Are these new French regulations affecting towing and camping?

[Lutz]

The OP is about rumoured changes to French regulations. Whether true or not but what have they to do with the EU?

 

[otherclive]

I've seen a leaked Government email about soliciting bids for the reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall!!

 

[Parksy]

Somebody here said the other day that we pay enough for our motoring and paying for a photo card diving license was to much until the're are forced to have photo card license. EU and Euro cost us far far more than £20 and new rules, taxes and agreements are going to cost a whole lot more.

that was me!! I am afraid it's the same with the passport that ran out 20years ago never renewed it didn't see the point theres plenty to see yet in this little island that will keep me going till touring in the vans no longer an option,
I never felt the need to do a 2000mile round trip on the wrong side of the road with a tin box on the back, worrying whether some gendarme or whatever they are called would keep us waiting while he decides if my green paper licence is valid in his little corner of Europe.
what the French, Germans, Spanish, Polish, or whatever do in their own "state" sorry I mean "country" is of no concern to me, what does concern me is when they try enforcing their rules on us, the main problem with the EU is everyone forgets history like it never happened, we are all friends in one big club, the trouble is not all the members are equal as those who started it have a gold card the rest of us just a paper one.
this may be a cynical view but is borne out by the reams of legislation that effect our hobby and every day lives, had it not been for the EU would we have to have photo card licences, daylight running lights, and 48 tonne lorries on our poorly maintained roads, maybe we would!! who knows but what is clear is that we pay more in than get out, and land locked countries within Europe have more fishing boats than us that just happen to be an island.
it's rather like the Scottish equation, independent of the UK but still part of the EU does that mean erecting a border crossing across the A74 at Gretna, if it does that will be another destination crossed of my list.

If Continental touring is not for you there is little point in joining this thread which seems to have drifted so far off topic from the OP's point that it needs it's own passport to come back

 

[Gybe]

I've seen a leaked Government email about soliciting bids for the reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall!!

That'll be the rebuild job creation scheme for ex buiding trade retirees as the'll need the work to top up their income to cover falling pensions and rising living costs

that was me!! I am afraid it's the same with the passport that ran out 20years ago never renewed it didn't see the point theres plenty to see yet in this little island that will keep me going till touring in the vans no longer an option,
I never felt the need to do a 2000mile round trip on the wrong side of the road with a tin box on the back, worrying wether some gendarme or whatever they are called would keep us waiting while he decides...................

We never saw the point in working our backsides off and then spending mainly wet cold damp summer days on yet more miserable UK holidays. Sailing and beach holidays in the UK are a gamble especially when you have kids. Now were older our bodies enjoy the warmth of southern Europe and personally we're more healthy because of that and it's easier to stay fit and active.
Apart from the great enjoyment we've had from meeting our continental cousins on holidays, we've enjoyed a great variety of food and entertainment, wonderful variety of landscapes and achitecture and many many wonderful days out in many countries, visiting everything from cave dwelling to museums, historic sites and even our UK war graves and memorials. Our 3 adult kids have all benefitted from being able to speak other languages as they spent many holidays abroad picking up French, Spanish, German and Italian.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

The OP is about rumoured changes to French regulations. Whether true or not but what have they to do with the EU?

Everything I would have thought, the EU is supposed to be about free trade and travel throughout europe, a fine principal, but not allways adheared to or practical, this is because France is our nearest neighbour it is the place most of the transport (inc caravans) starts it journey across Europe, changes to french regulations effects this movement, irrespective of the final destination.
to quote a "silly senario" france decides all vehicles on it's roads have to have a teddy bear on the roof, no one else in europe adops this rule, that fine it up to them, however if you are going to Italy by road, "going through france" you would have to buy a teddy bear and mount it on the roof after crossing the channel, it could be taken off after leaving france, but you would forced to have one while there, yes I know it is obsured but the principal is there, I could also hazzard a guess the "teddy bear" would have to be type approved and of certain construction, and only available from french shops,

 

[otherclive]

Colin
i don't think too many here are in much agreement with your view, why not let those of us who enjoy our trips to Europe get on with life and I cannot think that many of us worry that much about being followed by the Gendarmes, or others we are too busy looking forward to the trip, or concentrating on our driving.

