Parking on pitch
Hello hope you can all understand what I’m trying to find out
I’m not the worlds best at reversing the caravan so tend to look for pitches that I can come at the pitch so I can drive onto it so my caravan is up to the little white post and my tow bar is at the front of the pitch
and I don’t mean on a waterlogged pitch or even wet grass so I don’t churn everything up as we all no it’s been a lovely few weeks and ground is quite hard so you all get the picture
so is there any rule that says I’m MUST reverse on to a pitch.
Comments
-
Not at all. You can pitch either way providing either the nearside front corner or the offside rear corner of your van is placed to the peg.
This is the pitching instruction given to every arrival. The text explains all.
2 -
I think you'll lucky to find any/many club site pitches that you'll be able to drive through when pitching. Some of the grass pitches when open will perhaps allow it. Perhaps have a look at the site lay out on line before you go but it'll be pot luck when you get there depending on how busy the site is. More reversing practice or a mover 😉
2 -
Evening
There are indeed some sites where you can drive on as you say. I know of at least two sites with that capability that I've worked at. Exeter Racecourse and Ilfracombe in north Devon where I'm at now.
You could always ask the site staff or even a few fellow vanners to give you a hand getting pitched up? We don't bite
JK
6 -
Hmm, I think you could 'drive-thro' on several pitches at Old Hartley, and as JK says there may well be others.
If you still have your trailer tent, Coalhog, It will always be worth contacting the site to check, since I am well aware that the base unit of a T-T is not always best aligned front to back .
1 -
Many vehicles used for towing can be fitted with a front tow bar. When pitching you can then have the caravan/trailer reversing while the tow vehicles is going forward.
0 -
Hope it all helps, coalhog. Keep practicing the reversing.
It may be worth amending your profile to 'caravanner'. 👍
0 -
Using a motor mover is all well and good and we tend to use ours for fine tuning position for wheel locks, levelling, in & out of storage etc.
Not a lot of use though if you need to reverse mid-journey to allow other traffic to come past or turn around when finding you're going the wrong way!
If your struggling with it either consider a towing course run by the club, a few lessons with a local training school, or a visit to a local trading estate out of hours and get some practice in.
3 -
yep seen it happen road closed due to a accident traffic made to turn around or larger vehicles reverse into a road bloke in caravan couldnt do it i offered to reverse it for him (im a truck driver ) but he tried to spin it around and got stuck police not very happy with him
0 -
I can reverse but gave up reversing onto pitches as soon as I had a motor mover I have to use the mover to level and align the the lock so it's so easy to stop the van in the most convenient position unhitch, engage the mover, drive van onto pitch, move car, put van in final postion level and lock disengage mover, job done, I see many vans with movers fitted being car reversing on pitches in out in out clutch smelling it must be a macho thing, however I do agree witb a previous post it's imperative to learn how to reverse your unit as one day you will have to
1 -
I use our motor mover from the site roads, find a pitch move forward of it then unhitch on the road, engage it and move the the caravan into position usually now in a few moves and the same when departing, use the mover to bring the caravan to the car on the road. In my view far easier and quicker all round, and I can't the point of doing it any other way.
Can I reverse? The last time I did was over 20 years ago now and I remember I didn't particularly like it then and hope to never have to.
I noticed that on our local dealer all the new vans for sale all had them, even 'humble' Sprites, I not sure if this is done by the manufacturer or the dealer.
I can never decide which is the best invention for a caravan, a mover or an aquaroll, probably the mover.
1 -
The most use my mover had was getting the van on and off the drive. Use while actually touring was negligible, mostly because I'd forgotten to check athwartships level and needing to chock up a wheel after I'd unhitched.
0 -
I never had a mover nor needed one, reversing big old Log trailers into tight spots resulted in my ease of reversing. I never liked it mind, if I could’ve just clicked my fingers or did a bewitched nose manoeuvre I would. Folk seem to use the skill as a badge of honour with the maxims-‘every driver should do it, it’s a basic skill, it’s easy’. It’s not normal for sure-turning a wheel unnaturally in the opposite direction to normal driving to move a big old lump way bigger than your vehicle into a place you can’t see but for fleeting glimpses whilst simultaneously having a growing audience of schadenfreuders maniacally grinning at the potential entertainment unfolding. If you can swerve the manoeuvre do so for your mental health👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
2 -
I have thought for a long time that it should be a requirement on your driving license to pass a manoeuvring test to be able to tow a trailer the weight and length of a caravan. Especially the sizes they can be today 😬 I’ve seen many who have difficulty towing going forwards, never mind reversing! 🙈
2 -
I think the same re children-Humans have responsibility for a child when they’re no more than a child themselves it’s obvious they don’t have the skills, that has way more serious downsides that reversing skills🤷🏻♂️, a lot could be better thought out re rules but there ya go G🙁
1 -
The fishy clutch smell comes from slipping the clutch when doing slow reversing manoeuvres especially on a incline, a particular problem on modern cars I believe due to modern clutches not designed to be slipped, seeing someone constantly faff around reversing onto a pitch usually results in this strange wiff in the air.
0 -
A WARNING
Using a motor mover for everything is great until one is stopped across a roadway on site and unhitched ready to move caravan and mover fails to perform. Looking at the age demographic of site users midweek I'd not be happy with most of them helping to shove, even if they were to offer.
So proper reversing skills can be needed at anytime, even some skills are better than none at all, though I understand reversing around a corner solo is no longer part of the driving test in Great Britain.
0 -
Problem with modern clutches started when use of asbestos was banned.
0 -
I reckon JK's given you the answer to that😀
2
