The Height
Fight
The bane of
motorcaravanners, in the UK at least, I'm sure things are better in the USA and
other more 'wide open' countries.
A few tips, some
more obvious than others:
- If you're still choosing a
motorcaravan, go for a rising roof model and preferably a cloth-sided version
rather than solid sided. So called 'low line' rising roof campers with
cloth-sided rooves often come in at under 2.0m (6 feet 6") tall - solid sided
rooved models are more typically 2.1 or 2.2m (7 feet plus), whereas a lot of
height barriers, in UK towns at least, are set at
2.0m.
- Write down the height of
your vehicle exactly, in imperial and metric units, and put it on a sticker on
your dashboard, to save panicking when approaching a
barrier.
- A good place to park up in a
strange town is the designated 'lorry park' - all lorries are very high, so you
won't have any problems either. And there will probably be provision for
staying overnight, too.
- Another good place to park
up during the daytime is the car park of any big retail park. With many
customers of these shops/parks arriving in motorcaravans and other biggish
vehicles, there are rarely height barriers in place. Make sure you don't
outstay your welcome though and leave before they close any entrance barriers
at night.
- Watch out for aerials and
roof vents. Your van may be below a certain height, but these protruding items
can add another foot at least.
The current
recommended height barrier-beating motorcaravan? The
Volkswagen
California.
Why not
email me with any comments, photos or real world
stories about height barriers?
|