Three little letters strike fear into the hearts and minds of virtually every family in this patch: M and O and T.
It comes around once a year, and today it’s our turn. Although our new-to-us little Fiat Panda 4×4 has nearly a year left on its fresh MOT, dear Harry Hymer, our beloved motorhome, is in the garage getting a few components titivated, receiving a fulsome service, and undergoing his annual Ministry of Transport test.
What new failings have transpired over the past 5000 kilometres? [Harry is a Left-Hand Drive vehicle, with the odometer in kilometres, the better to tour around Europe.] We know already that the side light fell off in foggy France (affixed with gaffer tape since) and that a rusty chassis bodes ill. But any number of other and newer problems could fail our 22 year old transport, though the brakes were all replaced/repaired last year, a new clutch installed, the exhaust passed muster and the headlamps (with associated hydraulic levelling system) were enhanced.
No matter what’s required, of course, we’re bound to accommodate in order to stay road-worthy. And that’s the fear of every motorist: how much will any failings this year cost us?
Let alone the salient challenge facing motorhome owners: replacement of tyres with ample treads still intact, every five years against potential sidewall blowout. That will come upon us next year. This year, we hope, we’ll just quietly sail through the MOT, no worries.
But I jest: there’s always worries over this particular test, always!