My coming holiday trip to Germany with my trike and caravan.

Joined
Sep 16, 2018
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Netherlands
Last year I went to Germany to visit some people in Germany that I learned to know trough a wattsapp group and YouTube.

This year I go to the caravan meating.
Here a video from someone that was there last year.
It was the first time that there was a meating.
This year it will be a lot bigger. There are already over 70 caravans and more will come. Some are still working on their caravan.

Most caravans are diy.
Some have also a fit trike/quad.

I will be the only Dutch caravan owner that will be there and for what I know, also be the one with the longest trip.

But now I have a dilemma. I leace around August 22 or maybe a day earlier.
My goal was, to be home ad september 11. But now I am asked to ride bake to the north of Germany with someone that I visited last year.
So I will probably be ad least 1 week longer away from home.
But I have also a wading anniversary. People I know are 50 years married.
It would be the 12th, but they moved the party one day. Knowing how I cm and home last year, I don't think that I would fit enough to be there.
So I think that, if possible, I extend my trip with one extra week.

Traveling with a caravan behind my trike trough Germany and meating up with many people I know from a German forum and the wattsapp groups I am in. The freedom it gives, is just great. I can't wait to go.

This week I will do a few test runs with my caravan. I will ad mkrd weight than I do on my trip. Just to see how my caravan and Trike hold it up. I then also check my distance on my batteries. This makes how far i will travel each day.

Only have to solder 3 wires in my caravan and finish a few extension cables and I am ready.

Building a Trike and caravan is the best thing I ever did. As you like to travel with your trike and don't mind to stay ad a camping, build a caravan. It is comfort and a lot of fun.
Don't do it as you don't like the attention, because you will get a lot of attention. Many people will look ad you and ask questions.
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2021
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87
Location
Canada
Last year I went to Germany to visit some people in Germany that I learned to know trough a wattsapp group and YouTube.

This year I go to the caravan meating.
Here a video from someone that was there last year.
It was the first time that there was a meating.
This year it will be a lot bigger. There are already over 70 caravans and more will come. Some are still working on their caravan.

Most caravans are diy.
Some have also a fit trike/quad.

I will be the only Dutch caravan owner that will be there and for what I know, also be the one with the longest trip.

But now I have a dilemma. I leace around August 22 or maybe a day earlier.
My goal was, to be home ad september 11. But now I am asked to ride bake to the north of Germany with someone that I visited last year.
So I will probably be ad least 1 week longer away from home.
But I have also a wading anniversary. People I know are 50 years married.
It would be the 12th, but they moved the party one day. Knowing how I cm and home last year, I don't think that I would fit enough to be there.
So I think that, if possible, I extend my trip with one extra week.

Traveling with a caravan behind my trike trough Germany and meating up with many people I know from a German forum and the wattsapp groups I am in. The freedom it gives, is just great. I can't wait to go.

This week I will do a few test runs with my caravan. I will ad mkrd weight than I do on my trip. Just to see how my caravan and Trike hold it up. I then also check my distance on my batteries. This makes how far i will travel each day.

Only have to solder 3 wires in my caravan and finish a few extension cables and I am ready.

Building a Trike and caravan is the best thing I ever did. As you like to travel with your trike and don't mind to stay ad a camping, build a caravan. It is comfort and a lot of fun.
Don't do it as you don't like the attention, because you will get a lot of attention. Many people will look ad you and ask questions.
This looks like good fun. Have a great holiday.
Cheers
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Messages
1,358
Location
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Caravan is ready. More stave and is now hanging level behind.
This week or coming week I will do my first test rides.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
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712
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Vilvoorde / Flanders / Belgium
Good question.
I would bike the distance, without a "wohnwagen". My wife would be driving the support car, with the camping and "repair stuff".
We have a complete basecamp-tent from the medival events, and a mobile kitchen to match. We can "cater" to 10-15 people.
Disadvantage are setup time and the amount of people needed to do that.
Also, it's rather "strange" to have that tent/camp on a normal camping.
 
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You need to contact the organizer if you want to camp. He organized the field and you need to contact him to get a place to camp.
It is cheap. 5 euro's a night and as you stay longer or arive earlier, you can stay for 10 euros a night.

But as it goes next year as it goes now, than I expect that it will be organized on an even bigger camp side. The limit is almost reached for what I heared. The camp side is filled with caravans.
 
