🤦♀️Don't make my mistake ⛴Caravan On Ferry: Calais To Dover 🇫🇷🇬🇧
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- I'm heading back to the UK and taking the caravan on the ferry from Calais to Dover. The motorway was fine until there were roadworks and no decent signs... the truck in front swerved and made it into the correct lane, but I assumed I should just keep going and ended up off the motorway. Not what you want when you are towing a caravan on your own and don't know the area! As I was trying to figure out how to get to the ferry terminal, I suddenly realised there were possible migrates who might be trying to find a way across the channel. With my ferry ticket where documents warning about not stopping if anything was on the motorway and keep your doors locked. My heart beat suddenly increased... luckily my sat nav kicked in and it actually took me a round about way to the ferry terminal. So glad to get through!
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Last campground is Longleat Caravan & Motorhome Club Site: www.caravanclu...
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Hi! I was the Warden that checked you in at Bearsted. Thanks for the lovely comments. Glad you liked the site. Take care.
Hello Pablo! I wish I could have stayed longer and explored the area!
So impressed with how you deal with solo travel,and narrow roads.Enjoying your channel.
Little tip ! When you are not quite lined up correctly with the white peg, just pull it out and put it near the corner of your van! Done this loads of times as it stops the caravan site wardens moaning !!! 😁😁😁😂
Does the warden go around with flashlight checking for an extra divot? Ha. Ha. My profession requires me to be precise so the peg doesn't bother me. I am also a trickster. Candid camera would find it funny to relocate pegs when the campers left for the day. I would too.
A handy tip, haha. I wonder how many times a peg has been moved!
Most unusual looking electrical connector. Nothing at all like we have across the pond. Very nice video and good driving with such a large trailer.
And different to what I have in NZ too!
@@TravellingK Found it :)
www.pfjones.co.uk/images/companies/1/13electrics%20400x400.jpg?1533733682696
Totally impressed with your negotiation of the Calais ferry terminal. Well done 👍
Traveling K. Love these videos, you always come across as really nervous and unsure, but you cope with everything so well, nothing seems to stump you. Enjoy every moment of your journey, you make me so envious.
Really interesting observation Col! I guess I just keep going.... no other option.
That looked like a proper maze of junctions and messy intersections to get to the ferry, looked very confusing! 🤔⚠️😁😎👍😯
So glad the sat nav was on! I suspect it’s very simple if I’d followed the truck and gone the correct way...
HI. Just started watching your videos. I wish my wife could handle our caravan like you can. I notice that when you are backing in to a site you tend to reverse in from the left. I find it easier to go in from the right side with the drivers side mirror and right side of caravan much easier to line up with posts etc. From a fellow Kiwi in Cheviot NZ.
Well done Karen! The speeded up video makes all the lane changing look terrifying! Looked like a nice campsite at Longleat and Frome (pronounced Froom) is a lovely town, hope you got to spend some time there.
I guess the sped up driving makes it feel there is no time to figure out where you're going! And thank you for the "Froom" education😀
One brave lady, well done you did great & on your own.
you are one brave and gutsy lady......well done you :)
Thank you Elaine!
Hi Karen,
For the conectic device, one time i have the same problem and i fix it with an swiss army knife pliers, while turn the ring at 120 degrees.
Idoesn't know that STONEHENDGE is so close from a road !
I like your "merci" in french at calais ! you are ready to go !
See you later.
Denis.
Wish I knew more French phrases!
Yes, I hadn't realised Stonehenge is there.
Glad you were able to fix your cable too!
Watching K is soo relaxing
Glad you find it relaxing!!!
Found you from Cruising the Cut Vlog and wanted to give your channel a try. This is my 2nd video ;-) so far and loving it. You are amazing! I'd be lost but you make everything look so easy. Great Job and I look forward to seeing all your Vlogs.
Well done. Always easier when you have someone to help when reverse parking.
Yes, it would have been handy to have another pair of eyes reversing.
If you’re that close to the peg just move the peg 😇
That is indeed the secret.
