Mel B Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Mickydripin - 2011-07-21 2:47 PM ... maybe you can speak French better than me try to ask people for something in broken french and then see what they say. Mike. You want to try having a row (in French) with another supermarket customer for pushing in, now that is challenging ... got my point across though!!!!! >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I don't think as a general rule the French understand the concept of queuing, it's more like every man for himself we find ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Mike Don't know if this will help with the aircon, but follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/3n5wtvu It will take you to the Dometic website showing the installation kits for their air conditioning units that allow them to be used on mains, or on 12V when the van is running. I'm assuming it is Dometic kit, because you said one component is Mobitronic, and Mobitronic = Waeco = Dometic. Look to the right of the picture, where it says Product Overview, and there is a drop-down menu to switch between the kits: DC-KIT-1 etc etc. Look just below the drop-down menu for each kit, and you'll see "Installation and operating manual". Click on that, and download whatever seems to match what you have. The manuals are multi-lingual, and the English instructions are the second set in. Although the first bit covers installation, there are also instructions for use. With any luck, between these, you should be able to work out what has actually been installed, and how it is supposed to work. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-07-21 10:41 AM ...cordon blue, is that an offshoot from Cordon bleu. :-S :-S :-S Yes, it's like Cordon Bleu but with added swearing. She taught Gordon Ramsay Cordon Blue cooking techniques back in the 1990s, but he's had to tone it down for his TV programmes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hard to picture the setup from the description, a couple of quick photos might help if that's possible.I'd first double check that power is leaving the inverter when the engine is running. Can you unplug the ac power lead that leaves the inverter and goes up to the aircon unit and instead plug directly into the inverter something fairly low powered like a hairdryer? Your size of inverter should be able to cope with a kettle but I wouldn't want you to plug in something with too high a current demand and pop the fuses, or worse.If the inverter will power a 240V ac appliance when the engine is running, that will eliminate a lot of possible faults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickydripin Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Sorry Crinklystarfish but am unable to get a photo as all the gummings as they are in the front off side under seat and a bit hard to see where all the wires are going plus I have not brought the cable to transfer photo`s to my computer. I have sent an email to Dometic to see if they can help I have checked the fuses and tried different things but no luck yet mind you the sun has come out today still a bit cool in the shade and wind but it is a start . Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Hi Mike,Can you plug in a 220/230V appliance into the inverter to ensure its working. Loose connections on the battery to the inverter can cause problems. Hope the weather has picked up.Regards,Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJB Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 France is fantastic!!?....it's close and convenient to the UK and even closer to Belgium which means we only have to spend an hour or so in the country. *-) We really must stop and look one day but people in all the other countries are so much more welcoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 hi, a few years back we spend some time in germany. at the time our hymer was on french plates and I must say we got a lot of flak from the germans until one of us spoke out and then it was all jokes and welcome english etc. That year was the first time we found people not so welcoming when they saw us. again it was only when we spoke to them was it ok. michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 To those of you who find French people unfriendly, I imagine that you are only coming across northerners, most likely Parisiens. For what it is worth the southern French have no time for them either. Where we live, the local people could not have given us a better welcome when we moved here 6 years ago, mind you we are the only English in the village, which may make a difference. Even the teenagers look at you when you pass in the street, smile and say bonjour. Quite different from the UK when we were there last, where they seem to ignore you completely and expect adults to get out of their way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I agree with james, we have been to Nice and monaco quite often and have found the french to be quite friendly there. Unlike the spanish, never found a friendly spaniard yet and my spanish is way better than my french so its not to do with speaking the language. Also agree with james about the youths they are also much more polite than uk equivelent. As for the welsh, I work and socialise regularily in wales and can assure you that "some" do speak there language most if not all the time particularily in north wales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ah, stereotypes, don't-ya just love'em! It is impossible to judge a whole people based on experience of a few individuals, or a few regions. How would you characterise the English, let alone the British? So with the French. Is a Norman the same as a Breton, merely because they inhabit adjoining parts of the same country, and speak (almost! :-)) the same language? The French don't think so! The only two stereotypes I will reservedly accept are first, that Parisians number among them some of the most arrogant, pushy, rude people in France (with Parisian shop assistants are probably the biggest offenders :-)) and second, that the inhabitants of the Cote d'Azur number among them the most offencive and grasping people in France. However, this is only true of those who aren't charming, polite, friendly, helpful, and generous. :-) Otherwise, the French are not "the French", they are from a town, often from an area that lost recognition of its name years back (Aquitaine, Perigord, etc), and have mostly inherited the characteristics of their "terroir". Mannerisms, accents, phrases, loyalties are all first and foremost local, then regional, then national. So, IMO, to say Parisians are rude, is unfair to all those who are not (even if many are :-)). But to try to lump all "northern France" into the same mould is to grossly grossly malign hundreds of thousands of polite, charming, helpful, honest, folk. Of course there are cross-grained individuals everywhere, and they can put a sour note into an otherwise pleasant day, but the few really shouldn't be allowed to colour perception of the many. Besides which, where does northern France begin and end? Bourges is fairly widely recognised as the geographic centre of France, so are we saying anyone from north of an east-west line through Bourges tends to be ruder than anyone from south of that line? I suspect not: but if we are, I can categorically state that it is a travesty of the truth. BTW, ips had better watch it next time he goes to Monaco, if he's going to accuse the independent Principality of being in France, or he'll spend the rest of his retirement in the slammer for treason! