I have to confess to pulling out of a 3-day stay on the Norfolk coast last weekend but it made me wonder if there are hardier souls out there who are touring during this cold snap. If you've been out in your caravan over the last week or plan to go in the next week, drop me a line at the magazine or email me telling me your name and outfit, where you've been, when and for how long and how you got on, oh, and a photo or two just to prove how intrepid you are. We will pay £25 for any photo published. Looking forward to getting your snaps.
Been touring in the snow?
- Thread starter claudia-dowell
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Damian
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- Mar 14, 2005
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I am somewhat bemused by this posting from the Travel Editor.
Whilst the Emergency Services are advocating NOT going out unless absolutely necessary, this posting seems to want to encourage people to put not only their lives at risk, but also those of others, simply by being stupid and not following excellent advice.
May I ask just what good will £25 do for a written off outfit just for the sake of a story?
Just to finish off this rant and quote "and a photo or two just to prove how intrepid you are."
How utterly stupid is that?
Whilst the Emergency Services are advocating NOT going out unless absolutely necessary, this posting seems to want to encourage people to put not only their lives at risk, but also those of others, simply by being stupid and not following excellent advice.
May I ask just what good will £25 do for a written off outfit just for the sake of a story?
Just to finish off this rant and quote "and a photo or two just to prove how intrepid you are."
How utterly stupid is that?
Parksy
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- Nov 12, 2009
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I have to endorse Damian's comments Claudia, towing during ths cold weather with dangerous road conditions is highly inadvisable and as Damian pointed out the police have warned motorists to avoid travelling unless they absoulutely have to.
If anyone is on a snowbound site at the moment and they have to return home they would be safest to leave their caravan on site until the roads are safe and collect it then.
The consensus of experienced forum opinion about towing in the snow is 'don't' as This Recent Topic shows.
Having said all of that we were on a local C&CC rally last February, it was cold when we set out and the snow came down while we were there. We enjoyed the snug feeling inside the caravan because the rally was held on a site with ehu as many winter rallies are.
It was an invigorating exerience!
If anyone is on a snowbound site at the moment and they have to return home they would be safest to leave their caravan on site until the roads are safe and collect it then.
The consensus of experienced forum opinion about towing in the snow is 'don't' as This Recent Topic shows.
Having said all of that we were on a local C&CC rally last February, it was cold when we set out and the snow came down while we were there. We enjoyed the snug feeling inside the caravan because the rally was held on a site with ehu as many winter rallies are.
It was an invigorating exerience!
I also agree with Damian.
We're away in the van at the moment in Lincolnshire. We treid to get home yesterday but had to turn round and come back. (We didn't have the van on the back). The roads were horrendous (as they are still), lorries jack knifed, cars in ditches, the police advising us to not to attempt to drive up a hill, the list goes on.
My brother in law in his Land Rover towed a car with occupants and a caravan up a hill yesterday after the car and caravan jack knifed and blocked the road. He did say to us when he got in, if the traffic lights were on red at the bottom of the hill, there's no way that outfit would have been able to stop.
Lisa
We're away in the van at the moment in Lincolnshire. We treid to get home yesterday but had to turn round and come back. (We didn't have the van on the back). The roads were horrendous (as they are still), lorries jack knifed, cars in ditches, the police advising us to not to attempt to drive up a hill, the list goes on.
My brother in law in his Land Rover towed a car with occupants and a caravan up a hill yesterday after the car and caravan jack knifed and blocked the road. He did say to us when he got in, if the traffic lights were on red at the bottom of the hill, there's no way that outfit would have been able to stop.
Lisa
It's perfectly possible to get caught out by the weather on site in the snow. There is no suggestion in Claudia's post that people should head out for the sake of it and she did curtail her travel plans because of the weather.
I think caravanners can be credited with more sense than to travel in the snow in order to earn £25 and that was plainly not what was being suggested.
So, to clarify the point, did anyone end up on site, in snow, in their caravan this week?
And if you have a picture, let's see it...
I think caravanners can be credited with more sense than to travel in the snow in order to earn £25 and that was plainly not what was being suggested.
So, to clarify the point, did anyone end up on site, in snow, in their caravan this week?
And if you have a picture, let's see it...
