# Eurotunnel Mysteries – a long wait and an empty carriage.



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

If you want to waste 2 minutes and 22 seconds of your life have a look at my latest Eurotunnel experience -


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## camallison (Jul 15, 2009)

Were you in the motorhome? If yes, they possibly left an empty carraiage as you may be carrying bottled gas and hence a higher fire risk. If not, then that carriage may have an extinguisher system fault.

Colin


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

If your best friend won't tell you we won't! :lol:


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

The experience must surely have been more interesting than watching paint dry.

Perhaps not!


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Why didn't you ask the attendant who puts the wheel chocks on your van?

I don't think it would be a "gas problem" though Colin. Otherwise ALL motorhomes would have a carriage to themselves and empty ones front and back! The train would reach to Calais!


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

We had an empty carriage in front of us on our way over in December; perhaps it was the same one. We also had to wait outside the train for awhile as you did as well. :?


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

or they were late because they had made you wait and stopped you when they could see that you were ok. Then they could get under way asap. Only a few seconds but did it matter as they had plenty of space?


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

I was once on a Portsmouth to Caen crossing, with my truck and I was the only passenger on board :lol: Just crew and me :lol:


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

cronkle said:


> or they were late because they had made you wait and stopped you when they could see that you were ok. Then they could get under way asap. Only a few seconds but did it matter as they had plenty of space?


?? :?


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## ebo (Nov 16, 2009)

Exactly the same thing happened to us back in November, I did ask and was told the empty carriage had a fault and was making a high pitched whistling noise, so they didn't use it.


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

ebo said:


> Exactly the same thing happened to us back in November, I did ask and was told the empty carriage had a fault and was making a high pitched whistling noise, so they didn't use it.


Why is it making a whistling noise??? Why don't they find out!! Now I'm worried!!


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

greygit said:


> ebo said:
> 
> 
> > Exactly the same thing happened to us back in November, I did ask and was told the empty carriage had a fault and was making a high pitched whistling noise, so they didn't use it.
> ...


Could be just a leaky door seal - we used to get them on aircraft; bit annoying but as long as the pressurisation system could cope with the slight leak, which sounds worse than it is, there is no problem - even less on the chunnel :wink: 

Geoff


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

> *Grath wrote: *I was once on a Portsmouth to Caen crossing, with my truck and I was the only passenger on board :lol: Just crew and me :lol:


I have a photo somewhere of me sat right at the back on the top deck of a huge Greek ferry with nobody else on it. We boarded it at the bottom end of Skopelos where they filmed Mamma Mia on a knackered old scooter and it took us to Skiathos but there was literally nobody else on it and just a single scooter in the middle of the car deck!


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

barryd said:


> > *Grath wrote: *I was once on a Portsmouth to Caen crossing, with my truck and I was the only passenger on board :lol: Just crew and me :lol:
> 
> 
> I have a photo somewhere of me sat right at the back on the top deck of a huge Greek ferry with nobody else on it. We boarded it at the bottom end of Skopelos where they filmed Mamma Mia on a knackered old scooter and it took us to Skiathos but there was literally nobody else on it and just a single scooter in the middle of the car deck!


BO!


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## sallylillian (Sep 26, 2011)

Can you tell me what is the maximum size motorhome (length, height and weight) that you can take on the Eurotunnel. It seemed to me that 3500kg was a max but unsure?


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

You can take a single decker bus with around 40 -50 passengers and their luggage quite safely on Eurotunnel so you shouldn't need to worry too much about the weight of a Motorhome.

As you can see from the video at the start of this thread it's a big entrance to the carriage and I don't think there are many Motorhomes that wouldn't fit through the gap.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

KeithChesterfield said:


> You can take a single decker bus with around 40 -50 passengers and their luggage quite safely on Eurotunnel so you shouldn't need to worry too much about the weight of a Motorhome.
> 
> As you can see from the video at the start of this thread it's a big entrance to the carriage and I don't think there are many Motorhomes that wouldn't fit through the gap.


My artic also fitted :lol: maybe the question was about costs and if there is a size limit for the any m/h price


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> *sallylillian wrote :-*Can you tell me what is the maximum size motorhome (length, height and weight) that you can take on the Eurotunnel. It seemed to me that 3500kg was a max but unsure?


Taken from >FAQ's< ....

*"All vehicles categories travelling on our passenger services must not exceed 4.20 metres in height, 2.55 metres in width (including mirrors) and 18 metres in length (including bumpers, tow bars and any overhanging load)."*

It also says under the 'high van' and 'low van' category that the max weight is 3500kg but no weight limit stated under the 'campervan' category....

*"Low van (below 1.85m)
Any low van below 1.85 metres in height used for private, tourist or leisure travel only. This excludes any light commercial goods vehicles carrying commercial goods for resale, and "Box Vans", which must be booked through out Freight service. Please note the MTPLM (maximum technically permissible laden mass) for a van on our passenger service is 3.5 tonnes*.

High van (over 1.85m)
Any high van over 1.85 metres in height used for private, tourist or leisure travel only. This excludes any light commercial goods vehicles carrying commercial goods for resale, and "Box Vans", which must be booked through out Freight service. Please note the MTPLM (maximum technically permissible laden mass) for a van on our passenger service is 3.5 tonnes*.

* This information will be identified on your vehicle registration document. It may appear as 3,500kgs.

Campervan
Any vehicle which includes living accommodation (including (without limitation) seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage facilities)."*

We're 3900kgs, travelled many times on the tunnel and have never been taken to task or asked about the motorhome weight.

Pete


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## sallylillian (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks Pete, and others, it was the fact that they do not seem to specify Motor home dimension/weight limit that was throwing me. I am bring my new Flair back in June from the dealer and looking for the best route.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Peejay

As I read that they are only restricting the weights for vans on the passenger services, but they do not include those restrictions in the para referring to campervans so it does not apply to them.

The dimensions apply to all vehicles.

Geoff


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## papaken (Nov 21, 2010)

Maybe the doors on the carriage in front of you were not closing? as when your doors open you can see them open.
That would also account for the time of trying to get them closed and deciding to loose carriage.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I wonder if it's anything to do with distribution of weight?
I have often been on the ferry with 10 or 20 vehicles jammed up at the front and the rest of the cargo space empty. But ferries can adjust the load with sea water as ballast. 

Ray.


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## papaken (Nov 21, 2010)

Ray
they don't have any trouble with water in the tunnel just smoke. :lol:


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