How suitable is a LWB high top van for the Lake District?

shaunlfc1

Hi all,

I along with 9 friends are hiring a cottage in Staveley in August for a weeks biking holiday and we only have bike racks to bring the bikes up from Sussex. These are all well and good, but they are a hassle etc... etc...

So I am looking to hire a van, but a colleague of mine has offered to lend his Iveco LWB high top van for the week for a crate of beer which I am very keen to take him up on. But the worry I have with such a big van is how easy it will be too park near the starts of the rides we intend to do. Majority of the XC routes we intend to do are the ones published and reviewed in MBR

Basically we intend to do the following:

Grizedale
Whinlatter
Garburn Pass
Nan Bield
Hellevelyn
Plus a few others I cant remember at the moment. :-)

The problem I can see with the Lake District being predominantly small villages and quaint AONB is the van might be too big to park at the trail centres, or at the intended start points of these famous rides/routes, and I dont want to end up parking it in the bigger town 5 miles away just because its too big.

So basically can any one with good Lakes knowledge tell me what rides/routes I will struggle to park near?

Cheers all for all your help much appreciated.

Shaun

BigJimmyB

I think trail centers might accommodate the height, but normal carparks have a max headroom of 6' - 6'.6" to stop large commercials using them.

Widthwise you should be OK.

TommyEss

We got over Hardknott Pass in a 16 seat minibus - think it was the Mercedes version like a transit.

So if you're worried about tight and twisty - yes - it's not easy - but it's doable.

The police were also able to squeeze past us on the hunt for Paul Bird (Yes - we came uncomfortably close completely by accident!)

BigJimmyB

Who's Paul Bird?

TommyEss

That guy who recently shot loads of people in Cumbria.

largephil

You mean Derrik?

Back O.T. grizdale and Winlatter have nice car parks for the van, not sure about the other places though. I'm sure the van will be fine.

TommyEss

Oops - yep - I know a Paul Bird from somewhere completely different - Anyway - my main point was, going back on topic - that our driver managed to get a big van up and over the steepest road in the country - so you should be ok with any van round the Lakes - though it can be a bit tight in places!

shaunlfc1

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies much appreciated.

Its not the driving that bothers me, its the parking of the thing near the start/finish of our loops, due to height restrictions and other issues like vans bigger then a Vito are not welcome etc... etc... in such small village car parks etc....

I didnt want to take a van that makes carrying the bikes and storing them very stress free but turns into a chocolate teapot in every location in the Lakes interms of parking near our riding start points.

Cheers again.....

solsurf

Staveley itself has the wheelbase car park with loads of parking so thats not a problem, I dont think you'll find many problems in the lakes.