Hampton Caught
15th August 2008, 12:26
Returned home in the early hours of Tuesday morning having driven 980 miles over 2.5 weeks in France (3 nights at Dol de Bretagne in Brittany followed by 2 weeks at Le Fenouiller in the Vendee) with Mrs Caught, the two little Caughts (Caughtlettes?), the ZT-T, 4 bikes on the roof and a caravan on the rear.
Highlights included brief dual carriageway blasts at 122 kph (75/76mph) with the 'van and bikes on board where this was legal, scuba diving in a swimming pool and canoeing along some canals (the latter two, not whilst I was driving ;)).
At the other end of the spectrum was setting up the caravan on a boggy pitch in a VERY heavy and sustained rainstorm trying to locate the caravan in a good position for the fortnight... whilst getting soaked. It took three days to dry out and my daughter eventually came out of the car and complained at the 'horrible, fishy smell'. Ah, that'll be the clutch, then :o.
It's the first time I've been on a large site (300+ pitches) where mine was the only MGR product for the 2 weeks (apart form a T Reg Discovery). Shows that MGR cars are being replaced with inferior boring boxes, which is a sad reflection of the situation, really!
The Grayston Spring Assisters made a positive difference, considering we were heavily loaded, the car was very stable in cross winds and at motorway speeds. It's just the clutch which lets the towing package down for me. The engine is too easy to stall when attempting even a moderate hill start and the clutch doesn't inspire confidence.
Haven't done a fuel consumption calculation and am unsure I've got all the receipts to hand to do that anyway.
Overall, though, the MG's impressed me as a shed-tugger again. Marvellous.
Steve
Highlights included brief dual carriageway blasts at 122 kph (75/76mph) with the 'van and bikes on board where this was legal, scuba diving in a swimming pool and canoeing along some canals (the latter two, not whilst I was driving ;)).
At the other end of the spectrum was setting up the caravan on a boggy pitch in a VERY heavy and sustained rainstorm trying to locate the caravan in a good position for the fortnight... whilst getting soaked. It took three days to dry out and my daughter eventually came out of the car and complained at the 'horrible, fishy smell'. Ah, that'll be the clutch, then :o.
It's the first time I've been on a large site (300+ pitches) where mine was the only MGR product for the 2 weeks (apart form a T Reg Discovery). Shows that MGR cars are being replaced with inferior boring boxes, which is a sad reflection of the situation, really!
The Grayston Spring Assisters made a positive difference, considering we were heavily loaded, the car was very stable in cross winds and at motorway speeds. It's just the clutch which lets the towing package down for me. The engine is too easy to stall when attempting even a moderate hill start and the clutch doesn't inspire confidence.
Haven't done a fuel consumption calculation and am unsure I've got all the receipts to hand to do that anyway.
Overall, though, the MG's impressed me as a shed-tugger again. Marvellous.
Steve