I was loath to ditch them to try and find another manufacturer down here.
The Halloween brexit date also factored as we couldn't find anyone in the UK to put it together in time to avoid the expected chaos at the ports and we would have had to go in with the trucks and oversize vehicles and possible show paperwork for the materials, so we made the dubious decision to buy a trailer and bring the panels back here and build it ourselves. Ultimately this is my project and i was kind of unhappy with the ideal of paying someone else to build it for me when it would be so much more fun to do it myself - at least that is my idea of fun, compared to Maria's.
So, we headed home 2 weeks ago: 2 days driving just the truck through France, got to the UK on saturday and picked up what turned out to be a bit of a wreck of a trailer that I had bough off ebay, and spent 3 days tidying our garden and fixing up the trailer with some new wheels and other bits from overnight deliveries, then set off up the M1 last wednesday to pick up various bits and pieces for the camper that were hard to find or a lot more expensive here. Went as far north as Middlesbrough on errands, then stayed with Pip & Paul Thursday night before collecting the panels in the rain on Friday and starting southbound again. We were supposed to see Alex, Maria's godson for his 18th on Saturday but events (including a blown trailer tyre) conspired against us and we had to miss that, so headed for the channel tunnel on sunday and another 2 days back through France, all with a huge trailer and bits overhanging it in all directions. Fun getting it parked in hotel car parks, but we managed.
This morning we unpacked and unloaded the trailer and were hugely relieved to find that everything had survived the journey intact - I've been having sleepless nights for weeks worrying about this journey so glad its over. It will be a few more weeks before i am ready to mount the panels onto the frame - maybe if Johnmill comes to visit for xmas - but now i have all the parts I need so no excuses except my own laziness
