Another week, another Euro.

Yet another week has gone by and it doesn't feel like I am any closer to departure.

Still no MOT although that should be sorted on Monday morning, and then I'll stop banging on about it.

Since last week the Graffiti Kings have sprayed the bus and it looks amazing, and the interior is coming along nicely. Ecovolt panels are powering the battery, the fridge is workinging, the sink and shower are in place though not plumbed in. The toilet just needs a low current fuse, and for the pee tube to be connected up to the waste tank.

The bus still needs finishing on the inside, with carpet, and the lighting circuit and holders need to be fitted to take the Good Energy LED bulbs (can't wait to see how bright they are).

Then I have to fit the engine conversion valves into the fuel lines, move the centrifuge to a higher position, plumb in the heat exchanger and check the integrity of the tank. I'm really worried it will have a leak and it's all so inaccessible now it will be a right bugger to fix if it does. Still, no point worrying about a solution until there is a problem.

Toying with the idea of delaying by another week, as I have realised I haven't sorted out any of my life while I'm going to be away. That would make departure a total of 3 weeks late, mainly due to the difficulty in MOTing a Camper/Tanker, but also due to my hugely optimistic estimates about how long it will all take to finish.

Despite the endless 16 hour days which I am loving, there don't seem to be enough days between now and leaving, to fit it all in. Plus now that Esther can only come for the first weekend, there is no longer any urgency. The only problem I have is the embarrassment of telling all the sponsors it's delayed again and having them think I can't even organise something as simple as packing my bags. The team at Eurotunnel have been great and have rebooked me twice now. I just don't have the heart to ask them again.

New tyres arriving today. Couldn't find retreads and everyone warned me that they would be unreliable so I am using new ones. The front ones are OK but 3 of the back ones are legal but too low for any long distance. I'm going to change all 4 and keep the good one as a spare. I did want to use Eco tyres but the sponsors fell through cos they decided it was too short notice. How ironic that the delay would have meant they probably would have been able to help out.

Another benefit of waiting one more week is that CDT and TVT have been testing a new engine modification which reduces emissions further, and this has now been certified as bringing engines in line with Euro 6 emissions standards. That's the standards that vehicles will have to meet by 2011. It's so new that the details of the standard is still be finalised. You can't even buy a certified Euro 6 vehicle today. The delay means TVT would have time to fit the modification to the bus and it would probably become the first Euro 6 vehicle in London, if not the world... Muahahahaaa.