We're on a private place Nigel so I don't know if that counts; Apart from an issue with the gas, resulting in a mad panic at 6pm on Friday night, things have been great. The water in the aqua roll has frozen a couple of times but I remembered the tips from here, fill your kettle before you go to bed. We've actually enjoyed watching the snow come falling down from the inside of our toasty van. The caravan in the background is ours; The dogs were supposed to be sleeping in the porch awning but were more than happy to join us in the van; The children are our great nephews and great niece. They came to visit for the day. The dog is Daisy who loves caravanning, loves snow and loves children.
Lisa
Lisa
We are away over the New Year in Devon, so we are hoping not to meet the snow!!! Although our 8 year old daughter may disagree!!!
Anyway, I have winterised the tow car by fitting 16" wheels with M+S tyres rather than the 19" wheels with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres that the car came standard with!!! The new wheels coped far better than the originals earlier this month.
I have a photo of the van in storage when I went to check all taps were in the open centralised position if that counts....
Anyway, I have winterised the tow car by fitting 16" wheels with M+S tyres rather than the 19" wheels with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres that the car came standard with!!! The new wheels coped far better than the originals earlier this month.
I have a photo of the van in storage when I went to check all taps were in the open centralised position if that counts....
Ok I didn't read Claudia's thread to be one encouraging anyone to go out when advised not to. As I said on the other topic, if you don't have too then common sense tells you to stay in the warm.
I had to move our van 7th jan this year in 7 inches of snow, and so long as you plan ahead, take a winter tool kit, and drive steady and smooth you should be quite safe. It's the people who still stamp on the gas and brakes who have incidents, then accidents if they don't think, plan and learn from mistakes. For example I've invested in a 12V winch capable of pulling 5-6000Lbs of rolling load. I got this because I am getting worse healthwise and I don't have the faith that our wardens will help this time. The chap who drove the tractor last time has terminated his employment !!??
So I now have a winch that will move our caravan 50ft at a time and once I've built the mounting bracket, it will be able to be fitted to my tow bar with 4 pins and plug direct to the car's power supply.
I had to move our van 7th jan this year in 7 inches of snow, and so long as you plan ahead, take a winter tool kit, and drive steady and smooth you should be quite safe. It's the people who still stamp on the gas and brakes who have incidents, then accidents if they don't think, plan and learn from mistakes. For example I've invested in a 12V winch capable of pulling 5-6000Lbs of rolling load. I got this because I am getting worse healthwise and I don't have the faith that our wardens will help this time. The chap who drove the tractor last time has terminated his employment !!??
So I now have a winch that will move our caravan 50ft at a time and once I've built the mounting bracket, it will be able to be fitted to my tow bar with 4 pins and plug direct to the car's power supply.
Bit late in replying to this post. I had arranged my first outing in my 2011 Bailey Pegasus 534, on the Friday when the snow was due to hit. I was travelling from Worcester down to Tredegar South Wales. During the days before I kept a sharp eye on what the weather was doing. All of the reports were indicating that the snow was going to hit west cost of Wales and the East Cost. Checked at Lunch time before leaving work and the forecast indicated that going south from Worcester would be cold but dry.
So left work collected the boss, got the van out of storage and set off. All was OK until we got to within 10 miles of our destination then the snow came down, got on site and had to set up in the snow. Not the best of conditions for setting up but managed with the new van. Had a great long weekend and returned on Monday, weather much improved.
The only problems were:
Water frozen in the pipe from the water carrier, had to warm up.
Onboard water tank and pump OK but not big enough for me and the wife to have a shower.
Too cold to stay outside, spent little time exploring the area, will have to go back in the Spring or Summer,
Good Points
Was able to spend some quality time with the Wife with worrying about work or other issues.
Caravan very warm despite the car indicating -5 at 10:30.
So left work collected the boss, got the van out of storage and set off. All was OK until we got to within 10 miles of our destination then the snow came down, got on site and had to set up in the snow. Not the best of conditions for setting up but managed with the new van. Had a great long weekend and returned on Monday, weather much improved.
The only problems were:
Water frozen in the pipe from the water carrier, had to warm up.
Onboard water tank and pump OK but not big enough for me and the wife to have a shower.
Too cold to stay outside, spent little time exploring the area, will have to go back in the Spring or Summer,
Good Points
Was able to spend some quality time with the Wife with worrying about work or other issues.
Caravan very warm despite the car indicating -5 at 10:30.
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