Touring France (1 Viewer)

kglblue

Free Member
Nov 7, 2010
112
159
St.Agnes Cornwall
Funster No
14,373
MH
Coach built
Exp
6 years
We toured France for 6 weeks, me, my wife and 2 dogs; we drove to Bordeaux and meandered back along the coast. It was a great trip, the weather wasn't always kind but the wine and food were great.
There were two incidents that spoiled an otherwise perfect trip, but we didn't let it stop us having a great time.
My Bike was pinched during the night, it was locked up but it didn't stop the thief taking it off the Bike rack without waking us or the dogs up. My wife's reaction was "what's wrong with my bike?" they didn't take hers.
Coming back at pet passport control, we returned to the van to find two illegals trying to hang under the van. Unsuccessfully, it's a Swift Escape 622 and there was not enough room to accommodate them.
I do think it's wrong to prosecute and fine lorry drivers who unwittingly smuggle illegals into the country. These desperate people take advantage of every nook and cranny they could squeeze into and no lorry driver that I know of wants their rig to be used/abused in this way. I agree with the lorry drivers who say they are forced to be border control officers.
We had a wake up call about how high Vet's charges are in the UK, our whippet cut his leg quite badly when playing, he's 6 months old. For a Vet examination, a general anaesthetic, 6 stitches, antibiotics and a whole days nursing care it cost 78 Euro. At Rue, for the worming tablets and signing the pet passport for both dogs it was 38 Euro, and he removed the stitches for free.
Back in England at our usual Vet, a quick examination to confirm the cut was properly healed cost £37. Nuff said.
 
Dec 12, 2010
5,367
21,177
Cumbria
Funster No
14,651
MH
C Class
Exp
since 2011
We needed two staples in one of our whippet's legs when we were on Mull last month, £85 and told to go to our own vets to get them removed on our return. Bought a staple removing tool off eBay and a sterile staple gun for £14 that we now keep in the van for emergencies.
I'm paranoid about loosing our bikes off the back of the van. Last year in Luxemburg I woke at about 2 in the morning convinced I could here someone sawing through the bike lock, I stuck my head out of a roof vent and saw a duck ( who obviously had a sore throat ) sitting on the grass bank next to us calling to his mates :D
 
Apr 18, 2009
3,569
3,367
Englishman in Mid Wales
Funster No
6,340
MH
Hymer B584, A Class
Exp
Not long enough!
I'm paranoid about loosing our bikes off the back of the van. Last year in Luxemburg I woke at about 2 in the morning convinced I could here someone sawing through the bike lock, I stuck my head out of a roof vent and saw a duck ( who obviously had a sore throat ) sitting on the grass bank next to us calling to his mates :D

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Made my day thanks for that:wink:
 
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kglblue

kglblue

Free Member
Nov 7, 2010
112
159
St.Agnes Cornwall
Funster No
14,373
MH
Coach built
Exp
6 years
We needed two staples in one of our whippet's legs when we were on Mull last month, £85 and told to go to our own vets to get them removed on our return. Bought a staple removing tool off eBay and a sterile staple gun for £14 that we now keep in the van for emergencies.
I'm paranoid about loosing our bikes off the back of the van. Last year in Luxemburg I woke at about 2 in the morning convinced I could here someone sawing through the bike lock, I stuck my head out of a roof vent and saw a duck ( who obviously had a sore throat ) sitting on the grass bank next to us calling to his mates :D

Yes our dog had metal staples too, not something I've come across before so being lazy I called em stitches lol
 
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kglblue

kglblue

Free Member
Nov 7, 2010
112
159
St.Agnes Cornwall
Funster No
14,373
MH
Coach built
Exp
6 years
kglblue Just out of interest where were you when bike was stolen ?

I'm not very good at remembering all the places we've been so luckily my wife keeps a diary on her ipad. Her diary says it was a Motorhome Aire at Soissons in Picardy. I was hopping mad and jumped to the conclusion that the thief was from the travelling fairground camping nearby, but other than prejudice I have absolutely no evidence to support this. We went to Rochefort and at a Decathlon store I bought a replacement Bike for 200 Euro and 2 very strong padlocks and chain. I'm now of the opinion that it's important not to skimp on securing your bikes, horse gone stable door open etc. We were using a flimsy thing with a naff lock. I think it could have been pulled apart with bare hands.
 

scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,076
8,977
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
My Bike was pinched during the night, it was locked up but it didn't stop the thief taking it off the Bike rack without waking us or the dogs up. My wife's reaction was "what's wrong with my bike?" they didn't take hers.

Exactly what happened to us on Capbreton aire.. took my expensive Trek bike and left two others on the ground.. and I had strong motorcycle security lock and chain on them.. it was cut though, maybe with a portable angle grinder.. who knows, but if they want it, they will have it..

Police said that the thiefs operate in gangs, watch you cycling to and from the aire, and then target the expensive bikes...

best advice is not to take expensive bikes unless you can keep in a garage. Any old bedstead will do..

Electric bikes are now the favoured target ..

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GeebeeJaybee

Free Member
May 28, 2015
293
349
St Helens
Funster No
36,586
MH
A Class - Adria Vision
Exp
newbie
Electric bikes are now the favoured target ..
Interesting to note. My hubby is a very fit, keen mountain biker and I am a chubby, fair weather cyclist. We are taking one of his bikes (no idea which due to his huge choice of what he insists are essential variations of bikes, none of them cheap) and my electric bike (only way to keep up with him) when we go to France next month to watch a couple of stages of the tour.

We have only just bought our MH and it has bunk beds - the bottom one of which forms the large garage (the only essential on our purchase list). Glyn spend last week knocking up a rack for in there to support the bikes on their forks.

Hopefully putting them in there on each return will keep them safe.

We actually had an attempted break in at home last night which we thwarted with our £30 detection device in the garage - a baby monitor. One part is plugged in the garage (to monitor his babies) and one part next to the bed. Best £30 ever spent as last night we heard them trying to get in the garage and shouted "Oi" out the window and they scarpered. Phoned police who arrived with one van and 2 cars within 5 minutes (quiet night???) and set off to patrol to deter them trying someone else.

We may take the baby monitor with us.

Jen
 

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