Road Trip ~ advice, please
Discussion
Hello, all
Planning a trip in the next couple of weeks down to the South of France ~ I have done the journey a couple of times before in my old Delta Integrale with a boot full of camping gear, and so I am looking forward to doing it in a proper car.....
Question is, what should I take with me in the way of spares and just in case stuff. Previously all I have carried is an AA recovery card, and lots of oil, which was a leap of faith in the Lancia !!
Plan is Cardiff to Dover. Calais to Dijon. Dijon to Cannes(ish)over the course of 2 days.
What d'you all think ~ if it breaks, Mrs ourchris will be volcanic with rage....
Thanks
ourchris
Planning a trip in the next couple of weeks down to the South of France ~ I have done the journey a couple of times before in my old Delta Integrale with a boot full of camping gear, and so I am looking forward to doing it in a proper car.....
Question is, what should I take with me in the way of spares and just in case stuff. Previously all I have carried is an AA recovery card, and lots of oil, which was a leap of faith in the Lancia !!
Plan is Cardiff to Dover. Calais to Dijon. Dijon to Cannes(ish)over the course of 2 days.
What d'you all think ~ if it breaks, Mrs ourchris will be volcanic with rage....
Thanks
ourchris
Have you got a copy of Steve Heath's book for the Griff? There is a really good section in there on touring and suggestions of things to take.
Ditch the spare wheel and take a small electric pump and tyre weld. Take some of the hard to get fuses and a spare relay, a few bottles of octane booster in case you have to use 95 petrol.
Don't forget the compulsory stuff, warning triangles, hi viz jacket, bulbs etc.
Ditch the spare wheel and take a small electric pump and tyre weld. Take some of the hard to get fuses and a spare relay, a few bottles of octane booster in case you have to use 95 petrol.
Don't forget the compulsory stuff, warning triangles, hi viz jacket, bulbs etc.
ourchris said:
What d'you all think ~ if it breaks, Mrs ourchris will be volcanic with rage....
Well we can't let that happen !! 
As Colin RG says, get a copy of Steve Heath's 'bible' (if you haven't already) as there are plenty of good tips in there, inc. maintenance information that would be of use to a French mechanic if the worst should happen.
In addition there is a similar equipment list on the chimaera pages that might be of more immediate use, though you probably don't need to take quite as much stuff as is listed, depending on how much faith you have in you car.
I think parts wise it's probably a good idea to take things that you might struggle to get quickly like a fan belt, throttle cable etc. Edited by GJR on Monday 9th March 20:22
Get your car serviced or checked over about a month before you go. So if there is any problems with it. It will come to light before the road trip. Various speeds throw oil in different parts of engine.. try not to stay at one speed over long periods.
Tvr are not as bad as people make out reliable wise..
I bought a new 350sl merc 63K broke down 3 times in 3 weeks... Have faiyh stuart g (GOLDIE)
Tvr are not as bad as people make out reliable wise..
I bought a new 350sl merc 63K broke down 3 times in 3 weeks... Have faiyh stuart g (GOLDIE)
I also always carry a dizzy cap, rotor arm, king lead and longest HT lead.
Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
Barreti said:
I also always carry a dizzy cap, rotor arm, king lead and longest HT lead.
Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
There goes the "TVR's are reliable" argument ! Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
As I live in Monaco I do the trip from West Wales to Monaco regularly - minimum once per year each way. It is one of the highlights of my year (shows what a saddo I am!). I use Portsmouth to Caen, and the run from Caen is about 12 hours if only stopping for fuel. Never had a problem with the car.
Most important is to carry the legal stuff (jacket, triangel, bulbs etc) as the police do check. Anothe rbenefit of the Griff is that the headlights do not need adjustment as they are not really directional. Mine goes through its Monaco MOT with the lights as set up for the UK, no problem.
If you are staying down this way then I can let you have some good driving routes.
Laurie
Most important is to carry the legal stuff (jacket, triangel, bulbs etc) as the police do check. Anothe rbenefit of the Griff is that the headlights do not need adjustment as they are not really directional. Mine goes through its Monaco MOT with the lights as set up for the UK, no problem.
If you are staying down this way then I can let you have some good driving routes.
Laurie
I recently took my Griff to Hungary from the UK. I carried all the legal stuff (available in a handy bag from Halfords) and added a traveller's tool kit and tyre weld from them too.
But I also got myself European breakdown cover from Greenflag (available for a year or for a single trip), in case I suffered a more technical breakdown than just a flat tyre.
As it turned out it was worth the money, as the Griff blew a manifold gasket on the autobahn near Nurmberg. One call to Greenflag and they arranged a tow (I made sure it was going on a flatbed) paid for directly by them. They found a local specialist mechanic and put me in a hotel while it was being fixed. While it delayed me in Nurmberg for a couple of nights it only cost me the repair.
I'd certainly have European breakdown cover as insurance for any trips in the future. I got a year's cover for under £200, but the tow, hotel, meals, taxi etc would have cost me over £500. Like any insurance it's peace of mind.
I'd recommend it but I hope you don't have to use it.
Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
But I also got myself European breakdown cover from Greenflag (available for a year or for a single trip), in case I suffered a more technical breakdown than just a flat tyre.
As it turned out it was worth the money, as the Griff blew a manifold gasket on the autobahn near Nurmberg. One call to Greenflag and they arranged a tow (I made sure it was going on a flatbed) paid for directly by them. They found a local specialist mechanic and put me in a hotel while it was being fixed. While it delayed me in Nurmberg for a couple of nights it only cost me the repair.
I'd certainly have European breakdown cover as insurance for any trips in the future. I got a year's cover for under £200, but the tow, hotel, meals, taxi etc would have cost me over £500. Like any insurance it's peace of mind.
I'd recommend it but I hope you don't have to use it.
Plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Just a thought re the high vis jacket/waistcoat - I understand that its illegal in France to get out of the car if you breakdown without wearing it -so that means it needs to be in the car not in the boot. Maybe someone will confirm that but it was one of the things that I seem to remember from an article about the French police stopping Brit cars to see if they had all the right stuff and that was something they mentioned.
Phew!
Thinks - do we also need to carry garlic/onions ...
Jim
Phew!
Thinks - do we also need to carry garlic/onions ...
Jim
jimed said:
Just a thought re the high vis jacket/waistcoat - I understand that its illegal in France to get out of the car if you breakdown without wearing it -so that means it needs to be in the car not in the boot. Maybe someone will confirm that but it was one of the things that I seem to remember from an article about the French police stopping Brit cars to see if they had all the right stuff and that was something they mentioned.
Phew!
Thinks - do we also need to carry garlic/onions ...
Jim
Yup, needs to be kept inside the car Phew!
Thinks - do we also need to carry garlic/onions ...
Jim
AntonyJ said:
Barreti said:
I also always carry a dizzy cap, rotor arm, king lead and longest HT lead.
Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
There goes the "TVR's are reliable" argument ! Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
Barreti said:
AntonyJ said:
Barreti said:
I also always carry a dizzy cap, rotor arm, king lead and longest HT lead.
Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
There goes the "TVR's are reliable" argument ! Gaffer tape, zip ties, a couple of metres of black wire, suspension spanner a very basic tool kit and pliers. A single axle stand (sealey collapsible version) and a small bottle jack.
When every I do a longish trip I carry a good set of spanners incl 2 of 13mm.
It sounds a lot but it all fits in a rucksack so its not bad.
:runsofftofindsomeluckywood:
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