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Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:23 pm

When you go on the B C Ferries do you pay double for the height of your Westy-Vanagon?
Or.. do you fit within the height limit?

Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:49 pm

I have 15" rims so I'm a little taller than stock westy. I've always fit within the height limit, no problems at all!

Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:12 pm

The Vancouver Sun wrote,

Quote: Overheight vehicles face extra charge on BC Ferries, even if parked by smaller car
LARRY PYNN, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008
VANCOUVER - As if rising fuel surcharges aren't enough, BC Ferries is now charging extra for overheight vehicles even if they wind up on the upper deck parked next to a compact car.
BC Ferries charges vehicles taller than 2.1 metres (seven feet) a premium fare and parks them on the main deck, while diverting standard-sized vehicles to the upper car deck.
But the fleet's three new Super C-class ferries - Coastal Renaissance, Coastal Inspiration, and Coastal Celebration - are capable of taking vehicles up to 2.7 metres (nine feet) in height.

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"The ability to fit larger vehicles up top is unique to these vessels," confirms Deborah Marshall, media relations for BC Ferries.
Despite the incongruous situation of a larger vehicle paying a premium price for parking next to, say, a Volkswagen on the upper car deck, the corporation has no plans to change its policy.
Marshall said Thursday the employee manning the ticket booth cannot charge two rates for the same overheight vehicle because it might not be obvious that the vehicle would get on the Super C-class sailing or might have to wait for the next older ferry with reduced height on the upper car deck.
"We have a standardized fare," Marshall said. "It is a standard practice to charge for an overheight."
The Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Inspiration are currently sailing between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay, and Tsawwassen and Duke Point, respectively.
Coastal Celebration will begin sailing between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen in the fall.

it is a monopoly, they can and will r*pe you.

if you are close to the limit let some air out of your tires.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:49 pm

i just rode with BC ferries out to nanaimo from vancouver this past february and it was just the normal fee, I've got an 84 vanagon, with pretty fresh springs, so its not sitting low or anything. I also took the blackball ferry line from the island down to port angeles and it was the normal charge as well. They aren't out to get you, except on the overnight parking charges, now there is the joke, something like $15 a day. I originally wanted to just park the van on the mainland and hitch around the island but it would have been more expensive so I took it across with me. Now an AW definitely wouldnt make it under the normal charge but thats a whole nother story we're talking about.

Kerry

Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:21 pm

Normal fee every time taking the ferries along the Sunshine Coast all the way to Lund. None of the attendants ever asked actually.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:37 pm

Talking Westys here. Not regular Vanagons. The Westys are a little taller and they have a device at the ferry booth that measures your height when you go to pay.
Just wondering if the Westfalia Campers have to pay the extra tall fee.
Being taller costs nearly twice as much.
Port Hardy to Prince Rupert $250 normal, $400+ for tall.
I think tall is just under 7 feet !!!
A roof rack would put you over 7'
A roof rack with a kayak would put you well over 7'
More than 20 feet long is also extra (Westys are 15'.)
With your vent up you could measure in at over 7'.
Has anyone recently gone across in a Westfalia Vanagon?

Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:16 pm

I go across several times a year, both to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. As I said already, no problems whatsoever. Full westy on bigger wheels, no roof rack though. I figure I'm 6'8 - 6'9.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:19 pm

I have crossed to and from the island with my 85 Westy many times with no extra charges.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:05 pm

did you guys read the article I posted? I guess not. The point is not wether you get charged overheight when you are not, it is if you are charged over height when you take up the same space as non-overheight vehicles. If you are charged for overheight and parked on the same deck as non-oh cars you should not be charged extra, as you are not keeping other large vehicles such as trucks and buses off that sailing.

If you are charged OH and you get loaded on tot he low ceiling mezzanine ramps you are really getting ripped off, again, you are not taking up space that could be allocated to larger vehicles.

