Sleeping in MG4 [merged thread]

[decrep]

I’m keeping my weather eye on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I might launch the Snail once more.
Applecross and Newton Stewart areas looking promising. Might try the latter as my Daughter is going down there soon to work on a wind farm extension job.
My New Zealander niece climbed Ben Nevis the other day -10C, ice , snow and howling gales at the top. Worse than anything she’s encountered over years of tramping in NZ.
But she chuffed with the training opportunity as she’s heading out to Everest base camp at the end of the week.
Strong lady ?

Well that's Kiwis, There's a lot like that over there. (May be all the Scot DNA floating around in the system)

 

[Rolfe]

I have decided I want to walk the Corrieyairack pass, but it's ten miles long and climbs to over 2,500 feet at the watershed, which is probably a bit more than I care to chew. However, at the eastern end I think you can get a car as far as Melgarve, which is already at 1,170 feet to start with, which leaves only 1,330 feet to climb. Also, the watershed is only about three and a half miles on from Melgarve. That sounds doable, I could cope with getting to the watershed and maybe a little bit past before I turn back, but I will probably wait for longer days to tackle it.

If I have to walk in from Garva Bridge rather than being able to take the car to Melgarve that more than doubles the length of the walk, although it only adds another 180 feet to the height of the climb. In that case I'm definitely going to wait for long days and better weather. The only way to find out how far you can actually take a car along there is to go and look though. I think. I only know that people are "advised against" taking motor vehicles over the actual pass, which I wouldn't dream of trying, but it suggests that that first bit might be reasonably drivable.

 

[cjmo]

Not sure if already mentioned (not read every post) but you can turn everything off in the infotainment system which will turn the lights off. I’ve used this for a night in the back.

 

[Rolfe]

The problem with that is that it also turns off the HVAC, which negates the entire point of the exercise.

 

[Archev]

I have decided I want to walk the Corrieyairack pass, but it's ten miles long and climbs to over 2,500 feet at the watershed, which is probably a bit more than I care to chew. However, at the eastern end I think you can get a car as far as Melgarve, which is already at 1,170 feet to start with, which leaves only 1,330 feet to climb. Also, the watershed is only about three and a half miles on from Melgarve. That sounds doable, I could cope with getting to the watershed and maybe a little bit past before I turn back, but I will probably wait for longer days to tackle it.

If I have to walk in from Garva Bridge rather than being able to take the car to Melgarve that more than doubles the length of the walk, although it only adds another 180 feet to the height of the climb. In that case I'm definitely going to wait for long days and better weather. The only way to find out how far you can actually take a car along there is to go and look though. I think. I only know that people are "advised against" taking motor vehicles over the actual pass, which I wouldn't dream of trying, but it suggests that that first bit might be reasonably drivable.

I’d love a try at it in a Land Rover, preferably an electric one.
Certainly looks like I would need a longer summer day to even attempt it on foot. The bothy would certainly be a welcome sight in bad weather.

 

[Rolfe]

One way is probably possible, if tiring, but you'd need someone to meet you at the other end to avoid having to walk back as well. To the watershed and back from the eastern end seems feasible though.

I'd like to do it on a pony but I don't think anyone would hire me one for that trip.

 

[Archev]

One way is probably possible, if tiring, but you'd need someone to meet you at the other end to avoid having to walk back as well. To the watershed and back from the eastern end seems feasible though.

I'd like to do it on a pony but I don't think anyone would hire me one for that trip.

Happy to catch up at the other end and return you to Caliban if you like. I know a girl with a couple of ponies but they’re Spanish dressage specialists so no chance of borrowing them ?.

Perhaps a bit pampered for cross country hacking ? - and her horse is even worse ??

 

[Rolfe]

I really don't want to walk the entire length!

That reminds me of the story told by the owner of the trail riding business I went on the Sutherland ride with. One of the riders on a ride involving a steep track to somewhere or other that was mainly accessible by sea was a German show jumping champion. She completely freaked out about riding the steep track, declared it wasn't safe and insisted on dismounting and leading her pony. Absolutely bizarre.

 

[Archev]

I really don't want to walk the entire length!

That reminds me of the story told by the owner of the trail riding business I went on the Sutherland ride with. One of the riders on a ride involving a steep track to somewhere or other that was mainly accessible by sea was a German show jumping champion. She completely freaked out about riding the steep track, declared it wasn't safe and insisted on dismounting and leading her pony. Absolutely bizarre.

I’ve never ridden a horse but I think I’d chicken out too on a steep bit. I’d be fine on a motorcycle or a Quad. A decent electric mountain bike would be good too. Like the one I hired on Aviemore a few years back - it was effortless on some really steep rough tracks - not this driveway to the house we were staying in

 

[SueH]

Haven't ridden for years but not sure that horse would even be any good for the South Downs pub rides I used to go on... Amazing how a couple of pints improves your seat at the same time as minimising the fear of falling off.

