You must have tried this before but will I get caught ? (1 Viewer)

[barwik]

Hi all , Just booked our first trip abroad in our Hymer B544 - ( excited already ) - Catching the ferry to Dunkirk etc .
Now .... I've booked it as 6,5m but to be exact my van is 6.6m so I'm telling a little white lie - others must have tried it on I'm sure - did it work ? did you save a few quid ? ( I'm a yorkshireman )

 

[jaygee]

I have to say we had a B544 and for about 5 years was telling everyone what super prices we were getting on the ferry. It wasn't until had to book a crossing back home on my iphone whilst traveling through France that I discovered that previously I had not been expanding the drop down box and selecting 6.5 mtr+ but had been booking as a 2.5mtr vehicle. Decided to chance it one more time and if got stopped would plead ignorance - never got queried. Now have a 7.5mtr van so don't feel like chanching it!!

 

[Mikeco]

Hi all , Just booked our first trip abroad in our Hymer B544 - ( excited already ) - Catching the ferry to Dunkirk etc .
Now .... I've booked it as 6,5m but to be exact my van is 6.6m so I'm telling a little white lie - others must have tried it on I'm sure - did it work ? did you save a few quid ? ( I'm a yorkshireman )

You will get caught, probably because I've just sent them a copy of your post.

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[DavidG58]

If your MH has the number 544 on the side you can always plead ignorance and say you thought it was the length, we always booked our 640 caravan on as 6.4m even though that was just the body length, never got checked, although at Portsmouth they have measurements painted on the check in booth lane!!

 

[Yorick]

The ferry companies have a special section in their guides, called the TAY This helps folk like you and me

 

[funflair]

We have been measured but 100 mm is not a lot so it depends how good the measurers are.

Martin

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[TheBig1]

as i recall it works in 300mm increments. the lines marked on the lane are compared by the camera, if you fit within the box + or - 300mm ok. if it looks suspicious or ambiguous the van gets measured. every now and then there is a purge by the ferry company
i used to travel by ferry frequently with vans and lorries and occasionally would get checked

 

[Anthea M]

We once booked a ferry through the CC and they put the wrong size down for our van , we didn't realise until we arrived at the port were pulled over and had to pay extra and as it was busy nearly missed the ferry!
Needless to say we check and double check and always give the correct height and length( including bike rack and bikes!)

 

[Yorick]

The ferry companies have a special section in their guides, called the TAY This helps folk like you and me

Oops, should have added it means Tight Arsed Yorkshireman

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[Hollyberry]

If your MH has the number 544 on the side you can always plead ignorance and say you thought it was the length, we always booked our 640 caravan on as 6.4m even though that was just the body length, never got checked, although at Portsmouth they have measurements painted on the check in booth lane!!

I did the same thing. I assumed 650 was the length of the vehicle. Only now seeing your post, @DavidG58 , I think I was wrong . Never got stopped though. I'm sure the same measurement was written on the card I found attached to the sun visor. Bugger, that'll keep me awake now.......

 

[icantremember]

Just hope you are not the last vehicle up the ramp ...... you may find your back ent hanging over the stern!

 

[chaser]

Go on the tunnel, doesn't matter how long you are on there

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[barwik]

tunnels very expensive I think - I've paid 160 return for the ferry inc the daft dog

 

[andy63]

was measured for height on a danish ferry once and they were not going to let me on as they said i had not declared the correct height.. the ferry was busy and only after a lot of debate and eventually proving it was the paperwork they issued and not my declaration that was at fault was i allowed on.. the ramps were been raised as i drove on
and on a trip round the western isles @irnbru booked me on a ferry without declaring my correct length and then frightened the crap out of me by saying they were measuring all the vans..

