Eurotunnel - stopped at terminal travelling with Ocean on high car ticket.

[MattBW]

Dont forget if you are a member of the C&CC you can get 10% off
https://booking.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/travel?mode=carefree

 

[Martin]

We did ask them a few years ago, I just asked again and got same response. Still not a proper answer though.

 

[MattBW]

That I find interesting. Its not like they we are able to pop the roof on the train and sleep, or cook a meal in your 20 minute crossing lol. They just have a simple process that treats everything with motorhome as a massive white with lounge, plasma tv and full bedroom

You can see how it would happen its a simple blanket approach and they can't easily differentiate. Commercially it does feel a little unreasonable and I'm saying that as a contract manager. At the same time I can understand why its difficult to do anything else and actually having systems and processes to differentiate may also end up making things more expensive rather than cheaper..

 

[Loz]

You could argue then, that a beach and Transporter day van was the same...

 

[WelshGas]

We did ask them a few years ago, I just asked again and got same response. Still not a proper answer though.

That is at odds with the Beach being able to book as a High Car, as the V5c states Body Type - Motorhome/Campervan

 

[MattBW]

Yeah it is mixed messages and I suspect its just a lack of training or any clear policy. They have a system setup for the V5 because its easy but it can't account for the massive variation in vehicles that don't easily fit their rules.

I have an email from last week from the helpdesk confirming it was ok to book my Beach as a high car and this seems to suggest that as the V5 says motorhome I should pay the same as a bigwhite (or Ocean).

 

[westfalia]

I could argue that on my german logbook it is down as a passenger
vehicle not a camper.

It is really a camper though, the last time we got stopped for
them to check that the gas bottle was turned off, the guy was
absolutely blown away with the intelligent practicality flourishes like
the gas bottle storage space, the wardrobe, overhead locker etc.etc.etc.
I had to cut him short or we would´ve missed our slot.

They might change their policy after brexit.

 

[sidepod]

Isn’t there a ‘G’ in Bre(g)sit?

 

[westfalia]

Isn’t there a ‘G’ in Bre(g)sit?

Not sure.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I got a quick reply from Eurotunnel:

Dear Mr xxx,

Thank you for your email.

This is really all about our definition of each vehicle type and, for example, with Eurotunnel Le Shuttle "a car is a car" however big or small. The cost is the same for a smart car as it is for a stretch limousine. The same applies to campervans and the price will be the same for all.

Our definition of a campervan is very simple and we define it as "Any vehicle which includes living accommodation (including (without limitation) seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage facilities)."

We acknowledge that a van with the same footprint as a campervan could be charged a lower amount. It is important however to bear in mind that campervans almost always have some form of gas-powered cooking or other equipment. Such equipment must be turned off before travel and we have staff on duty on both terminals round the clock to make a visual inspection.

I hope this clarifies the position.

Kind regards

Szabina

So I've gone back and politely asked them to confirm that the reason for the (substantial) extra campervan charge is the need to inspect gas systems before travel. (I've never had ours checked, they just ask if it's switched off and I say yes. So that's about 5 seconds of valuable customer service time.)

Of course as a private company they're at liberty to make whatever pricing structures they want. They can charge extra for blue vans if they like. But we're also entitled to say "rip-off" and start looking at other Channel crossing options. Which I think I will.

 

[Elmo3]

That’s it in a nutshell. If you don’t like it, take the ferry. CMC also get you a 10% discount as well as CCC to help ease the pain a little.

 

[Amarillo]

I got a quick reply from Eurotunnel:

Dear Mr xxx,

Thank you for your email.

This is really all about our definition of each vehicle type and, for example, with Eurotunnel Le Shuttle "a car is a car" however big or small. The cost is the same for a smart car as it is for a stretch limousine. The same applies to campervans and the price will be the same for all.

Our definition of a campervan is very simple and we define it as "Any vehicle which includes living accommodation (including (without limitation) seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage facilities)."

We acknowledge that a van with the same footprint as a campervan could be charged a lower amount. It is important however to bear in mind that campervans almost always have some form of gas-powered cooking or other equipment. Such equipment must be turned off before travel and we have staff on duty on both terminals round the clock to make a visual inspection.

I hope this clarifies the position.

Kind regards

Szabina

That would explain the charging difference between a Beach and an Ocean on ET.



Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[WelshGas]

That would explain the charging difference between a Beach and an Ocean on ET.



Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Sorry don’t follow that reasoning. My reading of their definition is that if the vehicle has Living Accommodation, which may or may not contain sleeping facilities, table, chairs, storage, cooking facilities , all or some of them, then that is a Campervan.

