Hotel near Silverstone - parking!

drjim · 30 Sep 2010, 19:43 (Ref:2767399)

Heading down to Silverstone for a trackday next Wednesday, will be in Audi A8 with the track car on a trailer. Sadly I am not terribly good with trailers - basically as long as I keep going forwards I am OK but the moment I need to reverse it all gets very tricky. It's too far to do in a day - would mean leaving home at 4AM or something daft, will be heading down M6 M1 and A43. I'll probably be getting down there late on in knackered just want a kip mode. Does anyone have any recommendations for an OK hotel with idiot proof drive in park and drive out again car parking? Was wondering about the hotel at watford gap, but booking website says can't book there at the moment. I think there's a travelodge at Towcester - would the car park there meet my pathetic trailer management needs?

Ta

Jim

Eddy V · 30 Sep 2010, 20:12 (Ref:2767413)

Shouldn't be a problem if you park at the rear. But it isn't well lit there at night.

RPD Motorsport · 30 Sep 2010, 21:13 (Ref:2767442)

The Green Man Premier travel in is only 2 miles away, large secure (with barriers) car park and is nicer than the travel lodge. You also dont need to tackle small roads as its on the A43.

drjim · 30 Sep 2010, 21:29 (Ref:2767455)

The Green man sounds good - that's where a lot of the other BMW trackday guys are staying/having dinner etc.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Jim

drjim · 30 Sep 2010, 21:34 (Ref:2767457)

Sadly Green man is fully booked up.

Any more suggestions guys??

**touringlegend** · 30 Sep 2010, 21:36 (Ref:2767461)

The Premier Inn at the Green Man was gutted by fire in early July.. so I'd avoid there!

drjim · 30 Sep 2010, 21:46 (Ref:2767469)

Maybe that's why it's full already - just spoke to them and it was definitely Green man!

**touringlegend** · 30 Sep 2010, 22:22 (Ref:2767489)

Yeh the Premier Inn was seperate but just behind the Green Man pub, didn't realise the Green Man had rooms, but it was a fairly big bit so guess it figures it does.

EastonNeston · 1 Oct 2010, 05:36 (Ref:2767602)

Holiday Inn Express, just off the M40 at Banbury is good and has a very large car park.
Less than 20 minutes drive from the circuit.

Peat · 1 Oct 2010, 09:38 (Ref:2767656)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touringlegend

didn't realise the Green Man had rooms

'Back in the day' the top 5 or 10 drivers would get automatically booked into the green man. Apparentley was the place to be! Then the A43 happened. And then Premier Inn happened.

drjim · 1 Oct 2010, 19:47 (Ref:2767907)

I decided to look at motorway service type places and then found a premier inn at J1 of the M6. Checked the car park out on google maps and it is safe for a dodgy trailer tower to go in. About 30 miles to Silverstone in the morning straight down M6 M1 A43.

So I booked that - everywhere nearer seemed to be full.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions chaps.

Jim

Lancsbreaker · 2 Oct 2010, 22:19 (Ref:2768425)

Without wishing to be too unkind...why not spend a couple of hours on an empty car park practicing your trailer reversing....its really not that complicated...and if you can't master it I'm not entirely certain that you ought to be let loose on a road.....or a race track!

RF_Racer · 3 Oct 2010, 13:07 (Ref:2768620)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjim

Heading down to Silverstone for a trackday next Wednesday, will be in Audi A8 with the track car on a trailer. Sadly I am not terribly good with trailers - basically as long as I keep going forwards I am OK but the moment I need to reverse it all gets very tricky. It's too far to do in a day - would mean leaving home at 4AM or something daft, will be heading down M6 M1 and A43. I'll probably be getting down there late on in knackered just want a kip mode. Does anyone have any recommendations for an OK hotel with idiot proof drive in park and drive out again car parking? Was wondering about the hotel at watford gap, but booking website says can't book there at the moment. I think there's a travelodge at Towcester - would the car park there meet my pathetic trailer management needs?

Ta

Jim

Takes a while to get used to it, when reversing left becomes right and right becomes left .. well initially anyway.. just practice and you will get the hang of it.