 

[Lutz]

I don't understand the logic of your argument, Colin. On the one hand the Anti-EU faction are complaining that Brussels is meddling too much in each member country's own business, thereby jeopardising sovereignity, and now you're hollering for more involvement to prevent a change in local law which does not discriminate against a visitor to the country. The EU's job is only to harmonise local regulations that are in conflict with one another, thereby preventing free movement and free trade, not those that can easily be made to comply with local conditions, such as "a teddy bear on the roof". The EU would only get involved if each member country required teddy bears to be factory-fitted and possibly of different sizes or colours.
On a more serious note, you can replace "teddy bears" with hi-vis jackets, for example. These are not required throughout the EU, but at least there is common agreement on their characteristics.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

If Continental touring is not for you there is little point in joining this thread

hi Parksy, I don't have a 4x4, T/A unit or a damp caravan either

, does this mean one is not supposed, to make comment on them,
rules and regulations that are born in europe have a tendancy to be adopted here in the UK, what our brothers across the water dream up effect us all eventually

"Gybe wrote" We never saw the point in working our backsides off and then spending
mainly wet cold damp summer days on yet more miserable UK holidays.
Sailing and beach holidays in the UK are a gamble especially when you
have kids. Now were older our bodies enjoy the warmth of southern Europe
and personally we're more healthy because of that and it's easier to
stay fit and active.

each to there own my friend, where I come from you worked your backside off just to keep a roof over your head, there are more than enough things to do here in the uk, to keep me going, apparently the millions of foreign tourists we get every year agree,
have I missed out with foreign travel, of course I have I would have loved to see, the rain forest while there is still some left, or the view form the top of ayres rock, and have a monty round the golden temple, or colosseum, but hey a kid from a mining village has limits.

 

[Gybe]

where I come from you worked your backside off just to keep a roof over your head, there are more than enough things to do here in the uk, to keep me going, apparently the millions of foreign tourists we get every year agree,
have I missed out with foreign travel, of course I have I would have loved to see, the rain forest while there is still some left, or the view form the top of ayres rock, and have a monty round the golden temple, or colosseum, but hey a kid from a mining village has limits.

Aye up lad, t'was tough upt north!

Short pause whilst I shed a sympathetic teardrop or two

 

[Parksy]

If Continental touring is not for you there is little point in joining this thread

hi Parksy, I don't have a 4x4, T/A unit or a damp caravan either

, does this mean one is not supposed, to make comment on them,
rules and regulations that are born in europe have a tendancy to be adopted here in the UK, what our brothers across the water dream up effect us all eventually...............

What I was trying to prevent were further off topic comments (not necessarily yours) reminiscent of the bad old days of the forum which have no place here now.
A wee bit of internet research shows that the information contained in the original post has no real bearing on UK tourer owners who travel through France, so the thread seems to have morphed into a bit of an anti EU rant which is nothing at all to do with what the OP was trying to 'warn' us about and not much to do with caravanning either here in the UK or anywhere else.

 

[DeliDave_]

Mr Lightpole Man,you have the patience of a saint without a doubt.

 

[Parksy]

Mr Lightpole Man,you have the patience of a saint without a doubt.

 

[anotherDavid]

Can I reply to Colin in Yorkshire? (had trouble quoting)
I too am a kid from a mining village and among other things spent 25 years actually working underground and I hate and detest dark overcast weather. I have spent enough of my life in the dark and if I could only take holidays in the UK the van would be up for sale tomorrow. I am going to continue spending time and money over there as long as I can, if you cant or wont do it that your problem

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Can I reply to Colin in Yorkshire? (had trouble quoting)
I too am a kid from a mining village and among other things spent 25 years actually working underground and I hate and detest dark overcast weather. I have spent enough of my life in the dark and if I could only take holidays in the UK the van would be up for sale tomorrow. I am going to continue spending time and money over there as long as I can, if you cant or wont do it that your problem

