Motor mover recommendations

[Beachball]

When we came back into towing after retiring through ill health in 2012, we look in a motor move for our last caravan for my mobility issues So we brought a Emove 203 a caravan mover and easy- wind system so both rollers can be engaged at the same time by simply winding in and out . So for me after waiting for 40 years for our first motor mover this one suited our needs

 

[trevormonty]

When we came back into towing after retiring through ill health in 2012, we look in a motor move for our last caravan for my mobility issues So we brought a Emove 203 a caravan mover and easy- wind system so both rollers can be engaged at the same time by simply winding in and out . So for me after waiting for 40 years for our first motor mover this one suited our needs

Only negative to these is user has to make sure they wind enough so it is engaged fully looking at indicator ie in green.
This was pointed out to youtuber in comments when people noticed indicator was yellow (partially engaged) not higher pressure green. They were using on flat so wasn't issue but on slope could've had runaway van.

With hard to use lever ones there is no middle ground which could explain why they were designed that way.

 

[ProfJohnL]

We would never leave our motor mover engaged.

Then why ask the question?

Do you leave your motor mover engaged as that is not recommended by some manufacturers of motor movers.

 

[otherclive]

Only negative to these is user has to make sure they wind enough so it is engaged fully looking at indicator ie in green.
This was pointed out to youtuber in comments when people noticed indicator was yellow (partially engaged) not higher pressure green. They were using on flat so wasn't issue but on slope could've had runaway van.

With hard to use lever ones there is no middle ground which could explain why they were designed that way.

I had a wind on Reich mover on a caravan for 9 years. Very easy to engage and a simple mechanism. But I always activated or deactivated it in conjunction with using the caravan handbrake on level or sloping terrain.. Just as I did with my subsequent Powrtouch lever on mover which required a telescopic wrench to ease the task of actuation.

 

[Buckman]

Then why ask the question?

Trevormonty did clarify so not sure why you felt the need to respond once again?

 

[Dustydog]

I had a wind on Reich mover on a caravan for 9 years. Very easy to engage and a simple mechanism. But I always activated or deactivated it in conjunction with using the caravan handbrake on level or sloping terrain.. Just as I did with my subsequent Powrtouch lever on mover which required a telescopic wrench to ease the task of actuation.

Could you use your battery drill for the winding? My Powrtouch manual needs a fairly hefty pressure to lock even though it’s regularly lubed. My tyres are 29psi. I imagine some tyres in the 50s psi may make engagement harder.
Tip of the day😎 As soon as the mover has been engaged place the wrench over the cars steering wheel. It will never be forgotten before moving off!

 

[JTQ]

If the caravan has to be pitched facing uphill on a significant incline, where then I will leave the mover engaged.
This having seen, one self-take off and roll away downhill, thankfully the owners were not in it, nor did it hit anyone or anything.
I have also seen the aftermath of exactly the same, though not witnessed that event, where a new van was, I suspect, going to be written off through extensive smashing of its rear.
I know the parking brake ought to hold tight, but also know with our "autoreverse" brake feature, it doing that relies on energy we have to store in the spring. All an avoidable risk I don't want to inflict on us if we are on board, or on anyone unfortunate to be in a rolling caravan's way.

I can't see any great short term risk to the tyres from taking the loading of possibly a 100/150 kgs forced on roller. In my case, where the static force supporting the caravan is 950 kgs of dead load , that before we go onboard. Nor the immensely higher dynamic forces the tyre takes at 60 mph impacting all manner of road surfaces.

The Rhyno mover I recall, offered no cross actuation, and I can further recall them claiming that where stored parked too close to a wall, you could confidently store the van without unloading the roller.

