Trollied?

[thursdays child]

Has anybody got first hand experience of one of these new Camper Trolley movers.It looks like a little tank to me! Himself likes the idea because it will be useful to move different vans and is not a permenant fixture.The cost is a bit high at £1700 for the bigger version so it must be the right decision or I will have to sell one of his organs to replace it!!!
Thursdays Child

 

[RogerL]

It has a huge disadvantage compared to the conventional tyre/axle movers - the Camper Trolley relies on noseweight so will only have about 100kg ground pressure - unlike the tyre/axle type which will have the full caravan weight as ground pressure.

 

[thursdays child]

RogerL.thank you for that info .You have just saved Himself from some radical surgery!!! Oh I dunno maybe I will just do it any way!!!!!
TC

 

[Steve L]

I use a secondhand motormover ET on our van at a grand cost of £250 for the mover and £4-95 for a second clamp that I fitted to our A frame. Our caravan has a nose weight of 75Kgs and the mover works fine going backwards up hill due to gravitational weight transfer. going up hill forward is useless until I (105Kgs) stand on the A frame. (there's benefits in being chubby).
At about 25Kgs it is portable and can run off the caravan battery or a loose car battery.
When on site I am quite adept at reversing and positioning using our car, thus leaving the mover in the shed.
Our winter site has a 8ft wide hard standing and at that time of year the grass either side is definately a no go area for a car or caravan. But by using my trust motor mover and the corner steady pads (18" long bits of 10" X 2" wood), I can turn our van 90 Deg to allow a hard standing under the awning.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Thursdayschild,

I endorse RogerL's comments, but there are limited circumstances where either the CamperTrolly or Steve's ET mover (Or any other Aframe based mover) can work very effectively.
In essence if the mover is only ever going to be used ona near flat hard surface (Such as a factory or yard) then they can be a simple and very effective aid to marshalling caravans or other trailers.
For the reasons Roger explained and indeed Steve described, All A frame movers suffer from limited grip, Its not so much the power, but the ability to use the power. Strangely its not the ability of thge mover to actually move a trailer, but more importantly its ability to stop it on any sort of incline. If the wheel skids, then the caravan is out of control and a tonne of mass can do a lot of damage to both people and property.
As a guide, if you dont think you could stop a caravan from moving by your self on a slope, then it is quite probable that an A frame mover also could not stop a moving caravan.
Dont also forget that slpes can become extra slippy in the wet, or with dead leaves ,gravel, and of course ice.

Every type of mover has its limitations, but given teh same advers conditions A frame movers will let go far sooner than main axle movers.

 

[Dustydog]

TC
I think the answer is simple.
Look at all the adverts in PC and CC mags and what movers afre most for sale??? I wonder why so many people want to sell them??

 

[ProfJohnL]

I agree Dusty,
The number of adverts will give some indication of the level of disatisfaction with a product, but you generally can't extract the reasons for the disatisfaction from adverts, after all most adverts extole the positives and bury the negatives.

If you understand the limitations, and your product application will not encounter any of the limits, then an A frame mover may provide a perfectly adequat solution.