Hello. Proper newbie here.
Hello all.
September is an exciting month for me and my Mrs. I did a tow course yesterday. That was fun. Going to be under 3500kg so I'm not getting my b+e at this point. But tuition on towing, particularly reversing and how to hitch seemed important.
We're going down the folding camper route. Viewing a pathfinder on Tuesday as it happens. They're local and have kindly offered to tow it to me if we buy. As the car doesn't get its tow bar until the 16th.
Thinking of doing a bit of a shake down weekend once able, so possibly October at a local site (West Midlands) before putting the camper to bed until next spring.
Are there many other folding camper owners here I wonder?
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Hello and welcome to you and your other half. Glad you enjoyed the towing course.
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Greetings Veldom, all the folding campers I’ve met have been light enough to to be pushed by a single person. If it’s a super heavy one then which ever way you turn the steering wheel the trailer will be pushed in the opposite direction. Slow & easy are the watch words. Enjoy👍🏻😊
PS-check out trailer tents further down the list👍🏻
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Thanks, that makes sense👍🏻. In that case-get to a quiet area & practice. If your TT is narrow & short it ain’t gonna be an easy ask getting it up a steep drive
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There's always a motor mover if push comes to shove. Err, pardon the pun.
Welcome, Veldom. I expect you've found the trailer tent section on the forum👍
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Welcome to the club and CT
Rather than buying a motor mover, have you thought of having a front tow hook fitted to your tow car ?we have had them on several of our tow vehicles,
The company is Watling Engineers ,they normally have an advert in the clubs monthly magazine
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Not got that much payload weight to play with so not sure I want to use some up with a motor mover. Though I have seen some fitted to other folding campers. So it's an option.
Have had a quick nose in the trailer tent section thanks. Though I feel a bit in a no man's land. Sure I've got a canvas roof and sides. But the pathfinder sleeps six, has a Thetford toilet, hob, oven & fridge. It's not a caravan but it's more than a tent on wheels if that makes sense..
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I think the usual definition is that if it’s got canvas walls etc, it’s a trailer tent but, if it’s got hard walls, it’s a folding caravan. What's in a name? I like the term 'folding camper'👍🏻
I do have some concerns about the reversing of it up your drive but I’m sure there will be a solution, such as a winch, if it proves to be an issue.
Enjoy your trips and it’s a good idea to have your first one close to home.
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I don't have driveway concerns if I can reverse it on. Being a novice to reversing something that bends might make that interesting though! That said I'm used to reversing an 18t rigid into ridiculously tight spaces. Think I'll be OK so long as I remember to turn the steering wheel the opposite way to get the folding camper moving. I'll post pictures!
Am getting some quotes in for storage sites which might well be the solution in the long term.
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Excellent size👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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My thoughts were of possible difficulties in keeping the trailer in a straight line while reversing up hill as, just as you said, the rig bends in the middle😀. Still, much depends on the width of your drive and the steepness of the slope. I hope it works for you👍🏻.
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Reversing a trailer in a straight line can involve a lot of the pushing unit not being in a straight line itself. If space is narrow it can be more of a hassle than needed.
I would consider fitting an eyebolt into the ground at the top of the slope and attaching a pulley to it. Then thread a rope from the back (or even front if that would be a better way round) of the trailer, through the pulley and back down the drive. A small winch attached to the tow vehicle would be the luxury version, but a ratchet pull-lift, a tirfor, or similar will work very well. As you have an assistant you could even attach to the tow vehicle and drive it slowly away from the drive.
Whatever you decide to do, buy a couple of decent size chocks! And the eye bolt could attach a big chain the trailer when parked.
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Quite like this idea actually. Found a tirfor on toolstaion that's reasonably priced, I could attach it to an eye bolt in the garage floor and winch straight up the drive. Though I'm struggling to find an eye bolt that is rated to take the 1000kg of the folding camper. The tirfor goes up to 4000kg.
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Many years ago we did something similar at the rear of our house using a Fairey Winch. It made the whole caravan parking thing more secure in that the van couldn’t take off down the garden and intrude on the neighbours down below us.
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Ratings on eyebolts are usually given for a straight pull. You would be pulling at almost 90 degrees to a straight pull so that will be greatly in your favour. I'd think more about the strength of the floor! You could always use two and a bridle. The anchor bolts for motorbike security are high capacity.
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Veldron, just to throw a couple of spanners into the works. We have owned three folders in the past, Conway Cardinal, Pennine Pullman and Camplet. The later was a wonderful thing and at 250kg empty and 500kg full gave no issues with payload. I could pitch it in less than 10 minutes, get over 40mpg towing and storage was not an issue. Two double beds, a wardrobe, kitchen area with sink and hob along with large area under canvas were great. The only problem I found was reversing. It was so short I could not feel the trailer, so I would simply unhitch and pull/push into place.
Have you considered a pop top van such as an Eriba. Weights are low but unfortunately prices are high.
Colin
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I've looked at various light weight vans. For various reasons a folding camper is absolutely perfect for us right now. Also I find something really quaint about them and I really, really, like them.
The pathfinder we're looking at is 4.88m long ex works weight is 840kg total permissable is 1000kg. So I'm hoping I'll feel it on the back. The instructor I was out with yesterday said I'd probably find it'll respond very quickly to not much input when reversing. You can bet I'll be in an empty car park with it, practicing.
We'll see I'm game for trying. At home this winching suggestion is something I'll adopt I think. On sites if I really struggle to reverse it I'll push it myself. Or get a motor mover fitted!
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Don't skimp on the winch rating if you go that route. I stripped the teeth off one some years ago when pulling a previous Eriba into the garage. A mover is a wonderful thing and well worth it if funds allow. Once you have had one you will never go back to a van/trailer tent without one.
Colin
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Some caravans don’t have much more payload that that, Veldom, and you have got the option of carrying things in your car - subject to the car's MGW and the overall GTW, of course. A mover is definitely an option if needed.👍🏻
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Years ago, I used a block & tackle to haul my caravan up a narrow steep driveway. Good cheap low-tech solution. Depending on the length of the drive, a couple of anchor points might be an idea to reduce the length of rope required.
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+1, to create extra pulling force, good scheme CY👍🏻
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