We're in switzerland and driving a 7.4m van for the first time in our lives AND it's in snow. We are from Australia and had no idea the roads would be SO small. Today i had one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. We ended up on a mountain road we couldn't turn around on so kept going forward because Google maps routed us through it to the other side. We hit a patch of snow though (my first time ever seeing snow) and we slid a little and i thought we were goingto go backwards down the mountain side. We stopped but couldn't go forward or back. now I'm curled up in the back of a police car on the side of a snowy mountain while they attempt to tow our hire van backwards. I know we were really really silly to get stuck there in the first place. I have been in total panic thinking we are going to fall off the mountain and i am beyond terrified to drive again. We went with the van instead of trains because i am disabled and use a wheelchair. We didn't know a way to transport myself and my partner around for our holiday on trains because i can't pull my own suitcase because I'm in the chair. Please can anyone tell us how to know which roads are wide and safe? We keep getting caught out with Google maps getting in scary places on tiny roads but today i thought i was going to die and this isn't really how my holiday is meant to be. I've not travelled since becoming disabled 6 years ago. We don't know how to manage when we can't predict the roads.
Help :( we've really bitten off more than we can chew (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Emp
- Start date
That "road" looks like a path !
Best place to get "trucker" map is in service station . If you look at satnav you were given , it probably wont have truck setting .
You can perhaps select fastest route when setting Nav route setting . This will keep you off smaller roads .
As for snow driving its a bit like driving on newly graded outback tracks to give you a point of reference .
Where in OZ are you from ?
Best place to get "trucker" map is in service station . If you look at satnav you were given , it probably wont have truck setting .
You can perhaps select fastest route when setting Nav route setting . This will keep you off smaller roads .
As for snow driving its a bit like driving on newly graded outback tracks to give you a point of reference .
Where in OZ are you from ?
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I can tell you, when we slid, i've never wanted to be anywhere else more in my life-also the fact we were as wide as the entire road D: everything went very wrongWoW I don't know where you were heading But I don't think you wanted to be there
Martin
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Puddleduck
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Not sure if you know but I think you have used up all your free posts. To post again you will need to become a paid member of the site.
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Carol
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Hi @Emp the above poster is in Switzerland so it could be worthwhile you taking up his kind offer, as @Puddleduck has said you are only allowed 5 free posts which you have now used, if you are traveling for a while longer it could be worth investing the £15 which will give you full access to the forum and you can use as many posts as you want.
I am so please to see you are now safe and glad the actual help and support you had outweighed the sceptical posts.
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funflair
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It has a lot of useful features for commercial truckers, have a read https://copilotgps.com/en-us/truck-navigation/
Martin
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So glad you're Ok. Unless you really want to stay in Switzerland I'd head in to France on main roads and enjoy everything the country has to offer.
Good road maps are essential. Sat Nav/Google maps are good but can lead you astray - better to plan using maps first.
Please join Motorhomefun and let us know how you are and where you are.
Luckily something as horrible as this has not happened to us but we've been in a few scary moments and, eventually, you can hae a wry laugh about it. Good story to share on a campsite too.
Steph
Good road maps are essential. Sat Nav/Google maps are good but can lead you astray - better to plan using maps first.
Please join Motorhomefun and let us know how you are and where you are.
Luckily something as horrible as this has not happened to us but we've been in a few scary moments and, eventually, you can hae a wry laugh about it. Good story to share on a campsite too.
Steph
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If you're in Montreux, don't miss the Freddy Mercury Memorial (statue) by the lake.
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And watch out for any smoke on the water.
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I apologise if you already know this, but you are not allowed to drive up the road to Zermatt. It's obviously possible, for local emergency vehicles and deliveries, but otherwise no vehicles are allowed. Everyone goes in and out by train.
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- Dec 24, 2014
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Mind you don't get lost.
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The one you need is CoPilot Caravan. The price includes updates and it has traffic alerts and camera alerts where allowed by law. No camera alerts for France as they are illegal there and traffic alerts need an internet connection of course.
This is correct for the Android version I use but another user reckoned you had to pay extra for maps on iPhone. I dont know if that is correct but someone will know.
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funflair
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On the Europe version you only pay extra for maps outside Europe so €19.99 for North America.
Martin
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- Dec 24, 2014
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The OP's surprise at finding little roads and snow in winter in Switzerland reminded me of last summer when I had parked my motorbike and was sat outside a packed bar in around 30 degrees near the top of the Col de Tourmalet (c.2,500m). The rather well padded, sweaty and exhausted Lycra clad American lass at an adjacent table was giving her sinewy partner one heck of an ear-bashing for all to hear but I nearly spat my coffee out when she shouted hysterically at him: "Yes, you ass....le, but when I agreed to a cycling honeymoon in the f....ing(expletive omitted) Pyrenees you never f....ing told me that the f....ing hills would be so f....ing STEEP!
The tears rolled down my cheeks.
Glad the OP's safe now. As the old saying goes: 'All's well that ends'.
The tears rolled down my cheeks.
Glad the OP's safe now. As the old saying goes: 'All's well that ends'.