Like that 😅😂
hahha great tip
Or pull forward and look at the peg in your mirror
paul dadson that would only work if your straight, then you would have to start all over again for sake of 3 feet . I think k did a cracking Job of getting that close solo. Just move the peg.
Your video came up on Recommended. Can't believe how relaxing it was to watch! As a kid, my parents took us on caravan holidays for years. I later took my kids on caravan holidays. Thanks for sharing your journeys.
Welcome Mark! Glad you've come across my channel and nice to hear that you found it relaxing. As you can probably tell, I'm a caravan fan😜Nice to hear you have some great caravan memories.
Good morning Karen, Thank you for the video and Take Care 👍😎🇬🇧.
Glad you enjoyed it Wayne!
well thanks to your explainations in this video I could be able to take the ferry all on my own for the first time!! to my great surprise it was quite easy to get used to driving on the left side but quite confusing to get back to driving on the other side when I visited my parents in France..
I love the dizzying dash cam video...makes you think you are in the car feeling the same stresses as you. Oh my what a ride you were on. And I loved your little giggle at on point of the trip. Thanks for sharing...Vic
Good to know the car dash cam is interesting enough! I always wonder about that part of the video.
@@TravellingK I think the dash cam give a good perspective of your travels as you navigate around the country. The UK video really showed just how narrow some of the roads were you were driving on....
You are going to save me a lot of money on alcohol by me watching the beginning of this vlog!!! Fab darling!! I was off my head for the rest of it! Glad you have survived all of this! Xxxx
hahah that's a plus!
Ride that road next to stone hedge when we went to Ilfracombe !!
That face in the thumbnail! Priceless! 🤣
haha, got to show the emotion!
Well done K...I have done that trip many times but not with a caravan.☺ You're a star!👍
Thanks Ian! Turned out ok in the end😀
@@TravellingK Well done K.👍
Well done have stopped at both of those sites Longleat you are right you have to follow the arrival time think it was 1300 you certainly wouldn't want a another caravan coming in the opposite direction hope you had a great trip 👍🇫🇷
Ah nice! And yes, I imagine it would be tricky if you met a caravan going the other way!
7:39 Same thing happened to me, messing on for ages. I never even knew i had a green cap in the drawer. Best tip i got was to use a screwdriver to push the plastic notch back into place (you'll hear a click). How i never broke anything prior to doing that is probably luck. This happens when you don't fully turn the plug from the car which can happen a lot when its positioned under the bumper.
Great to see you handling the trip to Calais and the change to UK soil while taking it all in your inimitable and confident stride K... 👍🏻
I see you enjoyed the delights of the M25 car park along the way too... 🙄
Your handling of the problems you encounter is a great example to many, but you might have struggled to get on with a bent, or broken, car key from TH-cam vids... 😳 🔑
Thanks again for taking us along for the ride Karen, cheers, Rog... ✅ 😉 🐍
Yes, damaging the car key would have become a bigger problem!
Ahhh haha M25 car park - a great description.
Hiya Traveling K. What an amazing adventure you've had. You've packed more into the last 6 weeks or so than most of us will over 5 years.
The electric cable from the caravan to the car coming out of line is one that catches lots of people. If when removing the cable it feels that you have to pull it out fro the socket, it hasn't been rotated enough. Pause, rotate it a little further and a slight click can be felt, the cable will then almost fall out of the socket - I speak from personal experience, easily done and easily fixed.
Enjoy the rest of your trip in the UK
I am in the states and pull a camper. I've never had a problem with our electri cable mai ly because ours generally don't twist on. However we do have issues with the cable becoming dis- connected during travel. The cable end then gets abraded away by the asphalt.
Ah that's a helpful tip Norman! Thank you. And yes - a busy trip!
@William Branham, my NZ caravan cable just slots in too and I've also had it damaged by dragging on the road.
There’s always someone on TH-cam who will have a solution to a problem
So helpful!
