Notes on taking a trailer to camp

2024-04-18

Notes on taking a trailer of boats to camp.

This was my first real journey with a trailer full of boats. It took about 24 hours from London to near Bordeaux.This included pick up of rental truck and faffing before we left.

Preparation

• It takes a long time to leave. We had about 2 hours of faffing to finish last bits, prep the trailer, hitch, check lights etc. You can reduce it with practice.

• The ETA from maps/waze etc is far too optimistic. You’ll travelling at 3/4 of the speed it predicts.

• Know the height of your vehicle ahead of time.

• Plan the route

• Get a toll tag for French motorways. Much easier and simplifies expenses

• There’s a lot of items required for driving in France.

  • Hi Vis vest for every person. Also needed in Sevington for walking around.
  • Crit’Air sticker

• Stocks for the truck

  • Ropes
  • Boat ties
  • Knife/scissors
  • Duct tape
  • Zip ties
  • Foam wedges
  • Trailer light adapter

• Bring a small (10L) jerry can of spare fuel. It is surprisingly easy to run low unless you fill up every stop. You may not be able to fill up at some stations. Your fuel consumption will be much higher than driving without the trailer.

• Aim to arrive ~24 hours before camp starts. Gives the drivers a break, and gives you plenty of contingency time.

• If you are renting a truck, try to get a double cab with a covered back.

Sevington

• Sevington - Once parked up, you need to go to the export office. Don’t sit and wait. You’re told to wait in your vehicle until texted. In our case, the text did not come (they blamed poor signal)
• You’ll need a high-vis vest for walking around the facility

EuroTunnel

• We use Eurotunnel freight. It offers more flexability. It was straightforward, though designed for lorries, not a pick up truck. You can take up to three people via the Eurotunnel freight. The Amenities were less good. It’s also possible to use commercial eurotunnel depending on the size of your trailer.

The Drive

• Check the boats and ropes at every stop
• Rotate drivers every 2ish hours
• Start a spotify jam to control music
• Have a fixed budget to cover cost of food.
• “Truck” petrol points may have the larger nozzle that doesn’t fit in cars. You may need to try to use the normal car petrol points, either navigating with the trailer, or unhitching first if it’s a tight squeeze