Hi all
 I have been having a bit of trouble moving my caravan into place on sites 
recently not sure if it is old age or not... particularly on hard standing 
gravelly pitchs... could it be my jockey wheel which is much narrower than 
others that I have noticed. Would a fatter jockey wheel make much 
difference. Any ideas?
thanks for your advice.

terrys

"terrys"  wrote in message 
news:gdmdnSdK0PdnLNTVnZ2dnUVZ8uudnZ2d@bt.com...
> Hi all
> I have been having a bit of trouble moving my caravan into place on sites 
> recently not sure if it is old age or not... particularly on hard standing 
> gravelly pitchs... could it be my jockey wheel which is much narrower than 
> others that I have noticed. Would a fatter jockey wheel make much 
> difference. Any ideas?
> thanks for your advice.
>
> terrys
>
Hi Terrys, I have found an inflatible wheel a lot easier to handle than the 
solid plastic ones you find on most vans, also I have never looked back 
since I fitted a motor mover by Powrtouch.
Stan

"Hirem Firem"  wrote in message news:spj2k.77223
> Hi Terrys, I have found an inflatible wheel a lot easier to handle than 
> the solid plastic ones you find on most vans, also I have never looked 
> back since I fitted a motor mover by Powrtouch.
> Stan
>

I agree the inflatable tyre an improvement but I find they puncture very 
quickly, think they are not of good quaulity.
I both an al-ko jockey wheel woth a measure built in to give nose weight not 
cheap but good.  It has a wide flat wheel and so I can recommend wide flat 
wheels, I also have a motor mover fitted.
You can't readily get this Al-ko accessory at dealers you buy from Al-ko web 
site, approx £70 from dealer if he will get it at least £80.  ( £50 in 
Europe, so sorry it rip off UK again.)

-- 
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
terrys   wrote:

> Hi all
> I have been having a bit of trouble moving my caravan into place on
> sites recently not sure if it is old age or not... particularly on
> hard standing gravelly pitchs... could it be my jockey wheel which is
> much narrower than others that I have noticed. Would a fatter jockey
> wheel make much difference. Any ideas?
> thanks for your advice.
>
> terrys

Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position it 
while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort of 
jockey wheel you have.
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

"Roger Mills"  wrote in message 
news:6b1ju4F3a3j07U1@mid.individual.net...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> terrys   wrote:
>
>> Hi all
>> I have been having a bit of trouble moving my caravan into place on
>> sites recently not sure if it is old age or not... particularly on
>> hard standing gravelly pitchs... could it be my jockey wheel which is
>> much narrower than others that I have noticed. Would a fatter jockey
>> wheel make much difference. Any ideas?
>> thanks for your advice.
>>
>> terrys
>
> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position 
> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort 
> of jockey wheel you have.

Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre 
especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.

Mary

"Mary Fisher"  wrote in message 
news:484bba6b$0$762$4c56ba96@master.news.zetnet.net...
>
> "Roger Mills"  wrote in message 
> news:6b1ju4F3a3j07U1@mid.individual.net...
>> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>> terrys   wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all
>>> I have been having a bit of trouble moving my caravan into place on
>>> sites recently not sure if it is old age or not... particularly on
>>> hard standing gravelly pitchs... could it be my jockey wheel which is
>>> much narrower than others that I have noticed. Would a fatter jockey
>>> wheel make much difference. Any ideas?
>>> thanks for your advice.
>>>
>>> terrys
>>
>> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position 
>> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort 
>> of jockey wheel you have.
>
> Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre 
> especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.
>
> Mary
>
Thanks for all your advice... at the moment I have  a really thin jockey 
wheel and it sometimes sinks into the surface when manoevering. I really 
think I should get a fatter wheel.

Terrys

"terrys"  wrote in message 
news:28GdnTRNjpHWXtbVRVnyigA@bt.com...
>
>>
> Thanks for all your advice... at the moment I have  a really thin jockey 
> wheel and it sometimes sinks into the surface when manoevering.

Quite.

> I really think I should get a fatter wheel.

Do. Our pneumatic one is fine, it's never punctured. Nice tread on it too.

Mary

On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 11:53:12 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
 wrote:

>> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position 
>> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort 
>> of jockey wheel you have.
>
>Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre 
>especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.

