Spanish Holiday

[Cooler]

As you boys have a wealth of experience with you i was just wondering what things you'd checks you would do before setting off and what items you would take with you in order for you to feel relatively at ease when taking a long jaunt away. i have a friend who has a villa in spain pretty much next to alicante and within the next couple of months i'm thinking of going away for a few weeks exploring the country. my first big step abroad as i have never driven abroad before, so dont really know what to expect. should be nice to have some time off, and i have always wanted to travel all the way down to the south of spain across to morrocco and right round the med. not really a good idea at the moment of course. but i'm really thinking of just going down and exploring. shouldnt really be any trouble with the truck should there?

[4 Runner]

I am going to Spain in June to do some offroading in the Ebro valley

This is the sort extra kit I take when I go offroading in Spain

Headlight Deflectors
Auxiliary Drive Belts
Coolant Hoses
Fuses
Fire extinguisher
Bulb Kit
Warning Triangle 2 if you have got them
Hi- Vis vest 1 for each person in vehicle
Wiper blade
Window cleaner
Spare keys

[VidaMusic]

I did this a couple yrs ago in my M3 Vert. Down to St Tropez for a night then coast all the way to Torrevieja (which is prob where your going)? Where is the villa? My unc's is in Quesada...

4000 mile round trip mate. #### easy driving abroad, all those miles it makes it weird when you get back to UK!

Excellent trip tho

[slobodan]

What 4Runner says + a couple of cans of Holts tyre weld.
I always take oil and water as well. And radweld (I know it's the devil, but it may get you home)
Do all your filters before you go.
Different denomination Euro notes placed in different pockets for bribing police etc.
Condoms, some of them Spanish girlies are suspect.
Sun cream and a good hat.
A good socket set and some hand tools may come in handy.

[Cooler]

the villa is in a place called la marina 15mins south of alicante. now i would rather drive and stop maybe in france then make my way down the rest of the way. cheers for the advice on stuff to take. i'm going through the truck now. its stripped to the basic minimum as its going to be sprayed with my halp by a local lad who spray rally cars. so the bodywork will be mint when finished. then im going to start on the underneath. need to find out why the lsd is not working and i'm getting a vibration when driving from 55 and above. not sure what from but i did buy a uj from roughtrax but the grease nipple is in an impossible place to grease so i need to replace it. going to change the oils and filters. got a snorkel and hopefully new k and n to put on too. going to pump up the muds to max as well. any help with mpg i can get which is why i have not put the light bar on. need a good sat nav as well. anyone know what the restrictions on how much diesel you can carry with you on ferries or channel tunnel. might seem like a daft question?!

[wishbone]

Ferries don't allow any jerry cans, full or empty.

The main thing to sort out for a trip to Spain is the cooling system. The roads I took through the Pyrenees really pushed my 2.4..

I'd recommend a cooler of some sort to keep drinks cold.

I visited friends near Granada and took an oil filter and air filter. Bought oil locally (Carrefour) and did a service before my return trip.

[Overland Tonka]

All the above plus get yourself to Tarifa and then into Tangier... You will be fine. It's a great place to drive around. Atlas mountains..simply beautiful! Off to there soon myself to give the truck and equipment a shake down just prior to a bigger middle east trip. Have fun either way..

[Sancho]

Ferries don't allow any jerry cans, full or empty.

You can take as much vegetable oil as you like though!

[slobodan]

Ferries don't allow any jerry cans, full or empty.

Is that gospel?

[wishbone]

Is that gospel?

I didn't sing it in any style tbh. (budumm tish)

Every time I've been across the thing they give you that hangs on your mirror says no fuel cannisters, no gas bottles etc. They allow 'permanently' installed gas bottles like the ones in mobile homes / caravans but no loose ones.

I 'install' my camping gaz bottle in a box with the rest of my camping gear.

I haven't been across with seafrance but assume it's EU regulations so they'd all be the same.

Have you been listening to the Vaccines recently?

Rob.

Edit - Seafrance says no spare fuel cannisters on private vehicles too.

[Apache]

Wouldn't worry about fuel cans. You're never really that far from garages. Loads down through France, and major routes in Spain.

[s car go]

P & O ferries have no problem with carrying fuel cans,and or Gas cylinders/LPG powered cars!!
I now always book P & O as I've found Sea France to have a poor attitude,if you arrive late or early they will charge you extra!! P & O just get you on. I've missed my ferry two years running the previous Christmas's due to all the snow we've had,arrived last year 4 hours late,just put on next sailing!!!

If your route passes via the A20 I'm 40 miles north of Limoges (400 miles from Calias) you're welcome to stop for some cold beer and a Bar- be,as is any one here!!!

Bon Courage

Mark

[Cooler]

sounds like a plan. i havent quite figured out the route to take yet. more planning needed. looking at ferry prices. still trying to work out the kinks in the truck first. been looking at this ali radiator. what do you think about this rad?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hilux-surf-KZN...item5d2d1f62e2

[biosurf]

You can take as much vegetable oil as you like though!

Not sure thats true actually. I'm pretty sure that France technically wont allow it as they have different laws around untaxed fuel.
IIRC theres been cases or brits having their containers of veg seized at customs.
May well be different in spain

I still take it though.

[Ambobeer]

I know a chap who used to run to Itally and back in his HGV on red diesel.

He will testify to the fact that they do have to pay duty. Especially after he was arrested at gun point and then given a good kicking in the cells.

Mind, that was on the way back.

He was caught on the way down and told "You must stay here until the duty money is paid". He told them it was on it's way from Blighty and they told him to park up by the cop shop until it arrived. Once all the offce lights went out that night, he did a runner. Silly boy!