Club 80-90 Forums

This is a bit of a stupid question and one I pretty sure I know the answer to anyway, but here goes anyway...

I'm hoping over to France in the summer and am just about to book my ferry tickets. I'm getting the high speed ferry on the way back from Cherbourg to Poole and am wondering if I'll get away with declaring my pop-top westy as coming under the lower 1.85m limit for motor homes as works out £30 cheaper than the next height up (2.5m)? At the highest point my van measures in at 1.95m, although I guess I'll lose another couple of cm once fully loaded.

I wouldn't risk it myself. When I took my high top on the ferry I couldn't go on the high deck and had to stay on the bottom with the lorries. If they didn't have space for you on the bottom and you couldn't fit in the top you could be ferry less.

Unless someone comes on and says they do this all the time with no problems.

You'll look pretty stoooopid trying explain to the family why they aren't being allowed on the ferry so you could save £30.

Ian Hulley wrote:You'll look pretty stoooopid trying explain to the family why they aren't being allowed on the ferry so you could save £30.

2nd that , wife would kill me

Matt

16vmini wrote:

Ian Hulley wrote:You'll look pretty stoooopid trying explain to the family why they aren't being allowed on the ferry so you could save £30.

2nd that , wife would kill me

Matt

lol - You're damn right there This 'plan' hasn't been discussed with the wife for the above reasons!

Think I'd better stop being tight and get the proper ticket bought

Location: Leeds - says it all really!

What's the vehicle registered as ? If it's a 'Motorhome' then as you enter the registration into the booking form they know immediately what it is registered as ... this is for the "I'll book in as a car" perennially hard-of-thinking.

Ian.

Also keep in mind that on some boats (I'm thinking particularly of the ex-Speed Ferries fast trimarans) the height limits really are just that, break them and you might find yourself in an uncomfortable position vis-a-vis a very solid piece of metal...

normally there's very little difference in price .last year I was charged the same as everyone else and my LT is over 3m . Be honest and your holiday can not be spoilt by incurring an unexpected expense

Well, tickets bought and proper height declared.

Just got to fix the starting problem on my van now...

I got away with it twice - no one even looked twice. However, as mentioned above, some ferries (the old speed ferries in particular) wouldnt fit the van on and it was too damn stressful worrying about getting rummbled.

Ringo

first time ( westy joker pop top) i booked as high car or something similar...cant remember ...but it cost me £50 more.

when i got to poole i asked the nice lady at the ticket booth...she looked at my van and refunded £50 straight onto my card....

last year ...just booked as a car(dover)...no one gives a monkeys...just drive on.

coming back got onto an earlier ferry...no worries.

i think its one of those things we get hung up about....and shouldnt.

keith wrote: last year ...just booked as a car(dover)...no one gives a monkeys...just drive on.

coming back got onto an earlier ferry...no worries.

i think its one of those things we get hung up about....and shouldnt.

Some ferries only have limited space for higher vehicles if you have a high top. Redfunnel to the IOW for example

keith wrote:( westy joker pop top)

i would recommend booking hi tops...as high

....this thread is of big interest to me.

I just booked on the norfolkline line recently, 69quid in peak season, campervan under 2.4m high and 5m long. Thought nothing of it. Nice price, job done.
Then in a moment of clarity, I thought: "is my van really under 2.4m and 5m??

Tape measure out.

Damn.

It's a hightop and at its highest point its more like 2.5m.....

Im now weighing up the hassle of changing it and probably having to spend more cash, or just forgetting about it and winging it.