Reversing
as newbies we are learning slowly but getting there, before we even baught a caravan we went on the caravan club course on how to manuvare a caravan, jack and dave were brileant with use, they tautes use how to reverse your caravan, in a straite line, left
revers in to pitch, right revers in to pitch, weve in and out of cones, 2 days we spent being taught, but putting it in to practise is another thing, it just gose were it wants, i have stood and watched and taken note and everybodys caravan dose what its ment
to, is it use is there somthing wrong with our caravan
Comments
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if you are talking about geting the caravan on the pitch then we have got a motor mover and it's brilliant! Would highly reccommend
My husband did attempt to reverse onto pitch but gave up within about 5 minutes and used the controller to perfectly place it on pitch.0 -
We always wanted a mover but now we have a van with one on we hardly use it - I use the front towball to get her into the storage as it is very tight and find a front towball way better than the mover. I can reverse her if I need to but I generally leave
it to OH as he is much more confident and can place it within a couple of inches of the peg without any hassle.Maybe its because its a twin axle but I wouldnt bother with a mover in future.
For the OP - why not take the van and do some practice in a field or a quiet car park until you are more confident that it will do what you want it to.0 -
I think it is as skill that most people take a while to learn; and some never do! First there is the "opposite lock" problem (if you don't want it, turn towards it, is the usual advice); second is what I call "chasing it round" i.e. Learning to ease off
the steering lock as the van starts to turn so that the car follows the van as it turns. Easier said than done.0 -
Good advice from BMB. You really do need to be able to reverse properly. A mover is a great aid but is not the total answer. They are not infallible and no use at all if you have to reverse while on the road into a passing place.
Learn to do it, Tracy, and then you won't be a possible liability out on the road.
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The wardens at Troutbeck Head taugh us to reverse, they were called Mellings. They just walked by the car telling us which way to turn the wheel to achieve what we wanted. Thank you.
Agree with TW, we've had a mover for many many years and never had to call on those skills, but if the mover did go at least we'd be OK.
Actually the battery on the remote went last year, we took the one from the smoke alarm!
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My tips... relax! Most people have probably messed up when reversing a caravan... I certainly have! Practice.... practice, and practice some more! And don't give up.... Here is a fun game that might help with remembering which way to turn the wheel!! http://www.marops.net/portfolio/trailer-reversing-game
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As previously said, practice makes perfect. What I do is make sure the care and fan are in line. I then stop and look st which way the caravan needs to turn. If turning left, I then think if I need to go left then I must turn the steering wheel to the right.
Then go back very slowly and as the van turns ease off on the lock and the van will turn. Practice is the key and the more confident you will become.0 -
TRACYP: We all had to learn to reverse and pitch and in time it just clicks into place.I found it useful to go to a supermarket with plenty of space at night and try reversing into a spot, that way you will get a feel for the way ther caravan behaves.There
is a problem with this though and that is there the surface will be tarmac and smooth and on a caravan site it may be grass and a bit uneven and the caravan handles very much differently on the grass one. Even so you will learn the way to turn the steering
wheel to get the van to go the way you want it.Good Luck... SG2
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It is worth remembering that a trailer is inherently unstable, it is just about impossible to reverse in a straight line, what you need to make continous small adjjustments so it looks like it's going in a straight line.
It comes down to practise practise and then a bit more practise.
If you can reverse then it is often much quicker than using a mover sometimes there are places where you can't reverse and a mover is a great help its horses for courses.
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....There is a problem with this though and that is there the surface will be tarmac and smooth and on a caravan site it may be grass and a bit uneven and the caravan handles very much differently on the grass one. ...
Not sure I agree with you. The caravan will turn the same way on grass as it will on tarmac
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I learned to reverse the caravan over thirty years ago well before movers were invented. Like others have posted it is just down to practice and having to reverse down a narrow drive tends to focus the mind. Having said that, I would not be without a mover
now and the clutches on some modern cars are not that great when reversing a caravan.Keep at it and don’t worry about other campers, they had to learn at some point.
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....There is a problem with this though and that is there the surface will be tarmac and smooth and on a caravan site it may be grass and a bit uneven and the caravan handles very much differently on the grass one. ...
Not sure I agree with you. The caravan will turn the same way on grass as it will on tarmac
Write your comments here..Not if the grass pitch is uneven and my experience is that they are not smooth like bowling greens , so naturally there is a slight variation on the tyre surface., and I was advised of this by a Caravan Club expert who conducted
the training programme that I underwent........ SG20 -
I learned to reverse tractor and trailers as 12 year old and moved onto LGV that bend in the middle for some 45 years and something you never loose like swimming. The best advise is take you time to master one move at a time till mastered, then try another
but don't give in at the mistakes you make because you will learn by them. In the end you will be proud of your achivement.
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....., and I was advised of this by a Caravan Club expert who conducted the training programme that I underwent........ SG2
must be true then .......
Write your comments here...Yes it was but have your way ,you are always 100% correct. it seems.I agree the caravan will TURN , BUT THE TYRES RESPOND DIFFERENTLY ON A SMOOTH SURFACE THAN AN UNEVEN ONE, why then do cars skid in the wet if they don't respond
to differing tyre surfaces....?????????0 -
Of course its a different surface, but are you reversing at such a speed to create a skid?? The difference is minimal and too small to worry about at a walking pace, and any correction would be acted upon without a thought of the ground surface.
Calling it a problem as you did is being over dramatic.
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....., and I was advised of this by a Caravan Club expert who conducted the training programme that I underwent........ SG2
must be true then .......
Write your comments here...Yes it was but have your way ,you are always 100% correct. it seems.I agree the caravan will TURN , BUT THE TYRES RESPOND DIFFERENTLY ON A SMOOTH SURFACE THAN AN UNEVEN ONE, why then do cars skid in the wet if they don't respond
to differing tyre surfaces....?????????IS THERE ANY NEED TO SHOUT?
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Of course its a different surface, but are you reversing at such a speed to create a skid?? The difference is minimal and too small to worry about at a walking pace, and any correction would be acted upon without a thought of the ground surface.
Calling it a problem as you did is being over dramatic.
Thanks Dave ..... exactly what I thought. But appear to be wrong
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...and now back to the plot...
tracyp do you have and do you released the Hitch Stabiliser before trying to reverse? If not, then the van will be much more reluctant to respond to the steering inputs because of the friction being generated at the Tow Ball.
OH! often has to remind me to release ours !!! (Duh
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Keeping the stabiliser on would stop the van being so "twitchy", would it not? I say this as I usually forget anyway.
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coming to a forum near you. Reversing?, there's no right or wrong way, keep trying & you'll get there. . . .We all do0 -
What must the OP think. They ask a very simple question and then all this happens!
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Isn't debate about agreeing, disagreeing and putting your viewpoint forward for it to be dissected by others. I disagreed wih SG's post and agreed with MM, others are within their rights to do the same and this is why a logical conclusion to the original question will be arrived at
I hope the OP gets what they want out of this thread, I believe he/she may be over reacting to direction changes so make smaller corrections of the steering wheel.
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jesus what have i started il keep practercing, i do take it slow, yes i might be a beginer and femal but i have common sence an know when to give up and use motor mover but thre are times when the motor movre is not appropreate ie motor way stop hgv park,
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