But Mary when the caravan is connected to the car and remains that way
until the caravan is in the position that you want the Jockey wheel
never comes into contact with the ground until you use it to level
front to back, so it does not matter what sort of jockey wheel you
have. Personally I will never try to manhandle a caravan, if I can not
push it or pull it into place with the car then I will go somewhere
else.  It would be different if the caravan was fitted with a mover
then the type of jockey wheel makes a difference. 
Bill Lord
I've taken a vow of poverty To annoy me send money

e-mail messages to bill dot lord at uku dot co dot uk 
( Get rid of the spaces  and use symbols for the hyphen at and dots )

"bill lord"  wrote in message 
news:luon44tt42bi29t7rf3ah9652pvucvgj0q@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 11:53:12 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
>  wrote:
>
>>> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position
>>> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort
>>> of jockey wheel you have.
>>
>>Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre
>>especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.
>
> But Mary when the caravan is connected to the car and remains that way
> until the caravan is in the position that you want the Jockey wheel
> never comes into contact with the ground until you use it to level
> front to back, so it does not matter what sort of jockey wheel you
> have. Personally I will never try to manhandle a caravan, if I can not
> push it or pull it into place with the car then I will go somewhere
> else.  It would be different if the caravan was fitted with a mover
> then the type of jockey wheel makes a difference.
> Bill Lord
> I've taken a vow of poverty To annoy me send money
>
 That is true but when I put my caravan away at the back of my garden I have 
to move it in nose first
and then get it into position. It would be impossible to use my car because 
the caravan would then block it in!

Also I am not that good at reversing with the caravan hangs head in shame!!!

Terrys

On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 18:32:39 +0100, "terrys"
 wrote:

> That is true but when I put my caravan away at the back of my garden I have 
>to move it in nose first
>and then get it into position. It would be impossible to use my car because 
>the caravan would then block it in!

Then a mover is a good idea, and as you say a jockey wheel with a
large tyre will also help
>
>Also I am not that good at reversing with the caravan hangs head in shame!!!

Practice makes perfect, and I still need an awful lot of practice
after 16 years. It either goes where I want it first time ar very
frequently I have to entertain the other caravanners with my
reversing. Don't hang your head in shame, send the cap round
afterwards for any donations to the Terry benevolent fund. 
Bill Lord
I've taken a vow of poverty To annoy me send money

e-mail messages to bill dot lord at uku dot co dot uk 
( Get rid of the spaces  and use symbols for the hyphen at and dots )

"bill lord"  wrote in message 
news:luon44tt42bi29t7rf3ah9652pvucvgj0q@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 11:53:12 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
>  wrote:
>
>>> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position
>>> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort
>>> of jockey wheel you have.
>>
>>Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre
>>especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.
>
> But Mary when the caravan is connected to the car and remains that way
> until the caravan is in the position that you want the Jockey wheel
> never comes into contact with the ground until you use it to level
> front to back, so it does not matter what sort of jockey wheel you
> have. Personally I will never try to manhandle a caravan, if I can not
> push it or pull it into place with the car then I will go somewhere
> else.

But you have a large, easily accessible hard standing at home. We don't all.

We have to turn our 'van at right angles to get it into the drive then it 
has to go up the sloping drive and through a right angle again to get it 
into its place - which is on soil.

When we got to a site (farmers' fields, often damp, sloping or tussocky, 
perm any two of three and sometimes add the third) we put the ;'van in place 
with the car, of course. Getting it into a restricted, sloping and possibly 
gravelly area is completely different.

Even you wouldn't be able to use the car to get our 'van into its resting 
place :-)

Mary

On Mon, 9 Jun 2008 09:26:06 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
 wrote:

>
>"bill lord"  wrote in message 
>news:luon44tt42bi29t7rf3ah9652pvucvgj0q@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 11:53:12 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
>>  wrote:
>>
>>>> Unless you have a built-in motor mover, it's preferable IMHO to position
>>>> it while still attached to the towcar - then it doesn't matter what sort
>>>> of jockey wheel you have.
>>>
>>>Oh I think it does! Having tried both I'd always prefer a fat tyre
>>>especially if moving on a loose surface or on a slope.
>>
>> But Mary when the caravan is connected to the car and remains that way
>> until the caravan is in the position that you want the Jockey wheel
>> never comes into contact with the ground until you use it to level
>> front to back, so it does not matter what sort of jockey wheel you
>> have. Personally I will never try to manhandle a caravan, if I can not
>> push it or pull it into place with the car then I will go somewhere
>> else.
>
>But you have a large, easily accessible hard standing at home. We don't all.
>
>We have to turn our 'van at right angles to get it into the drive then it 
>has to go up the sloping drive and through a right angle again to get it 
>into its place - which is on soil.
>
>When we got to a site (farmers' fields, often damp, sloping or tussocky, 
>perm any two of three and sometimes add the third) we put the ;'van in place 
>with the car, of course. Getting it into a restricted, sloping and possibly 
>gravelly area is completely different.

