Charged as a campervan on EuroTunnel

Matt&JoyBongling · Post by **Matt&JoyBongling** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:52 pm

We were charged an extra £18 when we booked our rtn. tickets for the Eurotunnel today - because Bongos are now classed as campervans; we have sleeping facilities and a cooker

We used our Tesco vouchers for the crossing and it usually works out to be relatively cheap but will be looking at other options if they take this approach.

moonshine · Post by **moonshine** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:49 pm

Would they still charge the same for an unconverted one?

missfixit70 · Post by **missfixit70** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:55 pm

hide the cooker?

mister munkey · Post by **mister munkey** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:55 pm

Whip the curtains together, zip the blinds down & keep schtuum. . . .

paul9 · Post by **paul9** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:55 am

always book online and put bongo down as high vehicle,never had a problem and never been questioned,travelled about 6/7 times in past 12 months,it use to be vans that were charged extra so we used to book a transit on as a camper because it had a window in the side,doing this we paid less than half the price of a van.

Post by **Muzorewa** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:12 am

paul9 wrote:always book online and put bongo down as high vehicle....

This is what we've done, not travelled yet but not expecting any problems.

On the same subject, we went over the Severn bridge the other day, they checked that we had rear seats otherwise they would have charged us double - what's that all about? What if you had a van and deployed deckchairs in the back as you approached the toll booths?

Matt&JoyBongling · Post by **Matt&JoyBongling** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:28 am

We have a small removable kitchen unit with cupboards - we can disquise it but not hide altogether.

We reserve on line but have to phone and speak to a human when using our Tesco vouchers - they stated that we were the second bongo to book yesterday and that the first one had been regarded as a camper so we are all campers now

. I don't know if the first one was fully converted or whether there internet search to find out about Bongos brought up examples that had been converted.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:14 pm

Matt&JoyBongling wrote:We have a small removable kitchen unit with cupboards - we can disquise it but not hide altogether.

We reserve on line but have to phone and speak to a human when using our Tesco vouchers - they stated that we were the second bongo to book yesterday and that the first one had been regarded as a camper so we are all campers now . I don't know if the first one was fully converted or whether there internet search to find out about Bongos brought up examples that had been converted.

I wonder if that applies to all or just to freetops - they'd have a big arguement and a long queue if they tried to tell me my unconverted 5 seater t/top was a camper.

Interestingly I checked the ET website and cars and vans over 1.85m are now the same price - (lowest £22 single) but campers and minibuses over 1.85m are treated the same (lowest £27 single), length is not asked about or specified just height - so why the discrimination?
Surely if it is the same length and the same height it should be the same price?
I may enquire if I find the time.

paul9 · Post by **paul9** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:34 pm

Muzorewa wrote:
paul9 wrote:always book online and put bongo down as high vehicle....
This is what we've done, not travelled yet but not expecting any problems.

On the same subject, we went over the Severn bridge the other day, they checked that we had rear seats otherwise they would have charged us double - what's that all about? What if you had a van and deployed deckchairs in the back as you approached the toll booths?

i travelled down the M6 TOLL road ,normally pay at automatic barriers,but one time i had no change and had to use pay at kiosk,they tried to charge me £8 same as a van instead of the normal £4,had a right old argument with them,but only ended up paying £4 which is still a ridiculous amount i think.

jone_it · Post by **jone_it** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:26 pm

Norfolk Line seems put such arguments to its logical end. The last week I booked their ferry, they changed name of their cheapest category to "Car/Motorhome not higher than 2.4m". In past it was said something like "Car/High car no higher...". So, now you may be sure about your converted Bongos with them as they apparently decided to avoid this sort of fuzzy discrimination.

Matt&JoyBongling · Post by **Matt&JoyBongling** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:21 pm

I've continued this thread because we are about to book Eurotunnel for our crossing in Feb. and wondered if anyone had been charged an extra fee this Summer as a camper? We will be using Tesco vouchers again and will have to speak to an operator when we confirm our booking. Last time we were charged nearly £20 more because the operator claimed all Bongos are campers. This time we will remove our kitchen unit for the trip.

mikexgough · Post by **mikexgough** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:29 am

I will query this with my Pal.....he works for SeaFrance and all the companies have "insider" knowledge on the complexities of the other companies........

I usually go via Norfolk Line

unless I get a gratis ticket on SeaFrance...

...I know some Bongo's have been charged extra costs over the other side of the channel when returning to Blighty on SeaFrance, the folks have been refunded from the UK and I raised the issue with my Pal who obviously passed this on to the UK & French port staff and now that situation should not occur again.
Also the Eurostar from 1st January next year will be run by SNCF, 55% ownership, the parent company of SeaFrance..... could be interesting.............

mikexgough · Post by **mikexgough** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:31 am

My pal is going to let us have a list of minimum heights, maximum for overheight vehicle heights for all Dover crossings......as well as a guide of "how to book" online.

We discussed at length last night in respect of a Bongo, he said that most people book an over height vehicle but it is not plain on the web bookings as to the next height value and what percentage of increase for the crossing tariff.
He is going to do the same exercise for all Ferry companies and crossings..... He did say that Eurotunnel are changing their tariffs at the moment and the ferries are picking up plenty of their business....

Matt&JoyBongling · Post by **Matt&JoyBongling** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:02 pm

We look forward to hearing the outcome. We only get charged extra because we have to speak to a person when using our Tesco vouchers. If the EuroTunnel rates are going up much more, we will sail over in the future.

GrayRX8 · Post by **GrayRX8** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:25 am

As a complete novice in crossing the water. Can you just drive down to Euro tunnel and pay for the crossing there and then without booking?
And if so what would be the approx cost of this?
Also can you do it the other end on the way back?
Thanx in Advance
Gray.

Charged as a campervan on EuroTunnel

Charged as a campervan on EuroTunnel

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