Transporting Austins in vans

[Robert Leigh]

Thanks for the suggestions. Hire companies that allow continental travel are few and probably will not want the insides of their nice vans damaged with oil, screws etc.

You are absolutely right about hire companies; if they will allow you to go abroad they want about twice the price. Recently, after not finding an acceptable deal I remembered a pal with a Transit, who was happy to lend it to me so long as I arranged suitable insurance including breakdown cover. The breakdown insurance people wanted extra for my age (I am 77) until I pointed out that the van was not that old!
Robert Leigh

[Laqueugne]

A couple of years ago I hired a van from Europcar here in France to bring some furniture out from UK.  I told them that I intended to go by the Channel Tunnel to UK and they were not in the least bothered.  I am not aware that they charged extra.  Perhaps this is one of the advantages of being in the EU!
Anthony

[Tony Betts]

I think van hire may be a long stretch to actually find something good about the EU.

i think it will depend on the rental company, and how big it is.

Tony.

[Barry]

The rather worryingly named Collision Vehicle Rental of Portsmouth allow continental travel but daily mileage is limited to 250 miles. The day rate for 7 days plus goes down to £50 (!) but the mileage quota kills it for a round trip of about 3,000-odd miles down to Sicily- even allowing for days when not trucking. So no Giro Di Sicilia unless driving there and back by Austin

[Roger Goldthorpe]

The rather worryingly named Collision Vehicle Rental of Portsmouth allow continental travel but daily mileage is limited to 250 miles. The day rate for 7 days plus goes down to £50 (!) but the mileage quota kills it for a round trip of about 3,000-odd miles down to Sicily- even allowing for days when not trucking. So no Giro Di Sicilia unless driving there and back by Austin

The ferry Genoa to Palermo will cut down the miles.

Roger

[Barry]

Yes, but £468 without cabin/seat or food

[Tony Press]

VW crafter with a high roof - plenty of room all round.  The ramps are 8' long and work out at about 1 in 3 1/2 gradient. The Ruby needed a run-up which was a bit nerve-racking!

Bill Sheehan reminded me that over 20 years ago, one of our long-standing Club members - Doug Veel - often carried his Ulster on long-distance trips in a then-old Nissan Urvan.  The van was a long wheelbase model with low roof.  He installed the (Longbridge-built) Ulster in backwards, pushing the rear wheels up onto blocks to raise the tail height.  The tail then fitted between the two bucket seats, so when driving Doug always had his Ulster for company!

Doug, one of the founding club members is still going strong and regaled us with tales of the early club events at our URRRS lunch last Wednesday.

Cheers, Tony.

[Alfieboy]

Hello people, I've been off air for some time, but back now. I'm going to be permanently based in the Charente in France as of I hope, February/March next. I will need to transport my two RK saloons from the UK. My son has recently bought a long wheel base Transit, which he will let me use to transport my belongings but, will I be able to fit a RK saloon in it?   Thanks Alf

[Parazine]

We used to put the Chummy in a MWB Transit, bit tight but fitted. Wouldn't take a LWB car though, which the current MWB Sprinter does.

[Martin Prior]

Hello people, I've been off air for some time, but back now. I'm going to be permanently based in the Charente in France as of I hope, February/March next. I will need to transport my two RK saloons from the UK. My son has recently bought a long wheel base Transit, which he will let me use to transport my belongings but, will I be able to fit a RK saloon in it?   Thanks Alf

Hi Alf.

We use an LWB Transit for business and regularly carry A7s in it.  

However, our Transit is the "medium roof" type and if we're transporting a saloon we have to put a pair of scrap wheels without tyres on the back axle of the car to clear the door head of the van.

If your son's Transit is the "high roof" model, you shouldn't have a problem.