The “van”, legally a car but as it is based on a baby Transit we call it the van, is due a service and MOT. Also about time to put the winter tyres on. Got Michelin “Cross Climate” tyres last year.
We drove to the French Alps over New year to go skiing. The French can stop you going into the mountains if you don’t have the correct kit on /in your car. “Alpine” tyres and snow chains are one of the requirements. Top tip, try fitting the snow chains on a nice sunny day on your drive before you set off. It took me ¾ of an hour for the first one and 20/25 mins for the second. If you are up a mountain in the cold with snow falling on you and need to get to the ferry you will be thankful for the practice. Likewise fit the front “light deflectors” onto your car at home before you leave, it is much easier than trying to do it on the ferry! I speak from experience.
Another example Hi-Viz vests reachable from inside the car (this does not include the boot) failure to do this is apparently fineable. Anecdotal evidence is French plod look for a UK plate car stop them and fine them, no idea if this is true or not. One assumes the reason for this requirement is so you can immediately start a protest about something if there hasn’t been one for a couple of days.
Spare light bulb pack is required, what use this is if you have LED lights I’m not sure, but it is France. Best of all is 2 alcohol test kits. French Rossers can stop you and make you take an alcohol test. If you haven’t got one you are in trouble. Got all the kit and borrowed the obligatory warning Triangle.
We saved a fortune driving, the year before we flew to Italy and hired a car (the week before Christmas) and it worked very well. This year we looked at doing the same over the New Year week. Wow, Flights £1,500, Car hire over a grand! So we decided to drive, like our friend from Surrey.
Now as Gods Own (Yorkshire not Kerala) is a lot further away from Dover than Surrey we decided to break the journey. Booked a hotel South East of Paris. Set off early, drove down to Dover, Dead easy on the ferry. Your passports become you ticket, Genius. (Mr Shed top tip, Fish and Chips best value meal on the ferry.)
Drive straight onto the French motorway, easy (think two phones and the car satnav was a bit of an overkill!). After our overnight stop “The Boss” took over driving. We were at this point low on fuel, being in France there was a dispute / Strike ongoing and the current strike was apparently fuel delivery drivers. Tried a self-service supermarket fuel station which wouldn’t take any of our credit cards. Went to the next fuel station on the way to the motorway, SOLD OUT! Don’t panic Mr Mainwaring. Got onto the motorway.
Now Credit where credit is due. Our Gaullist friends now how to build and operate a motorway network. Admittedly you have to pay extra for it, but someone has to pay for it and if you don’t use it you don’t pay. Bearing in mind it was a holiday week, most of it wasn’t over crowed. The great thing is about every 10/15 mins there is a service area. The first one may be just a carpark with drinks machine and a toilet (always clean in our experience) plus maybe a child’s playground. The next would probably be bigger with cafe and fuel station. Going back to the story, got on the motorway, sign up say first “big” service area fuel station closed! Down to 15 miles range now! Fortunately, next one had fuel, although it was full of GB cars filling up.
So going back to the original question Do I get it serviced at a main dealer or local garage. Not as straightforward as you might expect. Pro’s with Ford. Near work, “free” mot, “free” break down recovery, Dealer stamp on service record. Against Can be expensive, grumpy woman behind the desk is a bit “computer says no” ish. Whereas local garage is cheaper and appears very honest BUT, I will have to pay for MOT, breakdown cover and get a lift to/from work. (how do you do that in “Covidland”? Need to do some research.
Got slow puncture so going Kwik fit on Saturday morning to swap tyres and mot / service on Friday.
Back to I'm a celebrity tonight as "Un Doing" finished. Early night I think. Elf may come out tonight.
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