But interesting thread, and I must chuck a few rods in the car one day and head north, once I've bought me midge hat..

I was wondering about the potential for stretching out in a small tent and using the V2L for filling a hot water bottle or running a small heater or even one of those aftermarket heated seat pads that plug in to the cigarette lighter? Mind you, I can sleep anywhere and at my first folk festival I slept alongside my motorbike in a sleeping bag in the open air. I'm now older, not necessarily wiser but in need of greater warmth.

 

[Archev]

Haven't ridden for years but not sure that horse would even be any good for the South Downs pub rides I used to go on... Amazing how a couple of pints improves your seat at the same time as minimising the fear of falling off.

But interesting thread, and I must chuck a few rods in the car one day and head north, once I've bought me midge hat..

I was wondering about the potential for stretching out in a small tent and using the V2L for filling a hot water bottle or running a small heater or even one of those aftermarket heated seat pads that plug in to the cigarette lighter? Mind you, I can sleep anywhere and at my first folk festival I slept alongside my motorbike in a sleeping bag in the open air. I'm now older, not necessarily wiser but in need of greater warmth.

More importantly- have you kept the bike ?

 

[Rolfe]

Archev, you're not a champion showjumper. How can anyone negotiate jumps like that and not be confident riding a mountain pony up a track?

I was actually thinking that an electric bicycle would be the way to tackle that road (it's an old Wade's road, not a deer track) but I have no idea how to get one to the start of it.

Sue, if you go further back in the thread you'll find posts by a member who did exactly what you propose - used a VtL cable to provide power to a tent. It was a great success. I'm pretty sure he ran a heater as well as a fridge and cooking equipment. After all, if the battery can cope with heating the car all night it can presumably cope with heating a tent.

 

[SueH]

Archev, you're not a champion showjumper. How can anyone negotiate jumps like that and not be confident riding a mountain pony up a track?

Probably because a rider like that doesn't want to cede more control to the pony, who knows what they're doing. I reckon two more pints on those pub rides and my horse would have got me home!

Thanks for the other information: maybe not looking tonight, it's a long thread!

 

[Rolfe]

It's at least three threads merged!

I used to have a Highland pony. When in a sticky situation I would just drop the reins and say, OK, you get us out of this. He never failed. Once he bunched all four hooves together and swivelled round on the spot to get back the way we'd come on a path along a steep gradient which had got narrower and narrower until it wasn't there any more.

 

[Archev]

Probably because a rider like that doesn't want to cede more control to the pony, who knows what they're doing. I reckon two more pints on those pub rides and my horse would have got me home!

Thanks for the other information: maybe not looking tonight, it's a long thread!

Hmmff - VtL with all these fancy later model cars ?
I’m going to install a chimney on my roof tent for my diesel fired central
Heating and a generator to power a stairlift on the ladder ??
Hey that wasn’t me on that horse ? not a chance.

It's at least three threads merged!

I used to have a Highland pony. When in a sticky situation I would just drop the reins and say, OK, you get us out of this. He never failed. Once he bunched all four hooves together and swivelled round on the spot to get back the way we'd come on a path along a steep gradient which had got narrower and narrower until it wasn't there any more.

Nah horses can be real dangerous - in fact they can totally ruin business ideas.
Check out the poem on utube called “Passion Pooder” by Ian Middleton recited by Robert Lovie.
I’ll get some stick for mentioning it as it’s in broad Doric but it really is hilarious except for the horse scuppering the whole thing ??

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks for the other information: maybe not looking tonight, it's a long thread!

I think this is the point where he got it all to work.

Sleeping in MG4 [merged thread]

No. It might LOOK tidier, but this is super-easy to do.

www.mgevs.com

A couple of posts earlier he lists all the things he was running from the VtL.

 

[Archev]

Heading north west again today. Currently sitting with a fine bowl of Cullen Skink in the Green Welly Stop while the car has a wee top up at the for- ev charger at the cafe opposite

 

[Rolfe]

You're a glutton for punishment. OK maybe three reasonably nice days, but it's not the weather it was that week in September.

 

[Archev]

aye it’s not too far away though. I’m set up in Glen Nevis lookiing at the entire Ben without its usual cloudy cloak. Temp is currently about 8°C and the heavy duty PJs and thermal socks are poised and ready. Darkness is just falling so I might just have a walk then hit the snail on the roof. There’s four or five of them on this site and I passed lots of them today.

 

[Rolfe]

I keep seeing them, possibly because I'm now primed to recognise what they are. One parked in the centre of the village the other day.

You're making me jealous. I wonder how much energy the MG4 would take from the battery in the current night-time temperatures?