Going on the world's biggest ferry!

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Apr 3, 2012 | 08:22 AM

#21

Doryphoros86

Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2009

Posts: 160

Likes: 25

From: Minneapolis

Quote:

Originally Posted by drgummi

Back home - 1,650 miles in 5 days, max speed 130, overall fuel average 43.6. If you took the default routes on Google then it will look like there are more mountains than the preferred route actually provides, going from Lausanne to Munich. The key decision is what to do about Lake Constance, which is a bit in the way, and the short route involves passing through Austria. A lovely friendly people, with the worst attitude to visiting drivers I've ever ecountered. So my route was Lausanne > Zurich > Bregenz > Munich.

I drive down to St Moritz quite a bit. I *think* the E62 is the San Bernadino pass, which is quite heavily used by trucks. You're much better turning off to the Julierpass, at Thusis, just south of Chur. It's actually worth downloading Google Earth and setting up a route that goes Chur > Thusis > Tinizong > Bivio > Silvaplana, and letting Google Earth "fly" you along it. I last drove it in the Merc E500 about five weeks ago - but only going north, not south. When I arrived to climb up the pass, it was closed by snowfall, and I had to go to Davos to take the Vereina train tunnel. The whole area is really, fantastically good in any decent vehicle.

Thanks for the heads up! It is always great to get advice from people who have actually been to such places. Having never been there, I can only make due with what Google or persons such as yourself pass on. I will definitely make a note of this in my list of places I intend to drive sometime in my lifetime.

Apr 4, 2012 | 04:53 AM

#22

drgummi

Thread Starter

Junior Member

Joined: Mar 2012

Posts: 18

Likes: 0

From: Moorgate, London

Quote:

Originally Posted by clubairth1

Just remember what WD-40 is. WD = Water Displacing. NOT lubricating. It was designed for corrosion protection. It also makes a good fish bait spray!
Which is odd because it does not have any fish oil in it!

The white lithium grease is far superior and will stay in place much better. I do all my door and trunk locks once a year. The spray is really key. Lets you apply it exactly where you want it.

So if you don't have anything but WD-40 go ahead and use it. It is certainly better than nothing.
.
.
.

I actually used a similar-ish product but I didn't want to start a whole thing about brands and products that may not be globally familiar. I'm perfectly aware of the difference between WD40 and a spray oil or grease - as I said, I am a bicycle person; even, a *research prototype* bicycle person. WD40 can do a lubrication job where it is applied into systems where the original lube has deteriorated due to evaporation. Applied to dry or newly-assembled components, it's not a lube.

Shades of the Hammerforum joke:

LensRentals.com - Hammerforum.com

Apr 4, 2012 | 05:13 AM

#23

drgummi

Thread Starter

Junior Member

Joined: Mar 2012

Posts: 18

Likes: 0

From: Moorgate, London

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doryphoros86

There are basically two ways to get there. Fly to either Milan, or Zurich. For petrolheads, the approved strategy is to go for Milan, despite it being a truly appalling city to drive in, because then you are going to be offered either a Fiat or an Alfa Romeo as a hire car. Small Fiats are the default commuter car for the hotel & resort workers who live in Italy and cross the Swiss border every day, twice, to get to St Moritz: their commuting drive consists of climbing about 4,000 feet in the morning and descending it in the afternoon, at 99% maximum theoretical speed. Those cars, let me tell you, are something else on those roads.

Note that for whatever weird reason, the south face of the Alps in that area is infested with italian-speaking swiss traffic cops.