Tips to make the RBRR enjoyable ( bareable!)

[Shynsy]

Hi folks, 

Been great reading the memories of RBRRs past..

I have done it 4 times, twice in a TR6 with my sister and twice in a Stag with a friend (the owner), I also rebuilt a 2500TC for my cousins and uncle to run last time!. This year it will be a new stag (mine)..

Over these 4 attempts we have refined our approach with the aim of making the whole thing as enjoyable and safe as possible (some of this also comes from my experiences of lots of traveling long haul for my work)

I've put a list of things which really helped us in the past below (would be good to hear other peoples tips).

1) And this is of course a no-brainer, make the car as reliable as possible.. this is such a big topic I won't go any further! but in 3 of the 4 runs we have done we have had issues from stretched timing chains to snapped throttle cables (10 miles from the end). It goes without saying that the fewer of these issues there are the better.

2) Be comfortable in the car. It is 48 hours and it is amazing what gets on your nerves! make sure your seats are comfy (cushions can help), car temp needs to be right (in our car the driver at the time controls this as its important they are comfortable). This usually means that the car is a bit too cold for sleeping, so bring a blanket.. We also bring a pillow (bring the one you use at home it'll help you sleep!).. Noise is a real issue in these old cars.. You may like the throaty exhaust note on an hour run, but 48 hours and you will be out of your mind. Earplugs are great, I use noise cancelling headphones (I have them for my job).. They can be contreversial but they are legal in the UK. Oddly noise cancelling headphones actually help you hear some noises, it is easier to here your co-driver for example (not always an advantage, I know!), unfortunatly you can also here a whining diff or noisey tappets more easily, but wind noise and exhaust "Booming" are much reduced. If you can remove the noise at source of course this is much better.. My TR had a whistle that developed around the drivers window.. sorted by stuffing some foam in the gap!. If you are sleeping consider an eye-mask.. it is hard enough to sleep in daylight, but those lovely LED overhead lights on motorways at night are almost worse!

3) Think about what you eat/drink.. starting with a hangover is a real challenge.. for keeping alert drinking plenty of liquid during the run is really important.. We bring a load of bottled water and it is amazing how much gets drunk... Use Caffiene carefully.. Fundamentally you want to be alert only for driving, when you are not driving you really want to get some kip. If you tank up too much on caffiene you'll not sleep and bomb on the second night (don't ask how I know this). We found if you only have a coffee directly before a driving stint it all works pretty well.. Energy drinks, be careful, they are V potent as we all know, they may keep you going for 24hours but you may bomb in the second 24 hours. Be wary of high sugar stuff as well.  It can make you alert, but you can "crash" spectacularly.. Better to eat fruit! We got obsessed by satusmas one year... no idea why but they tasted great and the car smelt wonderful at the end.

4) Exercise. Odd I know.. but we found that a session of jumping up and down, running to get the book signed or just running around the car (all at a Checkpoint of course) really helped to wake us up! The falls of shin are great for this of course 🙂. It all gets the blood moving. Also good if you are of later years (stops DVTs). We also found that having a good wash at a checkpoint helps (although the one toilet at Skiache makes this a bit challenging :-).

5) Agree rules. One thing that I have a real issue with this that I get irrationally angry, stubourn and impatient when I am tired. This is not good! So we have always had a rule that the co-driver can tell you you are being a Tw"t if you have lost the plot and ask to take over. Another rule we have is that if you are driving and you are tired, it is not embarrasing to stop and ask the co-driver to take over. This has happened 3 times in 4 runs and in each case it was probably safety critical. If both of you are knackered then it is fine to stop and have a kip (bring 2 blankets and pillows!). Generally we also follow a bit of a system at a stop. The last driver takes the book in for signing, fills the car and buys the next driver a coffee. The next driver, sorts themselves out in the car, getting the seat, satnav and mirrors set up. Once the coffee has been delivered to the new driver and the car is underway the last driver is "off duty" and can sleep, phone home, do his/her twitter/facebook/nails.. Obviously this only works if you are using Satnav.. I really admire people who use a book in a 2 person team (respect!)

Hoepfully these might help newbys on the RBRR. Would also be great to hear other peoples tips for a comfy RBRR.

Cheers

Tim

[PaulB]

Some good tips there Tim.

I’m addicted to the event after doing my first one in 2006 and then everyone since.

Drive the car as much as possible prior to the event to iron out or find any gremlins. Better to fix any issues prior to the event in the comfort of your garage/shed/driveway rather than at 3am in the rain on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. 

On the event, I’ve always found it’s good to change drivers every 2 to 3 hours even if you are not tired. Doing the event in a Spitfire with a small petrol tank we normally changed drivers when we refuelled. But we always had the rule that if you feel tired then you swap even if you’ve only been driving for only a few minutes. And if both drivers feel tired then you pull over and get some Kip. It’s amazing how refreshed you feel even after a 30min nap. Something we did on route to Lands End as the Sunday morning is extremely tiring. 

Being comfy in the car is so important. We used noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs too in the past. A nice pillow and blanket/sleeping bag is a must. Plenty of water to keep hydrated and also good if you get a leak in the coolant system. 😉

Take some really warm and waterproof clothes in case of breakdown in the middle of the night. 

If your Triumph is a convertible then waterproofs also become handy in the rain as our cars leak. 😆

Finally take time to take the event in and enjoy.


 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by PaulB

[Tim Bancroft]

Some excellent advice there, thank you Tim and Paul.

I will have a think and come up with some thoughts. 

Got to say, I could not do the event as a three person crew, would find it boring.

Probably the best advice is to ensure that one is well rested before the event, this is always difficult as one is either spannering or worrying!

Sensible food in the days leading up and maybe, easy on the alcohol front?

Driving, take it easy, no need to hare around, time has been built into the route.

Good seats are essential, rebuilt standard ones or modern alternatives and ensure one can crank a recliner down if fitted. When I have used my GT6 I have found it awkward as everything is in the car's cockpit and eventually migrates to just behind the seat, making reclining difficult.

Proper labelling of spares is a good idea. Also, after years of stuffing tools into my bag, I have this year bought some small zipped bags which will be marked  with sharpies to state what is inside them, Spanners, screwdrivers, pliers/cutters all having their own bags. A properly laid out boot is a great idea, many cars have this, last time the McLean' Dolly Sprint and a a TR7 had boots that had everything very well loaded, real sense.

A designated place for the road book is a good idea, last thing one wants or needs is for it to get under a seat and get soaked if there is a leak.

[Jos]

Thanks for all the advice - doing the event for the first time and all tips are really helpful as it is the small things that you don't think about can make all the difference. Any more tips will be gratefully taken on board. Thanks all

[Tim Bancroft]

Hi Jos, 

For years we have sent out some Advice Notes' to help and guide all entrants, as attached.

Probably the best thing is not to overthink, these cars are more robust and reliable than we often imagine.

Regards,

Tim

RBRR Advice Notes V5.pdf

[JohnD]

Excellent, Shynsy!     From someone with far more experience of the event than me,  I hope your advice on the comfort and tiredness aspects will make the RBRR all the more the great event it is.

I know that previously I have irritated many by advocating sleep afterwards, before you set off home, but taking advantage of the favourable reception to your words, may I repeat it now?   Just one incident could lead to the loss of the RBRR.

John

[Shynsy]

Hi All,

One extra thing I have just remembered is to be sure that your phone charger actually charges your phone.. I noticed recently that mine would keep the phone at whatever % charge it was at meaning it was not able to top up the charge.. This is fine in normal use,  but 48 hours solid use might have been tricky.. In the the end the solution was simple, clean the socket on the phone. It was full of fluff meaning the connection wasnt secure and charging defaulted to a low amp charge mode.

So check your charger (and your phone!)

Tim

[Tim Bancroft]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

Excellent, Shynsy!     From someone with far more experience of the event than me,  I hope your advice on the comfort and tiredness aspects will make the RBRR all the more the great event it is.

I know that previously I have irritated many by advocating sleep afterwards, before you set off home, but taking advantage of the favourable reception to your words, may I repeat it now?   Just one incident could lead to the loss of the RBRR.

John

Thank you John, excellent words.

[JohnD]

9 hours ago, Shynsy said:

Hi All,

One extra thing I have just remembered is to be sure that your phone charger actually charges your phone.. I noticed recently that mine would keep the phone at whatever % charge it was at meaning it was not able to top up the charge.. This is fine in normal use,  but 48 hours solid use might have been tricky.. In the the end the solution was simple, clean the socket on the phone. It was full of fluff meaning the connection wasnt secure and charging defaulted to a low amp charge mode.

So check your charger (and your phone!)

Tim

Gosh, Tim, I have exactly the same problem!  Left me incommunicado on my 'tour de France' this summer.       But the phone is well charged on a domestic socket.   Just blow out the phone socket with an air line?   Or a more elaborate method?

John

[Shynsy]

7 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Gosh, Tim, I have exactly the same problem!  Left me incommunicado on my 'tour de France' this summer.       But the phone is well charged on a domestic socket.   Just blow out the phone socket with an air line?   Or a more elaborate method?

John

My phone has a USBc socket, it's a Samsung. I ended up using a needle to dig gently away at the socket. Lots of fluff came off. 

Tim

[JohnD]

I'll try that, although mine is Android.

 

[Andy Flexney]

On 22/09/2023 at 07:17, Tim Bancroft said:

 

Sensible food in the days leading up and maybe, easy on the alcohol front?

 

How things have changed since my last RBRR in 2006. The night before we had a curry with a couple of beers, started and finished a bottle of whiskey and enjoyed a couple of cigars. But again, I was co-piloting with Paul Darbyshire. 😁

[McJim]

Nuff said. 

Jim