SORRY-SORRY-SORRY.

[Ricard with an H]

I have been so-so preoccupied by solving and dealing with problems on our motorhome that I couldn't afford someone else to deal with that I had to use the resources of three other forums to get help and share the problems.

First I had damp ingress that I knew about and had already dealt with previously on another part of the van but had to put on the back burner because it involved a huge bathroom furniture appliances and shower dismantle, then a floor rebuild.

Then the electrics for outside perimeter and parking lights failed and I assumed it was my fault, RED HERRING. That took ages to find the source. Front fog light units which had plastic backs had melted because of the heat from the bulbs then shorted out everything but I was looking at the RED HERRING.

Then the ignition key jammed in the starter barrel so that had to be smashed-off to fit a new one which was big money so I opted for a Chinese copy. Opting for a Chinese copy is not something I would advise against but in this case it faulty but I assumed the fault lay elsewhere and chased another RED HERRING until I finally took the Chinese copy to bits and found the switch wasn't completing all the lighting circuits and of course I associated this with the previous problem.

I won't go on, its taken four months of daily work, nail biting, head scratching and to be honest very little help from experts.

This forum is special, not much gardening going on so I though a ripe time to give you a read and if you want more details on anything please ask.

Happy New year to you all.

Regards
Richard

[retropants]

Hi Richard!
glad to have you back, you have been missed x

[robo]

Richard I don't know the make of your motor home but I know from experience if the ignition key names I a transit van there is a small hole in the barrel if you insert a piece of metal (as in a very small screwdriver) and push it will release the key

[Ricard with an H]

Hi Robo. Thanks for that tip, I do remember seeing a tiny hole on the barrel so I'll try that and pass on the tip. This is a Fiat engine and everything in the cab but not the cab. It's a total coach built A class. I know how to release the key but it had jammed in the MAR position. Probably because it rarely ever goes into that position.

A genuine Fiat barrel with switch but no key assembly is £75. I'll get one when I got over paying for stuff I haven't even mentioned.

I had a tailor made Stainless steel exhaust built and fitted in Swansea, then some welding and under sealing.

I'm broke but happy, I love this van but Fiat is something I prefer to avoid. Ford, yes. We are all German. VW Golf. VW Beetle. The van is Burstner built by Hymer. The Germans can produce poo sometimes.

Our Beetle has just been resurrected from being naughty to a good boy.

[Westi]

Welcome back Richard!

How's Betty? Offering all her vast experience & input into your dilemma no doubt!

[Ricard with an H]

Beti (We use the Welsh spelling) has recently been poorly, vomiting, not eating and worse, not drinking. She had to have IV fluids, sedation and X-ray though nothing specific was diagnosed so she has probably eaten something toxic.

She has just started to get hungry, I'm writing this at one in the morning because she came into my bedroom asking for food. Chicken and rice diet and now she is settled.

I hadn't mentioned that my autumn kitchen garden had been neglected badly and though I have two types of kale and two types of carrot in the ground the slugs are having thier share. Carrots have been fabulous this year.

Thanks for saying hello.

[Pa Snip]

Hope Beti recovers fully soon.

There appears to be a fair bit of it around. One of ours was the same but we got her to the vet quickly and after a diet of either fish or chicken and rice along with a course of antibiotics she is back to normal.

[Ricard with an H]

I just took Beti for her first walk since Monday, she was keen and pulling like a train even though she had got much better at walkies. First solid poo-poo was nice too see and stopped making those dreadful smelly poops.

This far west our local Beti ray service had been basic but now we have a new unit complete with proper operating rooms, X-ray, air-con bedrooms (cages) and a soon to be completed lab.

Animals get quick attention whilst us humans ? It's a sore point. NHS politics is popular conversation.

[oldherbaceous]

Good to see you back on the forum Richard, and equally good to know Beti is on the mend, they are a worry, aren't they....

[Ricard with an H]

I do hope you found my excuse a plausible one OH, if you think back and consider the progress I made with my kitchen garden you'll understand how focussed I get. Call it obsessive if you like.

That Motorhome just needed a lot of work doing and I was living it for months. Now it's fixed I can throw some bedding in, a few beers,food and clothes and I'm gone. With Bet of-course.

[Geoff]

But when you get the bill from the vet you'll appreciate what good value the NHS is!

[Westi]

Agree Geoff! My friend had to pay £127 for a blood test for her cat & we got slaughtered for over £700 when the dog had some allergic reaction to something in the night. The Out of Hours vet cost is calculated to the time you visit, so was £250 before they even opened the door & was not even midnight. Didn't even get that back off insurance as put in claim for whole event & that bit was outside their claim period.

[Ricard with an H]

Whilst I agree the NHS is good value compared to private medicine and vetinary medicine, and I had my money's worth. Right now our GP service is at critical relying on admin staff at the surgery to filter the calls for help. This is all being done as a last resort so we have staff who are not trained to deal with the poorly public dealing them a rough deal.

Regarding vets fees, ours are more reasonable than yours because of the difference in the known or assumed amount of money in yours and ours pockets.

" The price is what the public will pay"

I think our vets surgery charges what they need to charge to provide a good service.

Beti was on IV fluids for a day, she had sedation and X-ray. Probably she also had anti emetic injections. £155. A consultation with two injections and a few tablets ranged from £67 on one occasion though all the following similar visits were under £20.

[Pa Snip]

As pet health insurance companies increased their customer base then so vet prices started to rise.
Those of you who are trained nurses know how long you took to qualify.
My granddaughter (Poddington's daughter) is on her final year (she hopes) of being a student VN and is currently on her final years placement.
Hearing from her just what goes in to caring for our pets I am not surprised at some of the costs.

Most of us don't pay for doctors fees normally, but when we do well then we see the realism. £150 for a public service vehicle driving licence medical, not covered by medical insurance.

Over the years we have paid out a small fortune for vets fees and fortunately have been able to reclaim most of it, however with the cost of premiums constantly rising maintaining insurance cover for pets is becoming more difficult

[Ricard with an H]

We have to pay for everything up to £140. A 10 years back it was £70, we did do a claim but I don't remember the details. Our then spaniel Molly had snatched a chicken bone out of my hand and swallowed it, they never found that chicken bone and was a very poorly dog in a lot of pain. Presumably they find the bone because of how basic the practice was though they did do X-rays. X-rays don't see a few things and I'm guessing that diagnosing an X-ray correctly is highly skilled. Do vets practices routinely have MRI scanners ? Other than superset of-course.