Can we manage without a Mover?
A recent experience has proved pretty conclusively that we can’t! Long gone are my days of pushing a caravan around as the ravages of time have not been kind to my body. One new hip and dodgy knees, what more do I need to add!
Our caravan recently had to go back to the dealer for some minor warranty work. Whilst it was there I asked them to readjust the mover rollers as one of them was slipping, especially in the wet. Thought nothing more about it when we collected the van. When we got home I realised that I could only partially engage the rollers, they would not lock into place. Immediate thought was that the dealer had over adjusted and not tested the engagement? Anyway unhitched we tried to move the van from the road into the back garden. It seemed to be working on the flat road but we have a slight incline into our garden and once on this it would not move the van. So there we are half in and half out of the garden and blocking the road, which incidentally is a quiet cul de sac on a small estate. Sod’s Law being what it is a neighbour arrived and just waited with engine running! I felt I had no choice but to slew the van to the side to allow them by, as I had no idea how long we would be. This set our progress back and we were going nowhere fast. We even tried putting our shoulders to the van but with little affect. It was at this point we realised how exposed we were without a working mover. The only option was to hook up and try and reverse in. Margaret keeps offering to treat me to a Caravan Club Towing Course but in these extreme circumstances I am not sure it would have helped. I managed to get the van a few feet onto the drive which was progress. I then unhitched, straightened the van and re-hitched to move it a few more yards into the garden. In the end we only managed to get it so far in but it was enough to close the garden gates.
The upshot of these ramblings is that I phoned Powrtouch who made the mover and they kindly arranged to send a fitter out, and as a bonus at no charge which was more than we deserved. Dave the mover man arrived and gave everything a good greasing and removed the cross actuator bar which he recommended as it would make life a lot easier, which it has. Thanks to Dave and Powrtouch we now have a fully working mover and the van is back in its rightful place.
When I think back the mover has been a godsend in getting us on and off pitches, especially in Europe. So to have it inoperable even for a short period has proved to me that we can’t manage without one!
David
Comments
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I cannot get my caravan on/off the pitch at the storage site without the aid of the motor mover, there is insufficient space to swing the caravan in and avoid hitting the a frame of the van parked opposite. The Van is too heavy to manhandle due to the soft
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As a recent caravan owner (3 months) fast approaching my seventies, I do not think I would have considered caravaning without a mover. Living on a hill I would not dare releasing the handbrake. With the parked cars on the road there is no way I could park
it using the tow bar which is a good thing as I don't go on the manoeuvering course until February. So, David I sincerely hope my mover keeps working ok as all my neighbours are in the same geriactric condition as me!!! Like Spannerdo I have just put my caravan
into storage needing a 15 point turn to fit the space. It now sits comfortably in the trough made by previous users, and my mind boggles when I think of getting it out. Hence my discussion on charging batteries during storage.I was going to say my car should have been considered for the towcar awards. Being a Peugeot 307cc 2 litre Diesel it met all the criteria for pulling my caravan, with the added bonus of being able to lower the roof and enjoy the sun, fresh air and countryside
sounds.What more could you want? Well on the way back from my third trip, the clutch assembly went and it cost £800 to repair. It has now been replaced by a 4x4 which hopefully will not suffer the same issue.So for anyone left reading my ramblings have a very merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years.
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remebering back quite a few years we used to push our Cheltenham Puka 4 up our drive & then slue it round gradulary round unitl it was round the back of our house,(we were younger then) now our Coachman 560 Pastiche has a mover which is the best thing we
have bought since we started caravaning in 1974 never to push our van againHappy New year to all
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I don't have age against me quite as much as some here, however, when I bought my first caravan in October, a motor mover was top of my accessory list. At 1585kg I didn't fancy man handling my 'van around storage or touring sites. Most effective item purchased
to date, could do with one with quicker rollers though to help alleviate my impatience ;o)0 -
I agree that movers are essential. Although I store my caravan on a superb flat hard standing CASSOA gold site, when loading at home, I have to place it in my drive down hill and nose first. The mover allows me to position the van perfectly, and in most
cases reverse it out of the drive.Here is the rub: with my first caravan, 6 years ago, I had a Reich mover fitted with resin coated rollers. When taking the van to a local dealer to trade in cor my current van these stripped leaving me half up the slope with no drive at all. I did with help,manage
to pull/push the van out. Also the Reich, like other movers sits below the chassis. This tends to be OK in the UK, but in France, where kerbs are considerably higher, I found that they can contact these, smashing the plastic cover. fortunately I was only travelling
slowly, so the mover itself was not damaged.New caravan purchased in Feb 2012 fitted with Alco Mammut mover. This is purpase built to bolt laterally on the chassis, and so does no extend below it, and cannot normally be seen from the side. It may cost a bit more, and I get some wierd looks on site
from other members because they cannot see it, but in my view it is well worth it, and moves my Serling Opal Elite up my sloping drive without any problem0
