AndyLou Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I was told to scan all important documents and store them on an internet drive like "google drive" or "one drive" you even just email them to yourself. This means that you can always get at your information (internet café willing) should you lose everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 legally at least in my country, proof of ownership is the original and paid invoice of the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoko8pups Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 If you are driving a Portuguese car in Portugal or a Spanish one in Spain spare gasses and a bulb kit are mandatoryso for a few quid it probably is worth buying and carrying the bulbs so you don'tget into a disagreement with and over zealous cop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 And do inform them before taking medical care outside the UK. He will open than an approved number, the same as any damage to your vehicle and recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 To make more clear: All motorhome dealers have their documents saved at their bankers in fire safe steel containers as required by their insurancers. In case of your V5c put it ina alko steel fire safe in your vehicle. And read what to do in case you lost your car documents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnieus Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Hi Michael what about: EHIC Cards Fair FX euro cash card Huawei mobile WiFi ACSI Card Toll road tag Sure there are more. Any help? Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 Ronnie&us - 2018-01-18 11:05 PM Hi Michael what about: EHIC Cards Fair FX euro cash card Huawei mobile WiFi ACSI Card Toll road tag Sure there are more. Any help? Phil Hi Phil, I'll investigate a toll road tag. However, as I said in my original post , I'm looking for things that relate to taking the motorhome abroad (excluding maps and guide books) and not items we'd carry in the van in the UK or personal stuff one would normally take abroad when flying out to a hotel. (health insurance, passports, etc,) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 michaelmorris - 2018-01-19 1:01 AM Hi Phil, I'll investigate a toll road tag. Just had a quick look. https://driveeurope.co.uk/2013/03/27/is-it-worth-buying-the-french-automatic-toll-payment-tag-twenty-thousand-uk-motorists-think-so/ We are only planning to pottle around western Brittany, so I can't see it conferring enough benefit to justify the extra cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Michael hi - I think you are probably gathering that there's not a lot of essential stuff you will need that you haven'y already thought about or already got. In France for sure you will be able to get whatever you may have forgotten - the shops/supermarkets are well stocked with all the same stuff we have here & more. I wouldn't worry about it! Well - except Marmite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 michaelmorris - 2018-01-19 1:07 AM michaelmorris - 2018-01-19 1:01 AM Hi Phil, I'll investigate a toll road tag. Just had a quick look. https://driveeurope.co.uk/2013/03/27/is-it-worth-buying-the-french-automatic-toll-payment-tag-twenty-thousand-uk-motorists-think-so/ We are only planning to pottle around western Brittany, so I can't see it conferring enough benefit to justify the extra cost. It won’t be any benefit as Brittany currently has no ‘toll’ autoroutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 a pioneering , spirit don't yer just love it :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills Wagon Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 You have been given excellent advice. Two other bits both V5C and any MOT need to be the originals not copies and you need two emergency triangles. Anybody getting out of a vehicle on the road must have a yellow jacket each and be wearing it. Have a great time and enjoy the French food and wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 It is a legal requirement in France for drivers to carry in their vehicle - ONE approved fluorescent safety vest (with CE marking affixed to it) in a place where it can be easily reached before leaving the vehicle, - ONE approved hazard warning triangle, with an E 27 R marking affixed to it. The vest and/or the triangle must be used in the event of the driver or vehicle being immobilized on the roadway or its surroundings following an emergency stop. The triangle must be placed at a distance of at least 30 meters from the vehicle or the obstacle to be reported. (The triangle need not be used if doing so will involve a serious safety risk - ie. if the breakdown is on a motorway). The vehicle’s hazard lights must also be switched on. There’s nothing to prevent a motorist carrying two (or ten) warning triangles, or two (or twenty) flourescent vests, but carrying one triangle and one vest is the legal requirement and (in France) it is not a legal requirement that everyone exiting a vehicle in an emergency must wear a flourescent vest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 sabino - 2018-01-17 7:51 PM An Anti-Gassing kit for night use; and an invisibility cloak for the A-frame you are about to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills Wagon Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 FROM A FRENCH DRIVER WEB SITE "Hi Viz Vests If you breakdown or