So do you need a motor mover?

20 years ago we had a double axle caravan and no caravan motor movers. Hitching up and even turning the caravan by hand seemed no problem! Then ….

We now have a modern single axle caravan and find things very different!

1. Hitching up is not so easy. We think it may be because of the modern Alko style hitches with safety locks and combined brake  making it difficult to see so easily. These now require a swan neck on the tow vehicle compared to the old standard short neck.
2. Moving the caravan by hand seems just about impossible (1500kg caravan). Before we raised one set of wheels up using the jockey wheel on a double axle and away we went.

Have we just got old and weak we ask ourselves? Yet we can still hitch up other ordinary trailers easily including a double axle one we have with conventional hitch.

Reasons to have a motor mover

1. It is so simple just to hitch up by reversing the towing vehicle back close to the caravan. Then just use the motor mover for small movements left/right and forward/backward. They even have an “inch” button. We wonder how we did without it before!
2.  Easier to hitch up with just one person.
3. Risk of damaging the tow vehicle clutch has now been removed.
4. If your storage facility is tight then you have much better control than in a vehicle.
5. When using a hard standing pitch in wet conditions we have found some sites are narrow and have very tight turns into the pitch. This necessitates the caravan/tow vehicle going onto wet/muddy grass with the risk of getting stuck. By unhitching and using the mover then it is possible to turn around the axle position.

Always consider the following

1. Ensure you have fitted the correct motor mover for your caravan and your personnel requirements. Not only a match to the caravan weight but any incline you may need to use it on -i.e. driveway for storage.
2. They do “hang down” below and hence reduce your clearance, so be careful.
3. They can be very heavy and add to your onboard weight allowed when towing.
4. If your motor mover stops working when moving do you have access to its position to hitch a tow vehicle up?
5. They will stop working when the voltage drops to a predetermined level by the manufacturer. However most models will continue below this as long as you do not remove your finger from the remote button i.e. do not stop forward movement and the select turning separately ( have a second finger already on the new single direction button.) The starting load of the motor is high compared to when it is already turning hence why the manufacture protects the motor from a low voltage.
6. Manufactures tell you never to operate the mover with the mains connected as you may damage your onboard battery charger unit.  I do find this strange as if you have solar panels in use there is no mention of a risk to that charging system.
7. The position of your motor mover is in the worst place for road salt and general corrosion. Look after it.