Eurotunnel x-ray

[Lucky]

Maybe it's been there for ages and I've missed it, but I was surprised earlier this week to have my motorhome x-rayed at Calais Eurotunnel.

If you havent seen one either, the machine looks like a car wash and was operated by 4 armed french Customs officers (Douane).

I was directed by one officer to drive the left front wheel between two guide rails and instructed to exit the vehicle with the handbrake off and the motor still running. The motorhome was then dragged through the scanner by the mechanism, rolling off the other end with nobody at the controls. I half expected it to continue rolling into a barrier but it seems there was a gradient that meant the mh lost momentum and drifted back to the scanner.

Meanwhile I was directed to walk around the outside of the scanner (too late to do a runner now, it was all fenced in) and told to wait by a locked gate. Once the scan was complete the gate was unlocked and I could return to my vehicle.

Once back in the mh I had to wait while the scan was checked, although I saw noone actually doing anything. Maybe somebody was in a portabin checking the scan, or maybe tthe french were just testing their new toy.

Btw, if you have a pet if has to accompany you and not stay in the vehicle.

I can't see it being applied to all vehicles but it was a novelty for me.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Standard scan for various items of contraband and illegals. Used a lot on trucks. Never heard of a motorhome scanned though.... they must have been bored or simply trying to give le Rosbif a hard time

 

[Spriddler]

Checking for ham sandwiches?

 

[Ridgeway]

Been scanned and Co2 checked 3 times whilst passing through over the years in the van, just adds another 15mins to the journey.

 

[Lucky]

Standard scan for various items of contraband and illegals. Used a lot on trucks. Never heard of a motorhome scanned though.... they must have been bored or simply trying to give le Rosbif a hard time

That makes sense, although this scanner was too small for trucks, it being used on cars, cans and me.

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[glenn2926]

Maybe it's been there for ages and I've missed it, but I was surprised earlier this week to have my motorhome x-rayed at Calais Eurotunnel.

If you havent seen one either, the machine looks like a car wash and was operated by 4 armed french Customs officers (Douane).

I was directed by one officer to drive the left front wheel between two guide rails and instructed to exit the vehicle with the handbrake off and the motor still running. The motorhome was then dragged through the scanner by the mechanism, rolling off the other end with nobody at the controls. I half expected it to continue rolling into a barrier but it seems there was a gradient that meant the mh lost momentum and drifted back to the scanner.

Meanwhile I was directed to walk around the outside of the scanner (too late to do a runner now, it was all fenced in) and told to wait by a locked gate. Once the scan was complete the gate was unlocked and I could return to my vehicle.

Once back in the mh I had to wait while the scan was checked, although I saw noone actually doing anything. Maybe somebody was in a portabin checking the scan, or maybe tthe french were just testing their new toy.

Btw, if you have a pet if has to accompany you and not stay in the vehicle.

I can't see it being applied to all vehicles but it was a novelty for me.

A few years ago we were asked to go through this machine. What a laugh, the customs or whatever officers hadn’t used it before and we all ended up trying to work it out even the dog got in on the act. It never did go through it and we couldn’t wait any longer as our train was going to be called. I would have liked to see the pictures.

 

[Lenny HB]

They only scan the dodgy looking characters

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

They only scan the dodgy looking Hymers

So they should

 

[rosalan]

They have a list and now we know at least two suspects. Perhaps you both got away with it this time but they can wait

 

[Lenny HB]

So they should

Where is that "Up Yours" button.

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[Edenside]

Yes been on through it with the van and also with a car.

 

[Alcemi]

Yes, we were pulled over for X-ray in June 2019, after a lengthy debate between the officials, due to us having the dog onboard. It killed a little time doing something different whilst waiting for our train.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Been there,done that,asked the gendarme,for what reason,Contraband ,Says he.not people.

 

[Sheddy]

There was a truck mounted unit that travelled between lines of Vans waiting to board at Santander last month, they moved all the folk out of the vans while they scanned with an operator in the front viewing a monitor. Any suspicious looking results and the van was searched. Never seen that before.

