i am buying a new bailey and thinking about a caravan mover . which is the best buy ? i have listened to the sales talk but prefere the advice of practical caravaners so any advice would be apreciated i understand there are two types one repaces the jockey wheel and the other fits on the caravan wheels
movers
- Thread starter col_5040669
- Start date
Go for then ones that fit onto the caravan wheels and remote control, they are expensive but you won't regret it.
We had a Powrtouch with soft start and have no complaints with it at all. Could place the van within inches of walls, on leveling ramps on site and move the van to car-hitch acuratly.
We had a Powrtouch with soft start and have no complaints with it at all. Could place the van within inches of walls, on leveling ramps on site and move the van to car-hitch acuratly.
Hello col. I have fitted a powertouch mover to my 2004 Baily 460/2 and am very pleased with it, the only other thing I am going to do is to fit a pneumatic jocky wheel to improve the steerability on my gravel drive. It took me about half day to fit bearing in mind my almost 70 years, I fitted the master switch below the mains input in the battery box and the control unit on the bed box floor behind this. the cabling to the motors were routed through existing cable hole in the floor and across the underside following existing wiring. a small hole was drilled for the aerial to exit under the van and then secured to the floor. If you fit a switch in th battery box the connections will be in the bed box I would suggest you insulate the exposed terminals which could easily be shorted out. In general a very nice mover and nice people to deal with with a reputation for good after sales service.
Col,
I would consider the POWERTOUCH the best unit and in particular the unit that attaches to the chasis. If you opt for the jockey wheel type you will find its usefulness quickly. Its heavy & awkward and it has to be transported with you. Ok the POWER TOUCH unit is expensive but in real terms what is the initial cost of approx
I would consider the POWERTOUCH the best unit and in particular the unit that attaches to the chasis. If you opt for the jockey wheel type you will find its usefulness quickly. Its heavy & awkward and it has to be transported with you. Ok the POWER TOUCH unit is expensive but in real terms what is the initial cost of approx
We've just bought our 4th 'van & had to succomb to using a mover as our driveway is only 7'9" wide, and the road is only about 20' wide, so it's impossible to use the car to reverse the 'van in. We had a demo from Mr Shifta, which connects directly to the 'van's hitch and therefore works well without exerting undue forces onto the chassis. We looked at Powrtouch, great system, but about
Hi, totally agree with john e and others - a wheel-drive system is far superior and we too are very happy with Powrtouch on a 1550Kg 'van.
Agree that you probably need to change to a pneumatic jockey wheel, and fit the biggest leisure battery you can for peace of mind. I too have found Powrwheel a great company to deal with.
Much cheaper and more fun than a hernia operation !
Agree that you probably need to change to a pneumatic jockey wheel, and fit the biggest leisure battery you can for peace of mind. I too have found Powrwheel a great company to deal with.
Much cheaper and more fun than a hernia operation !
I'm also considering a mover for my new Bailey 510/4 next year and have looked at all the types. The Powertouch is good with a good dealer but its heavy at 39kgs. The Reich is similar with a soft start at 27kgs and the new comfort attachement works from either side with a brace or drill to wind into out of contact with the wheels. Only 3yr warranty though. It also has good ground clearance. The Carver/Truma hasn't got a soft start which conserned me has the disply model I looked at on a van chasis had gouged a great chunk out of one off the tyres? Don't know if theyed tried to move it with the break on thought? Hitch types are ok if you only need it to get into your drive and can store it somewhere. So i think it will be a Reich when I finally go for one and purely on the weight advantage.
Bri
Bri
Have had a Truma mover on the van for a year with no problems-no change to jockey wheel and standard leisure battery used BUT remember if you are putting the van next to a wall you may need a transfer kit fitting to enable you to activate rollers from either side of the van.
Had a Powrtouch fitted last year and found it invaluable. The van goes beside the house with a one foot gap one side and 2 inches the other (yes, 2 inches). It goes across the lawn slightly uphill for about 40 feet,(jockey wheel leading, with a standard jockey wheel and 85 amp hour battery which must be at least 5 years old! Amazing, no arguments!!
