Epic fail, Don’t blindly follow your sat nav

[Guigsy]

I did it in a Metro a couple of months after passing my test. I didn't think that much of it at the time. Main issue was the handbrake didn't hold the car. It wasn't hard though. Super squishy suspension and the weight of a tin can probably helped for once.

 

[Grousemoor]

We followed a vintage long wheel base Rolls on a Rally up the Hardknot pass there was a fair amount of wheel spin going on as he only had 3 on the tarmac at one point. He just managed it. Being farmers there are lots of places we've ended up which were dodgy.

We contemplated Bealach na Bà & the Drumbeg loops last week in our 7.2m Geist wondered how people went on with it, the reports seem to be negative to big motorhomes, we are going back there in the autumn to do the west coast more thoroughly, WE really enjoyed the east coast visited some fab places had to dash back for the MOT

 

[CWH]

Bealach na Bà & the Drumbeg loops

I know lots of people on here will come on and say "if you're a competent driver you can do it" - but it's not just about you and your rig, it's also those in front of you, behind you, and coming in the opposite direction. Think cyclists and hired mohos. Think vehicles with less than adequate brakes, or underpowered; drivers with poor clutch control, or poor skills (or nerves) when it comes to reversing into passing places on the edge of a precipice, or little experience of very tight turns on a steep hill.
The hairpins near the top of the Bealach na Bà have caught out a lot of mohos from about 7m upwards. The guys at Lochcarron Motors told me they survive the winter on the income from the bealach in the summer (mostly damaged wheels, axles etc from people dropping onto the verge rather than reversing).
Drumbeg loop is VERY narrow, wiggly, up-&-downy, and has a couple of sharp turns with overhanging rocks.

 

[Guigsy]

I know lots of people on here will come on and say "if you're a competent driver you can do it" - but it's not just about you and your rig, it's also those in front of you, behind you, and coming in the opposite direction. Think cyclists and hired mohos. Think vehicles with less than adequate brakes, or underpowered; drivers with poor clutch control, or poor skills (or nerves) when it comes to reversing into passing places on the edge of a precipice, or little experience of very tight turns on a steep hill.
The hairpins near the top of the Bealach na Bà have caught out a lot of mohos from about 7m upwards. The guys at Lochcarron Motors told me they survive the winter on the income from the bealach in the summer (mostly damaged wheels, axles etc from people dropping onto the verge rather than reversing).
Drumbeg loop is VERY narrow, wiggly, up-&-downy, and has a couple of sharp turns with overhanging rocks.

I agree with this. Other traffic makes a road like this much more challenging.

Personally I think Bealach na Bà is scary, but technically not that hard (although I've only driven it in a 6m). The hairpins are mostly flat, the tarmac is good and there's good visibility between passing spots. Most of Scotland's single track is like this.

Hardknott is much tougher in my opinion.

Although I also think that some relatively benign single track roads in England can be very hard work just because there's high hedges with poor visibility and very few passing points, and those that do exist are often just muddy ditches. Combine that with lots of them having lots of traffic and they're hard work!

 

[EuroTrotters]

Reading all these replys with interest..
Lots of past threads saying FWD is the dogs bollocks with no traction issues and every bit as good as RWD..
Not so many in favour of FWD here!
P.S. you may have quessed I am a staunch RWD supporter and would never have a FWD motorhome.

Edit To add..... yep sure someone will say its the tyres.... not the driving wheels..

Me too. Until I got this FWD Motorhome, very surprised. But she’s an old girl. I’ve had 3 RWD (propulsion?) motorhomes and never really wanted FWD

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[bladerunner]

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[G-RMPS]

The Drumbeg loop is actually signposted as the NC500, from the bridge end anyway. So I can imagine many motorhomers will go for it.

Easy enough today. Little traffic, just one motorhome (huge German truck) coming the other way. Road was dry.

I imagine these days it could be a nightmare in the summer.

 

[CWH]

The Drumbeg loop is actually signposted as the NC500, from the bridge end anyway. So I can imagine many motorhomers will go for it.

True, BUT! the NC500 wasn't designed as a motorhome route, but as a touring route to help accommodation businesses around the coastline. It can't be assumed that all roads are suitable for all vehicles/ drivers.

 

[poppycamper]

The Drumbeg loop

What a fantastic road... love it..

 

[bladerunner]

I was leading a BMW bike tour in Andalucia, and this was my guiding sat nav one day.
On another trip I emerged from the euro tunnel with 12 eager bikers behind, ready for a 2 week tour of France, and the works sat nav hadn't been downloaded with the southern Europe maps - which included France.

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[Odd-no-more]

View attachment 962523I was leading a BMW bike tour in Andalucia, and this was my guiding sat nav one day.
On another trip I emerged from the euro tunnel with 12 eager bikers behind, ready for a 2 week tour of France, and the works sat nav hadn't been downloaded with the southern Europe maps - which included France.

When I took my Harley to southern Spain, the first day was great, we stayed in Madrid then on the second day within 30 minutes we were on a new motorway that was not on the sat nav. It was 50 miles (in the wrong direction) before we could get off and buy a map.

 

[Lenny HB]

I've had Michelin CP tyres do a burnout trying to get up a dry concrete kerb (trying to turn around in a blocked street with parked cars). They are terrible for traction.

I second that, awful tyres.