There’s a certain type of weekend that doesn’t just go wrong. It commits fully. This one delivered motorhome damage near Enniskillen, questionable past repairs revealing themselves, icy roads that made leaving feel like a gamble, and a growing sense that maybe I should not be trusted with ramps after dark.
And yet, in amongst all that, we found one of the nicest park-ups we’ve stayed at in a long time.
Go figure.
The Moment It All Went Wrong
Levelling ramps are brilliant. Until they aren’t.
We pulled into the car park at Trory, found a spot, and did the usual routine. Ramps down, reverse up, level the van. Only this time I went too far. Over the edge of the ramp. Like a cheese wedge. One moment you’re fine, the next you’re dropping hard.
Normally that would just be a loud thump and a bruised ego. Unfortunately, I’d parked too close to a small wall. The rear corner clipped it and that was that.
Cracked rear panel. Smashed rear light cluster. Wheel arch trim snapped clean off. A proper sickening moment where you just stand there thinking, well, that’s expensive.
What made it worse was knowing I’d had the thought beforehand. The little voice that said “maybe start further away from the wall?” I ignored it. Murphy stepped in.
Fixing What I Could With What I Had
Once the sulk passed, and I’d had a restless night’s sleep, it was time to get practical.
I managed to secure the rear light well enough to be road legal and get us home later, but the real surprise was fixing the wheel arch trim. I’d completely forgotten I had Gorilla Glue Epoxy Resin in the van. Absolute lifesaver!
The gaffer tape I had was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. The epoxy, on the other hand, did a proper job. Solid, tidy enough, and not going anywhere, though, in those temperatures, it took a lot longer than the stated 5 minutes to cure.
It was during this repair that I discovered what can only be described as archaeological layers of previous fixes. Random screws. Old epoxy blobs. Decisions made by past owners who clearly shared my “that’ll do” philosophy.
None of it shocked me. The van turns 20 this year. At that age, you stop asking questions you don’t want the answers to.
Snow, Ice, and the Question of Leaving
To add insult to injury, it snowed overnight.
Beautiful snow. Proper postcard stuff. Also a problem.
The access road into the car park involves two steep inclines. In normal weather, fine. In snow and ice, not something I was keen to test immediately, especially with fresh damage and a bruised sense of confidence.
We stayed put. No panic. We had supplies, gas, water, and a bin on site, which is always a win. Sometimes the smartest move is doing absolutely nothing until conditions improve.
The Park-Up That Deserved Better Timing
Here’s the thing. Despite everything, this is a cracking spot.
Trory Pier is genuinely lovely. Open space, benches, room for dogs and kids, and proper breathing space between vans. The walk down to the pier is steep and absolutely not something you’d want to drive in a motorhome, but on foot it’s a great way to spend an evening.
Sunsets, quiet water, and that feeling that you’ve found somewhere slightly under the radar.
Yes, cars come and go during the day. That’s because it’s nice. I’d be more worried if they didn’t.
If this weekend had happened in summer, we’d have parked up the top, walked down with chairs and a picnic, and stayed until the light faded. It’s that kind of place.
Lessons Learned, Again
If there’s a takeaway from this weekend, it’s a simple one.
If you think something might happen, it probably will.
Levelling ramps demand respect. Distance from walls matters. And if a van has survived 20 years, it’s carrying stories you haven’t discovered yet.
Would we come back? Absolutely. Just with better weather, a bit more daylight, and me listening to my own instincts next time.
The Erne has a lot to offer. Even when it hands you a weekend you’d rather forget, it still manages to remind you why you keep doing this in the first place.
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