# motorhome length and ferry / road toll costs



## stevegos

Hi

I read that motorhomes over 6m in length can cost more on ferries and road toll costs can be nearly double if over 6m.

If you have a rear bike rack on the back or a storage box is this included in the vehicle length?

Also how strict are the measurements? Can anyone advise if a motorhome that is just a little over 6m at say 6.2m would you be charged more?

All help greatly appreciated.

Steven


----------



## teemyob

*see here*

Click Here<

I posted our issues.

Eurotunnel = No Limit
Stena Line up to 6m or 6-10m etc
Myferrylink over 8.5 m gets charged more

P&O splitting hairs
Brittany Ferries Spot Checks

Scandinavian countries can work out very expensive.

TM


----------



## vicdicdoc

Mine is 6.5m Inc bike rack, average (one way) cost is around £38 to £44 & French tolls = class 2


----------



## VanFlair

Hi Steven

On ferries you will normally pay per length, just go onto a few ferry company price calculators and put in different vehicle details for height/length.
For tolls in France it is more height and weight and possibly number of axles rather than length.

http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

Martin


----------



## caulkhead

Hi Steven,

Most ferry company t's and c's will state that it is the overall length INCLUDING things like bike racks, tow bars, back boxes etc. On the IoW ferries they do spot checks on length and height and charge the difference if you have been economical with the truth. I believe that Brittany Ferries website states that they can deny boarding if the actual dimensions differ from what you have told them! I expect P&O and others have the same policy!!!

Caulkhead


----------



## tonka

I would not make a decision on buying a van based on this..
Have heard people mention it like its the end of the world and creating a panic with newbies... 
Tolls - NO, has nothing to do with it.. As stated based on weight and sometimes height..

Some ferries, YES it can make a difference but on the main ones to France etc its pretty cheap to go anyway and if there is an extra charge it's not a lot... Smaller ferry companies is where it may make a difference. Like Isle of Man, Isle of Wight etc..

My van is 7.5mtr. Go France often with P&O. usual 1 way trip £34-£50..
Booking a few days in advance...


----------



## Annsman

We've been Dover / Calais several times with P&O and the defunct Sea France. We've never been measured once.


----------



## listerdiesel

Our outfit is just over 12.70metres long, the trailer is 6.2metres plus towbar so we book it as 8metres, the Discovery is 4.70metres.

Never had a length check on this or previous outfits.

As long as you know the correct dimensions for your outfit, just book it correctly. Deliberately underbooking on length leaves you open to all sorts of penalties.

Buying to suit a particular operator/ferry/tariff would be a bit odd as things change over time and you may just as well get what you want rather than be restricted to a particular size.

Peter


----------



## nicholsong

Some ferries also have different height categories, but I am not sure if it affects the price. It may be to ensure they book your space on the right deck, as cars are often accommodated on a low-ceiling 'mezzanine' deck.

Geoff


----------



## EJB

My MH is just under 6m....with bike rack it's just over....I always book 'up to 6m'.
On some ferries in Norway, when collecting dues, the ticket man often paces out the length but has always classed mine as 6m.
He suprises some who blatantly cheat :wink:


----------



## Arrachogaidh

If you are over 6m and pay for upto 6m are you not being a blatant cheat also??

Just saying!


----------



## EJB

Yes!.... but not quite a blatant cheat like the 7 and 8m owners :roll:


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS

In the majority of cases a bike rack is fixed pretty high on the motorhome and makes no difference to how close the operative gets the vehicle behind to park up.
Dave p


----------



## homenaway

Hi,
I may add that further to my being "approximately" measured at 6.06m at P&O Hull 
for my standard Ducato panel van conversion which the handbook states as 5.99m in May I have finally received the refund of £20.50 and an apology 

Steve


----------



## dcummin

for tolls - i go through as class 2 for camping car and mines a pretty large unit (sometimes have to push the button on the toll if the hieight triggers a different class to talk to someone)

"je suis camping car" in my best norfolk/french accent


----------



## Stanner

homenaway said:


> Hi,
> I may add that further to my being "approximately" measured at 6.06m at P&O Hull
> for my standard Ducato panel van conversion which the handbook states as 5.99m in May I have finally received the refund of £20.50 and an apology
> 
> Steve


Well done that man!

If they are going to measure, let's make them do it scientifically, not just some guesswork formula and a stretchy piece of string.


----------



## nicholsong

Stanner said:


> homenaway said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi,
> I may add that further to my being "approximately" measured at 6.06m at P&O Hull
> for my standard Ducato panel van conversion which the handbook states as 5.99m in May I have finally received the refund of £20.50 and an apology
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> Well done that man!
> 
> If they are going to measure, let's make them do it scientifically, not just some guesswork formula and a stretchy piece of string.
Click to expand...

Stanner

You mean a calibrated metre measure, and as we all know a metre is 1/1000th of the distance between the lines of longitude in Paris(don't ask me where - it was Napolean 's idea) i assume that it also has to be at the ISA(International Standard Atmosphere of 15C and 1013.2 Mb) If they cannot demonstrate their has been so calibrated?

Then you are probably left on the quayside with a 'complaints' form.

Geoff


----------



## joedenise

dcummin said:


> for tolls - i go through as class 2 for camping car and mines a pretty large unit (sometimes have to push the button on the toll if the hieight triggers a different class to talk to someone)
> 
> "je suis camping car" in my best norfolk/french accent


Would that work with the tag axle?

Denise


----------



## stevegos

Many thanks for all our insight and knowledge.

I am indeed a newbie and still working out what motorhome to buy. We just hired one for a long weekend and loved it, so now committed to buying. Looking like an older Hymer B544 if I can find one at the right price. Then touring Europe for 6+ months.

I'm looking around the 6m mark due to what I heard about ferries and tolls but also told by several that wild camping is much easier in a smaller motorhome. By wild camping I mean more parking up on a beach or stealing a bit of space here and there rather than the Aires.

Steven


----------



## nicholsong

nicholsong said:


> Some ferries also have different height categories, but I am not sure if it affects the price. It may be to ensure they book your space on the right deck, as cars are often accommodated on a low-ceiling 'mezzanine' deck.
> 
> Geoff


Further to my earlier, I have just checked for DFDS Dover-Dunkirk and the price does vary for different heights, because there is the choice of 7m long X 2.35m high or 10m long X 4.35m high so although my MH is only 7m long I have to choose the second option because of the height.

Geoff


----------



## Mrplodd

Be careful of the available payload with an older B544 I had a "P" plate one and it was VERY short of available payload,
. Also check out the size of the drop down bed, it tapers from the middle to the ends so there is not that much room at shoulder area !!!!


----------