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Ridgeway
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@EM glad it worked itself out in the end. You're currently 25mins away from our house but i'm on the road early tomorrow. Your route to Zermatt is totally fine tomorrow, the roads are all clear up to Täsch. Park at the train station there, loads of places and easy access in/out and take the short train ride in. Lots of snow just above 1500m this year so enjoy that, not in the camper obviously 
What's your plan after Zermatt ?
There's a really nice thermal bath about 15mins further down the road from Visp at Brigerbad, also there're a campsite there and easy parking etc
https://thermalbad-wallis.ch/en/therme/
If you're heading back this way then me know.
What's your plan after Zermatt ?
There's a really nice thermal bath about 15mins further down the road from Visp at Brigerbad, also there're a campsite there and easy parking etc
https://thermalbad-wallis.ch/en/therme/
If you're heading back this way then me know.
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@EM glad it worked itself out in the end. You're currently 25mins away from our house but i'm on the road early tomorrow. Your route to Zermatt is totally fine tomorrow, the roads are all clear up to Täsch. Park at the train station there, loads of places and easy access in/out and take the short train ride in. Lots of snow just above 1500m this year so enjoy that, not in the camper obviously
What's your plan after Zermatt ?
There's a really nice thermal bath about 15mins further down the road from Visp at Brigerbad, also there're a campsite there and easy parking etc
https://thermalbad-wallis.ch/en/therme/
If you're heading back this way then me know.
We've decided to try to head to a campsite called attermenzen- we're hoping that going direct to a campsite today will only take us down safe roads? We went to a socar but they only had road maps of France so we're still looking for a truck map. Do you think the roads will be ok going from chillon to attermenzen?
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I looked this up on the Google play store but couldnt see a 'caravan' option. I've attached a screen shot incase you might know which one i need? I'm so grateful for all this suggestions, i think we came into this holiday uneducated on how challenging it was going to be so any help is really appreciated. this is probably going to be the biggest holiday we can afford for at least another decade so I'm really keen to make it a good experience too. (Being disabled doesn't pay well)
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We appreciate the heads up- fortunately we'd at least managed to figure that one out- if only we'd known this for our attempted mountain assent the other day too though (oh god our ignorance). We're looking to drive chillon to campsite attermenzen today - if there's a problem with that plan though I'd really love to know before we get stuck (I'm still a bit shaken).
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Even though we're only using the van for another 10ish days, everyone's help made this totally worth it. Thanks to everyone for all the help and support!
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"Not available in your area" :/ dammit
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After zermatt we're planning to go to interlaken and then Germany- hopefully this isn't a bad idea :/
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It has no truck setting
Is a truck map different to a standard road map? (Ie- will they both be marked on the same map if we can find one?) The service station we went to only had maps of France at the time and nothing on the cover said it was specifically for trucks. We're going to head to another servo today and try to find a swiss one. Also, we're worried about running out of lpg because we have no idea how much we have left- is there somewhere more appropriate i should post questions on how to safely fill the lpg? We werent told when we were given the van that the lpg system is like an open flame so we sat in a petrol station with the heating system on and the lpg door open for 40 minutes the other day trying to work out how to know how much is left *facepalms*
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I can't seem to find the caravan one either though
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It has no truck setting
Is a truck map different to a standard road map? (Ie- will they both be marked on the same map if we can find one?) The service station we went to only had maps of France at the time and nothing on the cover said it was specifically for trucks. We're going to head to another servo today and try to find a swiss one. Also, we're worried about running out of lpg because we have no idea how much we have left- is there somewhere more appropriate i should post questions on how to safely fill the lpg? We werent told when we were given the van that the lpg system is like an open flame so we sat in a petrol station with the heating system on and the lpg door open for 40 minutes the other day trying to work out how to know how much is left *facepalms*
If the LPG is a permanent set up like Gaslow, as opposed to exchanging the empty gas cannisters for a full one, then there will be a filling point near the gas container. You then connect to the pump and fill up. The garage should be able to help with this. On our system we have a permanent fixture called Gaslow, with two gas containers and on each is a gauge showing how much gas is left. When filling up you just fill them until they are full - they have an automatic cut off at 80% full so they do not overfill.
Not sure quite what you mean by "open flame" or why you are leaving the the heating on with the door open to see how much is left? Can you look at the gas container (or containers if there are two) - are they under the van? If not they will be in a locker accessed from somewhere on the side of the van.
Could you ring the peolple you got the van from and ask them to advise?
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This is the one you want,sometimes doesn't show up on tablets especially i pads as it is classed as a phone app 
I just googled it
I just googled it
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funflair
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If you go to CoPilotgps.com it should show as the second one down, also on the App store if you are on iPhone,
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Another thought. Maybe you could find some motorhomers and talk to them. Many people now have Gaslow (or similar) so you may get some help that way.
Most motorhomers are friendly and very helpful so don't be shy about asking for help and advice. This is the way we've all learned and are still learning.
Most motorhomers are friendly and very helpful so don't be shy about asking for help and advice. This is the way we've all learned and are still learning.
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