Last week i purchased a second hand motor mover from ebay, i got it delivered yesterday, i have tried it out tonight on the driveway and works well on my Elddis Hurricane, the big test will be getting it to go up the slope and out of the driveway, The manufacturers website state it can cope with a 1 in 7 slope, but my drive is a 1ft 3 in 10ft slope, it was chippings but today i spent 5 hrs laying concrete (fast drying) i go on hols on tuesday so i will test on tuesday night to see if the motor motor can cope up the slope or whether the tyre just spins.
Motor Mover
- Thread starter andrew1608
- Start date
Hi Andrew.
You don't specify which model you've bought. I have the motor mover ET(extra torque) model with a pneumatic tyre.
I did have a solid tyre version but that was not man enough for our twenty foot twin axle van.
Here's a few pointers to tryout.
1/ By using the mover to push rather than pull your van (ie, reverse it in place) you will find it pushes up hill a lot better due to gravitational weight transfer to the tyre.
2/ On the subject of the tyre, you can try lowering the tyre pressure to as little as 10Psi. This put's a bigger foot print of tread in contact with the ground.
3/ If your van is a single axle, then another trick of the trade to help going up steep slopes that the conventional direct line approach fails on is to do the following.
go up as far as you can in a straight line.
Stop and chock one wheel.
swing the mover to 90Deg and slew the van to one side gaining a few inches further up the slope with one wheel.
Chock the higher wheel and repeat the steps above, to get the lower wheel up the slope higher than the other one.
What you end up doing is a zig-zag manouver which although time consuming does get your van up even a 1 in 4 gradient. (I've achieved that even pulling forward).
Now obviously this all assumes you either have a wide enough drive or you can slice the top's off her ladyships flower bed. (No bravery awards for that one mate). But by using the above tips I have moved a 17ft single axle and as I said previously, our own twin axle van. The main thing is not to expect perfection, but to take your time and plan your method.
One last tip. I use a large BMW car battery to power our mover. It saves drianing our leisure battery, plus you get an axtra 25Kgs dead weight on the A frame.
As a proffessional "process Technician" my trade has been to solve the impossable, or as most folk say when I've got them out of the SH 1 T. A bloody know all. But I'm not realy, it's just been the case that as most people can vouch for, just when you need ten burley men to push the van or get your stuck car off the field, they all seem to be in the pud gulping amber nectar.
Have fun and think safety at all times.
Steve.
You don't specify which model you've bought. I have the motor mover ET(extra torque) model with a pneumatic tyre.
I did have a solid tyre version but that was not man enough for our twenty foot twin axle van.
Here's a few pointers to tryout.
1/ By using the mover to push rather than pull your van (ie, reverse it in place) you will find it pushes up hill a lot better due to gravitational weight transfer to the tyre.
2/ On the subject of the tyre, you can try lowering the tyre pressure to as little as 10Psi. This put's a bigger foot print of tread in contact with the ground.
3/ If your van is a single axle, then another trick of the trade to help going up steep slopes that the conventional direct line approach fails on is to do the following.
go up as far as you can in a straight line.
Stop and chock one wheel.
swing the mover to 90Deg and slew the van to one side gaining a few inches further up the slope with one wheel.
Chock the higher wheel and repeat the steps above, to get the lower wheel up the slope higher than the other one.
What you end up doing is a zig-zag manouver which although time consuming does get your van up even a 1 in 4 gradient. (I've achieved that even pulling forward).
Now obviously this all assumes you either have a wide enough drive or you can slice the top's off her ladyships flower bed. (No bravery awards for that one mate). But by using the above tips I have moved a 17ft single axle and as I said previously, our own twin axle van. The main thing is not to expect perfection, but to take your time and plan your method.
One last tip. I use a large BMW car battery to power our mover. It saves drianing our leisure battery, plus you get an axtra 25Kgs dead weight on the A frame.