VIVA GT · 3 Oct 2010, 13:20 (Ref:2768624)

A simple trick that I was told (and find useful as I rarely tow a trailer nowadays) is to put your hands onto the bottom of the steering wheel when reversing.
Then if you move your hands in the direction that you want the trailer to go (left is clockwise for example), that is the way that the trailer will go.
I think the other thing is to try not to get too far 'out of line' and don't be afraid to pull forward & straighten up to start again if it all goes wrong.
Sadly I used to consider reversing my trailer almost as satisfying a driving skill as controlling a power slide...

drjim · 3 Oct 2010, 17:34 (Ref:2768706)

I need more practice at trailer towing, but apart from one trackday in July I've not towed anything other than a little box trailer to the tip before. I can do the reversing thing, and understand the physics of swinging the back end the wrong way to get the trailer moving the way I want it to initially, just not terribly good at it. Time is so precious (I am a hospital consultant with two young children and a wife who works full time), that a bit of practice is hard to get!

When I get to the premier inn hopefully the car park will be empty enough for me to practice a bit!

Lancsbreaker · 3 Oct 2010, 18:47 (Ref:2768733)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjim

I've not towed anything other than a little box trailer to the tip before.

Little trailers are a PITA to reverse - bigger trailers are much easier, as I'm sure you'll find

drjim · 6 Oct 2010, 19:53 (Ref:2770508)

For completeness I will post a closing comment on the thread.

Trackday not good, engine wouldn't rev past 4000 rpm, track covered in oil and marbles from 24 hour race at the weekend plus raining heavily. I couldn't even run around in the novices only session - not enough power to go fast enough on the straights, no need to brake for corners as I was so sloooow. Loaded up and came home. 13.7 track miles 300+ road miles.

Had plenty of trailer reversing practice doing a 3 point turn in the hotel car park at 2330 as what looked like a suitable space wan't. Nearly shat myself this morning when I came out and saw the side of a merc I had been reversing next to was all bashed in. Then I remembered I had been the other side of it!

White flag man · 6 Oct 2010, 20:26 (Ref:2770527)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjim

For completeness I will post a closing comment on the thread.

Trackday not good, engine wouldn't rev past 4000 rpm, track covered in oil and marbles from 24 hour race at the weekend plus raining heavily. I couldn't even run around in the novices only session - not enough power to go fast enough on the straights, no need to brake for corners as I was so sloooow. Loaded up and came home. 13.7 track miles 300+ road miles.

Had plenty of trailer reversing practice doing a 3 point turn in the hotel car park at 2330 as what looked like a suitable space wan't. Nearly shat myself this morning when I came out and saw the side of a merc I had been reversing next to was all bashed in. Then I remembered I had been the other side of it!

Maybe the driver turned the Merc round

RF_Racer · 7 Oct 2010, 10:13 (Ref:2770776)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjim

For completeness I will post a closing comment on the thread.

Trackday not good, engine wouldn't rev past 4000 rpm, track covered in oil and marbles from 24 hour race at the weekend plus raining heavily. I couldn't even run around in the novices only session - not enough power to go fast enough on the straights, no need to brake for corners as I was so sloooow. Loaded up and came home. 13.7 track miles 300+ road miles.

Had plenty of trailer reversing practice doing a 3 point turn in the hotel car park at 2330 as what looked like a suitable space wan't. Nearly shat myself this morning when I came out and saw the side of a merc I had been reversing next to was all bashed in. Then I remembered I had been the other side of it!

You smashed the car in with your trailer??

VIVA GT · 7 Oct 2010, 11:35 (Ref:2770805)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjim

I need more practice at trailer towing, but apart from one trackday in July I've not towed anything other than a little box trailer to the tip before. I can do the reversing thing, and understand the physics of swinging the back end the wrong way to get the trailer moving the way I want it to initially, just not terribly good at it. Time is so precious (I am a hospital consultant with two young children and a wife who works full time), that a bit of practice is hard to get!

When I get to the premier inn hopefully the car park will be empty enough for me to practice a bit!

I'd suggest that, when you've got the time, hitch up your empty car trailer and pop out to a large empty area and just practice. (As has already been said, small trailers are pigs to reverse, they're so short that they 'react' really quickly), You'll soon get the hang of it and lessen the risk of looking like a complete 'plank' in the paddock at your next track day.

RF_Racer · 4 Nov 2010, 22:54 (Ref:2785152)

find some open land, get some cones and practice...

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