Only you can decide if the fitting of any kind of mover is worth it! You need to balance the benefits/drawbacks of each system against you own perceived or real needs. However can I raise some of the issues that you might consider before taking a decision?
Generic types - There are basically two types of movers currently available.
Those that fit to the front of the caravan A frame (ball hitch or jockey wheel), that have their own battery,
And those that fit to the caravan chassis and drive the caravans own main wheels.
Availability- The A frame types need to be fitted to the caravan each time you want to use it, and it must be removed for towing. So If you want the mover on-site you must make provision for carrying it and its battery in the car or caravan and in doing so consider if you would need to lift it in and out. The chassis types are fitted and stay with the caravan at all times.
2) Weight - The chassis types are heavier than the A frame types thus reduce a caravans payload capacity by a greater margin.
3) Effectiveness - Regardless of the type of mover in use it is a physical fact that the pulling or pushing force (Drawbar) is directly related to the weight (Down force) on the driven wheel. A frame types have only their own weight and the nose weight of the caravan, whilst the chassis type benefits of the weight of the whole caravan on its driving wheels. This simple fact has a major impact on the safe usage of the mover.
The amount of drawbar required is dependant on the surface conditions, so having a clear understanding of the land types it will be used on is essential and will affect the type of unit you choose. If your need is to be able to move a caravan over hard flat surfaces, then the A frame types will perform quite adequately. For rough or uneven ground the chassis type will be more effective
4) Safety- Consider a flat surface leading to a downward ramp. On the flat surface either type of mover will move the caravan with safety. But starting down the ramp the weight of the caravan will start to push the mover, and could cause it to skid and loose control. The A frame units are more prone to this problem than chassis units
5) Cost- In general, the A frame types area cheaper than the chassis types, but cost isn't everything, so it is vitally important that you consider the job you will be asking the system to perform.
Generic types - There are basically two types of movers currently available.
Those that fit to the front of the caravan A frame (ball hitch or jockey wheel), that have their own battery,
And those that fit to the caravan chassis and drive the caravans own main wheels.
Availability- The A frame types need to be fitted to the caravan each time you want to use it, and it must be removed for towing. So If you want the mover on-site you must make provision for carrying it and its battery in the car or caravan and in doing so consider if you would need to lift it in and out. The chassis types are fitted and stay with the caravan at all times.
2) Weight - The chassis types are heavier than the A frame types thus reduce a caravans payload capacity by a greater margin.
3) Effectiveness - Regardless of the type of mover in use it is a physical fact that the pulling or pushing force (Drawbar) is directly related to the weight (Down force) on the driven wheel. A frame types have only their own weight and the nose weight of the caravan, whilst the chassis type benefits of the weight of the whole caravan on its driving wheels. This simple fact has a major impact on the safe usage of the mover.
The amount of drawbar required is dependant on the surface conditions, so having a clear understanding of the land types it will be used on is essential and will affect the type of unit you choose. If your need is to be able to move a caravan over hard flat surfaces, then the A frame types will perform quite adequately. For rough or uneven ground the chassis type will be more effective
4) Safety- Consider a flat surface leading to a downward ramp. On the flat surface either type of mover will move the caravan with safety. But starting down the ramp the weight of the caravan will start to push the mover, and could cause it to skid and loose control. The A frame units are more prone to this problem than chassis units
5) Cost- In general, the A frame types area cheaper than the chassis types, but cost isn't everything, so it is vitally important that you consider the job you will be asking the system to perform.
I use a a Motor mover the type that fits in place of the jockey wheel with no problems. Power comes from the caravan batery. My drive is inclined grassed and uneven with one lane of paving stones for the mover to work on. I allways park the van nose in thereby the van door is nearest to the house...In my opinion not tried any other type this one is ideal for me and the van is a Abbey Freestyle 520 SE......
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