Does anyone actually reverse onto a pitch?

[ricky_s]

One of the fun aspects of caravanning for me in the past was watching people make a complete pigs ear of reversing on to a pitch, but it seems since I last had a van about ten years ago that the majority now use a mover to put their van on to a pitch, even though this takes much longer from what I can see.

Is reversing now a lost art?

Cheers,

Ricky

 

[Dustydog]

As caravans have got longer there are many situations where there is insufficient room to reverse the car and caravan onto the pitch.
Where you do have the room and no reversing camera you have to rely on SWMBO to guide you back. Why is it you can never see her in your mirrors hmy: Sometimes she will drive and I'll guide her . Much easier.
Thus before you have even set up a domestic arises.
So we use both the car where possible or the mover.

Don't forget after reversing to pull forward a bit to cancel out the brake reversing mechanism thus ensuring the handbrake works fully.

 

[KeefySher]

Interestingly having heard this point about time taken to pitch, at Easter we followed another seasoned caravanned onto site. The road was clear. One side opposite the pitches was roped off to protect the grass. The one in front reversed onto the pitch, getting in a right state due to the acute angle and roped off area not facilitating a clean one off movement.

I pulled onto the pitch, a hardstanding, unhitched, put the mover on and was on the peg with steadies down, EHU plugged in, water connected before the reverser was on the peg.

At the next site, I pulled onto the pitch, used the mover to pitch. Had I used the car, a rear drive diesel, auto, I'd have churned the pitch up, just like all the reversers did over the time we were there. We used the mover to de pitch with no marks in the grass. Others required tractors to drag them off, and probably made pitches a quagmire for the coming season.

In our short ownership of a large 7.5mt / 24'6' single axle caravan on wet grass pitches have tended to use the mover rather than churn the pitch up just to demonstrate I can reverse. I think preserving the pitch is more important tbh.

Using the mover makes life so much easier, and I'm blowed if I'm going to shove and pull the caravan at my age. I can position the wheel for the wheel lock first time, too.

 

[DavenGill1]

We have to reverse onto a pitch as we don't have a motor mover, don't really want one as we can't afford to carry the extra weight.

 

[Hutch]

Normally I reverse onto pitch and the get confirmation that its in the correct place from SWMBO and correct if nessasary. Only reall use the motor mover if The Loved One requires the van to be across the pitch and I cant reverse in. Got the van back into storage to day and reversing camera wasnt working, had to do it all by the mirrors, bit of a pig in a dark barn.

 

[00buzz]

if there is room to reverse without infringing on others pitch, then I usually do.....if SWMBO wants the van putting in forward (for the view!!!!) then its the mover......

 

[Hutch]

Remember , the abiliry to reverse correctly depends on how many people are watching you.

 

[Thingy]

Have a mover but sheer professional pride will always see me reverse on if room. I usually have more problems with the awning being a short****.

 

[Hutch]

I was most impressed by a driver who was reversing a lorry round a corner with a trailer that had a steerable front axle. A real profesonail.

 

[Mel]

On a seasonal pitch at present so no regular reversing required. However in the past OH would attempt the reverse, fail, blame me for standing in the wrong place and waving the wrong arm, or for staying out of the way altogether, or for standing in the right place but not being helpful; whatever, it was my fault. Then we would get the mover engaged and get it on the pitch in no time.
Why we had to go through this whole performance every single time was beyond me.
Anyway, after this was the "is it level" arguement, which was just the forerunner to the putting up the awning argument.
Got to love it.
Mel

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Why pay over £1,000 for a mover and then not use it? I also paid for a caravan maneuvering course, but am lazy and don't want to give those already pitched up a free show.

 

[JeffD]

Ummm, I tend to use the mover but do reverse more since I have an automatic drive.

I still hear too many people revving engines , slipping clutches and smell burning clutch plates though so the art of reversing is not dead yet

 

[DaveA1]

If there is room I always reverse onto a pitch, more I do it, less chance I have of making a pigs ear of it, practice makes perfect If I do make a mess of it, and I do sometimes, doesn't matter that much.
I have a mover, because where I store my van down the side of my garage, a bit of a dog leg. I can only get it in either pushing or using the mover, II find it quicker to reverse onto the front of my drive and unhitch better than unhitching in the centre of the road,can even do it without running over next doors front lawn, not recommended. see my aviator.