As a proffessional "process Technician" my trade has been to solve the impossable, or as most folk say when I've got them out of the SH 1 T. A bloody know all. But I'm not realy, it's just been the case that as most people can vouch for, just when you need ten burley men to push the van or get your stuck car off the field, they all seem to be in the pud gulping amber nectar.
Have fun and think safety at all times.
Steve.
Hello Andrew
Despite the date and time, Steve's response is good, especially the last line.
As an addendum to his post, I conclude that you have a mover that fits to the A frame either in the hitch, or the jockey wheel clamp. Steve correctly identifies that using these devices to push rather than pull up a hill will give best results, however whilst given time and space, you can make them work on slopes greater than specified by the manufacturer, they do suffer the potential to loose grip (Wet leaves, snow, ice, gravel, wet wood, mud, are all potential hazards), and when that happens the caravan is out of control.
Consider - could you stop the caravan from moving down the slope without the use of a handbrake: If not, then the A frame movers are working at the edge or may be over of their safety limits.
I urge you to use caution.
Despite the date and time, Steve's response is good, especially the last line.
As an addendum to his post, I conclude that you have a mover that fits to the A frame either in the hitch, or the jockey wheel clamp. Steve correctly identifies that using these devices to push rather than pull up a hill will give best results, however whilst given time and space, you can make them work on slopes greater than specified by the manufacturer, they do suffer the potential to loose grip (Wet leaves, snow, ice, gravel, wet wood, mud, are all potential hazards), and when that happens the caravan is out of control.
Consider - could you stop the caravan from moving down the slope without the use of a handbrake: If not, then the A frame movers are working at the edge or may be over of their safety limits.
I urge you to use caution.
Doh, John.
Think again matey. By virtue of the van being reversed up the hill using the mover, should the motor mover loose grip then good old gravity will kick in. Down hill will come caravan and motor mover, but if one applies the caravan's hand brake then things should come to an abrupt halt.
I also mentioned the use of chock's which again will prevent un-warranted travel.
One thing I did forget to add was that I have fitted a length of roofing batten (38x25mm) to each chock and long enough to allow her in doors to push the chock under the wheel from the front of the van without fear of pinched fingers. I've seen that done before. At a mere
Think again matey. By virtue of the van being reversed up the hill using the mover, should the motor mover loose grip then good old gravity will kick in. Down hill will come caravan and motor mover, but if one applies the caravan's hand brake then things should come to an abrupt halt.
I also mentioned the use of chock's which again will prevent un-warranted travel.
One thing I did forget to add was that I have fitted a length of roofing batten (38x25mm) to each chock and long enough to allow her in doors to push the chock under the wheel from the front of the van without fear of pinched fingers. I've seen that done before. At a mere
saw one in action yeaterday, little man, big caravan moving all on its own how much do these things cost?? are they worth it?
sounds as if you saw one of the Truma /Reich type - they are attached to the axle of your van .
Best thing since sliced bread as far as I am concerned.
Yes they are expensive - but no more heaving and manhandling your caravan
Best thing since sliced bread as far as I am concerned.
Yes they are expensive - but no more heaving and manhandling your caravan
Hi Andrew,
Don,t was your money on the mover with the big wheel,splash out and get yourself a Power touch mover,yes its an expensive item but you won,t regret buying one,makes very light work of parking your caravan and all that pushing and shoving well worth splashing out for,go for it.Happy caravanning and good luck.Jim
Don,t was your money on the mover with the big wheel,splash out and get yourself a Power touch mover,yes its an expensive item but you won,t regret buying one,makes very light work of parking your caravan and all that pushing and shoving well worth splashing out for,go for it.Happy caravanning and good luck.Jim
Jim, you're absolutely right. A fixed mover ideally Powrtouch under the van will earn its keep time and time again, particularly if you take the van to Europe where many of the site roads are narrow.
As my better half said it's cheaper than a hernia operation and much more fun.
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