Things I have learnt whilst touring.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Here are a few things that I have learnt whilst on my travels.

Its surprising how we all do different things but I have always learnt something different from other people.

Please feel free to add to the list.

 

A half hood, half doors and clear wind deflectors will get you through any amount of rain.

Half doors are brilliant for touring. You can see so much as the surround on a full door is usually at eye level.

Rok straps are brilliant for securing luggage. Buy the ones without the hook on them and then your car doesn't get scratched.

Take plenty of microfibre cloths You can always wash them in a hotel sink but they will clean your car and dry up any water / rain.

Autobrite Direct, Berry Blast is great for cleaning your car on a morning before you head out for the day. I keep a small bottle behind my drivers seat.

A buff is brilliant protecting your face from the cold and in heavy rain. It also stops your neck getting sore if you have a coat with a zip that goes under your chin and irritates your neck.

Not everything is about going at a million miles an hour. Relax, enjoy the views and make time to stop.

It can be boring for a passenger who just gets to sit. Try to avoid “boring” routes.

Plan that it will rain and prepare accordingly.

If it rains, find a way to have fun and turn it into an adventure. This is what memories are made of and there is no need to let the weather spoil anything. 

Take two pairs of  driving glasses. Sun glasses for during the day and a clear pair for on a night.

You will wear less clothes that you think. You can wear the same pair of trousers for ten days and not stink. 

A lot of hotels will wash your clothes for you. Its usually about £5.00 per load. You can get everything washed half way round your trip if required.

Take an umbrella. It is handy as a quick fix in a short shower.

Remember to take sun block and a hat for your head. It is surprising how burnt you can get in a Westfield when driving every day.

Make sure you have breakdown insurance that will get you and your car home.

A GoPro battery eliminator is brilliant. You can keep your camera turned on permanently and not have to worry about batteries. I have a wireless remote clipped to the dash that operates the camera.

Take tools, fuses and a throttle cable.

An insulated food bag makes a great armrest if placed between the seats behind the hand brake. It can make a big difference if driving all day as your arm is supported. Plus you can keep all your odds and sods in it.

Take a camera and a pocket size pair of binoculars.

A she-wee is brilliant for a woman.

Dont get to worried about petrol garages.  There are more than you think.

It can be expensive if stopping for coffee breaks every hour, especially if you are in a group. Budget or plan accordingly.

A map book is great to take as well as a SatNav. If you get lost you can see more detail and area in the map book than you can on the SatNav.

Keep all your clothes in dry bags. Lomo bags are really good and not expensive.

Avon “Skin so Soft” is a brilliant midge repellant.

Be aware that if you are in a group, some cars may be lower than yours so be wary of rougher roads.

Take a credit card.

Keep a small bag of change for parking etc.

Don't take jeans or clothes that take too long to dry out or are really bulky. Clothes from somewhere like Mountain Warehouse are really good as they fold small, dry quick and are light and warm.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

If driving in very hot sunny conditions, take lots of water and keep covered on the seat next to you in easy reach. If necessary keep pouring bigger screw ladder bottles into smaller bottles that can be opened with one hand. You can do this at the fuel stops.

With temperatures in the the thirties last week, and high over head sun through much of the day, we found we were easily getting through around four liters of water each, in the car, at times!

Oh and keep wet wipes and suntan cream just as handy. Again, on the extreme days, I was finding on my forearms and face, the lotion seemed to be "burning off" in forty minutes or so and needed toping off.

[Hemsley]

Thanks. I'm making my first major tour this summer, down to Lake Como and back. I'll be sharing this list with my friends, and I'll let you know what comments come back (for sure there will be some from the ladies!).

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Hi Martin.

I looked at going to lake Como but I couldn't afford the hotels.

You will have a brilliant time.

[Thrustyjust]

Always keep an umbrella in the car, in case of sitting in traffic, you can protect from the sun quickly and fold quickly.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Ditto this, keeping the sun off the seats when you hop out of the car for a few minutes is vital, as well as the normal rain issues.

[Ali and Gail]

A good pair of shoes that are both good for all the hours of driving and comfy for walking in as well. Saves space. It's not a fashion parade.

If doing B&B fill yourself up on brekkie, it will last you till dinner and saves a small fortune.

Dont be shy about wee stops or embarrassed about where you take them!

Take a thermos flask, every where we have stopped is more than happy to make one and you've  got your brew for the day.

Pack half the clothes you think you need.

Even getting a soaking can be fun, don't let your head drop.

Smile and wave at all the people who love our cars.

Take a charity box, so many people want to take pics of them. That's fine but a little donation here please Sir/Madame.

Stick together when it goes wrong, well proven on last outing in Scotland, All for one and one for all and all that stuff.

Keep your doors and hoods of as long as possible, the views are so much better. Put water proof jackets and trousers on first thing if rains expected that day. You don't have to stop and muck around, just drive through it.