 

[Gafferbill]

...........I recently watched a guy directed by his female companion spend 15 minutes trying to reverse onto a large pitch.
He failed so he unhitched and sited the caravan using the mover.
The whole process took 25 minutes........I was gob smacked because they both had failed to realize that it was a simple matter to drive forwards straight onto their pitch via another site road running down the other side. hmy:

 

[Craigyoung]

We always reverse onto the pitch cos we ain't got a mover ! It's more weight and cost we don't need. Although ours is light enough to push and position depending on gradient of pitch and sort off pitch .

If any one has been to keilder cc site you'll know it's quite hilly , we wanted the view over the water not caravan opposite so I un hitched it and inched it down on the handbrake to get position , 1turn on rear legs to go down , front full unwound so imagine the gradient !! When we come to go home I just chocked a wheel and spun / pivoted it round and hitched it back up !! Easy !

I remember watching a Scottish couple for nearly 2o minutes trying to reverse onto a pitch, a straight line , no turns needed but couldn't do it , I did for him in the end , we've seen each other a few times since on different sites and still laugh about it !!

 

[Hutch]

We were away for our first trip in France about 5 years ago, glass of wine in hand , watching a French couple with a lovely little Ariba pull up, unhitch push back gently hand brake on, it took 6 of us to stop it rolling down the hill. Servicing, not known of in France. Opps.

 

[Parksy]

I always reverse onto a pitch using 4wd if there's any possibility of damage being done to the grass. My 4x4 has an auto gearbox with high and low ranges available so no spinning wheels and no smoking clutch, and the width of the tyres ensures that the load from each wheel is spread to minimise or eliminate damage to wet grass.
A motor mover would cost too much in terms of payload because we have an 80w solar panel on the caravan roof.

 

[Dustydog]

...........I recently watched a guy directed by his female companion spend 15 minutes trying to reverse onto a large pitch.
He failed so he unhitched and sited the caravan using the mover.
The whole process took 25 minutes........I was gob smacked because they both had failed to realize that it was a simple matter to drive forwards straight onto their pitch via another site road running down the other side. hmy:

Oh Bill
You promised not to tell

 

[Robtel]

Try to reverse in when ever possible but if it looks as though it is going to be a bit tight or awkward will just stop and engage the mover. Main reason for trying to reverse as much as I can is just to try and keep what little reversing skills I have up to the mark. Went on a Caravan Club manoeuvring course some years back which helped a lot and think it is a case of use it or lose it as far as that skill goes.
Usually tend to use the mover anyway once on the pitch to position the alko wheel lock.

 

[Thingy]

Lets be brutally honest. If you cannot reverse your caravans properly you shouldnt be on the road. I always wonder how these people would cope if the road was blocked and had to reverse.

 

[Raywood]

I have a mover but the battery is a bit suspect so before it is changed I will reverse onto pitches. I think that being able to do this is essential and can usually manage it a bit quicker than setting up the mover anyway. Some pitches can be tight to get onto though and a site we were on a France would certainly have been a challenge without a mover.
The storage site is a bit tighter and I feel it is safer to use the mover there.
The mover came as part of the show deal we were offered when we bought the caravan. If I had had to pay for it I am not sure I would have taken it.

 

[Martin24]

Yes when there is room to. Our total outfit restricts when this is possible so then we use the mover.

 

[saint-spoon]

I am the first to hold my hand up and say that I am pretty rubbish at reversing the caravan although I can do it at a push and have had to get myself turned around in some tight spots when I have missed the turning for the site and ended up in a cul-de-sac…
I always reverse into the storage spot which is pretty easy enough as there is plenty of room but I do find that many sites are a bit tight on space to get the 7.4 m single axle reversed on without encroaching on other pitches… plus the kids have discovered the magic caravan moving controller now and insist on having a go at moving the van whenever we pitch up.

 

[Eatcustard]

I have never reversed onto a pitch, only used a mover, I value my clutch

 

[BedfordRL]

After many years in farming I pride myself that I can reverse a trailer.
Doesn't stop me making a hash of it sometimes though as watching mirrors is harder than looking out of the back of a tractor.
The best advice I ever got when I started reversing trailers is do it slowly, that way it doesn't get away from you too fast.