The Beach has chairs, a table, sleeping facilities and some built in storage.

 

[Amarillo]

Sorry don’t follow that reasoning. My reading of their definition is that if the vehicle has Living Accommodation, which may or may not contain sleeping facilities, table, chairs, storage, cooking facilities , all or some of them, then that is a Campervan.

The Beach has chairs, a table, sleeping facilities and some built in storage.

It has to include ALL those items, but not limited to ONLY those items.

Where’s the Beach’s storage?


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[WelshGas]

It has to include ALL those items, but not limited to ONLY those items.

Where’s the Beach’s storage?


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Under the Seat/seats as you have pointed out on numerous occasions.

 

[TwoDogs]

I always find it a bit odd that people who are prepared to pay £50k for a Cali quibble about paying a few 10s of £ (at most) to use the tunnel. You know their policy..it's been the same for years. Yes, it's a bit galling to be paying the same as a big motorhome, but you could go by ferry.
Ps my gas bottle is physically checked (glanced at) probably every other crossing

 

[Amarillo]

Under the Seat/seats as you have pointed out on numerous occasions.

That is not storage for the purposes for living accommodation. A wardrobe or similar living accommodation storage is what is required.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Amarillo]

I always find it a bit odd that people who are prepared to pay £50k for a Cali quibble about paying a few 10s of £ (at most) to use the tunnel. You know their policy..it's been the same for years. Yes, it's a bit galling to be paying the same as a big motorhome, but you could go by ferry.
Ps my gas bottle is physically checked (glanced at) probably every other crossing

Quibble over the 10s of £s and the 10s of 1000s of £s will look after themselves.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[TwoDogs]

Quibble over the 10s of £s and the 10s of 1000s of £s will look after themselves.

I just knew someone would say "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" or equivalent

My real point is everyone knows the SE or Ocean is a campervan (it says so on the v5), so pay up, go by ferry or buy a Beach!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

IYes, it's a bit galling to be paying the same as a big motorhome, but you could go by ferry.

This, I feel answers your own curiosity.
Certainly in my case it's what the quibble is all about.
If I buy a steak or a burger for that matter, like for like I'm charged by the size of it. If I need 1 and a bit air plane seats I'd be charged for 2. If I want a bigger house/plot I pay more for it than it's equivalent with less cubic metre/square metre.
That & quality has been the basis for pricing that I have understood and if you lengthen your car (and incidentally increase the weight) with a bike rack don't crossing prices go up again?
So my issue is that it's not the total amount its the discrimination in the pricing structure. Kitchen, storage, seats beds may add some weight and an extra check regarding the gas but things may even out a bit with near empty campers and heavily laden big cars with a BBQ gas bottle stuffed away under a tent and duvets.

 

[sidepod]

That is not storage for the purposes for living accommodation. A wardrobe or similar living accommodation storage is what is required.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Wow!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Grr

 

[WelshGas]

I just knew someone would say "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" or equivalent

My real point is everyone knows the SE or Ocean is a campervan (it says so on the v5), so pay up, go by ferry or buy a Beach!

According to your V5c, so is the Beach.
So if VW say it’s a Campervan, and DVLA accept registration as a Campervan then it is a Campervan.

If not then it should be classed the same as a Kombi, a multi-purpose windowed Panel van.
Everyone says it is a multi-purpose Vehicle.

 

[WelshGas]

That is not storage for the purposes for living accommodation. A wardrobe or similar living accommodation storage is what is required.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

So when you did you’re epic journey you had No storage, No cooking facilities, No gas cylinders, Just the table, chairs and bed?

By you’re own admission you had all those items and facilities in your Beach. We even saw photos.

 

[Amarillo]

According to your V5c, so is the Beach.
So if VW say it’s a Campervan, and DVLA accept registration as a Campervan then it is a Campervan.

If not then it should be classed the same as a Kombi, a multi-purpose windowed Panel van.
Everyone says it is a multi-purpose Vehicle.

If ET wanted to use DVLAs definition then all they need do is say so. Instead they have carefully drafted their own definition which separates the Ocean and Beach into different vehicle categories.

I have emailed ET for further confirmation and nothing they have said contradicts what I already understood to be the case. The five features: seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage need to be a part of the van with the intended purpose of living accommodation. They have explicitly stated that portable stoves do not count; neither do removable crates.

The seats, table and sleeping facilities of a Beach all have the intended purpose of living accommodation but for ET that is not sufficient for ET to class the Beach as a campervan.

Why the discrepancy between ET and DVLA? My best guess is that ET want a consistent definition for all travellers and that there is no consistent international definition.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu