to consider driving over the dartford bridge with a 2.5m long worktop on top of the car?

[missmakesstuff]

or would it act like a massive wing and make us take off?

Dh wants us to go get worktop for kitchen on sat, I really need this to hppen soon as at the moment my old oven in in the middle of the kitchen waiting for the new worktop to go in and the new hob to be fitted...I may go mad if I have to wait for ikea delivery....our nearest ikea is lakeside, meaning dartford crossing...

So would this BU?

Cant get the image out of my head of me, DH and DD taking off over dartford...

yabu, sorry.

Depends on what car you have... if you have a mini metro then no :o

It won't make you take off, but perhaps you should check with the traffic police that it's legal?

had thought it might not be...how would I find out though?

And Dr Spechmin...you actually want me to take off, dont you?!?

Its a Hyundai. bigger than a metro. and I wouldn't put it on sideways, like wings.

I think if you're worried it's better to have it delivered. Could you go one evening in the week on your own, if you went tomorrow they might deliver it on Friday.

problem is, no one at home unless its a tuesday here..you would think DH would have organised all this before I went back to work...but oh no.

Can you borrow a van? Or there are always man with van type ads in the local papers, hire one of them to meet you at Ikea and drive it back for you.

Let us know if you do decide to drive it back yourself. We will all enjoy pointing you out to our families when you are on the news, we can say "we told her not to do it, but would she listen?".

Hmm, yes, can see the headlines now. Could always strap it on like wings though, with another plank passed through the drivers and passengers windows, so its like a bi-plane, giving us a better chance of survival, or of making the guinness book of records, at least.

Of course DH has asked random blokes from the pub experts and they all said, yeah, it'll be fine...

Which is why I asked on here.

Van it is.

Why do people always give advice when they don't have a fucking clue what they are on about?

Don't bother with a van, you're not going to lift off. Why would you? Your car will weight best part of a ton and a half. How much wind are you expecting.

What your proposing is to avoid your work surface acting like a sail your going to put it inside a van which will have even a larger surface area. A larger surface area that will be side on the any wind rather than the work surface lying flat. So going by your logic the van would also take off / get blown over.

If it really bothers you come back via blackwall tunnel.

Hey that's what I'd do but if you want to waste some money on a van :)

Do you have a roof-rack?

I think it would be okay as long as its not too ......long!

And 2.5m is about 7ft so probably that's alright?

We've come home with all sorts of mad stuff in the boot, on the roof etc. and provided you don't drive at excessive speed I'm fairly sure you would be fine.

I brought a double mattress home on the roof of my mini.

You won't fit through the payment barriers.

From the AA website:

"Roof racks are a great way of carrying very large or awkward items but take care:

Check the handbook to make sure that the load, including the weight of the roof rack itself, doesn't exceed the maximum permitted roof load ? generally limits are low and easily exceeded for example by a couple of items of flat-pack furniture.

Ensure that loads are securely attached ? the Highway Code states simply that "you must secure your load and it must not stick out dangerously".

Once you're underway the airflow will be trying to lift the front of any long load so a secure fixing holding the front of the load down is important.

Under heavy braking the load will tend to slide forwards ? secure fixings to the rear will help prevent this.
Fixings will work loose ? stop, check and re-secure regularly.

Distribute weight safely
If you can, try to put bulky but lighter items on the roof and heavier items low down in the car as this will help to keep the centre of gravity down and reduce the affect on stability"

have a look on here:

www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4065.aspx as long as this wind drops (remember last week Dartford bridge closures!!) I think you'll be fine.

I would do it but then I'm irresponsible

aaargh!

Cant decide...

the worktop is about 3ft by 8ft, not longer than the car, and we would attach it with something stronger than blu tack, presumably.

Not going if the wind is high, no bloody way.

Phipps - really? wont fit through? its not wider than the car, or longer, so surely we would?

DH phoned the cops and asked them, they said it wasn't illegal.

Although it still doesn't fill me with confidence.

Dont fancy a van much either TBH, I have short legs and its always really hard work reaching the pedals! Plus we would have to leave DD with someone.

But thanks everyone for cofusing me even more

or even confusing...

I did think after that it probably isn't wider than a car . I suggest you through the payment for lorry barriera just to be sure.
I think hiring a man with a van to get it and bring to you is your best option.