St Gotthard Nightmare

I bought a ten year old caravan to try out and set off for Greece!

All went well until, on the way back to the ferry in Patras, we had a puncture. The caravan tyre was shredded. So this novice discovered the following:

a. You can't get a jack under a caravan with a puncture.

b. Tyres may look OK but if they are as old as the caravan (10 years) look out!

Anyway I got over the problem somehow and caught the ferry.

Then there was the second puncture - in the St Gottahrd Tunnel.

We limped into a laybye and phoned the rescue service from the refuge.

A very nice chap arrived but he spoke no known language and couldn't get the caravan onto his low loader. (see 'a' above) So he took me and the tyre to his depot

leaving my claustrophobic wife and our dogs in the car.

For an hour and a half.

Eventually, he found a car tyre to fit and we got under way gingerly and two hundred and twenty two euros lighter!

Spent the next two days searching Alsace for caravan tyres of the old size.

So don't ignore your tyres. Make sure you know how old they are!

We have a new caravan now and might do the trip again one day.