I could not agree more, if you are in the situation where you have to
move it without the use of a car, but in those situations as Roger
said use of some kind of moving device is almost a necessity, and with
a mover fitted the large jockey wheel is again needed. I will not ever
try to manhandle a caravan, if I can not get it into place with a my
car pushing then I will go elsewhere, Were I to be in the situation at
home where I could not push it into place with the car then I would
fit a mover. 

>Even you wouldn't be able to use the car to get our 'van into its resting 
>place :-)

I most certainly would not, there are many times that I feel like
going round with the hat for contributions after having provided
entertainment for my fellow caravanners on site. :-)

Bill Lord
I've taken a vow of poverty To annoy me send money

e-mail messages to bill dot lord at uku dot co dot uk 
( Get rid of the spaces  and use symbols for the hyphen at and dots )

On Mon, 9 Jun 2008 09:26:06 +0100, "Mary Fisher" 
wrote:

>We have to turn our 'van at right angles to get it into the drive then it 
>has to go up the sloping drive and through a right angle again to get it 
>into its place - which is on soil.
>
>When we got to a site (farmers' fields, often damp, sloping or tussocky, 
>perm any two of three and sometimes add the third) we put the ;'van in place 
>with the car, of course. Getting it into a restricted, sloping and possibly 
>gravelly area is completely different.
Mary

Try a push-bar (example
http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/front_towbars.html). 
I've used push-bars to manoeuvre trailered boats through narrow crowded
boat yards and they make the job so easy, you can see where you're going
and having the steering wheels in the middle of the layout makes for extra
manoeuvrability.

Richard
See http://www.caravanningnow.co.uk where my caravan's for sale.
-- 
Thunder rolled . . . It rolled a six. - 'Guards! Guards!' by Terry
Pratchett

"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:5buq44t55ujb3hove7217gbgdmb42ptjuo@4ax.com...

>
> Try a push-bar (example
> http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/front_towbars.html).
> I've used push-bars to manoeuvre trailered boats through narrow crowded
> boat yards and they make the job so easy, you can see where you're going
> and having the steering wheels in the middle of the layout makes for extra
> manoeuvrability.

We've got moving our 'van to a fine art!

Mary

"Richard Cole" <ispcrco@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:5buq44t55ujb3hove7217gbgdmb42ptjuo@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 9 Jun 2008 09:26:06 +0100, "Mary Fisher" 
> 
> wrote:

>
> Try a push-bar (example
> http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/front_towbars.html).
> I've used push-bars to manoeuvre trailered boats through narrow crowded
> boat yards and they make the job so easy, you can see where you're going
> and having the steering wheels in the middle of the layout makes for extra
> manoeuvrability.
>
Just had a look - it wouldn't work in our situation. the street is very 
narrow but quite busy and we'd block it. Once the caravan was in the drive 
there'd be no room for the car to turn it round into its parking space.

No, we'll stick to our perfected technique - but with a large jockey wheel.

Mary

bill lord wrote:

> I will not ever try to manhandle a caravan,

I am still suffering the after effects of trying too hard to
manoeuvre my van last bank holiday.  The problem is that it is
just so easy to pull a little too hard without realising it, and
recovery gets slower with advancing years  :-(

It is reaching the point when I may have to invest in a mover
(and therefore take off the spare wheel holder, I suppose)

Chris
-- 
Chris J Dixon  Nottingham UK
chris@cdixon.me.uk

Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"Chris J Dixon"  wrote in message 
news:808s441m4pf789d24b19doqk68t1ap5bp0@4ax.com...
> bill lord wrote:
>
>> I will not ever try to manhandle a caravan,
>
> I am still suffering the after effects of trying too hard to
> manoeuvre my van last bank holiday.  The problem is that it is
> just so easy to pull a little too hard without realising it, and
> recovery gets slower with advancing years  :-(
>
> It is reaching the point when I may have to invest in a mover
> (and therefore take off the spare wheel holder, I suppose)
>

Yes it is best to have the mover at the rear of tyres, which means removal 
of spare wheel carrier.
Note. Dealers like to fit mover at front, beware.

