Hey D,
Nice to see your writing here. Yo're 100% right.
Trouble is that I have to drive 660km through Hungary also, and their road laws are also very strict. I had to cancel my trip and "regroup". Their law prohibits driving cargo exceeding 0.5m your vehicle dimensions, and the fines are high. Traffic is awful in Ro, crowded, bad roads, DUI drivers (lots of), no road discipline, and the cops...well let's just say they have small salaries. I found a boat trailer to use and will set off next week.
Were you here visiting or business ? Many things changes since 1994, some bad some good.