Hi All,
A bit of advice needed please!
I have a family (Wife, 9month old boy and myself) trip booked on Wednesday.
We are intending to go from Middlewich, Cheshire (Junction 18 of the M6) to Edinburgh.
It's jsomething like 142 miles on the M6 then 48 miles on a Aroad/Motorway road, then 36 miles on a A road, and then obvioulsy a couple miles
either side to get to and from...
We decided to spend Xmas in edinburgh to get away from the family and to have a nice time just the three of us together.
The hotel is already paid for with no chance of refund.
SO:- Is it a stupid idea to be taking a 9 month old baby on a road trip like this in this weather?
Cheers for all opinions...
Stege
I would say that it depends on the weather at the time. Check what it's like in Edinburgh before you set of. It's going to be a long trip regardless because of the volume of traffic. Try an alternative. The road you take at Scotch Corner (A38 or A66 can't remember) is very exposed and is often closed when it snows.
My personal opinion is that its quite dangerous for the baby. but see what the weather is doing before you set off.
Not at all, I've been working all over the country where the snow is bad and where it isn't.
Part of the problem is the media over reacting and over hyping.
No - 233 miles should be your limit
I wouldnt want to get stuck in traffic on motorway with a 9 month old - I don't think it's dangerous to drive it but there seems to be quite a few times people have had to abandon cars recently.
Just make sure you are properly prepared with enough warm clothes, perhaps a little camping stove for making warm drinks etc, a shovel etc.... so if you do get stuck you can look after yourself and the sprog!
What about the train?
If it was adults only travelling then I'd be happer to give it a go. Having a little one whose just turned 1 I'd be more concerned mainly
due to the rule of SOD. No matter how prepared you are you need to factor in the things you have no control over and then think how you'd manage
with a 9 month old.
Please don't think I'm being negative, just think through a few situations that might happen like a break down and if you have a good
contingency each one go for it. Main thin is for your wife to be as happy to travel as you are as the last thing you want is a festive barney in the
car.
Whatever you decide have a good Christmas.
the motorways will be your biggest problem, edinburgh isn't that bad unless your going down the wee roads they don't bother to clear (as Mango...)
I suppose a couple of considerations.
What car are going in???
Is it a 4x4???
How good/confident are you in snow???
And last but not least, if its something you have had planned/been looking forward to for a while, then I would say go for it, I would!!!
It may, just may, be worth beg/borrow/steal a set of snowchains, that way you won't be needing them (see earlier reference to the rules of
SOD)
And yes, make sure you have stuff in the car, really it is just common sense, but plenty of blankets etc just in case, as well as a flask or two.
I recently did a jaunt with a couple of other cars around Scotland. One of the other chaps is unwell, and has pressure on his back when sitting, so
finds a hot water bottle useful. Every time we stopped, the places had no problem filling it with boiling water when asked, so that is an idea too.
But I guess the obvious thing is to keep an eye on the forecast, if it looks liek it will be bad, think extra carefully, but it is your (or
SWMBO's) decision.
If car is rear wheel drive & front engine I would forget it - far too easy to finish up stuck!
Other than that I'd say as long as you're well prepared, full tank of fuel & food/drinks/blankets/shovel etc with you, mobile phones
fully charged etc you should be fine
Golf V6 4Motion
Scootz has kindly offered to give me a shout via U2U weather wise from the Edinburgh side closer to the time, hopefully tomorrow.
I'm aware of stuff I'd have to pack should I get stuck. We have 4 or 5 flasks that can keep water hot for 24 hrs, and a dozen fleece
blankets etc, so with a full tank of fuel I should be able to keep us all warm. The only thing the baby needs to get through a day is two parents to
shower him with attention...
I feel relatively confident about it to be honest, but pride always comes before a fall...
Where can I get snow chains from? I honestly only thought they were available in Norway, which to be honest is quite far from here 
I am in Morpeth - Northumberland.