On the other subject; our tyres are 215/15" so brutes and inflated to 65 psi, therefore applying the Powrtouch overcentre mechanical engagement cross coupled doing both sides is a very hefty task. The cross coupling doubling it compared to living with them separated, something I have thought I might do. It's doable as is but needs as Clive has said a telescopic or other long levered socket wrench. I am still pleased it is a simple manually applied device, powering and controlling a function that does not have to be is complication, with all that's ramifications I prefer not to take on.
As DD said, best leave that wrench in the driving seat area once mover is engaged pre any driving away.

 

[otherclive]

Could you use your battery drill for the winding? My Powrtouch manual needs a fairly hefty pressure to lock even though it’s regularly lubed. My tyres are 29psi. I imagine some tyres in the 50s psi may make engagement harder.
Tip of the day😎 As soon as the mover has been engaged place the wrench over the cars steering wheel. It will never be forgotten before moving off!

I guess that you could use a drill with a suitable adaptor. The winding tool for the Reich had an end fitting similar size, shape to a wheel nut. But in those days bending down wasn’t an issue😂

 

[Hutch]

When I was adjusting my Power touch MM , for grip, I decided to see what the difference between using the cross tube for actuating, the motors.
Without the cross tube, the movers are much easier to actuate into place, I have decided that as I get older I have two choices, either remove the cross tube or use a longer actuating lever.
Even with the cross tube I still check both Motors are engaged using the lever on both sides.

 

[otherclive]

When I was adjusting my Power touch MM , for grip, I decided to see what the difference between using the cross tube for actuating, the motors.
Without the cross tube, the movers are much easier to actuate into place, I have decided that as I get older I have two choices, either remove the cross tube or use a longer actuating lever.
Even with the cross tube I still check both Motors are engaged using the lever on both sides.

On my last van I had to use a telescopic wheel wrench to make it easier to engage or disengage the Powrtouch mover. I needed cross actuation because I couldn’t access the offside of the caravan when at home alongside the garage wall.

 

[JTQ]

Even with the cross tube I still check both Motors are engaged using the lever on both sides.

Yes, that's a very wise precaution, the more so as the wear develops in the crosstube's rudimentary couplings.

 

[Hutch]

On the Power touch, MM of the era 2013, I did notice that the roll pins on the cross actuating tube, fitted to the motors were 3/16th inch. And started to bend allowing the cross actuation to be slack, I changed the roll pins to 1/4 inch, and now the cross actuation is great.

 

[JTQ]

On the Power touch, MM of the era 2013, I did notice that the roll pins on the cross actuating tube, fitted to the motors were 3/16th inch. And started to bend allowing the cross actuation to be slack, I changed the roll pins to 1/4 inch, and now the cross actuation is great.

Was any reaming out needed to up these to 1/4"?
Or had wear generated enough or simply made with sufficient clearance?

I can, walk round and reset the blind side when the van has moved out of our carport a bit and before the route involves any of the climbs. So presently it is no big hassle, but sorting it properly is attractive if easy enough to do.

 

[Hutch]

I didn't bother to ream it out, just drill under size by a few thou. Then wellied the pins in with a 2lb club ⚒️.very easy and much better.
I had thought about Drilling and Bolts but found a couple of 1/4 roll pins in my "Bits" box. So as they are hardened I decided they were better.

 

[trevormonty]

I had a wind on Reich mover on a caravan for 9 years. Very easy to engage and a simple mechanism. But I always activated or deactivated it in conjunction with using the caravan handbrake on level or sloping terrain.. Just as I did with my subsequent Powrtouch lever on mover which required a telescopic wrench to ease the task of actuation.

I make point of chocking wheels both front and back before disengaging MM. There is something to be said for leaving them engage on steeper sites as extra braking. A few days shouldn't damage tires.

 

[Hutch]

I didn't bother to ream it out, just drill under size by a few thou. Then wellied the pins in with a 2lb club ⚒️.very easy and much better.
I had thought about Drilling and Bolts but found a couple of 1/4 roll pins in my "Bits" box. So as they are hardened I decided they were better.

