VERDICT ON THE ROAD TRIP?

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Well, what is our verdict, having spent over 2 weeks both travelling in and staying in Fugly, through 5 different Countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy). Is it cut out to meet our requirements? Did we make the right choice?

We were amazed to find that Fugly simply swallowed our not inconsiderable gear and, by keeping things in their place, we were able to both keep the van tidy and lay our hands on everything. A big improvement over our prior Race Van conversion (although I hate to say this...).

The van was well equipped and, having made a couple of prior modifications, we identified just a couple of items that we could add to improve usability - not least the addition of a couple of additional waste bins - in both the bathroom and a second bin opposite the kitchen units in the main living area. The limited workspace took some getting used to in the kitchen - but by using the dining table and its soon out return additional work space can be created.

The investment in the 3.0l V6 engine paid dividends in ensuring that a constant speed could be maintained when travelling up even the most challenging of mountains. Unfortunately, both the amazing weather in Belgium (unheard of), coupled with our car park campsite position, prevented us from testing the 4x4 capability of the vehicle. I am sure this will be covered in a future tale..

We are on the ferry home currently and are not looking forward to unpacking Fugly tomorrow - or to returning to work on Monday. When unpacking it would is my pledge to remove, with the exception of our wet weather gear, the things we didn't use and to replace used storecupboard items, ensuring that Fugly is prepared for his next adventure.

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