One hell of a night

niloc1951

Just home after our tour of The Alace Christmas Markets.
France definitely IS the place to enjoy your motorhome, twenty eight nights away, four in Camping Est in Paris, the rest in Aires ranging from free with EHU to €15 per 24 hours at the marina in Colmar which included EHU & WiFi plus access to the shower/toilet/laundry block for the boats, €15 is the high season rate as the six weeks of their Christmas Markets is considered high season.

But, what a trip home in last nights severe gale force 9.
It started with the ship slamming into oncoming high seas from Cherbourg to Lands End with such force that you could loose a few fillings.
The motion then changed to serious rolling between Lands End and Rosslare as the seas caught her on the beam.
This morning the contents of the tax free shop were on the floor, the table soccer had relocated itself as did one of the vending machines and loose chairs slid effortlessly from port to starboard even with people sitting on them.
Yes, a night to remember on the high seas, but we were delivered to Rosslare safe and sound about 90 minutes late.
When we went to the car deck I noticed that my motorhome had also had a little slide and was a few inches from where I parked it with handbrake hard on and first gear engaged, notwithstanding a quarter ton of wine and beer onboard :eek:
but not a drop spilt

zambo

Many makers of diesel engines recommended that diesel engined vehicles should not be parked in gear as if shunted the engine could start,this was certainly true of older engines where fuel cutoff was only activated to stop engine.I don't know about the modern common rail engines but would be interested to find out.I remember seeing an instruction on a ferry some years ago advising that diesels be parked in neutral.
Oh and glad to see you are back safe hope you had a great time.How do French Christmas markets compare to the German ones.

niloc1951

zambo wrote: »

Many makers of diesel engines recommended that diesel engined vehicles should not be parked in gear as if shunted the engine could start,this was certainly true of older engines where fuel cutoff was only activated to stop engine.I don't know about the modern common rail engines but would be interested to find out.I remember seeing an instruction on a ferry some years ago advising that diesels be parked in neutral.
Oh and glad to see you are back safe hope you had a great time.How do French Christmas markets compare to the German ones.

Haven't done the German ones but The Alsace region is very german (small g on purpose) as the area went between German and French rule over the centuries, a lot of the towns and villages have German names.

I believe it was the older diesel engines with mechanical fuel pumps and a 'pull stop' which released the compression to stop the engine were liable to bump start if left in gear. I know of one example of this when a forklift driver known for his speed hit the brakes inside a container and the inertia of his machine moved the truck, enough to start the engine, which proceeded to leave the loading dock to much consternation :eek: the driver had to make a run for the cab to stop the engine