Now we are finally on our long motorhome trip! We woke up early on Easter Eve morning and immediately started packing. After a few hours it was time to roll! It was an initially positive day ... which ended with a lot of trouble.
Table of contents
A whole day of packing and fixing
There's a lot to do when you're going on a long journey with a motorhome. We had already spring cleaned the motorhomeso now it was a matter of unpacking clothes, technical equipment, electric bikes, food from the fridge and everything else you need to take with you.
When we unpacked everything for the motorhome, it was time to roll! The only thing on the schedule this first day was to buy a new LPG tube, fill water, get some stuff at Biltema and shop for food. These activities can take more time than you think!
Shopping on Food World - almost like abroad
We went food shopping at The world of food in Veddesta (in Järfälla outside Stockholm), which is one of our favourite shops. This shop has all the Swedish food you could wish for - but also food from all over the world. Shopping here is fun and sometimes feels almost like travelling abroad.
The shop includes a large counter with nuts and dried fruit and another counter where they cook burek and other items while you watch.
You can choose to browse the shelves from India, Pakistan, Poland or any other country, depending on what you are looking for...
On the Polish shelves, we usually find the base for the Polish soup zurek. Now you could also find mushrooms here, in very mushroom-inspired jars.
Olives perhaps? Or rice or olive oil in huge cans? Or why not spices or baked goods from countries around the globe? We definitely recommend a visit to this shop!
Water leakage
After grocery shopping, we filled up with fresh water in the campervan, and that's when the trouble started. Water was leaking under the car, right under the bathroom. We stopped in one car park and then another.
At first we thought we could solve the problem relatively easily, but it turned out to be more complicated. The mixer tap in the bathroom was broken and leaking, and we had to remove it.
It is of course possible to buy and install a new mixer, but we don't know if we can do it during this trip, as we have several appointments booked during the trip, i.e. a schedule we have to stick to.
In the worst case scenario, we could live without running water in the bathroom (it's in the kitchen right next door), but for that to be possible, we have to manage to stop the flow of water to the bathroom.
"You take what you have" is the saying, and Peter put brushes in the pipes to stop the water going to the bathroom. Whether this will last, we don't know. For now, we are being cautious and only switching on the water when we need it, and keeping the water pressure low.
A failed night-time car park
The night's parking was not good either. We were late in the evening and realised that there would probably not be room at the better sites in Enköping. Instead, we chose a simple place without service in the CamperContact app.
When we arrived at Brännskogen in Enköping, we were unfortunately met by a sign about parking for a maximum of 6 hours. We tried to understand if we had found the wrong place, but think maybe it is instead that the sign is new. We were so late, and had so much trouble with the water leak, that we did not have the opportunity to change places, but we recommend avoiding this car park.
A bit of hassle is involved when seeking adventure, but we hope that we will soon be able to focus on other things. Follow our continued journey here at freedomtravel.se and at @freedomtravelnews on Instagram
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
Broken crane after winter is not fun. . Stop by Harald Nyborg Denmark and you'll see that there are cranes that fit. Google it!
Have a good trip
17 April 2022 - 8:28
Helena says:
Thank you very much for the tips! We will check it out!
17 April 2022 - 14:31
Lena - good for the soul says:
Oh, no! How sad! Are you still in Enköping? Do you need help. Thought that we might be able to assist with tools or something.
Hug Lena
17 April 2022 - 8:29
Helena says:
Thank you for your concern! And for the nice Easter lunch! 😍👍
17 April 2022 - 14:31
Lena - good for the soul says:
Thanks for the nice visit! 🙂
18 April 2022 - 20:12
bosses says:
Not fun with a water leak. Started up the systems and opened the taps in the kitchen and bathroom and when I got into the car again, the water stood up to the threshold. Panic! Wipe wipe wipe wipe. After some searching, I found the fault, the toilet seat. The connection nipple to the magma valve that regulates the flushing had frozen. Just googling and found a good film on Youtube that showed how to dismantle it. It was a bit tricky to get the stuff back but for a cost of SEK 139 for a new nipple and a couple of hours of work, the problem was solved. Hope you do not hesitate to solve your problem yourself. Good luck and drive beautifully.
19 April 2022 - 7:25
Reiselinda says:
Great that you are finally on your way! Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Sorry about the water tap though. We had that happen last year. Then we went past a motorhome company and found one that fit and spent a couple of hours on a pitch one day and fixed it ourselves. I'm sure you can do it too!
17 April 2022 - 9:32
Helena says:
Thank you! And thanks for the encouragement about the water tap! Let's see if we can find something when the Easter holidays are over!
17 April 2022 - 14:32
bmlarstravellingblog says:
No fun with frozen taps. It happened to us in the shower last year and there was an emergency trip to Jönköping. We instinctively feel that you must try to fix this as soon as possible so you can enjoy the long trip without the risk of leaks and moisture damage. Fingers crossed for a good solution and a nice trip!
17 April 2022 - 9:40
Helena says:
Thank you very much! Water leaks are boring. We will see if we can arrange a sensible solution when the Easter holidays are over. Wishes continued nice trip in Germany! 😍👍
17 April 2022 - 14:34
JoY says:
Ajaj what a sad start to the trip with a water leak. Keep your fingers crossed that you get it sorted. Nice trip.
17 April 2022 - 10:35
Helena says:
Yes, it was sad. Let's see if we can find a more sustainable solution. Thank you and happy Easter!
17 April 2022 - 14:34
Mr David Högfeldt says:
Just met you at Eurostop in Örebro.
Have a nice trip!
17 April 2022 - 14:21
Helena says:
What fun! Wishing you a nice Easter! 🐣🌱☀️
17 April 2022 - 14:35
Goatfish says:
Hate trouble! Have had incidents with previous caravans. The last one was stable though.
Hope things are going well for you now and have a nice trip out into the wide world!
Hugs Gerd
17 April 2022 - 16:32
Helena says:
Of course it's annoying when things go wrong! Our house is a few years old, so if it's not one, it's the other ... But buying a new one is not exactly free. We hope that we solve it in one way or another!
17 April 2022 - 17:51
Husis blog says:
Don't buy anything new in Sweden but wait until you get abroad, then you can save money. Despite all the problems at the beginning of the trip, it can only get better now.
Hope everything works out for you and we will follow you from home.
All good
17 April 2022 - 17:21
Helena says:
That may well be true, but perhaps a little more difficult to find what you're looking for? And yes, we should think, now it can only get better! 😉
17 April 2022 - 17:52
Eleonor Turesson says:
Wondering where you are going?
17 April 2022 - 17:45
Helena says:
It will be southwards in Sweden first, then Germany and the Czech Republic. Then Sweden again, probably Bohuslän.
17 April 2022 - 17:53
Maria/emjis.se says:
Has the water problem been resolved? I hope so! At least you are lucky with the weather!!! 😉
17 April 2022 - 19:14
BP says:
Yes, the beginning of your long journey could have been a bit more fun, but now it can only get better. Keep your fingers crossed that you will soon have water again in the bathroom. A little difficult to shower and go to the toilet in the sink;-) Good luck now!
17 April 2022 - 19:27
Anette says:
Hope you have a great holiday.
Good luck 😀
18 April 2022 - 19:23