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Starting to plan my route in the coming week.
Camping in Germany is cheap, so I camp every day. Is easier than wild camping.
I travel first to Berlin. I will camp outside Berlin and use public transportation to visit the city.
I stay there for 2 or 3 days.
After that I travel to the meeting.
To Berlin us about 650km and to the meeting about 250km.after that 550km from the meeting back home. So enough traveling.
Along the way, I will probably visit some caravan owners.

This is the map zoomed out. As I zoom in, more pop up and this is one wattsapp group.

Bicycle caravans are popular in Germany.
 
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First test ride went very well.
Range is good and better than I expected.
Tomorrow a second test and a checkup on the caravan.
 
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First day 130km. It went well till it got hot. I lest home early and I am happy I did. That made that I did most before the afternoon where it was so hot, that I was happy to arrive ad the camp side.
Day 2 I stopped early. I only did 15km. I diceded to stop and take a day rest.
Day 3 was, 100km and the last 20km where heavy. Motor got hot mainly because of the temperature and the sun burning on it.
I decided to stay ad the campside till the temperature goes down. This Friday, the temperature goes down, so I will do a trip from 54km. So now some rest and staying out the sun.
 
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Feb 7, 2008
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Nottinghamshire England
Emiel

Over halfway to Berlin well done.

Paul
 
Joined
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Vilvoorde / Flanders / Belgium
Normaly I use Grey Ghost for commuting, but yesterday (wednesday) I had real troubles getting home, and that's only a 18km stretch (asthma acting up, seriously). Today I blasfemed, and used my wifes motorscooter.

So Emiel, I feel your burden, and hope riding will be a lot more agreeable later on.
 
Joined
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Today I ride 95km. Leaving in a few minutes.
Then I am close where I meet up with 2 other people with a bicycle caravan.
We will ride together.

Yesterday was 54km, but it seems Germany only knows the way up and not down a hill. The climbing ad some paces was like riding against a wall.
And the roads are terrible. Very bad quality and cycle pads just stop, or change into side walks.

Today more going down than up.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,574
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Yesterday was 54km, but it seems Germany only knows the way up and not down a hill. The climbing ad some paces was like riding against a wall.
And the roads are terrible. Very bad quality and cycle pads just stop, or change into side walks.
Today more going down than up.
Good mileage again hope you are enjoying it we are envious.
least they have some cycle paths for you to complain about !

Paul
 
Joined
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I did now around 90km. Tomorrow 106 and I will have about 13 to1400km as I get home.

I visit one of the people from the wattsapp group I am in on my way back. Today was my first day on my way back home.

I will link some videos as I am home. Internet isn't great out here.

I have seen some great caravans.
Als a lot of Trikes.

Roads in Germany are bad. It is just crazy, also the traffic rules. They have for everything a rule.

As I get back I will be able to write more.
 
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Today was hard. 6 extreme climbs. The Germans go straight up a hill and don't think about it, that someone needs to get up there. I was lucky, it was up to 10%. The way down I had 15%. Just crazy.
Tomorrow again, but less extreme climbs as I can see. Again about 80+ km.
Without a caravan it is better, but I am pulling a caravan with a tiny 250w motor that isn't made for it.
A Trike isn't the best on climbing hills, but with a caravan, this gers even worse.

But I made it.

They want cyclists on the side walk. Just crazy. It is very narrow, people walk there and everywhere there are obstacles. Not only that, as you get out your front door, a cyclist will probably kill you before you are fully out of your house.

Rules every where, it is insane. The only thing is, they never tell you when a cycle lane stops, it just stops and you drive in between trucks and cars.
Luckily they give you lots of space, but it is crazy.
I thought that I was on a highway today, but I wasn't. It was the road to it and I had to follow a part of that road.

As a Dutch guy, this is crazy.

Cars need to give a cyclist 1,5m space as they pass you. They even do that. Must say, don't wear a helmet, else it will be 1,5cm.
It is safer without a helmet, than with.

I will be back this Friday as everything goes well. 325km to go.
Saturday a arty and Sunday finally some rest I hope. 😂

So much to tell.

My trike holds it. Chain broke and an m8 bold, but other than that and no brakes anymore because my brake pads are almost gone after braking so much, it's doing great.
But it gets a 1000w motor. I need power. First thing I get when I am back.
 
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