Motor mover

[Surfer]

I have a Truma motor mover on my twin axle Lunar and the caravan has a 85 amp battery which it inherited from my previous caravan. Although the battery is 85 amp surely it should be capable of moving the carvan on lever ground. I appreciate that there may be a problem moving it up hill, but on level ground????? As the 85 amp is only 10 months old I am loath to exchange it for a 110 amp at an additional cost. Any advice appreciated.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ian, The issue is not the Ah capacity of the battery but its Peak Current rating. The Motor movers (all makes) use DC motors. When they are asked to start up they draw some very heavy currents can be as much as 10X the normal running current for a fraction of a second whilst the motor gets up to speed. This can put a significant strain on the battery. The type of batteries recommended for caravans are Leisure batteries. They are designed for slow deep discharge and recharge cycles, and not for large current discharges unlike car batteries. In general the bigger the leisure battery the the bigger the peak discharge rate is and it is likely to be less affected by the motor mover. You may find your 85AH battery is sufficient, but it is likely to have a shorter life. I personally would stick with the 85Ah unit and replace it only when it shows signs of failure.

 

[Surfer]

If I move the caravan on level ground using the Truma motor mover, it cuts off and you have to re-set it. They have already replaced the control box which was definitely faulty. Two weeks later one of the motors went down and they replaced it. This past weekend arrived on site and use the motor mover to locate the van no problem. On Sunday we wanted to move the caravan so I could hitch up, but all I could do was move it about three foot and it would trip and this was a on a very slight incline and I was trying to move down the incline and swingf the unit at the same time, but it kept tripping. The dealer insists that I need a 110 amp battery and my question is if I required a 110 amp battery why was I not told when I purchased the motor mover? I am not very happy about taking out a 10 month old battery in good condition and spending money on a 110 amp when the 85 amp should suffice.

 

[Damian]

Ian, we have a powrtouch on our single axle van, and the makers recommend a 110 ah battery for it, so, with a twin being so much heavier and much more difficult for a mover to move, especially round corners, I would think a minimum 110ah battery would be needed, possibly even a 120ah.

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Ian,

I have a Twin axle Senator Wyoming with a Truma mover.

I had problems with the mover cutting out.My dealer arranged for me to take the caravan to the Truma factory at Burton-on- Trent. I had a 110amp leisure battery fitted which truma said was essential for a twin axle. They discovered that the control box had not been fitted in the correct position. It had been fitted in a closed area in the bottom of the wardrobe.The thermal cutout kept coming into play.They moved the box to another position and moved the position of the aerial. The mover now operates perfectly no matter where I move the caravan, Even on soft gravel it works ok. Suggest you give th factory a phone call. If under guarantee no charge. Take out the extended warraty for

 

[Surfer]

The caravan is a Lunar 640 and the control box is fitted on top of the mains unit/battery charger in the carvan. This is all located in a small cupboard. If there is a thermal cut off I am sure the location will cause problems.

 

[Vic_5039745]

If I move the caravan on level ground using the Truma motor mover, it cuts off and you have to re-set it. They have already replaced the control box which was definitely faulty. Two weeks later one of the motors went down and they replaced it. This past weekend arrived on site and use the motor mover to locate the van no problem. On Sunday we wanted to move the caravan so I could hitch up, but all I could do was move it about three foot and it would trip and this was a on a very slight incline and I was trying to move down the incline and swingf the unit at the same time, but it kept tripping. The dealer insists that I need a 110 amp battery and my question is if I required a 110 amp battery why was I not told when I purchased the motor mover? I am not very happy about taking out a 10 month old battery in good condition and spending money on a 110 amp when the 85 amp should suffice.

Don't know where you're based Ian but MG Caravans in Hertford do a very good line in 110 amp batteries for about