3,000 miles in 4 days...

[FarmyardPants]

Ok so not 4 consecutive days, but at the end of the month I'm taking the cerb from Woking to Malaga and returning a week later, with one stop each way. So 4 days of actual driving, 700+ miles a day

I was going to do this last October but the oil cooler sprung a leak at the last minute so I took a Toyota Verso T180 instead.

The plan is the same as last year which worked quite well:

6:40 ferry Dover to Calais
Stop overnight in Bordeaux
Power on to Malaga the next day.

On the return trip I'll be leaving at midday after seeing the family off at the airport, stop in Burgos in northern Spain, and the next day drive up to Calais for the 10pm ferry.

Preparation-wise I plan to change the clutch fluid, top up the oil and do at least 3 squat thrusts to build stamina.

Any other recommendations? And yes it is not a cheap option, will cost about £700 in fuel and £250 in tolls.

Shall we run a sweepstake on how far I get?

[FarmyardPants]

Cheers. Fuel consumption is bottom of the list of worries Clutch slave is #1...

I am taking most of the luggage so the family can travel light by plane. I am taking the ostrich approach as to what happens if I break down. I have AA European cover though.

[FarmyardPants]

Yep I'll be taking tools required to bleed the clutch. Paul: I thought you did your slave not long ago? Maybe you did

[FarmyardPants]

Yep, will report progress along the way as well. Last year was good although I wish I'd been in the cerb most of the time. There are loads of tunnels and bridges and great scenery as you cross the western edge of the Pyrenees

I have a telepeage for France but not for Spain.

Both Bordeaux and Burgos have old town areas with narrow streets lined with bars etc. I fully expect my starter motor to do it's loud grating noise whilst surrounded by expectant onlookers...

[FarmyardPants]

Gazzab said:

Think he needs a blog/thread for the journey! Maybe using mapping software to show his live position etc..?

It's funny you should say that, but the cerb has a tracker which is controlled by text message. I can ask it where it is and how fast it's going whenever I want

I could allow others access to it, although the outgoing texts could mount up in cost plus there's the potential for incriminating evidence re current speed

[FarmyardPants]

Eg I just asked it where it is and got this reply. It is in my garage hence no current gps lock and reports it's last known position.

13:Mar.17:52 TVR GPS; (15:55) 51.xxxxN, .56xxxW 0(Deg) 0(Km/h) 61(hdop); GPS NOT TRACKING (2/11)

I can arm the system by text or phone call and it will text me if the door opens or ignition is switched on. Only the other day it texted me to tell me the battery was a bit low

[FarmyardPants]

Mark. said:

PoleDriver said:

700 miles per day, in a Cerb????!!!!


At last you'll have the afternoons free!

I hope you're right. My cerb is pretty reliable on the whole, 4 trips to south of France and 5 or 6 other euro trips without incident.

Everyone knows that the AJP performs best under load, hopefully I will make good time. It'd be worth it for the odd fine. Dvb has the right idea, maybe I'll race it down there

Can't wait

[FarmyardPants]

Dean (in the Supersport 4.5 Sag) and I didn't exactly hang about on the way back from Spa, we only missed the ferry against all odds due to a detour at the port. If I can maintain that kind of pace I may as well not stop all

[FarmyardPants]

grahamn said:

Just tell it it is going to Spa, you'll have no problems

Are you doing the Spa6, G?

[FarmyardPants]

mikeinsheffield said:

Sounds like great fun - but wouldn't it be even better to add another day or so to each leg of the trip so that you can enjoy some of the more scenic roads than just blast down the autoroute???

The Pyrenees are well worth a play - especially on the Spanish side as there is very little traffic and some utterly fantastic roads.

Another option to consider is the P&O crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbau - leaves on the Friday evening, two nights on board, then you arive Bilbau approx 8am Sunday - right into the northern mountain range Picos de Europa - playground!!!

You'll have so much time on the motoray - reward yourself with some mountain roads on the way!

I like your thinking but I've already added 2 days either side of the holiday and don't want to push my luck with the OH, who is flying with the kids both ways. I did look at longer crossings but again this consumes a lot of time and was also surprisingly pricey...

[FarmyardPants]

Thanks Russ. I think . I did the trip 6 months ago so I know what's involved.

It takes about 80mins to Dover, so I can leave the house at 4:30am or so. A fry-up and a doze on the boat is then in order. Then it's only 550 odd miles down to Bordeaux. Last time I arrived just before 4pm, plenty of time for a rest and freshen up before going out.

Day 2 is a bit of a mission. Last time I left at about 7am and arrived at about 7pm. There are some great roads in the mountain foothills as already stated, but the drive through the middle of Spain is not the best. A lot of roadworks, although I have discovered that the Spanish do not slow down for them at all - 120km/h in a temporary 70km/h is de rigueur out there.

The first leg of the return trip was easy enough, the second day I arrived at Calais a couple of hours early (I had booked the 23:45 ferry), despite a hiccup near Paris while trying to find fuel (I didn't run out though, I'm not that daft ).

I will probably get for saying so but the cruise control was a godsend and the drive will require much more concentration in the cerb, as you say I will probably be done in afterwards! I can never seem to get enough of driving it, though. Time will tell..

[FarmyardPants]

Good point. Earplugs might be a good idea.




"How was your trip?"

"WHAT? YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP!"

[FarmyardPants]

The time has come, I'm leaving tomorrow..

I've done a bit of prep work:

• Changed the clutch fluid (it was black, really black, so I syringed it out of the reservoir and removed the sludge with a paper towel before pushing the new stuff through. Clutch is now much lighter).
• fixed the boot light - first time it's worked in years
• modified my lights for continental driving (beam is now horizontal)
• tweaked the nearside camber to match the offside
• refitted the chin spoiler
• fixed the windscreen washers
• topped up the fluids
• tweaked the tyre pressures (26 cold psi for motorway)

and given her a good clean inside and out. Also found a way to mount my tomtom so as to still be able to see out (it's a new 5" screen job - if I put it under the rearview mirror it blocks the whole screen, so I've mounted it at the top and tucked the cables into the rollbar/headlining).

Bring it on!

[FarmyardPants]

Byker28i said:

Alan Jensen did huge mileage around France/europe with no problems.

I've done the south of France 3 times and 5 euro trips without incident apart from 5th gear failure on the way to the 'dam, but it still made it there and back

[FarmyardPants]

BLUETHUNDER said:

Roger. You are going to have to do regular up-dates through out the trip.

Yep, will do. I would like to upload photos taken from the iPhone, there's a photobucket app for that, but it needs a later version of the OS so might upgrade it tonight...

[FarmyardPants]

FarmyardPants said:

I like your thinking but I've already added 2 days either side of the holiday and don't want to push my luck with the OH, who is flying with the kids both ways.

Hotels already booked. There's not much point spending out on flash hotels as I will only be crashing there (so to speak).

But I might go 'off peage' to take in some decent roads

[FarmyardPants]

FUBAR said:

Good luck Rog. Keep us updated

Thanks Nick. I'm quietly confident as the car is running well (famous last words)

[FarmyardPants]

Gray_101 said:

I'd go and fill it up with fuel,,,,, alot of garages are shut up north, cause they have run out, due to silly people panic buying...


Oh, I neally forgot ........ Good luck !

Already have a full tank

[FarmyardPants]

blueg33 said:

I can recommend a good auto electrician in Bilbao. Sorted my G33 out when others failed.

Thanks let's hope I don't need one

[FarmyardPants]

Just testing the photobucket app...

Here's a syringe full of dirty clutch fluid



and the reservoir with black residue from seals of old:



I have made it onto the ferry