Caravan movers

[timboli]

With the powerlaunch being over £1000,has anyone used the jockeywheel type of powered caravan mover to manoeuvre there rib around.Not talking about launch and recovery just putting the rib away in a tight space and hitching/unhitching in a controlled manner(I live on a hill).
The availability of these devices seems reasonably good second hand.They also do the axle type but dunking one of these in salt water wouldnt seem to be a terrific idea however waterproof they claim to be(powerlaunch must be designed for submersion).
The jockey wheel type claim to be useful up to 1250kg.

[Nick Hearne]

If they are any good why are they readily available second hand?
Just a thought.
Nick

[Noddy]

I suppose that the majority of people who use Caravan Movers are elderly and putting two and two together eventually they are no longer able to go caravanning?

[roofer]

the jockey wheel movers are excellent,my dad uses one to push a twin axle caravan up a fairly steep incline and it does it with ease.

[roohairy]

I saw someone launching with one of these once and it seemed very capable. Guess you have to have plenty of weight forward for traction though!

[timboli]

Originally Posted by roohairy

Guess you have to have plenty of weight forward for traction though!

Yes,I thought traction could be problem but the nose weight should surely be what is right for the car,ie if your car manual suggests 75kg for instance,then that would be for a boat or caravan.

[gingercoastie]

Originally Posted by timboli

Yes,I thought traction could be problem but the nose weight should surely be what is right for the car,ie if your car manual suggests 75kg for instance,then that would be for a boat or caravan.

Don't forget that the nose weight is only correct when the boat is on the trailor. If you are trying to recover and the trailor is not in the water enough the jockey wheel tend to point skywards, "I know cos I dun it", and it makes you look a bit silly.

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by timboli

Yes,I thought traction could be problem but the nose weight should surely be what is right for the car,ie if your car manual suggests 75kg for instance,then that would be for a boat or caravan.

Nose weight has no real effect on traction and in fact has a detrimental effect on a front wheel drive car. If your boat weighs a ton and you have a nose weigh of 75Kgs it means you have 925 kgs on the rear axle, this will give you traction problems.

Having said that there is a dynamic effect which means that if you are pushing the trailer up a hill you get weight transfer so increasing jockey wheel traction, but if you are letting a trailer down a slip this effect is reversed and as gingercostie says the tow hitch points at the sky. Powering the axle is the best solution but very expensive.
Des

[DGR]

You mean the trailer axle takes the 925kgs of weight - the nose weight should be the only additional weight on the rear axle of the car/towing vehicle.

D...

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by DGR

You mean the trailer axle takes the 925kgs of weight - the nose weight should be the only additional weight on the rear axle of the car/towing vehicle.

D...

(Woops)I was waiting for someone to spot that deliberate mistake

[timboli]

Originally Posted by roofer

the jockey wheel movers are excellent,my dad uses one to push a twin axle caravan up a fairly steep incline and it does it with ease.

What make is your dads,I have heard that some are more effective then others

[roofer]

it was called a big foot,the caravan it moved weighed 1700 kg. i think it cost £600.

[philip]

Originally Posted by roofer

it was called a big foot,the caravan it moved weighed 1700 kg. i think it cost £600.

Found a link to it here - save wear and tear on your search engine.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mdfage/mm01.htm

[roofer]

yes thats the one,by the way aftersales service is excellent,my dad had a problem with brushes in electric motor and they sent an engineer to his house and repaired it.