Scars and Stripes?!

[Aidy P]

I've had Nemo the Ocean for nearly two months now. Already I've clocked up over 3,000 miles with a few adventure including a trip to the Alps at Easter.

I thought I'd be really precious about the van as I'm usually paranoid about scratches and bumps if I get a new car. Surprisingly though it seems to be going the other way and I'm finding that I'm looking at the minor scars that I've inflicted and they are reminding me of what I was doing when the van got them.

• Boot scratch ...Fitting Atera bike rack for the first time so we could all go out for the day as a family on our bikes. We'd just bought my wife her first bike in over a decade so the kids thought she'd be wearing stabilisers!
• Dint on centre dash speaker - Phone tossed on the dash whilst on our ski camping trip. Two dads and their daughters having an awesome road trip.
• Nick on interior vinyl in boot - Mishap whilst loading the boot before taking youngest daughter on our first trip away in the van. Daughter on way home said, "Daddy this was the best day of my life".

Fortunately no serious damage and all 'operator error' but it got me thinking ... Has anyone else inflicted scars on their pride and joy but looks at it without regret and instead thinks them as 'stripes' they've earned?!

 

[AlisonF]

Yep, me too. Only 2,500 miles in 2 months so clearly I need to do better (although it isn't my day to day vehicle).
A couple of small scratches near the wheel arch where the sliding door got 'engaged' with the draught excluder (used to stip the dogs sneaking under the van). Thought I'd be freaking out, but like you - remember my first agility comp, falling half way round the course and getting bathed in mud which subsequently got spread all over the van as I was packing up - and smile!
Happy Cali days

 

[Quinnster77]

B pillar scuffs from not getting the seats setup to turn properly.

Drivers door edge chip. Will cover with bumper reflectors I think.

 

[Hotel California]

Both mirrors got scrathed by my own fault....
One hitting a bus!
Other while parking up in my garage....
It can't stay new forever but still a shame , probally lots of other marks and small scratches ....oh yeah ..a chip on the bonnet...damn think a need a full respray

 

[Brindisi]

Had ours a week and scuffed the handbrake when turning drivers seat

 

[Hotel California]

Had ours a week and scuffed the handbrake when turning drivers seat

Oh inside counts to?
...so scrathed the doorpanel turning the rightseat...

 

[Aidy P]

One hitting a bus!

Ouch!!

 

[snowy55]

We got ours to be used and not treated as a "Tin God"
So yes ours has a few blemishes - mark on the back bumper done on the ferry to Santander, mark on the near side mirror made on a sign in some very narrow road works in central Spain, stone chip on the front bumper when on an unmade road in Morocco.
All add to the memories.

 

[GrannyJen]

The grazes and scratches on Albert's N/S mirror are a reminder of an historic French City, the historic centre with dire warnings of street width, trying to get out and it only getting worse, culminating in my Sister in the passenger seat saying "This mirror is touching".... with me replying "so is this one"

 

[knightons]

Approx. 4" windscreen crack and A' pillar damage by something flying up from on-coming lorry. Upsetting as it was only a month or so after delivery; and it was a bit of a hassle to get the damage to the pillar fixed; but did result in us not being too precious. We now just take minor issues in our stride...

Cheers, Deborah and Cliff and Ellie

 

[GrannyJen]

Oh inside counts to?
...so scrathed the doorpanel turning the rightseat...

Oh, if we are talking inside....

door card battered from swivelling the seat, an inch of broken runner on the kitchen doors, a few other bits but the worst?

The sliding door to the wardrobe. One of the clips it slides into was loose, so I mended it... and when I mend thinks they normally get worse and it did, it broke. So, whilst it was in at SMG, I asked for a quote to replace it...

"we can't get replacements Jen, it all comes as one unit"....

"how much for one unit?"

£3,214 including labour" ....

It's the whole thing, to replace one fiddly clip that the sliding door slides into!

It's staying broke

 

[Aidy P]

Oh, if we are talking inside....

door card battered from swivelling the seat, an inch of broken runner on the kitchen doors, a few other bits but the worst?

The sliding door to the wardrobe. One of the clips it slides into was loose, so I mended it... and when I mend thinks they normally get worse and it did, it broke. So, whilst it was in at SMG, I asked for a quote to replace it...