 

[TinaLes]

I will just have to keep my 4 packs of smoked bacon inside my jacket then.
I am all for this scanning system if finds illegal immigrants, and drugs, I know they do same on ship containers, but it makes you wonder how so many tonnes of the stuff still gets in, past the customs checks, inside fruit would you believe.
LES

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[Taran_Las]

They only scan the dodgy looking characters

How many times for you Lenny?

 

[Lenny HB]

How many times for you Lenny?

Definitely need an "Up Yours" button.

 

[chaser]

The first time we went through the tunnel 12 years ago, we got talking to a polish van driver while waiting, the sign came up , to go to the train, so off we went back to our van, this other driver said hold on wait till some more have gone or you will get pulled, but being new we rushed off to about third in the queue.
Lo and behold we got pulled across, all the first ones, we were clean so no worries but as we were sitting there ,this pole goes sailing by with a grin all over his face.
Anyway ever since we have never been in a hurry and keep back a bit, and have very rarely been pulled since.

 

[scotzsue]

Been through one once but not that type, also had a thorough search a couple of times. First time was a brand new van, searcher admitted she hadn’t seen one like that before and had wanted a look
second time John had thoughtfully rolled up some bedding and put his bike helmet at the top, on the over about looked just like someone hiding didn’t find the gallons of wine and whisky will be concerned about trying to hide it now

 

[deleted79651]

We have a wee hovel in France and Elaine and I had the great idea to transport some surplus furniture from our house moves to the new abode, using my VW LT35 LWB HR van, in 2013. Great result, even used the Van as a temporary storage for the cooker whilst the Floor Tiler was putting in the new groundfloor tiles.

Couple of days before the return trip, I realised the flaw in our plans. I needed my trailer back in Scotland but the van had no towbar ... Unabashed, quick visit to BricoPro to buy trailer loading ramps, Elaine pushes the empty trailer, I'm on the inside of the van pulling the towbar, and, after several sweaty minutes, we get the trailer aboard and lash it down using the installed eyelets and load straps.

We had slept/dozed in the van cab on the outward journey and it was a wee bit cramped, so Elaine had the bright idea of installing an airbed in the load area for a decent sleep on the return trip. Fine as long as you avoid the protruding towhitch and the entanglement of loadstraps which did lend an air of the BDSM to the setup [not that we have any experience of this, you understand]. When we arrived at Dieppe late afternoon to grab a parking spot for the following day's early morning ferry, the Douaniers were searching all vans ... When the 2 Officers opened our van, their eyes popped out and there was then a walky talky summons to colleagues to coma and have a look! We could have sold tickets ...

Even better, the next day, we reached Old Tebay Services and decided to park up and grab a quick nap for an hour or so. Set alarms so that we can have a stretch of the legs and loo break within the 2 hours Free Parking period. Everybody else seemed to have the same idea, and the place was mobbed, leaving us to grab one of the last long parking bays, facing up the slope. We fell into the loading area and onto the airbed perfectly, purely by gravity. When the alarm sounded, it was a different matter. Two Teletubbies, lying head down the slope either side of the towhitch are always going to struggle, and the more we struggled, the more the van rocked ... when we eventually managed to emerge, there was a small gathering of smirking onlookers from the neighbouring vehicles ...

'Dignity, darling, dignity; just keep walking ...'

Steve

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[Meggers]

I’ve just been through the same process at Folkstone. Fairly quick and painless.

 

[Korova]

We were xrayed in June at Calais and they must have spotted something as they did a quick search afterwards. They checked inside around the hab entrance step which could be used to hide things and I assume as they found no signs of tampering e.g. grinding, welding etc, they let us on our way.

 

[Soycd]

They only scan the dodgy looking characters

I probably need to change my name on here to Mr Dodgy as I’ve been through it twice! Mind you if you saw my passport photo you wouldn’t let me into your country! Last time was this summer and they confirmed they were scanning for ‘people’ as they put it. I think the folk running it were the new generation of border control, friendly, polite and apologised for having to put us through the scanner. We had a nice chat and they wished us a pleasant journey home!