Yesterday afternoon we had 8" of snow in about 3-4 hours , the town centre had a major powercut taking out all the traffic lights. cars trying to
avoid Morpeth town centre continued north on the A1 and used the north slip road, this soon gridlocked and caused standing traffic on the A1 -
Whiteout conditions with stranded/stuck cars everywhere.
I drive a Lada Niva (yes Lada) which copes well with the snow, only because of this have I managed to recover the wifes Focus back home, and remain
mobile.
This morning the A1 was very slow moving north & south. I have used the minor backroads to get the wife to work , taking me approximately an hour
to do 17 miles.
I dragged a BMW out of a ditch yesterday afternoon on a treated road, then last night picked up a family wearing crap clothing pushing a buggy and
carrying another child on a rural back road, walking home having abandoned their car in the town centre.
The current forecast is very sketchy, I would assume this chaos will continue, so unless you drive a Lada or a Unimog , I wouldnt look to travel !
If the forecast is giving settled weather, consider that anywhere on your route this can changed rapidly, leaving you stuck with your family somewhere
unpleasant.
Once you leave your home patch, you have no local road knowledge and are committed to major routes, which quickly come to a stop.
[Edited on 20/12/10 by T66]
M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine, A roads haven't been up here. no way of saying what the weather will be like then,
might be perfectly clear. i'm driving down to nottingham on xmas eve so hope thats the case
As all previously said reaaly, make sure your car is in tip top condition, take plenty of provisions- warm clothes food shovel etc. Allow loads of
time for your journey, keep to main roads, make sure you have a fully charged mobile phone have a great time
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
Where can I get snow chains from? I honestly only thought they were available in Norway, which to be honest is quite far from here
defrost fingers, correct size and fitted in 5 mins
You probably wouldn't get anywhere on snow chains anyway. You would be constantly taking them on and off. They just don't work unless you
have complete coverage of snow.
I live in Lincolnshire and we have had more snow (now mostly gone) than I have ever seen in Lincoln. Literally 2ft worth. I drive a Mk 4 Golf GT TDI
with barely legal front tyres (now changed) and I have not been stuck at all. Driving style is the most important. Go slow, scan the road ahead,
some corners on back roads 20mph is to fast. There is nothing more cheering than tootling past some people stuck at the edge of the road in their 4x4
in a Golf GTI.
If I was you I would leave plenty of time for the journey, take some warm cloths and snacks. Possibly a shovel. Make sure you don't let your
car get below half a tank of fuel. However it has been worked out that my golf can be left at idle for 7days on a full tank without running out of
fuel. Probably less with the heaters going.
another vote for the train here
We got a dumping of the white stuff again yesterday Steve.
Not as bad as last time, but probably still 8cm or so. Hard to say if it's going to last... nice bright sunshine out there, but still pretty
damn cold!
As others have said, the biggest concern is probably the main roads up... it just takes a couple of wagons to get stuck and no-ones going anywhere for
a while!
I'll give you an update later tonight and tomorrow morning!
Possibly a better solution than chains are snow socks
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-Go-Tex-Snow-Socks/dp/B004EF3DG0/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1292844861&sr=1-2
As already said, if your car is rear wheel drive then forget it.
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine,
quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
I would say that it depends on the weather at the time. Check what it's like in Edinburgh before you set of. It's going to be a long trip regardless because of the volume of traffic. Try an alternative. The road you take at Scotch Corner (A38 or A66 can't remember) is very exposed and is often closed when it snows.
Right, just changed my "slicks" for four brand new Goodyears and even in the ice here it feels a lot better (Yeah, I know that's a
pretty obvious statement as I was on the TWI's on goodyear eagles).
Cheers Scootz for the update.
I'm also going to pack what I'd consider essential for camping out in the car for a couple of nights with a baby, in case the worst does
happen.
I'm keen on going if I was being totally honest, but I don't want to be a risk taker where the baby is concerned.
