You couldn't make it up, disaster trip 2024

[chaser]

Right I have had a couple of days to get over this now but will probably have to do it in instalments.
September 4 we set off for a month in France, 2 hour wait on the tunnel ,rammed with motorhomes, got to gravelines and had what was the highlight of the trip a brilliant meal in Baker street.
Set off down the west coast , rain all the way till we got to the new Normandy landing monument where we finally found a bit of sun.
Now this place just has to be visited, you stand there and look down the beach to the sea, you can hardly imagine all those men and boys who were running up it with packs on their backs and carrying rifles and stuff while the Germans were standing where we were shooting them.
Unbelievable in today's world.
So we travelled on in the rain again stopping on a few free Aires but mostly ccp, until we encountered our first real thing out of the blue, montendre free Aire in the middle of town has been closed down and you are supposed to go two miles out of town to a new paid one, which I am informed by locals , hardly anyone goes to.
Anyway we stayed on the closed one as did a French van and we wernt moved on.
We then spent a couple of days visiting Julie's friends and parked on their driveway.
Then the fun started.
To be continued.....

 

[bladerunner]

 

[Abacist]

Did you go to Bayeux which has a museum almost opposite the largest British WWII military cemetery in northern France. We also went to Omaha beach and took pics. It’s on our thread for Pampelonne if you want to look.

 

[Abacist]

Pampelonne, Ramatuelle & St Tropez

We are at the aire by the beach on the western end of Pampelonne beach. It’s now off season so €20 per night plus tourist tax. Very large aire! The beach is all of 50m away and there is a good beach cafe/restaurant and another just up the hill. There is a “Petit Train” which goes round and...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Spriddler]

Did you go to Bayeux which has a museum almost opposite the largest British WWII military cemetery in northern France. We also went to Omaha beach and took pics. It’s on our thread for Pampelonne if you want to look.

He's already back in the U.K.

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[suavecarve]

He's already back in the U.K.

But his van might not be

Too early ?

 

[Spriddler]

But his van might not be

Too early ?

Yebbut it's broken down over there (awaiting recovery?) and Chas is over here.

 

[Wonders]

The grounds for this thread are heart wrenching. But will be compelling reading and yet, I am sure , another opportunity for the MHF community to rally around, support and learn together.
Best wishes Chas

 Chris

 

[chaser]

Did you go to Bayeux which has a museum almost opposite the largest British WWII military cemetery in northern France. We also went to Omaha beach and took pics. It’s on our thread for Pampelonne if you want to look.

Not this trip but been before, before COVID.

 

[chaser]

The grounds for this thread are heart wrenching. But will be compelling reading and yet, I am sure , another opportunity for the MHF community to rally around, support and learn together.
Best wishes Chas

 Chris

Please don't think I am wanting sympathy or anything , it's happened some of it my own fault , some what could happen to anyone anytime which I might be able to help other folks ,what's the best.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

highlight of the trip a brilliant meal in Baker street.

You know it’s a shite trip when the best bit is a French mealBaker Street is an ok meal but

 

[Wonders]

Please don't think I am wanting sympathy or anything ,

Wasn't thinking sympathy really. Sympathy is very close to syphilis in the dictionary. So I try to avoid both.
Just impressed with the help and support this site offers.
Regards

 

[BikerGraham]

Please don't think I am wanting sympathy or anything , it's happened some of it my own fault , some what could happen to anyone anytime which I might be able to help other folks ,what's the best.

Having any problems with the van when on holiday in a foreign country is stressful and any support / advice is most welcome.

Having recently gone though the same we can attest to those. Fortunately we managed to get back with the van. But weren’t sure if we would for a while. the van can be fixed back home which whilst problematic, is much better.

So post away Chas. Your thoughts, Experience and advice will be most welcome to use all.

Glad you are back though

 

[Mikey RV]

Glad you got home ok and hope your camper arrives soon for you.

 

[burtonbird]

Yes, we could have paid more than double at l'Éclusier but I don't think we'd have enjoyed it as much. Poutine and Welsh Complet at Baker Street is more our sort of food. Pretty simple!!

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[WESTY66]

You know it’s a shite trip when the best bit is a French mealBaker Street is an ok meal but

I like to “wind my way down” there when I’m in gravelines! Beats the takeaway in the square
Glad you’re back home ok Chas

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I like to “wind my way down” there when I’m in gravelines! Beats the takeaway in the square
Glad you’re back home ok Chas

Yes have had a nice meal there that was like a stew and also a burger that was trying to run off the plate

 

[rosalan]

All these spoilers although we now know that he got back home.
Ready for part 2 now
It does help to hear of problems, outcomes and sollutions.

