Driving to France for skiing trip

[sp218]

No, Maggi Trak Sport.

Did consider Thule K-Summit and heard equally good things about it, but Maggi was much cheaper with a promotion at the time and also came with the right size without having to fiddle / remove bits of the chains initially.

 

[MicB]

As an aside......we went to the Alps in an Audi A4 Avant 3 litres TDi shod with cold weather Vredesteins.

On the return journey whilst still in Italy (Saturday 21.03.15) the rear nearside went bang whilst in a tunnel and alongside an articulated truck.......no drama. Inside tyre wall was split for more than 100mm.......tyre had done about 1000 miles.

Change wheel to a ''space saving'' get you home 50mph wheel/tyre with over 700 miles to go. We could not find a tyre depot in Italy open, nowhere in France either although the chances of finding an outlet with the correct size of tyre was undoubtedly slim.

Plan B......drive home on the space saver at 70mph on the autoroute on the basis of a reasonable built in fos for straight line non lateral loading of the tyre/rim.

Journey time longer than planned but manageable having left Champoluc at 09.00 hrs. we were on the M40 dropping down through the Stokenchurch/Chiltern cutting at about midnight and guess what?.......front offside Vredestein blows. We did not want to park on the hard shoulder for our own safety so limped to an area coned off for signage replacement by which time there was no tyre left on the rim.

Breakdown services called and home in bed by 02.30 hrs. Sunday.

The spacesaver held up well.

Mic