it's nae bother lad, aye tha's on'y thee sen to worry bout cos were juss dandy, I remember mi fatha tellin me as a little un thes nowt ower there, woth bothering wi, the dun't like us the dun't want us just weer betta than t'uther lot, fust chance thee get thel kick us in the googlees. ( sergeant major, Kings Own Yorks Light Infantry 1940-1946)
hi David, hope you could understand the little rendition it's hard to put yorkshire into words as it is a spoken dialect probably because most of the old un's were illiterate,
I too remember working underground but would rather not think of it (too painfull). however I did get another job and spent 20+ years in a glass bottle plant where the temprature summer and winter was above 100'f. the last thing I wanted was two weeks holiday in the sun, in tropical tempratures. too much like work thanks. we did try Malta in 1980 and torremolinos in 1981, but was not that impressed, (so I never renewed the passport) however the maltese people were magnificent and couldn't do enought to make us brits welcome.
if going abroad is your cup of tea and mine is not why should that be a problem, it's just not for me thats all, what is important is the time spent away in the van some prefer hot and sunny me I just want a lake close by, weather not important. what I can,t imagine is doing is thounds of miles on the wrong side of the road trying to abide by all the local bye laws and new rules that they keep dreaming up on the 2 weeks I get off work to try a homemade pizza on some canal side bistro,

A quick answer for Lutz, I must be very difficult, to understand the EU for a british perspective as of course Germany was one of the founder members, the UK was not De-gaull made sure of that! signing up to the treaty of rome as we did with all the basic rules in place put us at a disadvantage and this remains the same today, very few british ideas, are adopted by the our brothers over the water but the reams of legistlation that comes out of brussels is truely breathtaking.
the logic of the arguement is clear if put into context, the EEC was good idea in principal free trade and a collective voice in world economics, but the EU is a completly different animal harmonisation of nations into a federal Europe is a step too far, most brits would not comprehend a UK without Sterling, its own armed forces "to repel the argies again" or it's commonwealth although we turned our backs on most of it years ago, to join the EEC,
and then of course there's the French, erm nuff said, but then that was the point of the OP surely,
my oppologies Parksy for adding one more post off topic but I felt a reply was required, "billy opposite" is now off to bed,
nite all.

 

[anotherDavid]

I had heard of your kind of Yorkshireman Colin but never actually believed they existed . Hope you enjoy your wet and cold holidays as much as I do mine and will leave it there as what I did learn about Yorkshire men north of Sheffield was its a waste of time arguing with them.

 

[Parksy]

Each to their own gentlemen, the world would be a dull place if everyone was exactly the same.
The debate over EU membership is not for this forum so further points which really have little to do with the OP should be aired elsewhere.

 

[Alanbrooke]

Agreed about the EU debate. I've just driven through France from Caen to Bayonne on way to Spain (21 - 23 February 2013). We tow a Elddis Bucanneer with a Mitsubishi Grandis. Gross train weight 4200kg. We don't use Autoroutes as they are not worth the cost. On the Nationale roads where they used to limit trucks to 80kph there are now often signs showing the same speed of 80kph for caravans over 3.5 tonnes. We do the same speed as the trucks everywhere. It makes for a more relaxed drive with less overtaking and it's plenty fast enough for us.
Alan

 

[smiley]

Hi all
from new driving laws to EU debates is pretty good. But re original post.
We were stopped last year at the end of our holiday by french police coming into a dozen house village on main road blink and you miss it.
They were well hidden, we were coming out of national alas, our own fault not braking quick enough and we got done, Grrrrr, our first time stopped ever. But all they asked for was our driving license which now being a photo one (due to moving) was exceptable as it has all info on inc address.
I understand the twin axle and large vehicles being banned, as a lot of gypsy's now have 4x4 in this country aswell. My niece has a twin axle.
But most people are with CC or C&CC and once passports are shown campsites are fine. I've always seen them on campsites.
But what I have noticed is that as you drive through france, belgium, germany etc each country have their rules, and driving through these countries we notice how the natural inhabitants drive differently.
Like us last year which although was accidental and a lapse we were caught and paid up. What we did Like was only paying the fine and thankfully no points for this. This I think our country should adopt it hurts people more taking money of them. I know it cost 90euros luckily I was have a little stash of money, for emergencies, as this was. they wouldn't let us go until we paid EVERY penny.
I bet they would have whipped out a portable card machine if we had no cash. LOL

If countries impose driving rules then can, its their country, we have our rules.

 

[smiley]

oh I forgot to say

Its been a long time having a good debate. Go guys Go

Wasn't this subject of weights debated ages ago.