 

[MichaelT]

Come on chaser keeping us all in suspenders

 

[chaser]

Wake up Friday 13 lovely morning sun coming over the mountain near the Spanish border where we had been shopping the day before.
Julie actually commented on the date as we were having breakfast but we decided to go to the real sun down on the coast.
Up to now we had got here with no tolls but said let's go motorway and be in the sun after 10 days of rain.
So off we go ,on the motorway sailing along , stopped somewhere for a bit of dinner and off again.
Just before Carcassonne . suddenly hear something like a motorbike passing us but no, gearbox making a row, it would still change gear but just a grating noise getting worse so kept going till we get to the next exit , came off and through the paeage and parked up just the other side.
Now just a note here, if I say I or we in this phoning people it actually means Julie if it had been me on my own I wouldn't have had a clue.
So gets the breakdown policy down and ring the number and tell them where we are.
No problem was the reply someone will be with you shortly. So wait for about half an hour, nothing appears so Julie rings them again , oh you are still on the motorway it's up to the police, no we are not we are off it, so she says ok I'll see what's happening, she rings back and said the police and the breakdown couldn't decide which one had got to pick us up but she had sorted it that the ordinary breakdown were coming.
Then brilliant 15 mins we were loaded up and taken to a compound which shut then till Monday but apparently the insurance had to pay this firm 600 euros over the phone there and then just for picking us up.
While there Julie talks to the insurance and they say they had arranged an hotel for us till Monday and a taxi was on its way to pick us up, ten minutes,we are on our way to the hotel.
So far so good.
To be continued.......

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[Flairy]

It sounds to painfull to recall and I understand.we were lucky.Belguim was in holiday shutdown but they took pity on us.

 

[WESTY66]

It sounds to painfull to recall and I understand.we were lucky.Belguim was in holiday shutdown but they took pity on us.View attachment 957522

What went wrong Brian?

 

[Flairy]

Air conditioner partially seized broke the belt rapped round the pulley took the alternator belt off and shredded it made the most awful noise,we were on the Belguim autoroute heading for Gravelines and everwere was closed,the garage owner and his wife took pity on us sorted belts and in a couple of hours sent us on our way .We were sat on the side of the autoroute waiting about 2hours in a downpour it was scary .

 

[Flairy]

I forgot to say I had to have a new aircon pump so all sorted I now carry every belt hoping I never need them.

 

[JaG]

I read this with interest, know exactly how you felt, been there this year in France. Sounds like your going down the same road, or not.

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[ontheroadagain]

Reading this thread and a few others recently it is surprising (and quite concerning) to hear that so many people have broken down when abroad. I know we don’t hear about the thousands that don’t break down, but the number breaking down does seem high. There is hardly a week goes by without someone having a problem.

 

[Googlebot]

Reading this thread and a few others recently it is surprising (and quite concerning) to hear that so many people have broken down when abroad. I know we don’t hear about the thousands that don’t break down, but the number breaking down does seem high. There is hardly a week goes by without someone having a problem.

I thought about this as well.

However I suppose they will most likely break when being used and lots of us do massive mileage over the water. I don’t think it’s more than usual, just an absolute pain when it happens. I was lucky and managed to self diagnose and find the sensor at a motor factors I needed.

I was also lucky it only needed a spanner and pliers to fix and not a jack etc.

 

[Rudski01]

Switzerland with our first foreign trip, ABS sensor put us in to limp mode, garage wanted 3000 Swiss francs, insurance repatriated to England, we paid about £250 to get it reconditioned with lifetime guarantee, picked a hire car up at the French side of the airport and came home with the 2 dogs and as much gear as we could carry, since then just about every trip we’ve had something’s gone tits up

 

[StephandJohn]

Oh dear. This sounds so ominous. Please let us know at least that you are both OK.

 

[chaser]

Well, all well and good , the hotel was in a shopping centre sort of place with a couple of restaurants so not too bad.
Then at night I come to take my apaxoban which I am supposed to take every 12 hours , only one tablet left in the package, got some more in the van but that's in a compound that we can't get to till Monday
So next morning we asked at the desk where the nearest pharmacy was and the bloke there says it's quite a way but I will take you there ,and he did.
Here the doctors dispensing side make such a fuss about having to order them days before I thought there would be no chance but went in and this chemist had them there on the shelf, £65 lighter we were on our way another problem averted.
So read on here from scousebird that there is a market in town on a Saturday so got a Uber and went for a look and what a massive affair that is.
T b c ......

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