Scared of the Lake District (1 Viewer)

Tecnikal

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Oct 16, 2013
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Hi all,

So far we have stuck to main roads mainly in the south of England and have had very few problems with narrow country lanes.

We decided we want to visit the lake district in October. My other half is unable to walk too far so we thought we would hopefully find some nice road routes that still offer the same sort of scenery that you would get from some of the walks.

However on searching the internet for some good routes we have started reading horror stories about narrow, winding, steep roads that are not suitable for MH's.

Is this true? We are not small like a camper van or overly large like an RV but a mid size which is a Fiat Ducato IH Conversion, do you think we will be ok?

Someone said that there is sometimes only room for two small cars to pass and I wonder if we are wasting our time going if it is going to be really stressful.

Any advice from people who have motorhomes in the Lake District would be very helpful as I am now nervous about going.

Many thanks. funsters.
 
Dec 30, 2014
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If you have a route in mind by all means run it past me I live here and know most of the roads. A has been said avoid Harknott, Wrynose and The Struggle
 
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Feb 24, 2013
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As for taking a camper over Hard Knot pass, I was going to say I would like to see that, actually I really wouldn't it would have to end in disaster

Last time I went over we chuckled at the sign at bottom, 'not suitable for caravans' the inside of the very tight hairpins must have a gradient of 1:1, no hope for anything bigger than a car

or DPD vans of course :D

the road was so steep that in our Spitfire (1970's) Bev had to get out to check ahead at some of the bends we couldn't see the road over the bonnet. Nice drive in a car, provided there are not too many tourists or misdirected foreign lorries

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Lenny HB

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You're an extremely arrogant person!

Apart from your ridiculous assumption that women can't drive... why do you feel the need to intimidate another driver into reversing.... or could it be that you aren't able to!!

I hope never to meet you on the road.
Not arrogant at ll just making light fun of a typical situation, if you read my post I said"women who can't reverse", I agree there are men just as bad, I never said anything about women who can reverse and drive well so, I don't see why you should take offense:).

The typical situation is that you in a large vehicle on a single track road come across a car coming in the opposite direction, you have a passing place 400-500 yds back the car has a passing place less than a 100yds behind then. The car driver sits stationary expecting you to reverse back 4 times as far as they need to, the safest option is for them to reverse but they just sit there so your only option is to nudge forward giving them a clear indication that you expect them to reverse, not at all unreasonable in the situation.
 
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JohnH

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Just finished campsite inspections around Cumbria in a car and caravan. Last year we did it in a van conversion (6m). At times you have to hold your breath in sometimes and it can be scary. Just do what others have suggested and use Google street view for an idea of the "lay of the land" before going. The views and the people make it worth going there.

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irnbru

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Not arrogant at ll just making light fun of a typical situation, if you read my post I said"women who can't reverse", I agree there are men just as bad, I never said anything about women who can reverse and drive well so, I don't see why you should take offense:).
Lenny ..Don't you think you might have been better off saying.."People "not "women" instead of singling women out especially now with your own admission men can be just as bad at reversing. . Oh and not always would it be safer for the other vehicle to reverse. .might be a sharp bend behind them :LOL:;)
 
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Jan 2, 2015
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An alternative option is to use a site on the edge with a bus stop and let the bus driver worry!!
We went to our local CC Rally at the Wheatsheaf at Lorton
http://www.wheatsheafinnlorton.co.uk/
where there is a bus stop at the site entrance. I think a days rover ticket cost £6 each (free with bus pass) and a very nice circular ride is Lorton- Whinlatter- Keswick - Grange - Honister Pass - Buttermere - Lorton.(abt 2 hours if you stay on the bus)
Use Keswick as your hub and you can explore most of the lakes by bus
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/uploads/2015summerlakesconnection_web[2].pdf
I think this timetable is valid until 1 November
Keswick is surrounded by campsites and the C&CC site at Derwentwater is about 200 yards from the bus station
 
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We stayed at the C&CC site in Bowness for a week and hired a car to get around. Job done.

@webby1 The Struggle is hard work in a car. You would have to be crackers to try it in anything big. Stick to the main road (y)

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Tecnikal

Tecnikal

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Thanks for all your help. I was hoping that we could find a book of Lake District drives. However the only one I could find is driving the car to a point where you can start a walk.

When you guys say PASS. Are we talking about the sort of road that has a drop on one side down a cliff, because there is no way I'm driving on one of them, even if the road is wide. I have nightmares about those roads.
 
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hilldweller

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When you guys say PASS. Are we talking about the sort of road that has a drop on one side down a cliff.

In just a few places.

You're are driving a panel van, every road you will encounter has vans delivering the goods day in day out so don't panic.

To be honest, if you want views from the road Wales has just as much and wider roads.
 
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Tecnikal

Tecnikal

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I'm already booked for Lake District so too late to go to Wales and Scotland. I will avoid the two passes you mention. Such a shame there isn't a "Motorhome routes in the Lake District" book.

Motorhome Sat Navs are ok but all they tell you is if the road is wide enough to fit through it and not if something is coming the other way lol.

If there is a book like that, can someone let me know. :)
 
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Frentchy

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I wouldn't go in too far if you are concerned, I took my 8m MH too far in to a prebooked site, no mention on the details that the road in to the site has a 6' width limit (and for good reason) definitely not for the faint hearted

The biggest problem as ever is white van man, closely followed by coaches, they being the larger vehicle (coaches that is) will expect you to back up, even the A roads have some tight passing points

Keep on going to Scotland, similar scenery in SW Scotland and a fraction of the people :)(y)

I was under the impression that having passed an HGV or PV license one would be considered a superior Driver, I cant remember seeing anything about being bigger gives one priority to the extreme, verging on Bullying lesser qualified road users; I think its supposed work the opposite way:unsure:
 
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Lenny HB

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I'm already booked for Lake District so too late to go to Wales and Scotland. I will avoid the two passes you mention. Such a shame there isn't a "Motorhome routes in the Lake District" book.

Motorhome Sat Navs are ok but all they tell you is if the road is wide enough to fit through it and not if something is coming the other way lol.

If there is a book like that, can someone let me know. :)
Looking at your avita you have a PVC so shouldn't really be much different to driving a car, you shouldn't have any problems.

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Feb 24, 2013
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I was under the impression that having passed an HGV or PV license one would be considered a superior Driver, I cant remember seeing anything about being bigger gives one priority to the extreme, verging on Bullying lesser qualified road users; I think its supposed work the opposite way:unsure:

I don't want to divert the thread into a driving challenge, but it would be unreasonable to expect a bus or lorry to reverse for a smaller vehicle, even a MH, I would imagine the old school highway code even stated that, unless of course the bigger vehicle is right by a passing place

Biggest problem will be that the bus or lorry will undoubtedly have a few vehicles sock up its wotnot making reversing nigh on impossible. Too many drivers do not anticipate these days, most passing issues could be virtually avoided by looking ahead and following drivers not following too closely :)

Another reason for heading further north, Scotland copes so much better with narrow roads (y)
 
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Jan 2, 2015
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Please don't let these videos put you off.... Remember that this is at the extreme end of the windy roads spectrum. Use this as a guide and remember all the roads in the Lake District are easier than this and some are a dream to drive on




I was taking to someone in a tag-axle on a site last month and he said he managed the Struggle and stayed overnight on the car park of the Kirkstone Pass Inn!!

Of course if you really want to see the Lake District, this is the proper way...
 
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