The ironic thing is, the clothes, blankets and food are stuff we are actually packing because of where we're going and stuff we'll be doing
there! So not actually packing stuff that's not needed (albeit, maybe taking 10 fleece blankets instead of 2!)
Thanks for the advice so far - please keep it coming!
At the end of the day, the decision to go will be based on the weather on Wed morning. We'll be setting off early and we're in no rush etc.
Will have TomTom satnav that I have quite a bit of faith in, so if I need to get odd the motorways etc, then that should allow me to continue without
the local knowledge as pointed out above.
Cheers,
Steve
Provided you have all the provisions you need then travelling with a 9 month baby shouldn't be too bad even if you do get held up for a while.
Older kids then absolutely not, they'd drive you insane very quickly if stuck in the car for too long! You also have the benefit of AWD on the
Golf which should keep you going further than most.
Alternatively you could just stock up at home, lock the door unplug the landline and make like you went to Edinburgh anyway. If the family
come-a-knockin' just hide behind the sofa 
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine,
Really?? I was stuck for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS on the M1 on Saturday.
Google says my route is this:-
3.8 miles from my door to the M6
142 miles on the M6
48 miles on the A74(M)
38 miles on the A702/A73
1.9 mile to Hotel
Total 234 Miles @ 4 hrs 17 mins
Having spent my whole life in a country that has snow all winter, every winter and having travelled 200 miles on most weekends to our cottage for over
25 years I can give you a few hints on what you need (there were 1 then two small children on each trip).
1) this one you don't hear, an old coffee can or similar which can hold a burning candle for warmth. If stuck run the engine no more than 10 min
and hour for warmth, make sure the exhasut pipe is clear of snow.
2) a small plastic shovel will dig you out of snow, a good pair of warm gloves or mittens, and warm head gear keep the extremties warm while trying to
solve the problem.
3) a nylon tow rope, and know were to afix it if a Rangee should show up.
4) chocolate bars and water (as well as the babies food) some warm tea in a thermos prepared just before leaving.
5) all of this (except the thermos and shovel) can be placed in a small overnight bag or similar and left in the car for the winter.
Hope this helps.
38 miles on the A702/A73 avoid this part of the route and go all the way to glasgow motherwell then come back on the m8
I went Blackpool to London (beckenham) on thursday - 273 miles.
I drove back overnight last night - took 6.5 hours (9:15pm to 3:45am). (patchy freezing fog most of the way, Ice lumps on the M1 close to London -
all 3 lanes.
One piece of advice I would like to add to all the other - completely fill your washer bottle with concentrated fluid - not that 'ready
mixed' stuff I topped off the bottle with for the return journey - BIG mistake - the jets packed up soon after getting on the M1. - I ended up
having to keep stopping to clear the screen / mirrors / etc. The side windows even froze INSIDE the car!
Being able to use your washers is absolutely vital the salt spray covers your windscreen very quickly - and the motorways were almost empty
most of the way. (ie you will probably encounter a lot more traffic than I did).
Of course, your car may be fitted with a heated washer bottle, etc?
Good luck!
quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
38 miles on the A702/A73 avoid this part of the route and go all the way to glasgow motherwell then come back on the m8
Some may even say it's faster!
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
M6, M74, M8 would be my advice. motorways should be fine,
Really?? I was stuck for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS on the M1 on Saturday.
from what i've seen the motorways are better maintained and gritted than the A roads.
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Some may even say it's faster!
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
Google says my route is this:-
3.8 miles from my door to the M6
142 miles on the M6
48 miles on the A74(M)
38 miles on the A702/A73
1.9 mile to Hotel
Total 234 Miles @ 4 hrs 17 mins
the A702 is only a 2 lane road (1 each way) and quite hilly. going up to glasgow and taking the M8 across, as i said before will only add about 15
minutes to the journey time, and is all motorway then, 2 ro 3 lanes each way, easier to pass if anyone has become stuck.
the M8 was closed for about 2 days, but that was when the first lot of snow came as a bit of a surprise
I'd definitely go via M8,a bit longer but a lot safer !