If your having a bad time backing your van in try backing in on your drivers side you will find it a lot easier when you can see the back of the van going in the parking space when you back in from the passenger side you loose site of the van that’s why you have to keep getting out to have a look . I was a HGV 1 driving instructor. Give it a go it will make life easier for you .
Yes, I kept picking sites that meant I couldn't really see anything!
Travelling K I have seen grownup men making a bigs ear when reversing a trailer so your doing quite well
One gutsy lady. Shame I didn’t know you were in our neck of the wood’s ,Maidstone. Stay safe. Mick🇬🇧
Oh you're near Maidstone! Wish I'd had time to properly explore the area.
This face on the the video is soooo funny, You have so good explenation
Hi Karen!
You are a very brave lady!✌👍👍
I once arrived back in th UK, on the 'red eye special' ferry, in my (older) car with my kids, having driven from Berlin, MANY years ago!
They'd had a snooze, but were wide awake on the ferry (😖😳), and when we got off, wanted something to eat, and, of course, visit the loo, so I pulled into a 24/7 service station.
All was fine, and I continued, with the boys finally asleep!
Unfortunately the road was absolutely empty of traffic, and there was a big roundabout, where I automatically VERY nearly, automatically went the wrong way round😖
Thank goodness that the road was empty!
Made it safely to my parents, who then took over the rested, but then wide awake boys, whilst I slept for 11 hours!😂
Sheesh! Fair enough that you were feeling tired after that journey! Glad you arrived safely to your parents.
You can buy a plastic tool that turns the plug pins back to where they should be without having to mess with the plug parts. I got mine from my local caravan dealer.
Oh that’s a very helpful tip!
your a good driver stop knocking yourself ...!! have you ever thought of buying a motor home ? i prefer motor homes less parking stress i had a caravan yrs ago then i bought a big camper van and tarp no stress . just a thought . be safe
Brilliant video Karen. Braver than I would be. Hate it when the connection lead slips. Real hassle. Bad design. Thanks again for informative entertainment.
I'm just glad I was able to fix it! Glad you enjoyed the video😀
If you use a knife and cut off the lugs inside that green parking socket assembly tool, you can just locate and twist the caravan plug into the correct position. The tool is designed so you assemble the plug correctly, this hack allows it to be fitted in any orientation.
Oh that's a handy hack!
I’m a confident reverser but also have a mover on my caravan just for moments like you discovered with the white peg.
They’re not all that bad you know, just a nice bit of luxury when you really need it!
I'll agree that a motor mover in situations like that would have been very handy!
After a long hard day, sit back and enjoy one of Karen’s relaxing videos. Thanks a million!
Glad you found it relaxing! And really nice to hear too.
We made exactly the same mistake on our way back in August - I'm glad it's not just me who thought it wasn't obvious. More signage needed on the approach I think.
Oh and I'm glad I wasn't the only one to do that too! Signage would be helpful...
You were in the wrong line on the roundabout good job no one else was on it!
Good spotting!! And I was glad no one was around as I had no idea where I was going.
Brilliant video Karen. I’m so sorry we didn’t see you. Mike and Jan lovely! Longleat is brilliant. If it was me I would move the peg🤣 Cheers Oliver
Yes, a shame our timing didn't work out. And Mike and Jan were lovely to randomly meet :)
"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends"
And my helpful friends are on TH-cam? 😜
Hi K. Another excellent video.
I don't know how many more you're planning on doing in the UK, but I think I'm beginning to feel the stress empathetically for you. Nice bit of parking at Longleat.
Regards Mark in the UK
It's nearing the end! And that was a tiring couple of days...
I hope you had a great journey.
I’ve got a little tip for you.
For the brake cable, you twist around the trailer hitch there is an extra eyelet lower and on the left hand side of the trailer hitch.
Maybe you need a bigger carbine like me.
So it’s secured that the cable won’t slide down the trailer hitch while an emergency.
In Europe is it possible that if you don’t fix it in an extra eyelet and the police stops you that you’ve to pay a lot of punishments.
