I'll be at the end of a 800 mile door to door trip from Bristol to the alps for snow boarding over Christmas, had up date to say that snow chains are mandatory - do they know what a range rover can do???? This is not a german imitation
roof box sorted thanks to the good advice from all very helpful forum members,
Looking forward as much to the trip as the boarding - I recon 26 mpg( tdv8 2010) with roof box and fully loaded-and I mean fully loaded, at 85mph -optimistic?
Have a great Christmas and thanks to all advise ( tow bar -bought and fitted, roof box-bought and fitted) by you all who know more than I about rrff
Nathan

It might be optimistic but worth a try fella

If you can tuck in behind something else and use them for the long shots down the autoroutes and uk motorways.

Hope you don't have to use the snow chains as they make a mess of alloys i've seen in some posts on other forums

Good luck and enjoy the hours of chilling time in the TDV8

hi Nathan

Welcome along; what tyres do you have? Might want to get a set of Snow & Ice (winter) tyres. Graham

____
Gone: 10MY L320 RR Sport HSE, Ipanema Sand
Gone: 20MY Jaguar iPace HSE, Silicon Silver
Gone: 17MY RR Evoque SE Tech, Loire Blue
Gone: 08MY Discovery 3 XS, Stornoway Grey
Gone: 07MY FFRR TDV8 Vogue, Stornoway Grey

Hi
I have the usuall tyres that come with the car( 20inch wheels,), tried to buy set of winter tyrers on eBay -quoted a few hundred pounds against a set of £56.00 chains on eBay-thought i bagged a bargain until the last post of shagged alloys, mrs will not be pleased -rather piggy back everybody up the hill rather than have 12 hrs of " didn't you realise that they would do that to the wheels all the way back!!!
Nafe

Maybe get some carboard cutouts sorted or old bits of carpet to cover the face of the alloys. You may not need them if your current tyres can handle whats there.

If your a regular on the slopes then i;d advise on getting a dirt cheap set of rims, even 18's if they will fit your model, and then get some good tyres on them.

If you have time the odd one or two pop up on ebay and can be had for a decent price with decent tread.
Its worked for me before but took a few months to do including self refurbing the alloys(was for a C2 not an ffrr mind!)

If you go dead slow with the chains if you need them you should be OK, its just when the chain flicks about i believe it can damage the wheel faces.

Hi thanks for the advise
We have some carpet so will take just in case, was in mammoth snow boarding and had to hire American 4x4 and bought some chains in wall mart, one size fits all, had to put on about 20 miles from resort due to recent snow storm, so clanky woke children from sleep 500 miles away, stripped out the plastic wheel arch, made hard blokes cry, but hey ho only a hire car:-)

Left a little late to buy one now, wil have to drive very slow with acminister to the side, not a cool look, but save the ear bashing,
Nafe

18" rims won't fit the TDV8. 19" minimum.

Set of winter tyres about 680 quid fitted from AJS, see sponsors for details. Plenty of, err, varied advice on here and on disco3.co.uk about their merits, make your own mind up. I've had them on my D3 for two winters now, on the FFRR this year also, and would recommend them....

You could also look at the "sock" type of fitments..

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/post97990.html#97990 Graham

____
Gone: 10MY L320 RR Sport HSE, Ipanema Sand
Gone: 20MY Jaguar iPace HSE, Silicon Silver
Gone: 17MY RR Evoque SE Tech, Loire Blue
Gone: 08MY Discovery 3 XS, Stornoway Grey
Gone: 07MY FFRR TDV8 Vogue, Stornoway Grey

kingpleb wrote:

Hope you don't have to use the snow chains as they make a mess of alloys i've seen in some posts on other forums

Which resort you going to ? I go regularly to the alps (morzine, Val adn Meribel as well as Austria) in my TD6 and got 28 mpg over 1900 miles at around 80-85 cruise. Never needed chains as had M&S tyres which were superbly able. Overtook a lot of half-fat RR's who were crawling along. Would recommend you get at least a set of these or winter tyres on as they make a big difference. Go for 18" or 19".

Would appreciate some pictures of your rig showing box on etc.

Hi we are going to les menures, near val thorens, should be good as whole area has had a big dumping of snow,
I will be more than happy to upload photos,
Nathan

Used to go to Mammoth Lakes Ca a lot (every weekend when I worked in LA ) Never used chains just drove carefully (plenty of experience with the long ago Dutch winters). One time with my then gf, in her car and she insisted on installing the chains, so I did. Hated it as I was out in the cold doing it and I was driving anyway Fortunately didn't do any damage. They were ladder chains so no use in the corners anyway.
All my driving trips to Les Trois Vallees, never needed chains (did carry borrowed chains most of the time). Even my nasty American Astro Van with rear wheel drive did fine.
Hope you had greats snow !!!! MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Hi
We are back , fantastic week and lots and lots of snow!!
Had to put chains on 19 miles from resort , used the carpet as protection and worked an treat ! No damage from the chains at all, sooooo many funny looks though but very positive comments from a group of Germans who will employ the same tactic next time.
Statistics are 1536.9 miles covered
Average speed 59 mph
22.5 mpg
Because of the amount of snow both when we got there and when we left ( 700mm over night - had to dig snow away fom car doors to get in ) I used all the gadgetry - snow setting for the drives, decent button on the hilly bits to the chalet and raised the suspension due to the depth of snow and because of fear of bashing the wheel arches with the chains.
Up sides were perfect comfort driving position, quiet, and room for swmob and the kids, respect from French drivers who just get out of the way and the sheer relaxation of the drive -
Downside was the the battery completely failed - I flattened it the day before leaving as all interior lights left on whilst loading up -doh! - small cars would not jump the battery so a very kind French man in a hummer jumped and started up- a new battery will be required I think :-/
I was bit optimistic with my first mpg figures but on reflection considering the speed and the roof box and fully loaded it was only 0.5 mpg down on the same journey in my last rr sport.
I would upload photos but jot sure how too, Have put them onto photo bucket but don't know how to move.
Many thanks to the advice,
Happy new year
Nafe

sounds like you had a great time nafe, have you any pics.... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Hi I have pics, but don't know how to upload, pur onto photo bucket but not sure how to move,
Nafe

can you give the photobucket link?