I see on Power touchs spares site the original roll pins are 5 mm/0.197"/ or 13/64" so I must have had roll pins of 6mm, 0.236" or 15/64" nearly 1/4". .

 

[Raywood]

Are you asking whether we claimed on the insurance?

if so, then Yes. The insurance company were okay, actually, although a few irritations. The repairers vsted our home, prepared an estimate which we forwarded to the insurers. They actually settled the claim and paid out straight away. I had assumed that they would pay on production of n invoice after the work was completed. I was concerned that the "quote" was actually an estimate, and that they may find something else wrong. I phoned the Ins Co, who said they would pay any extra charges

I am now in possession of the funds, but the repairer want me to buy the mover and they will fit it. I thought that was a bit odd, and assumed that they wanted to avoid liability on a product that may go wrong hundreds of miles away. If the warranty rules on self fitting or fitting by non registered installers are standard in the industry, that may explain the stance of my repairers. The benefit is that it is no problem for me to upgrade from the quoted for manual version to auto, having the entire market available. I will definitely get the van repaired by the firm, but have the MM fitted by , probably, the online company.

Thanks for the note on the relative cost of buying from the Exhibition, I thought that maybe they did a special deal.

As I see it if you buy from Powrtouch they are responsible for any failures under the CRA, any failure in the fitting is down to the company fitting it which means you could e in the middle of an argument between them. Possibly your best bet is to buy one from the company fitting it, so there is no doubt in he event of a problem.
It might mean a different make but I am not aware of Powrtouch being so superior it would bother me.

 

[otherclive]

I make point of chocking wheels both front and back before disengaging MM. There is something to be said for leaving them engage on steeper sites as extra braking. A few days shouldn't damage tires.

On sloping sites I would use handbrake plus wheel chocks but not MM.

 

[Beachball]

Only negative to these is user has to make sure they wind enough so it is engaged fully looking at indicator ie in green.
This was pointed out to youtuber in comments when people noticed indicator was yellow (partially engaged) not higher pressure green. They were using on flat so wasn't issue but on slope could've had runaway van.

With hard to use lever ones there is no middle ground which could explain why they were designed that way.

Where we use pitch our caravan in storage that was on a incline never had a problem with mover but we put chocks behind the wheels and then the handbrake went on for the peace of mind

 

[GaryB]

My EMove303 is engaged by winding and has a 19mm A/F nut so I use the drill and corner steady socket but I have to have the drill on a slow speed/high torque setting to get enough contact with the tyres (the battery in the drill isn’t brilliant).

 

[Hutch]

My EMove303 is engaged by winding and has a 19mm A/F nut so I use the drill and corner steady socket but I have to have the drill on a slow speed/high torque setting to get enough contact with the tyres (the battery in the drill isn’t brilliant).

But at least you can, wind the last bit with a ratchet. Or a steady winder.

 

[Buckman]

As I see it if you buy from Powrtouch they are responsible for any failures under the CRA, any failure in the fitting is down to the company fitting it which means you could e in the middle of an argument between them. Possibly your best bet is to buy one from the company fitting it, so there is no doubt in he event of a problem.
It might mean a different make but I am not aware of Powrtouch being so superior it would bother me.

Powertouch appoint one of their agents to do the fitting so no issue there and they would be responsible if anything went wrong with the fitting.

 

[Buckman]

Where we use pitch our caravan in storage that was on a incline never had a problem with mover but we put chocks behind the wheels and then the handbrake went on for the peace of mind

Definitely not a good idea to leave the handbrake on while caravan is in storage as it may seize the brakes.

 

[Dustydog]

Definitely not a good idea to leave the handbrake on while caravan is in storage as it may seize the brakes.

Totally agree. My AWS regularly changes brakes where the handbrake has been left on all winter. The shoe linings stick to the drums tearing them off the shoes and damaging the drums.

 

[Raywood]

I would check the terms of the contract oof sale to be sure. Using independent contractors is a simple way for firms to avoid fitting errors.