Oh I wish I could check the towball for that eyelet! My own caravan is attached that way.
Hi seen loads of your videos on caravan ING Brill well done.
Thank you Brian!
You handled the port well also the narrow roads too but you were driving far too fast on them 😂🚘another excellent well presented video
I thought she had sped up the video?
@@Shez-hw4hw of course it was a joke not that hard to see surely how old are you 🤣
@@Shez-hw4hw no I am not dumb a wicked sense of humor is all didn't think anyone would be so dumb not to realise that I was joking get real take a close look at the camera shot do you realise just how fast one would be going with an outfit that big oh my word 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😅
@@crochetingaroundnewzealand you are so right well done you 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you ever met up with me and my wife you would be laughing every minute best medicine ever happiness to everyone who returned comments good channel this one l have had 3 strokes my wife was mown down by a drunken driver we see life differently every day is a bonus keep your speed down be happy 🌹
Well done what a woman xxxx
a piece of advice that I once got from a truck driver is not to try to back up turning left as you did but turning right so that you can see where you are going without having to get out all the time.
You know, I’ve been told that advice a few times, but always forget 🤣
Glad to see your back with us. I am glad I don't drive. By the way if you say Frume it's closer to what it sounds like. Hope it helps. I thought you were driving down my way Dawlish. That 383 road is in and out of small to dual carriageway. OK. Be careful.
Is the 383 not great for caravans? I was glad to be back in the UK😀
Welcome back to the UK 👍
Thank you!
just a little bit of friendly advice from previous experience, dont use your ignition key to pry anything. if you havent got a spare and it breaks, your not going to have a good day. Just found your channel and i did enjoy the video :-) new subscriber here.
Oh welcome! And you are right... that would not have been a good day if the key broke!
I know its not always possible, but try to reverse on the driving side even if it means finding an area on the camp site where you can spin round to approach your pitch from the other direction.
I do tend to pick the sites that are harder to get into🤣
Hi Karen, from another female ‘caravanner’ who does all the towing, albeit a bit older than you! Just swapped back to a caravan from several years of driving a motorhome so it’s a new set up. The only thing I hate is having to tow up a fairly steep hill. There’s one on our way home and I reached it just as there was a traffic jam so couldn’t get a run at it! Had to do several stop starts with the traffic. Not good for the nerves!
Yikes! That's not what you want! I've had a similar hill situation when I was stuck behind a very slow moving truck and my car was not happy! But great news that you're back in a caravan 😀
Hi Karen. We all make mistakes. At Calais I once absent mindedly followed a truck into the freight part of the port and had to be let out through the security gates. Very embarrassing. Take care. Steve.
Whoops! But I bet plenty of others do that too.
What a lovely lady. Enjoyed the video. thanks
Thank you David - that's really great to hear.
Try turning round before reversing onto the pitch it’s easier doing it from the drivers side rather than the blind side !!
So true...
Another great video i live about 5 miles from Bearsted site pity you didn't have more time to explore local area and i took my kids to longleat this weekend lovely part of the uk.
Yes, there was a castle I really wanted to see too!!
It’s a shame no company offered you a free caravan/motorhome specific sat nav. your travels would have deem far less stressful. Excellent videos and well done
It crossed my mind that it would have been helpful to have🤣
Welcome to my neck of the woods!.
Longleat and the safari park our our neighbours. You were Lucky to only meet a white van on your way down the lanes to the caravan site.
The very large tractors also using this route don’t reverse for anyone.
Did you go in to Longleat to see the lights?
Yikes! Glad I didn’t meet a tractor. I didn’t go into the park because I just didn’t have the time to justify the cost. Really did look epic though!