 

[eddie]

They were using laser measuring hand held guns, checking all vehicles when we can back from France last week

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[irnbru]

We had no problem at any ferry ports on our western islands tour. Had we been caught I would just have apologised, paid the difference and played the dozy woman card

 

[Kingham]

Hi all , Just booked our first trip abroad in our Hymer B544 - ( excited already ) - Catching the ferry to Dunkirk etc .
Now .... I've booked it as 6,5m but to be exact my van is 6.6m so I'm telling a little white lie - others must have tried it on I'm sure - did it work ? did you save a few quid ? ( I'm a yorkshireman )

I don't think they will be too bothered and are quite considerate, they usually ask whether you prefer the extra 100mm chain-sawed from the front, or the rear

 

[mike mcglynn]

Brittany ferries Portsmouth the lady came out from the booth and measured our van with a surveyors tape .

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[Lot lover]

At heart we are all fraudsters and thieves - or wish we were.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

tunnels very expensive I think - I've paid 160 return for the ferry inc the daft dog

Myth.

I sometimes cross check when I book the tunnel and more often than not it's close enough to the equivalent ferry price as makes no difference.

I've found, and posted, examples in the past where the tunnel is actually cheaper than a Dover - Calais ferry for a crossing at the same time.

Plus if you use vouchers it makes the tunnel even cheaper.

Even if it was actually noticeably more expensive it's worth paying a premium for the sheer convenience, flexibility and speed. It's beats every other possible channel crossing hands down on all three of those things.

 

[chaser]

tunnels very expensive I think - I've paid 160 return for the ferry inc the daft dog

Yes but how does it compare if you tell the ferry the correct measurements, makes no difference on the tunnel.

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[Popeye]

tunnels very expensive I think - I've paid 160 return for the ferry inc the daft dog

My last Chunnel trip was £82 outbound and £80 homeward bound total £162, I'd rather pay the extra £2 I think especially as I would be in the up to 9 metres and under 4 metres high class.

 

[zac]

Brittany ferries Portsmouth the lady came out from the booth and measured our van with a surveyors tape .

Yep they did the same to us going out but not coming back.

 

[irnbru]

I think you are most likely to get measured at peak period times when the ferries need to know how much room they have so they can use their space to best of their ability. I know @Brendan got measured once in the western Isles.

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[Kingham]

At heart we are all fraudsters and thieves - or wish we were.

At heart I might wish I was many things and I like a bargain as much as the next person, but I couldn't imagine stealing from anyone, nor would I deliberately lie about the size of my van, be it height for tolls, or length for ferries.

Like the OP, my mother is from Yorkshire and as kids, she taught us to work hard and save lots, but thankfully I didn't inherit that overwhelming desire to save every penny possible that is evident in some from those parts

 

[Minxy]

My last Chunnel trip was £82 outbound and £80 homeward bound total £162, I'd rather pay the extra £2 I think especially as I would be in the up to 9 metres and under 4 metres high class.

With the dog though that would add another £36, so £198 compared to £160.

For us its the tunnel every time especially as we can use Tesco deal vouchers to get it for a third of the cost (plus dogs) or open a Frequent Traveller account when a single crossing costs £55, return £110 (plus dogs)

 

[TerryL]

Chunnel for us every time - costs us "nothing" and anyway Bren hates sea crossings. Plus dog is not cooped up on his own in a strange noisy environment. Plus it's far quicker than a ferry.

Extra for the dog is immaterial, you pay £18 each way on any crossing - it's a DEFRA thing. Unfortunately you can't use Tesco vouchers for it though.

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[Minxy]

Chunnel for us every time - costs us "nothing" and anyway Bren hates sea crossings. Plus dog is not cooped up on his own in a strange noisy environment. Plus it's far quicker than a ferry.

Extra for the dog is immaterial, you pay £18 each way on any crossing - it's a DEFRA thing. Unfortunately you can't use Tesco vouchers for it though.

Agree except that ET charge £3 more per dog each way than most ferry companies, so £6 extra for a return than the ferries.

 

[Welsh girl]

We are 6.6 metre, I put down 6.5 with a cycle carrier. The lady got out and measured us comimg over.

 

[TerryL]

Agree except that ET charge £3 more per dog each way than most ferry companies, so £6 extra for a return than the ferries.

Thanks for that, didn't realise, but it won't change our minds.
However a question will be asked next time I book a tunnel crossing!