Cheep mover

[RegandPat]

Your going to say what a daft idea this is but oh well, feel free.
Now no way can I afford a caravan mover at around £600 so I have come up with this idea.
How about a second hand, Mobility Scooter, take off the seat and lower the tow coupling down on to the scooter then hay presto you have a mover.
Mainly just for the drive-way.
Would it work as I have seen some going for £100.
What are your views on this crankcase idea of mine.
Pat
Oh I'll own up, Reg

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Good caravan motor movers have a 'soft start' feature, when it starts you get smooth action. Mobility scooters can tend to 'be off' when you twist to go and even some of the best have a weight limit under 120KG. Tugging 1000KG + would be a problem I guess, even if the gearing, motors and batteries could cope for short periods of use on the flat the tyres could well have traction problems especially in the wet.
A 'suck it and see' exercise, but with £100 at stake. Check out the free ad style web sites or Ebay and get something like a Mr Shifta style mover for home use. Will cosy a bit more, but designed to move a caravan

 

[forestgump]

just sold a euro tech mover £100 like new soft start and small to store.

 

[Steve L]

I have a simple Motor mover Et, which fits in place of the jockey wheel. Or alternatively you can do as I have and fit a second jockey wheel clamp to the A frame.
All I need mine for is parking at home and to me it seemed pointless to have a fitted one as it lowers your payload for clothing etc.
Another advantage for me is that I can use my portable mover to move my boat and goods trailers too.

Finally price has a part. Mine cost £250 to buy secondhand and when I needed a replacement spiral drive gear it was delivered within 2 days at very reasonable cost from it's british manufacturer.
Now turn to Reg and repeat together. We need a mover

Atb Steve.

 

[RegandPat]

I would appreciate all views on the Mr shfta motorized caravan mover as I am getting one.
Mainly any tips on how to best operate in a confined space and I will have to go up a curb with a ramp.
The curb is only 4 inches high and have made two wooden ramps out of some decking.
I had better say my van is 1300 Kg (Swift challenger 490).
It will be on a road then concrete stand, no grass or gravel.
Reg and Pat
PS I have just read all the other letters on Mr Shifta so will apologize for not looking first.

 

[forestgump]

mr shifta are not cheap and you have to fit them every time you use them a chep mover from riversway ect is not a lot more money and fitted

 

[ValA.]

Mr Shiftas, second hand, are not cheap. I wouldn't have thought getting up a 4 inch kerb on a short ramp with a Mr Shifta isn't going to be easy. There are lots of posts about Mr Shiftas, and few of them are complimentary - probably why there are so many second hand ones for sale!

We have an E-Go mover (axle not jockey wheel) and it cost just £599 new - which is not a lot more than the price of a new Mr Shifta (incidentally the Shifta company are no longer supplying new units!).

 

[RegandPat]

I have just purchased a second hand Mr Shifta mover.
As you may all know it attaches to the towing coupling on the van and you twist the handle and away you go.
Now dose any one know why it has a leaver on the ball that is supposed to keep the break off when reversing, and why.
When I have my car coupled up and I reverse the break dose not come on.
Is it necessary to have this leaver on the Mr Shifta, can I take it off, will it still work in reverse?
I have the standard AL-Ko coupling on my Swift challenger 490Sel 1998.
Thanks for any advise.
PS. I have also put this problem in the Swift forum for a bigger coverage, hope that is alright to do that as I would like to stay fathfull to this forum.
Reg and Pat

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

Reg & Pat, I believe the lever is to stop the hitch going backwards and applying the caravan brakes. When hitched up the car has the power to push through the brakes.
However I may be mistaken and will stand corrected..............

 

[RegandPat]

Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.
I think I had better leave it on just in case.
Many moons ago I read about breaks on caravans but can't remember what.
I am going to give Mr Shifta a test run so all cars in Hampshire beware.
Reg and Pat

 

[Steve L]

Hi Reg & Pat.
To negotiate your ramp, I would do one side at a time by slewing the van left & right, putting a chock under the wheel you don't want to move. I used this method on my caravans without any drama.
One safety tip is to put a rope on your chocks and use a broom handle to position them, this avoids bending and also the possability of trapping fingers.

Like you I can't see the need for preventing the hand brake operation, the only time I could invisage that being needed is if you try to mound a curb directly when reversing. But using a ramp would cushion the blow.

I have used an early Mr Shifta and the torque on startup was too harsh on the control handle for me to control as I have arthritic shoulders and a compressed disc in my back. The motormover which clamps direct to the A frame of the van is much easier for me. But that's a personal choice.

 

[JTQ]

I have used an early Mr Shifta and the torque on startup was too harsh on the control handle for me to control

They are prone to this if not coupled correctly; the disc under the ball must be very tightly done up so clamping all movement about the ball other than turning. If the van has an Al-Ko stabiliser then you need Mr Shifta's specially designed shoe to enable that tight fitting to be achieved. Without that or any other incorrectly tightened use then the mover will drive under and away from the ball centre, bucking much as was described.

The brake holding off attachment is needed for coming down inclines forward. Here the van will tend to run towards the mover and doing so without the holding off attachment will put on the van's brakes leading to a nasty jerky progress down the slope. With the attachment set correctly coming down a slope forward is a nice smooth operation controlled solely by the mover, and braked solely by the mover.

I found the Achilles heal of the Mr Shifta is the limiting braking it achieves on wet surfaces in either direction when handling heavy vans on significant slopes. In my case with a slope of 1:14 with a 1700 kgs van could get frightening, whereas with a lighter 1100ish van on the same surface it was a really good bit of kit.

 

[RegandPat]

JTQ,
you need Mr Shifta's specially designed shoe.
Anyone have an idea were I can get this shoe.
I did have a quick go on the van but It felt like the breaks was on, will move the van this weekend with my truck and have it more on level ground and have a go again.
Reg and Pat

 

[JTQ]

JTQ,
you need Mr Shifta's specially designed shoe.
Anyone have an idea were I can get this shoe.
Reg and Pat

If there is no second hand one to be had, so keep to your desire to save cost, then I thought Mr Shifta was still in business handling spares repairs etc.