Hasn't snowed any more up this way, so the roads are pretty much clear at present.
quote:
Originally posted by stevegough
I went Blackpool to London (beckenham) on thursday - 273 miles.
I drove back overnight last night - took 6.5 hours (9:15pm to 3:45am). (patchy freezing fog most of the way, Ice lumps on the M1 close to London - all 3 lanes.
One piece of advice I would like to add to all the other - completely fill your washer bottle with concentrated fluid - not that 'ready mixed' stuff I topped off the bottle with for the return journey - BIG mistake - the jets packed up soon after getting on the M1. - I ended up having to keep stopping to clear the screen / mirrors / etc. The side windows even froze INSIDE the car!
Being able to use your washers is absolutely vital the salt spray covers your windscreen very quickly - and the motorways were almost empty most of the way. (ie you will probably encounter a lot more traffic than I did).
Of course, your car may be fitted with a heated washer bottle, etc?
Good luck!
quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
Slightly O/T. but how difficult would it be to plumb in a take-off from the engine cooling system and run a pipe (say overflow pipe size) to and round the washer bottle then back into the system? Even if the flow is not huge it would probably warm up enough to melt frozen washer fluid? I s'pose you might still have an issue with the washer jets and tubing, but you could run the pipe (as above) alongside the washer tubing as well as the bottle?
If it worked, it would be relatively locost as well, in the spirit of this forum
ETA You could run it from the heater tubing and even fit a valve so it was not unnecessarily heating the bottle in the summer
[Edited on 21.12.2010 by Humbug]
quote:
Originally posted by stevegough
quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
Slightly O/T. but how difficult would it be to plumb in a take-off from the engine cooling system and run a pipe (say overflow pipe size) to and round the washer bottle then back into the system? Even if the flow is not huge it would probably warm up enough to melt frozen washer fluid? I s'pose you might still have an issue with the washer jets and tubing, but you could run the pipe (as above) alongside the washer tubing as well as the bottle?
If it worked, it would be relatively locost as well, in the spirit of this forum
ETA You could run it from the heater tubing and even fit a valve so it was not unnecessarily heating the bottle in the summer
[Edited on 21.12.2010 by Humbug]
Yes, sounds easy now after the event! But modifying a locost is straightforward - not so easy to do under a tin-top bonnet - and definitely not easy this weather - can't get it in the garage - full of kit car, trailer and cabin bed project for the grand-daughter!
BTW, I see you aren't far from Beckenham, Humbug!
Sorry about the divert from the thread, Steve H!
use this golf ......it comes with a snow plow attached
The car is packed!!!
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
The car is packed!!!
quote:
Originally posted by McLannahan
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
The car is packed!!!
Cheeses. Must have had a big case to pack the car in?
Morning Steve!
Again, no more snow up here, but it's -10 and there's thick freezing-fog. Visibility is down to about 100m out this way.
And right on cue... it's started snowing!
Bright sunshine in sunny Blackpool today!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
And right on cue... it's started snowing!
Well, we made it safe and sound!
When I looked out the window at half six I was a not gutted as we'd hadat least 6inches of snow ovwrnoght, that must be a record for
middlewich!
It was a relatively taxing journey though, took a bit of concentration. We left at 7.30, stopped twice due to baby stuff which totalled well over an
hour and we were In the hotel reception by 12.30!
I emptied the washer resevoir and filled with neat washer concentrste and it srill froze up/over twice on the trip!
Thank you everyone for tgoughts and advice!
Steve
Well done, Steve - have a good 'un!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpsphotos/5277275178/in/pool-26918251@N00#/photos/bpsphotos/5277275178/in/pool-26918251@N00/lightbox/
[Edited on 30-12-10 by mangogrooveworkshop]
Nice set of piccys!