The terminal manager and the ramp staff know where you will be parked when they give you your receipt and assign you to a loading lane in the terminal. They know they are charging you overheight and putting you in a non-OH deck.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:34 pm

Gordy, thanks for the explanation. I guess so far they have either factored in the lane assignment or thought our standard 2WD Westy with Yakima roof rack was under 7', I dunno. As I said, so far no OH charges here, not even a hint. We've always **loved** the BC Ferries and our Uncle Sam hats are off to the Canandians for such a great system, IMO.

Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:10 pm

If you make a reservation you get to select if you are over height or not. IF you are in fact regular height, then there is nothing to worry about. They won't charge you extra if you are regular height. Most of our westys are regular height unless you've got something extra on top.
Check the specs on the website and measure your van.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:54 am

[quote="240Gordy"]The Vancouver Sun wrote,

Quote: Overheight vehicles face extra charge on BC Ferries, even if parked by smaller car
LARRY PYNN, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2008
VANCOUVER - As if rising fuel surcharges aren't enough, BC Ferries is now charging extra for overheight vehicles even if they wind up on the upper deck parked next to a compact car.
BC Ferries charges vehicles taller than 2.1 metres (seven feet) a premium fare and parks them on the main deck, while diverting standard-sized vehicles to the upper car deck.
But the fleet's three new Super C-class ferries - Coastal Renaissance, Coastal Inspiration, and Coastal Celebration - are capable of taking vehicles up to 2.7 metres (nine feet) in height.
Sound to me like rates are not changing, but new ferries have more clearance on upper decks... Or am I reading it wrong?

Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:30 am

yes the new ferries have more clearance, but even the old ferries could fit a Westy on the mezzanines and the upper deck. Like the article says, people would get measured, (they have a big stick with a bracket and horizontal bar) charged overheight, then parked next to a Corolla on an upper low clearance deck.

Hardly seems fair does it?

Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:45 am

Well, a westy is 81-82" tall or 2.05-2.08 metres and BC Ferries set limit at 2.1metres. Upper decks on new ferries can accommodate higher vehicles. The 2.1metre height limit is the same. I don't see an issue.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:55 am

I have used BC Ferries many times in my Westy and never have been charged any extra. I did set off the over height alarm once because my roof vent was open a bit! I love chiling in my Westy while riding the ferry, I usually open the slider, put on a pot of water for tea and people just come up to chat

Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:19 pm

Seems to depend on what the laser beam hits, the roof vent could make you too tall.
When I travelled with my canoe, I took it off and put it inside along with the racks to save the additional fee, which is almost double. It stuck out the back door of course, but my total length was still less than 20 feet.
Try taking your racks and canoe off and repacking your Westy in a summer squall at Port Hardy. At least it's not sleet.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:59 pm

So, do they charge more for being over height or for over 20' long? If you don't want to unpack, pull a trailer. LOL. (Actually we did that; our three person kayak came with a trailer with a long tongue and we drove right on. I remember it being more but not double!) Other times without the trailer or boat, we were charged standard, as I indicated previous.

I say go for it and if asked, tell the attendant that in xx years of riding the ferries, you've never been charged extra. Of course, "you" = "all of us". And quote the height figures posted previously in this thread.

My 2 cents.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:03 pm

yes, they also charge by the foot. I forget now what the rate is but big vehicles/combinations pay by the foot. each toll both clerk has one of those wheel things to measure vehicles, al my companies vehicles have stickers that display the length on the drivers window

Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:15 pm

over 20" xtra by the foot
over 6'8" nearly double fare
trailers extra

Guidelines under BC Ferry Fees

Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:35 pm

Mrdi wrote: over 20" xtra by the foot
over 6'8" nearly double fare
trailers extra

Guidelines under BC Ferry Fees
Don't know what ferry route you are quoting, but I looked at 10 on website and all say passenger vehicle & trailer height limit is 7' and length limit is 20'. Oversize is approx 77% increase in price on fare and per extra lenght (per foot).

http://www.bcferries.com/fares/