Motor Mover

[nix]

Hi there,

I bought a Safari a year ago in Dorset - it's on your register 1981 12-2 81008 - in lovely condition = happy me.

My problem is that I have to park it on my sloping drive, and the prospect of getting it out again without a team of helpers is not always going to be an option, so I am trying to think of ways round this - if possible. Car & hitched up caravan, garden gate posts, and opposite hedge also combine to make the garden exit a stressful experience. Ditto getting back in again. Parking it elsewhere is not really an option, widening the garden gates will have to happen, but it's the slope and attempting this single-handed that are my issues.

So I wondered if anyone has ever fitted a motor mover? A helpful man at Powrwheel has informed me 'I am afraid that the mover will not fit due to the chassis design'. Oh

Nix

[Brian M]

Hi Nix - welcome to the forum.

I have heard that fixed movers won't fit a Safari, but having looked at a couple of modern caravans with them on I can't see why a frame couldn't be constructed to fit one.

If it isn't possible you could consider the mover that goes in the tow ball and drives from there. This is one that is for sale on ebay at the moment. There are several makes available and I don't now which is the best.


link

Hope this helps.

Brian

[oliver1]

I enquired about this many years ago. Eventually I decided against it, because I don't have your acutely difficult situation, and for my situation I can do all my manoeuvring easily enough with the car.

The manufacturer of what was then one of the best of the types that fit into the tow ball advised that there is a problem (not necessarily insoluble) with using any of that type of mover with a B&B hitch. Unlike most modern hitches (apparently), the B&B is designed to rotate freely around the drawshaft. This type of mover relies on the hitch NOT rotating, in order to counteract the torque reaction when you want it to pull the caravan into a turn. The likely problem with using it on a B&B hitch would be that on a turn, and especially a tight one, it becomes very difficult for the operator to prevent the mover from moving out sideways from underneath the hitch, thus dropping the front of the caravan onto the ground.

Most, if not all, of the movers then available were two-wheel types; if there are now some four-wheel types on the market (which I don't know) they would probably not have this problem,

Possible solutions (for the two-wheel types) include a hardened or stainless steel locking pin dropped into a vertical hole drilled through hitch and draw shaft, or change to a more modern hitch, or perhaps just operator technique. The latter would seem to entail ensuring that the jockey wheel is firmly clamped at a height that is only just clear of the ground (as a safety device, to support the caravan if the mover does escape sideways on a turn), and being prepared to exert sufficient vertical force (varying in both magnitude and direction) on the handle to ensure that the mover is kept underneath the hitch at all times. That might perhaps be a skill that could be learned, but it might be very frustrating initially, and there is at least a risk that the system might never prove satisfactory.

I also wondered about installing a fixed mover, but decided that (for my 17-2) the ones available at the time were too heavy to be acceptable, as I already had something of a problem with keeping the laden weight within the manufacturer's specified limit. You may perhaps have more spare payload capacity than I had, but before going down that road do consider this point carefully.



Oliver

[Deleted]

Depending on how steep your incline is your not likely to be able to use the ones which attach to the tow ball. I received a quote recently from carlight who fit motor movers to a B and B chassis. Not sure of the technical lark but it was £1899 and they modify the chassis. Regards.

[nix]

Hi
Many thanks for the replies, I feel much more informed about the situation, but less optimistic about a mechanical solution. However, caravan love will see me through, so I think the army of helpers and a fence & gate overhaul will be the immediate way forward. And practice of course. Or raise the drive...
Nix

[allenkeil]

Hello,
You were enquiring about a caravan mover I have details of a suitable mover whichI could email you and I do have one I would consider selling.
Regards Allen.