Manoeuvring into driveway

[Motobiman]

Prospective vanner here with a question I hope you good people can answer.
I have a driveway with double gates at the side if my home.
The gates are 9ft wide and the driveway about 50ft long.
The gates are set back from the drop kerb over the pavement 9ft and the road is 17ft wide kerb to kerb.
I have drawn it out to scale and it appears to me I can turn a 24ft long van in the road on a motor mover to get into the driveway.
If any of that makes sense does this sound workable?
I will post an image when I can work out how to do it,

Thanks for any comments.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

A single axle van can be turned in its own length, pivoting on the axle. However a twin axle van will need more space to juggle backwards and forwards.

 

[Motobiman]

Heh thanks for that, certainly from what I have seen on YouTube it seems very controllable.

I have 26 ft clear to turn in so figure I can do it.

Going to look very silly if I buy the single wheel van and can't get it on the drive..... :dry:

 

[RogerL]

You need to consider that anyone parked in the road opposite your drive will reduce the effective road width from 17' to about 11'.

Otherwise, you could consider parking the caravan nose in - that way the tail can overhang the opposite pavement, if it's clear, while you're manouevring.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Going to look very silly if I buy the single wheel van

Very funny indeed, you need at least three wheels - jockey plus a wheel either end of a single axle. :lol:

 

[RogerL]

Going to look very silly if I buy the single wheel van

Very funny indeed, you need at least three wheels - jockey plus a wheel either end of a single axle. :lol:

Take no notice, Motobiman, we were all beginners and knew nothing once - it's perfectly obvious what you meant.

 

[Motobiman]

Coo I never thought of someone parking opposite...... Much.

 

[RogerL]

Coo I never thought of someone parking opposite...... Much.

Legally, that counts as obstructing the highway (assuming it's a public road) - BUT - that means involving the police and likely to trigger all sorts of other neighbourly disputes.

My brother-in-law and I both have a similar issue but we're on good terms with the neighbours and are content to wait if they're in the way back in and advise them in advance on the way out.

 

[CyberCynth]

Cars parked opposite the drive are a problem for many of us. (Including me) One of the best reasons for maintaining good relationships with those living nearby! I always try to plan my leaving home/arriving back times between 9am and about 2.30pm, on a weekday, when the estate is usually at it's quietest. I then usually have a clear space around the drive in which to manoeuvre. I appreciate this is not always possible for everyone; I do have the luxury of being a retiree, so can come and go as I choose. I usually studiously avoid going out in the 'van during school holidays!

 

[Motobiman]

We are the same, in a small cul de sac and everyone around here is pretty easy going (except white van man and he's got a for sale sign up on the van so TG for that

I planned on telling my neighbors when I need access and parking SWMBOs car there if necessary to keep the space clear for when I need it outbound.

Of course arriving home and finding it blocked is an issue but again If I know whose car it is I can probably get it moved easily enough.

If not I will have to back out and park in the adjacent street until the car moves.

 

[Motobiman]

Is preventing one getting a caravan from private land onto the highway an offence?

 

[CyberCynth]

I would have thought so, However, it would be much better to try to resolve any 'blockage' problems amicably. If you ever wanted to sell your house, you would have to declare whether you had a dispute with any of your neighbours (on the 'buyer's enquiry form'). An answer in the affirmative is likely to put off any potential buyers!

On my return from my last two outings with the 'van, I actually managed to reverse it onto the drive, despite the rather close proximity of a couple of parked cars. Mind you, it is a very small caravan, so no big deal really!

 

[Motobiman]

Absolutely but my understanding is its not on offence to block someone getting OFF the highway and ONTO his property but it is the other way around, ie blocking his car in but is it the same for a caravan I wonder?

 

[CyberCynth]

Absolutely but my understanding is its not on offence to block someone getting OFF the highway and ONTO his property but it is the other way around, ie blocking his car in but is it the same for a caravan I wonder?

Sorry, no idea Motobiman, lets hope there's someone out there with an answer for you. (And for the rest of us!)

 

[mealsonwheels]

Don't forget to remember which days the bin lorry comes to empty your wheelie bins, which you don't want to meet as you bring your van down the road!
We too are in a cul-de-sac with several cars parked around, but most of them belong to working folk and we get our van out from storage mid-morning on a weekday, when most have gone to work and we use the motor mover to get it on the drive.
We then get the fridge on to get nice and cold a couple of days before we place things in it, which have already been chilling down in the home fridge (or home freezer, for things that go in the ice box).

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

We never bring our van from storage to home before we go away. We also live in a cul-de-sac, but it has a footpath at the end going through to a large housing estate. Having the van here before we go away advertises to the undesirables that the house is going to be empty. We do however bring the van back at the end of a trip to unload and clean it.

 

[RogerL]

The Road Traffic Act offence of Obstructing the Highway has a broad definition - essentially anything which prevents traffic from freely passing over any stretch of road is causing an obstruction - this therefore covers parking in a way that prevents a legal manoeuvre being carried out. Any vehicle that fails to move on when requested by a police officer in uniform is automatically committing the offence of obstruction.

But you don't want to go down that route, not even reminding your neighbour's what is or isn't legal.

 

[Dustydog]

Welcome Motobiman.

Movers are big boys toys and imo should be a standard fit on all caravans from new. I'm with Roger on parking nose first. It can make it harder for a would be thief to get at the hitch. Plus you could set a hitch post int concrete making the caravan more secure.
Let us know what you buy in due course.

 

[Motobiman]

Hiya, thanks.
I was kind of thinking nose in for the ease of turning and the security but that puts the door against the fence, not ideal for loading and unloading.
It's behind a six foot fence so security is not such an issue methinks.
I was planning we could load up behind the gates in the evening and then knock on the doors of any offending car owner (it's only one that can block the access I think) and ask them to move and why, then park our tow car opposite the gates and roll out the van to hook up in the morning after they have all gone to work.
Haha - all this lovely planning.

 

[crazyguider]

Same here. We don't have a mover so its either done by car, or sometims by hand! We returned home BH monday this year to find the road completely parked up, but our enquiries meNt we had 10 willing helpers to push the van into the drive. It went in so fast it nearly went into the garage!

 

[JamesH]

Also consider whether your garden gates open inwards or outwards. Our gates open outwards so they do reduce the turning circle a little. If they open inwards, can you close the gates when your van is in the garden?
Regarding parked cars. Our neighbour looks after our cat when we are away so knows when we will be returning and he parks his car opposite our gates and moves it when we return. Keep friendly with your neighbours !

 

[Motobiman]

Hi James
They open inwards and the driveway is straight, 9'6' wide and over 50ft long so no worries on that score.
It was put in by the previous owner for an AA truck.
Can't really park across the gate as almost all the parking is on the opposite side due to the layout.
I'm pretty sure now I can work around it provided I buy a motor mover equipped van.
The range of layouts is daunting .......

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Also consider whether your garden gates open inwards or outwards. Our gates open outwards so they do reduce the turning circle a little. If they open inwards, can you close the gates when your van is in the garden?

Our gates will swing inwards or outwards, but if either way is in the way then we lift the gates off their hinges.

 

[Motobiman]

Actually due to the width of the road I don't think I could swing the van in if the gates opened outwards.