160bhp to 198bhp

[Byronic]

i agree with ***** . dont use toll roads . no motorways and dont use the duall carriage way if the old road is still there. thats how we travel abroad. cant always do it. but i like visiting all the old villages how long does it take to get there ?how long have you got. look for interesting local items ,buildings parks soak up the history and culture. make some new friends. this is what m,homing is really about. no destination just a journey. (loosely).have a nice day .cheers alan

In my experience much depends on the season. After 20 years of heading to the costas oct/nov and homebound mar/apr,I find France and inland Spain invariably too cold.It's always my intention to take more time (even so I take at least 2 weeks each way)but thoughts of warm costa sunshine compel me to get a move on.
With a top speed of 63 mph I get plenty of time to admire the scenery!!
Some campers of course cut France out altogether and ship out to Santander/Bilbao, mention no names!

 

[vwalan]

hello thats me. france is definately too cold and wet in nov . and too costly in fuel . its far cheaper for me to go just up the road and catch ferry be in spain tomorrow than 350ml to dover then drive through france. i reckon on saving 250 quid going direct to spain. .if i catch a ferry plymouth to brittany i spend even more. shame as france is very nice . have spent many visits there. and yes inland spain is very snowy. anyway having years ago re chipped a passat gti motor i fitted in a volkswagen t25 . i can say it went well .but still lacked low down torque. you cant beat a big diesel just pulls for ever. i dont have the urge to drive mine fast anyway . i like going around at about 30mph looking around . pull in and let others pass . also you miss all the nuts and bolts by the roadside if you go fast. never know what you will find . cheers alan.

 

[Byronic]

hello thats me. france is definately too cold and wet in nov . and too costly in fuel . its far cheaper for me to go just up the road and catch ferry be in spain tomorrow than 350ml to dover then drive through france. i reckon on saving 250 quid going direct to spain. .if i catch a ferry plymouth to brittany i spend even more. shame as france is very nice . have spent many visits there. and yes inland spain is very snowy. anyway having years ago re chipped a passat gti motor i fitted in a volkswagen t25 . i can say it went well .but still lacked low down torque. you cant beat a big diesel just pulls for ever. i dont have the urge to drive mine fast anyway . i like going around at about 30mph looking around . pull in and let others pass . also you miss all the nuts and bolts by the roadside if you go fast. never know what you will find . cheers alan.[/QUOTE
Given your conditions I would do exactly the same as you do, in fact I have used the Spain shortcut myself several times, but all things considered including being relatively close to Dover, I have reverted to crossing to Calais or Dunkerque.

 

[MrRob]

back road stress

In my experience it is exactly the pottering about on back roads, with the constant up and down the gears, more frequent acceleration and braking over less well maintained, twisty roads with more hazards to lookout for that are more waring on me and the van.

Its also these stop-start journeys where the tuning box is most beneficial, both in the driving experience (less engine noise, quicker response and less gear changes) and fuel economy.

I suppose there is not much to be saved at a constant high speed on the motorway.

So, has anyone had any real problems resulting from increasing the power in the latest 3.0L Fiat / Iveco with a tuning box or re-map?

Oh and Tunit offer up to 3 years driveline warranty if your worried