"we can't get replacements Jen, it all comes as one unit"....

"how much for one unit?"

£3,214 including labour" ....

It's the whole thing, to replace one fiddly clip that the sliding door slides into!

It's staying broke

I'm going to more careful with my wardrobe doors!

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

Bought new in July 2012.

Really badly scraped entire drivers side of van in French campsite in August 2012. Kids thought I'd never recover.

VW body shop fixed "as new" September 2012.

 

[Freeley]

I can live with any damage that I might cause but the scratches and dents that appear by magic via 3rd parties really annoy me.
Can't stand other people's ignorance and "couldn't care less" attitudes.
I'm always careful when I'm around other vehicles so it really irritates that so many other people don't care.
I've got a nice scratch/dent on our bonnet from where a large stone was thrown up from a lorry a few months back, but other than that our cali has remained pretty much unscathed thankfully.
My T6 transporter on the other hand.......I seem to be picking up scratches on a weekly basis from God knows where.

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[Mark13]

I think there might be sliding scale in application here:

• If we did it or it was just one of those things, on holiday, none or not much cost or inconvenience, then yep, regret nothing and actually enjoy it, and I did learn how to swivel the seats really quickly (eventually).
• If someone else did it then OK, might start to get annoying, but hey, these things happen.
• If someone else, and causes problems, scale can go from irritating to very irritating, but generally part of lifes rich etcetera, think we're rather lucky to own this thing anyway . . .

But:

• If VW do it while its in for a service, fail to mention anything except a "small scratch", we miss three days holiday, we're still arguing about it with customer services months later (even if the damage was repaired) then . . . aaaaaarrrrgh. Words fail me. (Not that I'm bitter about it of course).

Onward. Taking great care of the wardrobe.

 

[Mark13]

Goodness, just seen the "In chock" thread, theres perspective - will enjoy the little dinks a little bit more, and am pretty glad the thing seems so strong.

Best wishes to Kmann, and as was said, "Phew!"

 

[Borris]

I can live with any damage that I might cause but the scratches and dents that appear by magic via 3rd parties really annoy me.
Can't stand other people's ignorance and "couldn't care less" attitudes.
I'm always careful when I'm around other vehicles so it really irritates that so many other people don't care.
I've got a nice scratch/dent on our bonnet from where a large stone was thrown up from a lorry a few months back, but other than that our cali has remained pretty much unscathed thankfully.
My T6 transporter on the other hand.......I seem to be picking up scratches on a weekly basis from God knows where.

Sent from my Galaxy S6

I share your annoyance with the attitudes of some towards other peoples property. I too have had a couple of occasions where minor damage has been caused to our vehicles and when the perpetrators were challenged (and it wasn't in doubt who they were) all I received was verbal abuse. The husband of one of the people concerned also had the cheek to tell me that if I was stupid enough to buy an expensive vehicle it was my fault!
Whether it's me turning into a grumpy old man or whether it is a general slide in peoples atitudes towards others property is debatable but I know what I think.

On a similar note, in the pretty Kentish country lanes around where we live there has been a terrific rise in fly tipping. Old matresses, fridges, motor tyres, Mc Donalds wrapers and anything else you can think of turn up in gateways and our stunning Kentish bluebell woods on a daily basis. IMO, all this has been caused, in part, by the County Council creating too many restrictions regarding what can be taken and by whom to the local tip but mainly by the scumbag mentalities of those who think it is acceptable to ruin our glorious country side.
And the rubbish along the road side thrown from vehicles is is......well i'd better stop here before I blow a gasket.

My point is, that I believe this is all part of the same growing contempt and couldn't care less atitude towards other peoples property and our surroundings.

At the very least, bring back the cat!

Rant over. Sorry for hijacking this post.

Mr Angry from Kent.

 

[GrannyJen]

At the very least, bring back the cat!

Rant over. Sorry for hijacking this post.

Mr Angry from Kent.

Goodness!

I have no idea why the cat left in the first place but it's unlikely to return with you in such a grump

 

[Mark13]

Goodness!

I have no idea why the cat left in the first place but it's unlikely to return with you in such a grump

But when the cat does reappear, could said animal also sort out the people who park across my drive? Please?