Funny lot

Past these on my recent trip through France...

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

I drive through France a fair bit - Bordeaux & back 4-5 times a year - and as per your photos, it always seems to be the dutch that have the funky vans

Bottom one is a T@B you can buy them over here They do an "off road" version Mine was a blue one!

A decent chunk of european campers do spend a lot of time outside their caravan and only use it during the summer months, hence they do have (on average) smaller 'vans than the Brit's - those two are both typical examples of Dutch campers. I quite like the T@B in fairness, they did a slightly longer twin axle version but I haven't seen on on the roads. German's stand out as the ones who follow a British trend of "tow as big as you are allowed" Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

I presumed they are smaller/aerodynamic due to the higher european speeds Nick?

Only the smaller ones are allowed to do 130kph Craig. can't remember the exact weights but I do recall falling foul of the speeding laws in France. No ticket but a nice friendly Gendarmes chappie explained my caravan was restricted to 90kmh even though it was being towed by a FFRR.

@ Nick. You ain't a kidding. I saw one of these on the road in Deutschland 2 or 3 years back. Being towed by a Volvo XC90. it's a Dethleffs Megaron 950, so 9.5 metres long, but I also recall (I think) Polar Caravans of Sweden doing something similar.

Towing vehicle less than 3.5T and total train weight exceeds 3.5T - 90kph on the autoroutes. So FFRRs and the like are going to be very limited in what they can tow over 90kph.

The anomaly is that a Renault Clio, for example, can tow a caravan/trailer weighing 1200Kgs at 130kph. John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

Yes the bigger Scandinavian 'vans are monsters. We saw a Kabe Hacienda 1000, which is a 10m body length being towed by an XC90 on Danish plates. It was collosal, go knows the awning size !!

In terms of the speeds the French have amended a number of laws over the years including the display of 80/90 stickers etc...but Craig, yes if they are towing a smaller 'van they can do 130 or 110 in the rain  Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

Thanks Gents

n1cktdv8 wrote:

We saw a Kabe Hacienda 1000, which is a 10m body length

That's as long as most static caravans....

Imagine towing that through the lanes in Cornwall

Imagine trying to go through a petrol station!
You would have to unhitch, surely.

As a tin tenter, with a 6.50m twin axle I can say that the thought of hauling 10m around on the back of the car wouldn't be fun for me. It can be awkward in some places as it is so adding another 10ft on the rear isn't my cuppa tea Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

have seen those Megarons a few times on the net, they are ludicrously long, there are some large Tabberts and Hobbys too though these tend to be towed by very shiny white vans through france.......

I did see a twin axle Hobby on the back of a 3 series at the front of a convoy of vans on the last trip, why they didn't just put it on the back of one of the large sprinters they had god only knows at least one had a tow bar  There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6