Engaged Motor Mover
Hi,
Could anyone please tell me if it advisable to leave a motor mover engaged onto the wheel but with isolator switched off whilst the van is parked at a site, I have seen this only a couple of times my guess is that it helps stop any van creep or used like a handbrake but is there any chance that it may damage the tyres if left on for a week or longer.
Thanks.
PJM.
Comments
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I wouldn't have thought so as the tyres carry the weight of the caravan constantly. I often leave mine on when on site.
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An interesting thread, I've always disengaged the rollers on site, but perhaps I don't need to? Will save a lot of effort and time.
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The weight of a vehicle sitting on tyres is distributed over a flat surface. A motor mover roller makes a concave indentation in the tyre, bowing out the sidewalls a bit. Not a good idea for the cords inside the tyre.
A basic principle of good engineering is to not stress anything you don't need to. So I don't even leave the handbrake on. Four solid big chocks do the job.
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Hi,
I understand they can carry the weight but to have pressure applied in one area for any length of time is probably different, ie when leaving caravan stood over the winter some people advise removing the wheels or moving the van slightly so as the tyres are not left with the weight on one spot.
Cheers.
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I always apply handbrake , chock wheels, legs down, disengage mover and if on the level disengage handbrake. I tend to leavo handbrake on if on a slope.
extract from a well known mover manufacturer user manual
– After manoeuvring, always apply the parking
brake first, disengage the drive rollers
from the tyre and block the wheels
(especially on sloping surfaces!). The Mover®
is not suitable for use as a parking brake
for the parked caravan.1 -
My tow cars' 'hand' brake gets used very infrequently .... MOT & steep hills .... and Ive yet to get a stuck on brake in the 20 plus yrs I've driven an auto. Ironically, the handbrake of the car I use for work went through a phase of sticking if left for a few days.
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We disengage our motor mover rollers after use, and disengage our handbrake when the steadies are down etc. Aside from creating a dent in the tyre, we often position the van with our mover, but back the car under the hitch when leaving. If you’ve ever forgotten to disengage the mover before towing, you’ll know that you can’t - what if the mover stuck on after being left for a couple of weeks?
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I always disengage my mover. Not only is it putting undue stress on the tyres its also putting undue stress on the mover mechanism.
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I managed to drive a few meters with the Alko wheel lock in place so I expect I could have done the same with the mover if I’d tried, Surely it’s sensible to disengage the mover when not in use as it is putting strain both on the mechanism and the tyre. It’s a bit like winding up the jockey wheel when the steadies are down; not necessary and not good practice.
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Not a great way to treat your tyres and you’ll be up the creek when (not if) your auto engagement fails.
Still, it's your tyres and your choice.
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We always disengaged our auto and manual movers, otherwise they are under stress, which I don't think is a good idea. As to handbrake, ours was always on when the van was parked. The caravan was serviced every year including the brakes, so there should be little risk of sticking. In 14 years we never had a problem. Now we have a MH I will engage the handbrake and leave it in gear.
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When I was making an enquiry on another matter, I asked the guy at Powrtouch, the specific question posed by the OP. He said it was a definite 'no-no' because of the stress it placed on both the tyres and the motor mover if left engaged for a protracted time.
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washed the wifes car,put in garage mid.feb.I usually leave the h/brake off as she rarely uses the car,on this occasion I applied it (senior moment) 3 weeks later.....tried to get car out of garage........brakes well seized !!!The lesson is.....do not leave a vehicle with the handbrake on for weeks on end.(As long as not stored on a public road!)
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it just makes a lot of noise 😉
