Re: European trip - Sunday 25 August to Thursday 5 September 2019

[GraemeW]

Brian James do 2m wide trailers. Mine is 2m

[Karl V]

Wow. This is starting to read more like an occupation rather than a tour.

If anyone has a towbar on their trailer, I have a winch and would welcome a tow. I promise not to tug the hydraulic handbrake on the way...

Still excited.

;-)

[autobackup]

Simon

The Atom 3 is 1798mm wide - and I have found that the 2130mm load bed on my bespoke PRG open trailer (as it is a Beavertail there are no edges) is more than adequate.

Brian James does, in fact, offer a couple of covered 2120mm load bed width trailers - to whit : the Race Transporter 4 or 5

- their 3000kg gross RT4 model (2120mm x 5000mm load bed) with an enormous overall length of 6530mm (21ft 4") costs £9349 + VAT for the most basic option model.

Unlike PRG Brian James do not offer any bespoke sizes - they only supply their standard sizes - Richard Proudlove of PRG is very flexible in trying to provide exactly the dimensions you require!

Whatever you decide buy - good luck with it!

Merry Christmas

Karl - looking at your towing request critically I think that, to stabilise the trailer, it would only be possible to tow your Nomad backwards - might be interesting to observe!!

[Karl V]

Karl - looking at your towing request critically I think that, to stabilise the trailer, it would only be possible to tow your Nomad backwards - might be interesting to observe!!

Oh that wouldn't work. I'd end up feeling quite sick travelling backwards for 6 hours.

I'll have to think of another plan..

[dunny]

Hi
Beware enclosed trailers!!!!
Henry will advise on the subject .
Dunny

[autobackup]

Dunny

How economically enigmatic!!

[Bruce Fielding]

Club to organise car transporter for multiple cars? Then sell places on the transporter.

Then budget flights to collect.

Cheaper than buying a trailer...

Send off the cars in advance. They're waiting for you when you get there.

You can either drive them home or transport them back and get back on the plane if circular tour.

[dunny]

Sorry autobackup,
Henry at Ariel told me a horror story about an Ariel that was left in an enclosed trailer too long.Seemingly it went VERY rusty and generally mouldy.
Condensation?
D

[GraemeW]

I have normally sorted the plans for the Euro trip by end Feb, but this year ive been delayed by other things. Assuming Brexit doesn't weaken the pound or we require loads more documentation to drive in Europe, then I definitely want to do another trip on some of the best roads in Europe.

Before i work through the detailed logistics I would like to gauge how many people are interested in such a trip, because it has a bearing on things like accommodation logistics etc. Also, I am looking to include some separate routings for Nomads, rather than it being just Atom type roads. Of course there will be some shared bits.

I understand some of limitations on time, so some trips have been 1 week, and others longer. Portugal/Spain was 10 days. This time, personally I would like to get to some great roads further afield, so drivers can join for the whole trip or just some of it as they have done in the past. We have identified this two week window.

My current preference is cover some of the Alps, and Dolomites in 4 countries. Starting in southern Germany (approx 3 days) through Bavarian Alps to Austria (1day) crossing Grossglockner, Into Italian Dolomites (approx 3 days), and into Switzerland for approx 3 days. Approx 10 days touring/resting, excluding getting there and getting home if you do full trip. I will trailer to Germany and home again to shorten my atom driving. If you have ideas for the trip then let us know. As before this is not meant to be only a hardcore driving holiday. Other halves welcome, and making time to chill and see some of the places we visit also.

So can I have an idea of how many people would be interested in this trip please?

I noted on the Top Gear programme last night they were driving on the Atlantic highway in Norway...thats been on the list for a while

[Anon]

Which tracks are you planning on visiting during the tour? Monza would be awesome, it's a little south of dolomites. If doing Monza, Bergamo is on route and is an unbelievable place if you have never been, almost like Monaco in terms of small tight and historic. I could imagine a lot of interest in a few Ariel cars going through there! Not sure if the Atom will be built by then though, lets hope so.

[Sir Nick]

I'm a definate maybe [mention]GraemeW[/mention]

Got some stuff to sort out and maybe see the effects of brexshit b4 I can commit

[Steve Gibson]

I'm a maybe, too. It depends on the distances and how badly the mad Mrs May limits our freedom of movement.

[Rob Evans]

Graeme,

I would love to do another European trip.
But, I've booked leave for the first two weeks of September, as we discussed at the Winchester run out last year, so the above dates would rule me out.
Plus, if trailers are involved, that rules me out too.

Rob.

[GraemeW]

Which tracks are you planning on visiting during the tour? Monza would be awesome, it's a little south of dolomites. If doing Monza, Bergamo is on route and is an unbelievable place if you have never been, almost like Monaco in terms of small tight and historic. I could imagine a lot of interest in a few Ariel cars going through there! Not sure if the Atom will be built by then though, lets hope so.

Hi Simon, I haven't normally planned to do any track days on trips, mainly due to insurance limitations (on my policy), but it can be done. The Italian trip last year visited Mugello, but didn't drive on it, and drove on the Monaco circuit in its normal "street config" We did discuss visiting the Algarve circuit on the Portugal trip but most were reluctant given the distance from home if you had an accident on track.

I think the best way would be to incorporate a track day would be to add in one of these UK organised trips to European tracks like Spa and Nurburgring, then continue the tour either before or after. I have been thinking of incorporating a Nurburgring visit on any Scandinavian visit we may do.

In the meantime I will check Monza options

[GraemeW]

Nick, Steve, thanks

Rob, yes I remember that conversation, and it would be great to have you on the trip. The proposed dates were suggested by Steve G and others as some of the higher Alpine roads are closed in September, but i am assuming thats more late September? I am more than happy to shift the dates a week to accommodate you. I will check the issue with weather.

Steve, Nick, whats your view to moving this a week to accommodate Rob, if the roads are ok? Besides there will be less tourists on the roads?

As to trailers, this is optional. I was going to suggest a meeting place in Europe where we started the tour. Some may trailer to that point some may drive, or we may all drive to that point. There will be various joining and break off points where people can join or leave depending on their time available.

I was thinking of the starting point being Stuttgart because;
1. My brother lives there and in addition to me visiting him, he says he can arrange parking for trailers and cars
2. I wanted to visit the Porsche museum in Zuffenhausen
3. Being Stuttgart there will be more options for us to get quotes for car transporters if we wanted to carry several cars.

watch this space