The Height Fight
The bane of
motorcaravanners, in the UK at least, I'm sure things are better
in the USA and other more 'wide open' countries.
A few tips, some
more obvious than others:
- If you're still choosing a
motorcaravan, go for a rising roof model and preferably a
cloth-sided version rather than solid sided. So called 'low
line' rising roof campers with cloth-sided rooves often come
in at under 2.0m (6 feet 6") tall - solid sided rooved models
are more typically 2.1 or 2.2m (7 feet plus), whereas a lot of
height barriers, in UK towns at least, are set at 2.0m.
- Write down the height of
your vehicle exactly, in imperial and metric units, and put it
on a sticker on your dashboard, to save panicking when
approaching a barrier.
- A good place to park up in
a strange town is the designated 'lorry park' - all lorries
are very high, so you won't have any problems either. And
there will probably be provision for staying overnight, too.
- Another good place to park
up during the daytime is the car park of any big retail park.
With many customers of these shops/parks arriving in
motorcaravans and other biggish vehicles, there are rarely
height barriers in place. Make sure you don't outstay your
welcome though and leave before they close any entrance
barriers at night.
- Watch out for aerials and
roof vents. Your van may be below a certain height, but these
protruding items can add another foot at least.
The current
recommended height barrier-beating motorcaravan? The Volkswagen
California.
Why not email
me with any comments, photos or real world stories about
height barriers?
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