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 One of my first experiances of french people was at my friends hotel in St Rapheal, luckily it didn't put me off for life :-S I've found Paris to be one of the friendliest cities I've ever been to. Just goes to show don't do stereotypes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I agree with Brian. Stereotyping all the French as 'unfriendly' is just like saying that all forum members are argumentative. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 What the heck are you on about :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Oi, stinky feet ... get back in your shoe-box!!! :D ;-) Getting back on track, we've on the whole found the french very friendly and helpful, but we do speak a little French (2 years at night class) and it seems to go down well. Try going to The Netherlands (Holland) - of the mainland EU countries we've been to, the vast majority of those who we met were rude and ignorant, however, I certainly wouldn't say the whole of them are as we met some really nice ones too, unfortunately they were in the minority!!! Must learn some German before we go on our next holiday ... in 4 weeks time! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I have just come across this thread. I have never found sales assistants in shops in France to be any better or worse than at home. I have found some to be very helpful and others who are not. The food prices again depending on what shop you use, according to my better half, are reasonable. If you find the people ignorant and the price of food Etc.expensive then why do you return. Mickey are you and Vanner1 related. You both have difficulty communicating in English never mind French. Throw in the odd full stop. HA HA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickydripin Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 Hi gmcclin I think I will send all my posts to you so that you can put all the full stops,commas. and capital letters in. When I am writing a post I am engrossed in what I am saying and try to get my facts right because there are more widley travelled motorhomers than me on this site that will soon put me in my place if I am wrong.and yes sometimes my spelling may be wrong that is because I had an head injury trying to save someones life in a road accident. but hey there will always be someone like you putting people down instead of adding something usefull to the post. Ha Ha. PS and yes I still think that the food is a lot dearer in France just see if you can get a full meal in France for £6.99 for two people like I do at home in the pub a pint of beer at home costs a couple of quid. Here in Les Sables is 6euro 70c a meal here at a resturant last night cost me 35euro "ouch" but that does not stop me loveing France and will not stop me comming back for my sins I have to pay. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Hi Mike, I thought i had contrbuted to the thread by giving my honest opinion on both the people and cost of food which you complained about. I was not refering to eating out but buying food in supermarkets and eating in our van which is what we do. We obviously have differing views on our experiences in France. I can understand you being annoyed at paying 30 euros for a meal in France when you only pay £6 at home but are you really telling me the food and surroundings were of the same quality? I apologise if you took offence at my ending comment it was meant in jest hence the HA HA but if you want to send your threads to me i will gladly help you out. Hope you have better experiences in France in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Funny really, both my ex-boss and her French husband, and their French neighbour were complaining bitterly about the food price rises in France when we visited last May when this very subject came up. As my ex-boss has properties in both Guildford, and Castellan la Battail spending around half of the year of various durations at each, she tells me they are now taking more and more food from the UK over the last couple of years on the occasions they drive down from Caen, never the other way around, so go figure. As for the quality of food eating out, it is more than possible to get crap in France just as in the UK, to pretend otherwise sounds like rose tinted spectacles. I must say we too found it expensive compared to the UK comparing say Leclerc, to Morrisons. But probably less so if the comparison was with M&S food, or Waitrose so your view may be different depending on where you shop most in the UK I guess. I know they are loss leaders, but a very respectable carvery for £3.50 here, you will not get anything like that in France, period, but we still prefer France as a destination. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Hi 1footinthegrave, Not sure if your post was in answer to mine but if it was i will answer it. I live in Ireland and can only make an honest comparison with the prices that we pay for food Etc. We, as stated in the previous post, do not find the prices over expensive in comparison to what we pay here at home. The eating out bit, again as said previously i can only speak from experience here at home and for two people to eat out for £6 your looking at a fish supper between you and for 30 euros ( no rose tinted glasses needed) your looking at a nice meal in a pleasant restaurant. Your post has shown me one thing at least we obviously are getting ripped of here at home. PS We have neither Waitrose nor Morrisons here in Ireland so have no idea what type of supermarkets they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Last year we only ate out a couple of times in France although prices have gone up considerably it was still incredibly good value, one meal was 15€ each the other one was 22€ each (vin not included) both were excellent four course meals. For a similar meals in the UK we would have been looking at £25 - £40 a head. I don't see how you can make a comparison with £3.50 pub meal which will be plastic microwaved food, cheap & cheerful and we do eat them occasionally, they are good value but they are what they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Thank you Lenny. I'm not mad after all HA HA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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