Rainex your windscreen inside and out!

Emergency fuel filler cap.

Most of all enjoy the Westy way of viewing such beautiful parts of our world.

[Ali and Gail]

1 hour ago, Ali and Gail said:

A good pair of shoes that are both good for all the hours of driving and comfy for walking in as well. Saves space. It's not a fashion parade.

If doing B&B fill yourself up on brekkie, it will last you till dinner and saves a small fortune.

Dont be shy about wee stops or embarrassed about where you take them!

Take a thermos flask, every where we have stopped is more than happy to make one and you've  got your brew for the day.

Pack half the clothes you think you need.

Even getting a soaking can be fun, don't let your head drop.

Smile and wave at all the people who love our cars.

Take a charity box, so many people want to take pics of them. That's fine but a little donation here please Sir/Madame.

Stick together when it goes wrong, well proven on last outing in Scotland, All for one and one for all and all that stuff.

Keep your doors and hoods of as long as possible, the views are so much better. Put water proof jackets and trousers on first thing if rains expected that day. You don't have to stop and muck around, just drive through it.

Rainex your windscreen inside and out!

Emergency fuel filler cap.

Most of all enjoy the Westy way of viewing such beautiful parts of our world.

Oh and when you put your Westy to bed (ours is called Mrs P) that evening thank it for the memories it's given and give it it gentle stroke or kiss good night so that it may reward with the same next day. They have feelings to!

 

[JohnCh]

A few things I've found useful:

A Camelbak Unbottle.  Attached behind the seat, it stays out of the way, yet keeps water readily accessible while driving.  Note: I have MOG seats, which do free up more space than the standard, padded  seats.

Travel Space Saver Bags.  Pack your clothes in these (keeping 1 or 2 set aside for dirty laundry) and you can fit a lot more clothes in limited space.  I also keep a very lightweight duffel in the boot and transfer all the bags into that before heading into the hotel.

A locking car cover in a stuff sack.  Keeps late night guests out of the car, and with the stuff sack, it's surprisingly small, fitting in front of the seat under your knees.

A small car duster.  Makes it easy to wipe the dust and dirt off the car each night.  If you remove the handle, it takes up very little space.

Pack creatively and think like a backpacker.  The cars are small, but there are a lot of normally unused places where you can stow small items; behind the seats, under the scuttle, under the bonnet (tool roll  goes here for me).  Also, backpacker's stuff sacks, dry bags, and other items designed to maximize storage space or protect electronics from the weather make life easier.

Zip ties, duct tape, and self vulcanizing rubber tape.  You can perform a temporary fix on a lot of broken items between these three.

-John

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Hi John.

What is this locking car cover.

Do you have any pictures.

 

[JohnCh]

It's a regular car cover that has reinforced grommets at the bottom sides.  Thread a vinyl covered steel cable through one grommet, under the car, then through the other grommet and affix a small padlock at the end to complete the loop.  It helps prevent the cover from flying off in high winds or some moron from lifting it out of the way to access the interior, or simply steal it (yes, I've had the latter happen on another car).  Go here, scroll down below the car thumbnails and you'll see a small photo of a grommet with the cable strung through.

-John

[Ali and Gail]

2 hours ago, JohnCh said:

It's a regular car cover that has reinforced grommets at the bottom sides.  Thread a vinyl covered steel cable through one grommet, under the car, then through the other grommet and affix a small padlock at the end to complete the loop.  It helps prevent the cover from flying off in high winds or some moron from lifting it out of the way to access the interior, or simply steal it (yes, I've had the latter happen on another car).  Go here, scroll down below the car thumbnails and you'll see a small photo of a grommet with the cable strung through.

-John

I think that's a great idea and a Mod that's now going to happen on our cover.

[Ali and Gail]

Oh and don't forget for those with a spare wheel you can pack a lot inside there.

[JohnCh]

And if you're like me, you don't carry a spare, this is what I keep in the boot with 2 extra CO2 cartridges.  Fortunately I've never had to use it, so I can't confirm it works perfectly, but it does have good reviews in the ATV community.  Given the low tire (sorry) tyre pressures we run, it should do the job in an emergency.  Another item I carry and have used on tour are these motorcycle jumper cables.  Very compact and the clamps are small enough to work with smaller side terminals.  

-John

[Vogalogue]

Great Thread folks!

I'm planning on doing a 2000 mile is alpine trip either this year or next. Luckily I'll be in a  convoy with "normal" cars, although there will be a  chap on a Harley and we'll be competing for everybody else's spare space.
 

I need to pack smart... the Alps with no heater could be fun.. my biggest concern is fogging up if I need the roof on!

One thing I'll add is that I recommend the LED fuses that Halfrauds sell. Easy to spot an issue in an unideal climate, especially with unlabelled fuse boxes! along with the really obvious torch, I have a compact LED head one, that works a treat when you have broken things in the dark..