Posted on 22/11/2021 15:29
I wondered if people take extra caution when driving on say, narrow country roads which have trees at the side. Is there a danger that the caravan could get damaged by branches? Is it something I need to be wary of? Although I wouldn't want to drive too far out, as the risk of hitting oncoming traffic would definitely be more serious.
Posted on 23/11/2021 10:25 by brueWe have very unforgiving rocky lanes where we live, towering above us in some places. You learn to remember the passing places and field entrances. We were once on a trip to a "tricky" CL when a new arrival appeared with a caravan. He'd met an imoveable farm tractor and animal trailer. He had to open a field gate and reverse the van up an incline into the field. With motorhomes you have to be aware of height too, overhanging branches are waiting to get you.
But I'm sure it's worth it if you can get through unscathed. If you don't want the odd scratch stick to A roads. Or go somewhere flat and open so you can see what's coming!
Posted on 23/11/2021 14:01 by AndyJFOh believe me I will be sticking with A roads if I can. The prospect of reversing the van back up a hill fills me with dread. If the motor mover can't rescue me, I'm in trouble.
Speaking of which, I need a ton of practice doing reversing.
Posted on 23/11/2021 15:40 byVery wise Andy. I have been at this game since the late 70s and still there has to be something special at the end of the type of lanes being described here before I go down them. There are more than enough sites with sensible safe access without the stress and potential damage to your van in these tracks.
BTW Regarding reversing I am no expert and resort to the mover most of the time but I did do the club course and learn to straight line" reverse and in over 100k miles since I have been glad of it in about a dozen occasions . As for right angle reversing into fields and up hills, never needed to and if I did the mover would take over.
Posted on 23/11/2021 20:30
I really do need that reversing practice, straight line reversing I agree is essential.
As a demonstration of my lack of skill, the very first thing I tried to do when we got home, was reverse the van on to our drive. It was slightly uphill so that didn't help. I stopped when I smelled the clutch burning!! Admitted defeat, and used the motor mover, which made short work of the manoeuvre. Neighbours were probably having a right laugh.
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Posted on 23/11/2021 20:39
Happy memories of the value of the motor mover when in France last time - the intended campsite turned out to be undesirable, so we headed off to a different one, foolishly trusting the satnav for the turn required. (We didn't have a decent scale paper map for that area.)
Satnav decided the ideal road went under a railway line. It didn't mention the bridge was a rectangular concrete hole, 2m high and just over 2m wide. In theory our caravan in roof-down towing mode would just, only just, fit, but I wasn't prepared to find out the hard way, so had to unhitch and turn car and van separately on the narrow lane, praying nothing else would come. (No chance of backing out onto a main road!)
Luckily nothing came.
All hail the motor mover!
Posted on 23/11/2021 20:30 by AndyJFI really do need that reversing practice, straight line reversing I agree is essential.
As a demonstration of my lack of skill, the very first thing I tried to do when we got home, was reverse the van on to our drive. It was slightly uphill so that didn't help. I stopped when I smelled the clutch burning!! Admitted defeat, and used the motor mover, which made short work of the manoeuvre. Neighbours were probably having a right laugh.
Posted on 23/11/2021 21:08
Andy, if you can fin an area of tarmac i.e lorry park or disused airfield or such [ I except hard to come by ] and have an hour or so honing your skills or lack of them with the Caravan, you will see it will all fall into place. As Tinwheeler says the Motor Mover makes life easy and that is what it is for, but there could well be instances where reversing with the Caravan attached is a need.
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Posted on 23/11/2021 21:08 by ADP1963Andy, if you can fin an area of tarmac i.e lorry park or disused airfield or such [ I except hard to come by ] and have an hour or so honing your skills or lack of them with the Caravan, you will see it will all fall into place. As Tinwheeler says the Motor Mover makes life easy and that is what it is for, but there could well be instances where reversing with the Caravan attached is a need.
Posted on 24/11/2021 08:51 by AndyJFYes good suggestions, I actually did approach a local airfield to see if they'd let me use the outfield to practice. But the buggers said no
Posted on 24/11/2021 19:21
We found a deserted factory carpark one Sunday morning on a local industrial estate, took plastic bottles with just enough water in to make them stand up, and practiced both tight corners and backing round and between these, so it didn't matter if they got hit. It was truly useful.
As is that motor mover!
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Posted on 24/11/2021 09:55 by JVB66If other areas with narrow roads/lanes are like in this area, the locals do not seem to be aware that other vehicles are being driven by those not familiar with the area
AndyJF