I was coming back to the UK end of August 2018 and around 600yards as you leave the main motorway and head towards the ports a massive queue started. There were people in the road running around trucks and other vehicles. It was chaos despite a little police presence. At the end it took nearly 2h 45min from that point to reach the check in booths. I was shattered and angry. I eventually blew my cover right before UK border control as someone in front was clearly having issues so I tried to switch lane last moment after not a single car had passed in last 10 min. I thought a camper driver is letting me go as I was indicating and there was enough gap in front of him. I slowly started going into the gap but I realised he just stalled and had no intention to let me in. Instead he jumped to cut me off, showed an offensive gesture and on top of that shouted to F***OFF. I am glad he had his doors locked after all... Otherwise I have no idea how it would end up. I am avoiding peak days travel ever since and abandoned port of Calais.
Handy bearstead but I’d have just rested up a5 BlackHorse farm if 6ou ge5offhe Dover ferry. Next time lol. Great vid thanks. 👍
Funnily enough, I’d previously visited Black Horse on this trip!
A great video, and you're a good driver. Thanks.
Thank you Andrew!
Yes very brave lady.
Thank you! I really don't feel brave🤣
you are amazing how you travel with your caravan i have just bought my first caravan and i am super excited to get out and about with it you really are and inspiration for us women!!!!
Oh how exciting for you! Really hope you have a blast with the caravan 😀
Travelling K thank you hoping to get out over Christmas how much longer are you in the UK for??
Not long til Christmas! I’m actually back in NZ already. Just have so much footage to edit.
Travelling K ahh very good back to nice sunny weather over there I loved it when I visited I traveled the north island I have some family over there looking forward to seeing more vlogs from you xxxx
Very good caravan site, stade there lots of times good for a weekend from our home. ..Alan. .
The Longleat campground? I just wish I'd had more time there to explore the area!
@@TravellingK Bearsted camp site we have stayed lots of times. .really ok...Alan.
you seemed to be going really fast, then i figured out, you'd sped it up, from then on, i was fine. nice 1 m8. i'm planning to do something similar to what your doing. driving round, checkin places out. i'm not allowed to tow, so its a van, i'll havta to do it in, when my family lets me get one. i'm expected to spend something like $20,000.
That’ll be fun!! And there is plenty you can do with a van too 😀
Enjoy your vlogs, Frome is pronounced froom, as originally a Wiltshire lad I enjoyed seeing this lovely little place once more. travel safe, Paul
Glad you’ve been enjoying the videos Paul! Yeah... I’ve been mucking up a few names 🤣
You're much braver than me . Driving in Europe with a caravan is no mean feat, especially when the roads get narrow.
Thank you! It’s been a steep learning curve 🤣
Thanks Karen for another great vidéo 😉 i didn't quiet understand what was wrong with your plug...?
It wouldn't plug into the car because the inner section had moved around.
@@TravellingK
Ok thank you Karen. Big kisses from France 😘
Look its not that difficult
You are inspirational
There's at least three ways to get the white peg right, 1, use a motor mover (everyone seems to have one now) 2, take the peg out & put it where you landed, and in my case, pure luck. hats off to you, you get it right even on the blind side.
A motor mover would definitely make it easier!!
TH-cam video saves the day, Have fun but you will need an umbrella this time around with all the rain
Yes, glad I found that helpful video! And what a contrast in weather from the heatwave.
@@TravellingK I if you ever in Sheffield, South Yorkshire hit me up I'll give you a tour of the town.
Just move the white peg problem sorted.
This woman has such a lovely demeanour....I'm liking her a lot
Hehe great tip. And glad you’re liking my videos!
Another amazing video! Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Karen. You are amazing, brilliant video. Love it all. Take care. Bye bye Desiree form Holland
Glad you enjoyed it Desiree!
Brilliant 👍
Glad you liked it!
Watched this and loved it now subscribed
Thank you for Subscribing Steve! Hope you enjoy my future videos.
I'd have just moved that white stick over to the corner of the trailer. Problem solved.
Very funny and smart.
I've heard about that trick, haha
You did well on this journey. Was just thinking of you yesterday wondering how you are coping with your return to your less spacious van after the UK luxury. Just a bit sad we never met in person in Norfolk. Maybe next time. Keep happy.
