Slightly surprised - seen two large, very distinctive American campervans in this last two weeks. Heard the driver of the latest one wandering round Leclerc’s talking on his mobile phone - no mistaking the accent!
How are they getting here?
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Were the RV on Yank plates?
Most Europeans can’t drive Yank size RVs due to having the 3.5 tonne limit on their driving licenses.
Overland I expect 
plus it is possible to have these monsters “ferried” from wherever, but it has a cost
American servicemen based in Europe? They can import their vehicles from the US via the military (Globemaster a/c are huge ) but I think they have to change to local plates. Were they on US registrations?
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The first one I saw was an Airstream, not on US plates, but not sure French either. The second one I didn’t notice as I was driving past and looking in awe at the side of it, which had a huge painted elaborate, over-the-top advert on it for a garage and then very fancy awnings in the cab.
Via the Bering Straights Ferry, presumably. 
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Airstream is the Yank RR. Can have motored from the US base in Germany or UK via chunnel using lorry carriage. Despite the internal comforts I’d have thought them a bit difficult negotiating through EU villages but maybe they have found ways around that make this way of tripping worthwhile.
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OH wondered if the huge flashy one with the advert was something to do with an American motor racing team - mind you, it wasn’t an advert for the team but for a garage.
Could they be flown in? Shipped in?
Hell of a way. And driving through Russia at the moment?
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we don’t know where they’ve been or how long they’ve been out of US…
We’d sometimes see some amazing motor-home thingies at the racing circuits across France.
As you suggest, some were supporting the racers (or were racers) and others were just there for the fun of it.
But you can still I assume drive a very large camper van on a different category ?
I say this as there is a local camper van fitter who has outfitted some enormous camper vans the size of a large single decker bus. His company is appropriately called ‘Americaine R.V. Motorhomes’.
Edit: I should have said coach rather than large bus as they seem to be based on coach chassis. I saw one outside his workshop last week.
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Bon soir! Has anyone in this group transported essential clothing on their Pond Hop from the US to France in something like this, basically a big, zippered canvas tote? A friend who travels often with a lot of clothing/soft gear recommended it, and to “double up” on strength by putting this bag inside an IKEA bag. I can’t see buying a big bulky XXL suitcase - esp. due to the added weight - for a one-way trip, but something like this seems perfect. Inexpensive and if it doesn’t hold up well, it’s not a loss. And IKEA bags are a whopping $2.99. The largest is 60x24x14; the next size down is 40x23x11. Not for the things I am shipping for fall, but for summer clothing.
Love to get your thoughts/experiences.
It might be worth getting wrapped in plastic at the airport. It costs very little and will protect it a bit more if it’s left on the tarmac in the rain.
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When it’s full will it not be heavy? Having a big heavy bag hanging over one shoulder is far from ideal for posture. Distances at airports tend to be long, as does the trudge to trams / metros etc. Metro stations have appallingly awkward automatic gates which are hard to negotiate with something heavy over one shoulder.
The reason why suitcases with wheels are ubiquitous these days is because they work.
If you don’t want one I would have thought a lightweight backpack might be a better option.
By the way, be careful of any very lightweight material that can be slit easily with a knife. France is a pretty law biding country, but even so there are thieves about. I had a small backpack on my shoulders many years ago and getting onto a metro train in Paris I felt someone behind me - I was fortunate, he was trying to rob me and I was able to stop him in time.
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My son, Christmas before last, wasn’t so lucky, he lost his driving licence there and spent the whole of his holiday being ferried about by me. 
My friend’s son got accused of trying to molest a woman because his backpack kept rubbing against her chest on a packed metro. He got arrested, spent a long time trying to explain and eventually let go but it happened and he never went on one again, paid to take a taxi instead. There are a lot of these stupid women about now who cry rape at the smallest thing - at least Dr.Sukie can’t be accused of that
When I moved back from Turks & Caicos to the UK in 2010 I faced the same dilemma - how to transport the maximum of “stuff” for the minimum of baggage charges.
I had a lot of CDs (in those zip-up multi-disk cases) and DVDs / BluRay disks to bring back and in the end I just stuffed them all into a holdall similar to this:
Amazingly they survived two flights on American Airlines via Miami and all arrived intact and unmolested. I paid $100 per bag in excess baggage charges (thanks AA).
I had to sell my big hifi rig and (worst of all) my Fender Stratocaster guitar as it wasn’t going to be practical or cost-effective to bring those back. 
ETA: There was no public transport involved as I rented a car at Heathrow on arrival.
If you are going to have to negotiate the metro and SNCF then probably a wheely thing as suggested by others would be more manageable. If you get a cheap lightweight one it shouldn’t impact your baggage allowance too much and it won’t matter if it gets damaged.
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Looks like an upmarket version of the famous Tati sac, commonly seen at international airports as well as everywhere else in France. But perhaps a bit more robust. Just check your airline, as some refuse to check in bags that are too lightweight. May not apply to you as more flights to/from northern Africa.
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Regular sight down here in summer with all the north africans going “home” for the summer and heading east towards the bigger ports like Marseille yet they don’t seem to get pulled over for overloading. Had to laugh at one the other summer who had a wheelie bin strapped to the roof upright.
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Was there a bloke in a yellow jacket standing up there too? I love the way they had measured him and told him not to dip his head. 
And you have to take stairs. There are not usually any lifts or escalators
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