motor mover do i need one?

Jun 14, 2007
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Hi folks im picking up a bailey wyoming shortly after having a bailey oaklahoma and indiana both single axles,and have got to thinking that as the new van is a twin axle and i normally do the last bit of parking the van by myself by hand that i might need a mover all along ive managed by myself with the odd bit of vocal assistance from the better half. as i have never pushed a twin im in unfamiliar teritory is it a necessity or a luxory item, im not a small individual and there always appears to be somebody who is willing to help.

Any advice you guys can give me would be great. thanks luke
 
May 21, 2008
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Hi Luke,

I have a twin axle van myself and use a motormover Big foot ET to do some of the manouvering.

If you are quite competent at reversing onto pitches and out on the highway, then the investment of a fixed mover is realy not worth it, also there is the consideration of added weight.

I have fitted a second jockey wheel bracket to our van to clamp the mover on, but you can get adaptors to use the ball hitch.

I use the mover just for very tight manouvers at home as I have to get the van down the side of the house with about 6 inches to spare each side. OnceI've hooked up to the car, I leave the mover at home until I return.

I do use a large BMW 7 series car battery to power the mover as it does take a lot of juice from the leisure battery to move the van and liesure batteries are designed for low power use over a long time (lights etc).

I spent the princely sum of
 

Reg

Jan 12, 2008
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You certainly do need one when you get more mature in years as I am finding out. It's that last yard or so when hitching up which I found to be the problem, especially on grass, If you can get a straight run at it with the car its no problem but if I have to reverse back at an angle with 'er-indoors signals its... eeerr... tricky! As my wife doesn't have the girth or muscle power of an all in wrestler I have to do it myself.

But not anymore!!!!!!
 
Dec 27, 2006
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We have a twin axle and whilst I am confident at reversing, I wouldnt be without a mover, trying to turn a t/a by hand is a job I can do without, give me the mover any time
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hi Luke.

We had a mover on our previous van which was a Senator Oklahoma, however when we bought our current van which is a Spectrum 535 I did not have a mover fitted.

We have found the twin far easier to reverse and have plenty of space where we store the van. We also primarily use CC sites which again tend to have good access and plenty of space.

As has been said earlier though twins are virtually impossible to move by hand so if your storage space is tight or you use sites where access to the pitch can be difficult a mover is probably a neccessity.

Richard
 
Mar 15, 2008
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I agree with all the other posters, a single axle has a single pivot point and is therefore easy to turn but a twin axle will not turn no matter how hard you try (by hand I mean).
 
May 21, 2008
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I quite agree that twin axle vans are very hard to turn round by hand. However, I can get my 20ft twin axle van turned using my A frame mounted Motor mover ET.

It does take about a 30 point turn to do so though. Ihave to use a motor mover on my van as I've had major surgery on my right arm and sholder and they are just to sore to push 1360Kgs around.

Having towed al sorts of trailers over my 32 years of driving, I've got quite good at reversing. All it took was plenty of practice with small trailers (8 x 4 footers) to get accurate with larger ones. Small trailers are a right pain to reverse as the distance between the hitch and the trailer axle is shorter than the wheel base of the car. So a small turn of the car makes the trailer turn twice as quickly. But if you can master that then a big twin axle van is a sinch.

As ever, taking your time and not getting flustered by other peoples impatience is key to getting where you want to be.

Steve L.
 
Jun 14, 2007
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Thanks all for the sound advice i reckon you have confirmed my thoughts on the matter that a mover is required. i might add i have noticed some posts that state that a twin mover acts on all 4 wheels and that in some circumstances the spare wheel and mount need moving, the question i had in mind im confident in my ability to reverse the van and i have no issue with parking at home its just put around the back of the house where i have plenty space also im quite happy to take my time and not get flustered by others peoples impatience that said im wondering if a single axle mover will suffice to aid with the moving of the van and save any alteration to the undercarrige of the van. Has anybody done this? THANKS AGAIN for all the help folks.

luke
 
Mar 8, 2007
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Luke,

On my mover the rollers are set at the rear axle, this is not a problem as the spare wheel sits in the front locker. I believe you can have the movers fitted to the front axle and some people prefer this set up, as then the rollers are protected by road spray.

If you decide to get a four roller model, then you will have to find an alternative place for the spare wheel,

best regards, Martin
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hello Luke,

Most of what needs to be said has already been done so, but perhaps a little wont hurt.

You obviously appreciate that twin axle caravans are more difficult to turn, and without the muscle of a tow vehicle it can be very difficult to do it by hand.

I did some work for a major manufacture, where caravans were tested in a special facility. It was always tight to get a caravan loaded, and on number of occasions I had to manoeuvre caravans within their own length to get them in and out by myself. The floor was a painted concrete and whist single axles were comparatively easy, twins were literally a real pain.

Despite jacking the jockey to maximum height to relive the down force on the front pair of wheels, and the optimum surface, it was a major effort to manoeuvre the caravan in to position. We found that adding a little water to the surface under the wheels helped, but it equally it was a major slip hazard if you had to walk near the area. These days it would not be allowed under Health & Safety.

With such difficulty on a plain surface, it was even more difficult on less good surfaces such as the tarmac yard, unless you had plenty of room and could take long distances to achieve the turn.

Now I do not know what the ground is like where you need to manoeuvre your van, but bearing in mind the surface conditions can change with rain or falling leaves etc, working single handed or even in pairs, moving the caravan within its own length will still be very hard.

If your surface is hard and flat, then you may find that a mover that fits to the 'A' frame will be more than sufficient, but if the ground is uneven, slopping or tens to get slippery or loose like gravel, then the A frame devices will not be suitable. For these adverse conditions you need the axle-mounted movers that can maintain grip and control under these conditions.
 
Feb 25, 2008
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We have a reich mover fitted to our Sterling Europa, this is the second 'van that it has been fitted on, and it has proved to be the best investment that we made. With the first caravan, also a Sterling we had to get our local postman to help me push it onto our drive as it nearly broke my back struggling to do it manually. I can't reverse it in with the car as our street is not wide enough. Both of these have single akles. Think about your own, and your wife's (or partners) health, and if you still want to push a ton and a half when you get to my age (over 60)then the best of luck to you!
 
Feb 25, 2008
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We have a reich mover fitted to our Sterling Europa, this is the second 'van that it has been fitted on, and it has proved to be the best investment that we made. With the first caravan, also a Sterling we had to get our local postman to help me push it onto our drive as it nearly broke my back struggling to do it manually. I can't reverse it in with the car as our street is not wide enough. Both of these have single akles. Think about your own, and your wife's (or partners) health, and if you still want to push a ton and a half when you get to my age (over 60)then the best of luck to you!
sorry about the spelling mistake! It should read axles!!!!!!
 
Jun 14, 2007
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Ok im sold, i just have to get a quote from my local dealer and see what he has on offer, as i dont have a lot of choice he is the only dealer for 150 miles and living in ireland there is no other companys fitting them. Again MANY THANKS thanks to all of you who took the time to sit down and give me the benefit of your experiences . thanks luke
 

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