-- 
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

"David"  wrote in
news:X_r3k.105578$_c7.36180@newsfe16.ams2: 

> Yes it is best to have the mover at the rear of tyres, which means
> removal of spare wheel carrier.

Is this because of weight and balance, traction, or something else?

TIA,

Geoff

"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message 
news:Xns9AB986F76BA92geoffnospam097akdsh@138.199.67.64...
> "David"  wrote in
> news:X_r3k.105578$_c7.36180@newsfe16.ams2:
>
>> Yes it is best to have the mover at the rear of tyres, which means
>> removal of spare wheel carrier.
>
> Is this because of weight and balance, traction, or something else?
>

It is because if you hit a large stone, kerb or sleeping policeman you knock 
the mover on to the tyre if at the front, and cannot tow the caravan further 
until an engineer attends.
Been their and got the T shirt.   Seen 3 others in same position.

-- 
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

"David"  wrote in
news:Ftu3k.158036$cZ3.115139@newsfe10.ams2: 

> It is because if you hit a large stone, kerb or sleeping policeman you
> knock the mover on to the tyre if at the front, and cannot tow the
> caravan further until an engineer attends.
> Been their and got the T shirt.   Seen 3 others in same position.

Ouch! That's one to file under "potential gotchas". FWIW, most movers I've 
seen were in front of the axle, so I suspect that issue isn't widely known 
(or the dealers don't care!)

Thanks for the info,

Geoff

"Geoff Lane" <geoff@nospam.invalid> wrote in message 
news:Xns9AB9B68E7A887geoffnospam097akdsh@138.199.67.64...
> "David"  wrote in
> news:Ftu3k.158036$cZ3.115139@newsfe10.ams2:
>
>> It is because if you hit a large stone, kerb or sleeping policeman you
>> knock the mover on to the tyre if at the front, and cannot tow the
>> caravan further until an engineer attends.
>> Been their and got the T shirt.   Seen 3 others in same position.
>
> Ouch! That's one to file under "potential gotchas". FWIW, most movers I've
> seen were in front of the axle, so I suspect that issue isn't widely known
> (or the dealers don't care!)
>
> Thanks for the info,
>
> Geoff

Is there an issue of being a wimp getting a caravan mover! Will people 
question my manlyhood.

Should I really just go to the gym more often!

Terrys

"terrys"  wrote in message 
news:9dednayiQdiESNPVnZ2dnUVZ8uOdnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> Is there an issue of being a wimp getting a caravan mover! Will people 
> question my manlyhood.
>
> Should I really just go to the gym more often!

No - you'll end up being broad in the arm and thick in the head.

The intelligent thing, if you can afford it, is to get some kind of mover if 
you're not sure that you'll always have to move on dead level, straight and 
smooth land.

Mary

You can still go to the gym if you can afford it after buying a mover :-)

terrys laid this down on his screen :
>  That is true but when I put my caravan away at the back of my garden I have 
> to move it in nose first
> and then get it into position. It would be impossible to use my car because 
> the caravan would then block it in!

I have a similar situation - a very long drive, but nowhere where car 
can pass caravan in the drive, nor room to spin caravan around in the 
drive. I could spin it around at the very top end, but only when the 
land up there is very dry in mid summer. The drive has a long gentle 
down slope to the road then a steeper fall the last bit down to the 
road - I had to pave it all the way, to stop it sinking into the very 
soft ground.

I used to use a home made winch fixed right at the very back of the 
drive, stopping the caravan at the bottom of the drive, unhooking and 
winching it up the steep part tail first. The sheer distance between 
caravan and winch made it awkward to pass instructions back and forth.

I have now swapped the homemade winch for a ready made one, mounted on 
top of a short scaffold pole. When needed, this then drops into a hole 
I drilled in the drive just at the top of the steep part. You can get 
these winches for around £18 delivered from Ebay.

Once up the steep part, I use an Hitchdrive to reverse up the last 30 
or 40 yards to the far end of the drive. The two combined with lots of 
practice, make it the work of just a few minutes to park up. The 
Hitchdrive also works well on site for moving the caravan when 
unhitched and getting the caravan back onto the tow ball.

-- 
Regards,
        Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk