Mar 14, 2005
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I am thinking of having a winch to pull my caravan up a slope to where it

rests.

Is it possible to pull the van from the opposite end of the towing hitch, in

other wards backwards. I have a Freedom Sunseeker
 
Mar 14, 2005
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In theory there's no reason why a caravan should not be pulled backwards. However, you may have problems in finding an adequate anchorage point to which to attach a winch cable. Caravan bumpers are usually rather flimsy and are therefore unsuitable and many caravan chassis don't have a proper rear crossmember which you can use, either. I don't know how steep your drive is but if you need to provide a towing eye or something similar, you'll need to make sure that it's attached to some substantial piece of caravan structure, preferably directly to the chassis frame. Keep well away from the axle, though, as you may inadvertently affect the suspension geometry if the pulling forces are higher than anticipated.
 
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We use a winch to pull our caravan backwards up the slope on our drive. We use a length of rope threaded through the chasis in a 'V' shape and then attatch that to the winch cable. We have never had any problems doing it this way, as the previous reply said there isn't a single point on the back of our van strong enough to take the winch cable direct. It enables us to get the van uo the final bit of the slope to be able to store it along side our garage.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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After I posted this question, I have had a look under the back of the van

and noticed two pulling points welded on either side of the chassis at the

back. I presume these are for pulling the caravan backwards.

I have sent a email to the Freedom agents to see what they say, up till now

I have not heard anything.
 
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Use 2 short (1 to 1.5 metre) double looped strops but passing one end through the other around suitable point on chassis in a "choke" arrangement, same on other side, then putting the 2 loose ends on the winch hook, giving the V effect as mentioned in another post. Be aware of this though: if the ground you want to pull your van up, slopes away to one side, then the caravan will go this way first before it comes in a straight line to your winch. The pendulem effect I think its called. So ensure there is nothing solid in the way!! By using this 2 strop method if van starts to go off in one direction, and it almost certainly will, the nearer strop will go slack and the further will take the load and tend to straighten the van back to the winch. Were you to use one large V shape, then in this scenreo the hook would slide along the V in the rope/strop, and if it went too far could pull on, and hence transfer, some of the load to weak parts under your van like corner steadies or extreme ends of the chassis rails.

Some people winch cars with the handbrake slightly on for 2 reasons

1 it keeps tension on the winch cable. When you stop winching the casualty could roll a little more and allow slackening of some of the coils on the drum. This then leads to "wrapping" of the cable, slack coils crushed by tight coils, weakening and damaging your cable.

2 Should cable break, the casualty/van won't dissapear at (such) a high rate of knots, you may have some chance of catching up with it and pulling the brake on fully! (Not that I'd fancy getting in front of a runaway caravan!!)

Having said that I am not sure what the effect of pulling a caravan backwards with its parking brake slighty on might have on its auto reverse machanism. I stress again here though, slightly on - enough to provide resistance and partially arrest movement if winch cable should break, not with wheels locked up!

If you've never used a winch some training (perhaps from your local 4x4 club) would be a very good idea. They can be very dangerous things in unexperienced hands!! (winches that is - not 4x4 clubs!) Happy caravanning Andy Palmer.
 
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Hi David

I would assum you are talking about a power winch, if so for the cost of a good one you could buy a bigfoot caravan mover which will pull or shove it anywhere, or if you can afford one go allout for a remote mover. anyway have fun. you don'tsay what your winch will be attached to presumably the garage wall. Why dose it need to go backwards??

jim M
 

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