The weather was good. D3Steve had planned some good routes around Neath and my RRS seemed in good fettle. How we laughed: the first time I went out with Steve I got three punctures; the time after that one puncture; what could go wrong today?
Sarn Helen was a bit rough. I got to the top and then...
...alternator light on.
...power-steering gone.
...suspension lowered.
...coolant temp through the roof, followed by some steam from under the bonnet.
...various 'pings'.
The pulley/clutch of the air-con compressor had given way, shredding the auxiliary belt with various strands of debris preventing the viscous fan from turning. After letting it cool for a while, it was time to go back down t'hill - sliding over rocks on the underneath of the car, struggling with the steering and watching the coolant temp like Dennis Weaver in "Duel" (cue use of neutral and heating on full blast).
Steve followed me to the road, where I stayed for five hours at the mercy of the RAC. A lorry-driver stopped and told me that Sarn Helen was a mess. He'd driven it last week and it was trouble. Three hours later, he came past again and offered me one of his sandwiches and a cup of tea - you've got to love the Welsh!
The towbar and bracket is 'as bent as a Bishop's stick'.
Ho, hum. On the 'repair it/buy a Volvo' seesaw now!
Going up:
Back down:
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
have you got some special software which removes all the " " from your soundtrack on the downward trip ?
24th Jun 2021 7:09 am
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
You did very well there with no power steering
I was sure you were going to just power through that gate on the way down given the speed
Best of luck with sorting it out D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
24th Jun 2021 8:00 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73078
And no Sherlock Homes on the way down.
Re even thinking “she’s in fine fettle”, you know that’s the root cause of the problem.
No [audible] swearing - I just thought to myself, "Pull yourself together man. Ask yourself, 'what would Dean do'?"
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
24th Jun 2021 8:06 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73078
Ah, thought that’s what the talking book type thingie at the beginning of vid 1 - the ascent was. Didn’t listen long enough as flicked to the bonnet opening action at the end.
24th Jun 2021 8:11 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73078
Road tax is £585 cheaper than the RRS, fuel consumption about half.
Click image to enlarge
When my RRS was recovered, the straps wouldn't go over the wheel (big tyres, suspension sitting on the stops). The driver put the strap through the spokes of the wheel - and had an attack of the colly-wobbles when he came to release the straps:
Quite a chunky towbar to bend!
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
29th Jun 2021 7:25 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
So are you scrapping the RRS Hugh? (He asks, wondering if there's anything worth putting a dibs on... )
Have to say that if you managed to brake the RRS going off road, that Volvo's got no chance! Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
29th Jun 2021 8:21 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
HWN wrote:
Quite a chunky towbar to bend!
That's a Tow Trust item, isn't it? Where did it bend?Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
So are you scrapping the RRS Hugh? (He asks, wondering if there's anything worth putting a dibs on... )
Have to say that if you managed to brake the RRS going off road, that Volvo's got no chance!
It is going to be SORNed. If I can find a shorter aux belt and bypass the air-con compressor it will be kept as a "tractor" round the property, if not, eBay!
Yes, that's a Tow Trust item. Not sure where it bent.
We are gradually turning into Travellers.
* Two static caravans
* A collection of barky dogs
* An Irish cobb
* A Land Rover with bits missing rotting in the corner of the yard.
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
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Didn’t listen long enough as flicked to the bonnet opening action at the end.
(He asks, wondering if there's anything worth putting a dibs on... 
)
