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To motor move or not to motor move?
Published:
28 June 2012
One of the items that you may be tempted to invest in as a caravanning enthusiast is a motor mover. This device is designed to help you manoeuvre your caravan easily, and most people agree that it's a great investment.
Although motor movers don't come cheap – a high quality one can set you back around £1,000 – there are many advantages to owning one as it can help you with manoeuvring your vehicle for hitching up, placing it on site and moving it around a storage area.
In the Caravan Club community, many users agree that using one can make reversing into a tight spot easier, take some of the strain off the caravan's clutch and prevent you from chewing up the grass on the pitch.
A motor mover can also take some of the strain off you, by easing the pressure that a manoeuvre might put on your body, especially your back.
The most popular kind of motor mover is the axle-mounted type; this involves a frame bolted to the caravan chassis with an electric motor and roller assembly each end which operate against the individual caravan tyres to improve manoeuvrability.
You might be tempted to cut costs when you choose your motor mover, but beware that going for the budget option usually means compromising on quality.
It makes more sense to splash out on one with a sufficiently powerful motor, long warranty period and readily available spare parts, all of which tend to be missing with less expensive models.
When choosing a motor mover, you need to take the weight into account; this is one area which most caravanners agree is tricky, as the only real downside of having a motor mover seems to be the extra kilograms that it adds to your payload limit. However, the ease and convenience that it can bring to your holiday should far outweigh the inconvenience of having to adjust your luggage.
Of course, not everyone agrees that motor movers are a caravanning essential; some people think it's better to practice your manoeuvres without them.
However, it all comes down to personal preference, so when choosing to motor move or not to motor move, go with whatever makes your caravan break as pleasant as possible.