Pagoda SL Group

W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: JamesL on July 05, 2011, 10:41:12

Title: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 05, 2011, 10:41:12
Next month, we are off on holiday down to a resort in Provence (near Nice, France)

We have been invited to celebrate a friends birthday and some other events down in Amelia the weekend our holiday ends, and that is an hour or so north of... Rome

Rather than fly or take the Eurobox, Wife is insisting we take the Pagoda - 1800km one way..... and I think I'd better take the car through the Verdun Gorges on the way - and wonder if I could swing past the Millau viaduct too (adds 200km)

Guess I had best get the car serviced
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Naj ✝︎ on July 05, 2011, 10:55:57
Hi, James,

August in France can be very busy when they ALL go on vacances too.

Millau definately wort the detour. Done it twice.

Naj
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: reggie on July 05, 2011, 11:07:21
I left monaco Gran Prix, then on to millau, in my california, camper, The roads leading up to millau are great driving roads, we dropped down in to millau to camp over night, looking up at the bridge, gives you an idea of the size, fantastic, 2006 that was. my camper was brand new, one of the best trips of my life,  ;D
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 05, 2011, 11:18:57
Already pondering saving the schlep down the A1/A26.... ferry to Santander and pop over the Pyrenees in an easterly direction and can meander a bit slower.

Which pass home? Done Stelvio....Brenner is a bit dull
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: jaymanek on July 07, 2011, 10:05:57
wow you must trust your pagoda!

with my recent issues I dont think id trust mine to get me to the south coast of the UK nevermind france!

I would love to do a similar trip in my 500SL..
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Naj ✝︎ on July 07, 2011, 10:40:02
Hi, Jay,

Hijack!!!

Can you make it to Berkeley Castle August 13/14 for the SL day?

Anybody else going?

Naj
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Larry & Norma on July 07, 2011, 12:20:47
Hi Naj,
Norma and I will be there, still waiting for the tickets to arrive tho'
Larry
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 07, 2011, 15:31:04
I've signed up - just for Sunday so may be able to get across for that. Car may as well be in London then as it's a bit nearer Portsmouth....
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: reggie on July 07, 2011, 17:12:10
Where's Berkeley Castle  ???, I bet its mile's down south as usual, I dont mind a 200 mile round trip, thats not too bad in 1 day,  ::)
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Naj ✝︎ on July 07, 2011, 19:36:00

http://www.berkeley-castle.com/visit.php

190mi one way?

Naj
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: reggie on July 07, 2011, 19:40:40
Thanks Naj,  Too far for me,  :(
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: sully on July 07, 2011, 19:59:10
Hi, Jay,

Hijack!!!

Can you make it to Berkeley Castle August 13/14 for the SL day?

Anybody else going?

Naj


Hi Naj

I will be thre but with 107sl.


Regards


Sully

Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Ulf on July 08, 2011, 10:50:05
My parents usually load their car on a train when going to Nice, they drive onboard in Hamburg in the evening, sleep the whole night onboard the train and then wake up fresh south of the Alps ready to drive - I'm sure you have a similar service out of the UK, just a thought...

Ulf
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: jaymanek on July 09, 2011, 09:57:09
Hi, Jay,

Hijack!!!

Can you make it to Berkeley Castle August 13/14 for the SL day?

Anybody else going?

Naj

Ok must make it to this one, where do i sign up? I must read the gazette properly!

If im still not trusting the pagoda then ill come in the R107.
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Larry & Norma on July 09, 2011, 14:45:01
You need to talk to Catherine Barlow the club administrator
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: jaymanek on July 09, 2011, 15:50:11
Thanks, email sent, out of office received... ill give the office a call on Monday.

Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 10, 2011, 19:06:48
My parents usually load their car on a train when going to Nice, they drive onboard in Hamburg in the evening, sleep the whole night onboard the train and then wake up fresh south of the Alps ready to drive - I'm sure you have a similar service out of the UK, just a thought...

Ulf

Thanks Ulf. It can be picked up on the Dutch/German border now SNCF have stopped doing the Motorail. I'll do it soon enough but it got left too late for this summer :-\
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 22, 2011, 17:04:28
OK

Long road trip ahead. Apart from a list of all the MB dealers around and about... and some basic tools... should there be any obvious sapre parts in the trunk of the car (Crane electronic ignition is fitted...)? I know we cannot predict what will fail (hopefully nothing) but best be at least a little prepared....
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: stickandrudderman on July 22, 2011, 18:16:24
A tin of easy start, a tin of wd40 and a tin of tyre weld!
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Jonny B on July 22, 2011, 19:44:24
The number one tool for any old car - mobile phone!
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Larry & Norma on July 22, 2011, 19:49:46
.............and a credit card! ;D
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 22, 2011, 20:14:02
There is no problem too big that cannot be solved with sufficient funds

But other than that...
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: reggie on July 22, 2011, 21:18:13
Cable tie's - Best invention ever,  :)
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: pj on July 23, 2011, 06:39:23
Okay, you guys over in Europe (and in L.A., if 07:00 isn't too early on Sunday) can't have all the fun!
Be sure to post plenty of pictures for the rest of us. I want to see a Pagoda parade over the Millau bridge. That would be awesome.
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 23, 2011, 07:03:25
Millau may be dropped from the agenda.... Debating taking the car up one of the Cols in the Pyrenees - the Tourmalet is not too far from Tarbes.

So far it's
Santander - Tarbes
Tarbes - Arles (through the Haut Languedoc)
Arles - Grasse (via Verdun gorges, skirting Ventoux)
week sitting with books....
Grasse - Amelia (not that Amelia, which is near Orvieto)
Amelia - Obernai (yes, THAT hotel!!!)
Obernai - home


And I have already decided to do a write-up for PW ;D
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: Naj ✝︎ on July 23, 2011, 07:25:13
OK

Long road trip ahead. Apart from a list of all the MB dealers around and about... and some basic tools... should there be any obvious sapre parts in the trunk of the car (Crane electronic ignition is fitted...)? I know we cannot predict what will fail (hopefully nothing) but best be at least a little prepared....

A couple of bushes for the speed change rod (auto trans) if yours have not been changed recently.
Besides the incident on our Euro Tour last year, there was another failure on the 'Mercedes Benz and Friends' event the following weekend!

Naj
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 23, 2011, 07:34:35
Thanks naj

I'll organise some spares - mine were done 8 years or so back: the old ones cooked sitting on the North Circular!
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: pfraud on July 26, 2011, 10:31:32
Hello James,
Which day will you be in Arles. My house is 25 kms north and maybe we could have something done together if possible...
Pascal and Frédérique
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on July 26, 2011, 15:21:25
Pascal

Night Friday 19th - or is that 20th. Either way, Saturday we head to Grasse via Verdon
Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: JamesL on October 11, 2011, 18:06:24
I just totted things up across my 7 days of driving...
1 - London - Portsmouth
2 - (ferry to) Santander - Tarbes
3 - Tarbes - Arles
4 - Arles - Grasse
5 - Grasse - near Orvieto
6 - near Orvieto - Obernai
7 - Obernai - (via tunnel) London

2,238 miles/3,557 km
average of 19.5mpg  :o or 6.87 litres per 100km

Which when you consider the car was rust holes (added lightness!) is not great ;)

Title: Re: Road trip
Post by: stickandrudderman on October 11, 2011, 22:24:45
Yes, but don't forget the tank was leaking!