heaven forbid are involved in an accident you will need to get out of the vehicle and stand at the roadside or on the hard-shoulder if on a motorway. The French authorities are very strict that people stood outside the vehicle on motorways especially are wearing "Hi Visibility" clothing such as a vest that fits over you clothing or a high viz jacket. That's everyone you the driver and also all of your passengers. So if a family of four are travelling in the car then you should each have a hi viz. Also these need to be carried inside the cabin of the car not the boot so you can put it on before you get out, though in practical terms I presume most will be putting it on as they are getting out. However the police are strict and if they see you stood with the boot up rummaging round trying to find the vests under all your suitcases and beach balls they will very likely issue you with a fine." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Wills Wagon I beleve you are quoting from here http://www.halcyonleisure.com/images/items/driving0715.pdf People (and not just the English) are notoriously indescriminate when it coming to the use of the words “should” and “must”. In my posting of 18 January 2018 7:40 AM above I provided links to a (GOOGLE-translated) French webpage and to an AA website. Regarding France, the AA advises "It’s compulsory to carry: ...Reflective jackets (EN471) - You must carry at least one reflective jacket within the passenger compartment of your vehicle and must put it on before you get out in an emergency or breakdown situation. - Since 1 January 2016 riders of motorcycles must also wear a reflective jacket in the event of an emergency or breakdown.” The French regulation that refers to the mandatory carriage and use of the reflective safety-vest, and the relevant entry in the French “Highway Code”, make it clear that it’s the driver’s responsibility to carry a safety-vest in the vehicle and - in an emergency situation - it’s the driver’s responsibility to wear a safety-vest before alighting from the vehicle. "Le conducteur doit revêtir un gilet de haute visibilité conforme à la réglementation lorsqu'il est amené à quitter un véhicule immobilisé sur la chaussée ou ses abords à la suite d'un arrêt d'urgence. En circulation, le conducteur doit disposer de ce gilet à portée de main. Lorsqu'il conduit un véhicule à deux ou trois roues à moteur ou un quadricycle à moteur non carrossé, il doit disposer de ce gilet sur lui ou dans un rangement du véhicule.” The Halcyon Leisure piece you’ve quoted from says "So if a family of four are travelling in the car then you should each have a hi viz.” I’ve no problem with that as, if all four people need to get out of a car in an emergency, it makes good sense for all four to be able to don a safety-vest first. But French law does not say "So if a family of four are travelling in the car then you MUST each have a hi viz." When driving in France I carry two ‘within easy reach’ reflective safety-vests - one for me and one for my wife - though I’m aware I only legally need to carry one vest. As I know I am legally required to carry one reflective triangle I do so, and I do not carry two triangles because a) I don’t have to and b) I don't consider doing so worthwhile. I also carry a first-aid kit, two fire extinguishers , some light bulbs (chosen to be suitable for the Rapido’s lamps) and a selection of tools, and although I know there is no mandatory requirement, I consider carrying these items worth doing. Exactly which items MUST be carried in a vehicle (and their usage) will vary from country to country. For example the AA advises for Spain “It’s compulsory to carry the following in Spain - Spare wheel (not for two-wheeled vehicles) – and the tools to change a wheel, or a tyre repair kit. - Warning triangle – (not required for two wheeled vehicles) one is compulsory but it’s recommended to carry two as officials could fine you for only using one in an accident or breakdown situation. - Reflective jacket – Anyone getting out of your vehicle in a breakdown situation on a motorway, main road or any other busy road must wear a reflective jacket, so they should be kept in the passenger compartment. You could be fined for not wearing one but not for not carrying them. Hire car companies often don’t supply them, check this when hiring.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills Wagon Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Derek Thank you. I will bow to your superior knowledge and agree you are quite correct as the law goes. It doesn't help when trawling through the pages from different organisations that the info varies. The French have one set of laws but different organisations bend the information in trying to be helpful. Still useful to have one jacket per traveller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 The AA link I provided earlier is good for information on driving in each different country https://www.theaa.com/european-breakdown-cover/driving-in-europe/country-by-country Clicking on “Compulsory kit - our handy PDF guide” on this AA webpage https://www.theaa.com/european-breakdown-cover/driving-in-europe/what-do-i-need will download a 3-page document summarising ‘European’ requirements. I don’t know if it’s 100% correct (there’s a July 2015 date on it) but it’s likely to be a helluva a lot more accurate than most of the on-line advice on this matter. A ‘kit’ comprising two warning triangles, a hi-viz vest for every person travelling in the motorhome, a fire-extinguisher, a first-aid kit and a breathalyser, should cover everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddsnends Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Air Quality Certificate? Crit'Air https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ The zones are increasing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-01-17 6:30 PM Michael It has never been mandatory to carry a set of spare bulbs when driving in France (nor, I think, in any other European country nowadays) but it’s a sensible thing to do. Just on the question of "never". :-) This does not quite accord what I was told, albeit it was back in the 1960's, when all French cars had yellow headlamps - and their drivers had a tendency to get very ratty with anyone having white headlamps! This was from French friends living in France. The legal status of the advice I do not know, but it was emphasised by dad and his three sons, who were all drivers (the sons having passed their driving tests within the (fairly) recent past). I assume that even if dad was out of date, the sons had recent knowledge gained in connection with their tests. So much for the provenance! It was explained to me that it was an offence to drive a car with defective lighting. If the police (who were pretty much omni-present on the roads to the time) saw a vehicle with defective lights they would stop it and, if the driver could not produce and fit a replacement bulb, he would be liable for an on the spot fine for defective lighting. So, a penalty for not being able to rectify defective lighting if required to do so, if not an actual legal requirement to carry the means. Whether this pointed to an abuse of, or due exercise of, the legal powers of the police, I don't know. However, as the French police at the time were invariably armed, I decided (even though I could then have argued the toss in fairly fluent French) not to destruction test that advice! Whether that remains the legal position I don't know, but doubt it in view of the use of xenon headlamps, and presumably LED headlamps and rear light clusters, whose lamps cannot practically be changed at the roadside (some, I believe, necessitating a workshop visit). However, whatever the law may have been or is now, I suspect this lies at the root of the perception that carrying a spare lamp set appropriate to the vehicle is a legal obligation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 Oddsnends - 2018-02-05 10:10 PM Air Quality Certificate? Crit'Air https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ The zones are increasing Yep. Although it highly unlikely we will need it on this trip, we've decided to get one anyway as it should be a one off purchase and then we have it for future trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 michaelmorris - 2018-01-17 2:53 PM We are planning a 2/3week trip to France in our van and I’ve put together a list of extra things I think we’ll need to take. This list is of things to take because we are driving in a motorhome, not for us personally. I haven't included travel guides. Any suggestions or comments? • *Driving licences...........Yes. • *Proof of vehicle ownership (V5C form)......not compulsory and if stopped by police they won't even understand it. A V5 isn't "proof of ownership" anyway (it tells you on the front). • *Vehicle insurance certificate.......Yes • *Headlamp beam deflectors.........Yes • Spare set of bulbs............useful so always carry some. • Breathalyzer kit.........No. • *Hazard warning triangle.........Yes • *High-visibility waistcoats.........Yes • *Emissions sticker..........Not unless you intend driving in a zone controlled area. • *GB sticker...........Yes (though many don't bother in France!) • French EHU adaptor.........Yes • Reversed polarity adaptor......I've never needed one. • Polarity tested........as above. • Inform insurance company..........only if needing to check you are covered in European countries which i assume you are. • Arrange European breakdown cover......definitely a 100% 'must do'!! • Make ‘Curb on the right’ reminder sticker for windscreen.......what for?? Sometimes there are no curbs!! Useful to have a height reminder though i have mine logged in my gps and only ever needed it once. Also useful to have a reminder which side your freshwater tank is on for filling (i often forget when i haven't used it for a bit!). Don't forget the kettle! (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 A couple more things to add to the checklist. A pair of Speedos - most campsites won't let you wear swimming shorts in the pool. Flushable baby wipes - most campsite loos don't provide loo paper and/or soap at hand basins. Taking a pack of flushable baby wipes with you solves both problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I carry also fuses. But more important is where they sit in the house. For a fiat you have FP. But i now their location. In case of A- class be familar of how to open your bonnet, some MOT operators even cant. And correct closing and locking is different as a normal fiat cab front. If you have AL-KO equipment, have a dealer list per country. Have a spare tyre. But ask road assistance to change if you are not capable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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