Considering buying one of these as a cheaper alternative to a motor mover. Does anyone have any experience of them good or bad?
Purpleline Hitchdrive
- Thread starter cobbers
- Start date
Hello Cobbers,
The Purple line Hitchdrive is what I call an 'A' frame mover. There are several manufactures of similar devices that fit to some part of the A frame or tow hitch. These products are fine for moving a caravan on hard flat surfaces, but if you need to negotiate an incline, or soft slippy surfaces, then they can struggle to put enough grip to floor.
Power is not usually the problem, but just as with a powerful car it all depends on how the wheel grips the floor. If the power exceeds the grip, the wheel spins. The amount of thrust they can give is determined by how much weight pushes them to the floor, and the quality of the surface.
On a level surface this is no real problem, but if you are on a slope, then the amount of grip can become quite critical. It's just as important that the mover can stop the caravan from running away down a slope. In general terms an A frame mover will only have its own weight and the nose load of the caravan, which is not going to be very different to the thrust and grip that an adult could provide. So if you would be concerned that you could not stop the caravan on a particular slope there is a significant possibility that the mover would not be able to stop it either. You must also factor in the high probability that the surface may be wet or have dead leaves, mud or even ice which will compromise the grip.
Many of the A frame movers force the operator to stand close to the hitch , and this limits your visibility along the sides when making close quarters manoeuvres.
Most a frame movers have to removed for towing, so you have to be able to lift them in and out of the car if you want to take them with you.
If you want to negotiate significant inclines or for pitching at sites, the axle mounted devices are a more reliable bet. This is because they have about half the weight of the caravan on each wheel, which provide far more grip. They are also permanently installed on the caravan so they are available whenever you need to move the caravan.
If you do a search on the forum, you will certainly find some of my other posts on the subject but more importantly you find other users who have swapped from A frame devise to axle units for the reasons I have given above.
You should ask yourself why are there so many A frame movers available second hand?
If all you want is to move your caravan on hard flat ground, then I am sure the Purpline will meet your needs.
The Purple line Hitchdrive is what I call an 'A' frame mover. There are several manufactures of similar devices that fit to some part of the A frame or tow hitch. These products are fine for moving a caravan on hard flat surfaces, but if you need to negotiate an incline, or soft slippy surfaces, then they can struggle to put enough grip to floor.
Power is not usually the problem, but just as with a powerful car it all depends on how the wheel grips the floor. If the power exceeds the grip, the wheel spins. The amount of thrust they can give is determined by how much weight pushes them to the floor, and the quality of the surface.
On a level surface this is no real problem, but if you are on a slope, then the amount of grip can become quite critical. It's just as important that the mover can stop the caravan from running away down a slope. In general terms an A frame mover will only have its own weight and the nose load of the caravan, which is not going to be very different to the thrust and grip that an adult could provide. So if you would be concerned that you could not stop the caravan on a particular slope there is a significant possibility that the mover would not be able to stop it either. You must also factor in the high probability that the surface may be wet or have dead leaves, mud or even ice which will compromise the grip.
Many of the A frame movers force the operator to stand close to the hitch , and this limits your visibility along the sides when making close quarters manoeuvres.
Most a frame movers have to removed for towing, so you have to be able to lift them in and out of the car if you want to take them with you.
If you want to negotiate significant inclines or for pitching at sites, the axle mounted devices are a more reliable bet. This is because they have about half the weight of the caravan on each wheel, which provide far more grip. They are also permanently installed on the caravan so they are available whenever you need to move the caravan.
If you do a search on the forum, you will certainly find some of my other posts on the subject but more importantly you find other users who have swapped from A frame devise to axle units for the reasons I have given above.
You should ask yourself why are there so many A frame movers available second hand?
If all you want is to move your caravan on hard flat ground, then I am sure the Purpline will meet your needs.
Thanks for the advice John I will reconsider. Sorry to be so long replying I have been away on business
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