Yes, a shame I couldn't make it to Norfolk! Can't wait to share how it's been in NZ...
I still find it weird when I am recognized from TH-cam. I will have to get back to the UK sometime soon. I had to ruin New Zealand by RVing there last summer (their winter), so I suppose another country deserves my deplorable self. I was in the Calais area a few years ago and the Syrian squatter camps are a MUST see. Regards from British Columbia. I rarely sub, but I will. Cheers.
Thank you! And I’m curious to watch some of your NZ videos... see it through a visitors eyes.
one thing i allways do when i go abroad is buy a prepay simcard in the country im in , saves a lot of costs , allso if youre phone has wifi , you can go to libraries or mc donalds or sumting simulair and roam the free wifi (carefull with that as there are hackers active )
Yes, maybe I should have looked into that...
Wow, I can't believe you brought up how dangerous it is by the port. (wink)
haha yes Jack - a big surprise (wink)
Hi From Terry in Warminster If you’re around that long you could going to Stourhead really nice place to visit and King Alfreds tower
Oh I wish I'd had more time! Only a flying visit.
Amazing amount of truck traffic you ran into along the way.
I couldn't get over the number of trucks!
@@TravellingK Drive through Germany, nothing but trucks on the motorway, nose to tail for ever.
Why are you surprised at the amount of trucks to and from a port 😂
Gotta love those TH-cam "how to" videos. Got me out of a pickle or two!
So so helpful in those types of situations!
you will need a holiday to get over that one
🤣Must admit that I didn't want to do much when I first got back to NZ!
Hello from a fellow camper in the US.
Welcome! And thank you so much for subscribing 😀😀
Wow you like a challenge good on you girl 👍
Overall glad I did this trip!
Hi see my response great video as always excellent driving too 😁
Oh, did you comment elsewhere?! I got there in the end 🤣
@@TravellingK hi some folks misunderstood my sense of humor so a light hearted response was due 😂 always had a wicked sense of humour wish you happiness on your travels 👍
WOW, you do get around. Ever think about writing a book, you could call it Traveling with K. lol Thanks for the amusing and very well done video. You didn't stop at Stonehenge? But with everything you have seen why would you want to see a bunch of rocks. 😁
edit: The lesson you should have learned is not to follow trucks so close you can't see what is in front of them. I learned that from riding my motorcycle pulling a trailer too close to the truck and having a hard time passing them. I would pull out into the on coming lane to see if it was clear to pass and them whip back into my lane when I saw it wasn't clear.
heheh great title! I hadn't realised Stonehenge was there and wasn't sure it was caravan friendly...
I have the same problem with that electrical connection - pain !
I imagine it becomes annoying after a while!
Very well done we lovely video. We stay at naturist sites.
Oh nice!
Crikey Karen, those docks looked very tricky to navigate, well done.
I think speeding up the footage makes it seem harder than it was 🤔
One of the reasons I subscribe to this channel is that you're always up for a challenge. Different countries with different rules.......Karen's up for it.😉
Safe travels...........Andy.
Ha thanks Andy!
Amazing lady you are 😎
Awww thank you!
You are lucky.
So lucky to have such little mistakes.
Yes, overall it worked out... could have been much worse!
Glad it's all ok anyway
I had a fiat900 campervan some years ago.
We drove from London to France on the Dover to Calais ferry.
It was great, just a few days in northern France.
The van almost made it home but not quite.
We had to abandon it near guildford and it ended up in the scrapyard sadly.
It was a cool van, named Olive.
Google fiat900 camper van and you will see what they are like.
take care
Dover, Dover...send Travelling K right over!
haha, a beautiful rhyme
You're a poet & you don't know it
strangedays just checked the feet.
They do indeed look like Long Fellows!
hi your so good at all you do i which ill your videos wow watt a lady
Thank you Wilfred! That's lovely to hear😀
I ALWAYS WONDERED HOW THEY GOT THOSE STONES TO STONE HENGE - NOW I SEE THERE A ROAD RIGHT NEXT TO THE SITE