I had a 2010 Powrtouch Heavy Duty mover with actuation motors fitted to our Bailey Senator Arizona (2007). I had a repeated problem with the actuation motors failing. Powrtouch replaced several of these under warranty and said that if one of the motors failed again in the warranty period I could opt to have it changed to manual actuation.
We have not been away in the 'van for a couple of years as we've been having major renovations done to our new home and living in the 'van for some of that period.
I tried the motor mover last week as we are hoping to go away in it next week. One of the actuation motors failed to operate. I checked the wiring, etc without any success. I did wind it on that side of the mover by hand using the tool and a cordless drill. The mover is now out of warranty. This leaves me with several questions:
(1) How much would it be likely to cost to get the actuation motor changed?
(2) Is it easy to do as a DIY job?
(3) How would it be likely to cost to change the mover to manual actuation?
(4) How easy is it to change the mover to manual actuation as a DIY job?
Increasing age and a failing knee joint meant that we do rely on the mover, particularly to get it out of our garden where it is stored at 90 degrees to the exit. However, as we hope to change the 'van eventually I don't want to spend a fortune on it.
I'd welcome any insights or experience of these problems that any one has.
Just asking as I was recently convinced my Powrtouch was knackered. My battery is charged 24/7 by a solar roof panel so I knew that was charged, but we were going camping so the battery was additionally charged over three nights.
MM still wasn't having it though, eventually rolled about six feet then gave up the ghost.
However, Powrtouch Youtube video said even in these circumstances battery was 90% to blame in these circumstances since the mover is designed to cut out well before the battery is drained.
It was only a cheap battery bought four years ago when the 'van was new, so I treated myself to a new one. Solved everything.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
When I was on a 5 van campsite 2 years ago I got chatting to another caravanner who happened to be a Powrtouch engineer and during the conversation he said that about 65% of call outs are battery related which if this proves to be the case then they have to charge the customer for the call out which is around 65 quid. Since having a Powrtouch motor mover fitted myself I have to bear this in mind so I always keep my leisure battery on charge at home connected to a smart charger 24/7 and keep a new spare PP3 battery in the caravan for the remote control handset just in case. I keep a voltmeter handy too so if the motor mover was to become defective in any way I have the tools to do the necessary checks first prior to having to call out a Powrtouch engineer. I would advise to do the same first and check the battery voltage otherwise it's just a guessing game as to what could be the underlying fault.
I always keep our 'van on EHU at home and so our, newish, battery is fully charged so that is not the problem.
I spoke to Powrtouch this afternoon. After a wasted couple of hours taking their advice and swapping the actuation motor leads at the control box and carrying out other "tests" P/T technical support concluded what I had already guessed, that the actuation motor had gone AGAIN!! The options are now
(1) Change the fauity actuation £80 for the motor plus £85 for a P?T agent to come out and change it, ie, £60
(2) Change the mover to manual actuation, with a power bar, fitted by a P/T agent at £250
I find it bitterly ironic that having had the power actuation in the first place because we're not getting any younger we're now faced with paying a huge chunk of money to change it to a manual system or to have yet another acutation motor fitted with the possiblity of further failures.
In addition both of the above options come with a 2 week wait for the P/T fitter who would be travelling from the Liverpool area.!!!!! We live in Cricieth, North Wales, approx 100 miles from Liverpool!!!
This means that to travel to a planned family event, later this week, with the 'van, I have to wind on the offside motor mover roller with an electric drill, hook up the 'van and then wind the move off again with the drill before we can even get started. Hopefully I'll be able to find a pitch I can reverese onto at the other end or we'll have to repeat the pantomime with the electric drill when arriving and leaving there. Oh and, of course, I'll have to repeat that fiasco when we get home again.!!!
Sorry, but your motor mover is EIGHT years old.
They don't last for ever!
And I don't think Powrtouch gaurentee their products for that length of time.
The mover motors of the mover are fine it is the rubbish actuator motors that I have problems with. In the first 5 years (warranty period) after fitting I had to have 6 actuator motors replaced after they failed. Powrtouch had agreed to change the mover to manual actuation if the ACTUATION motors failed again but of course they lasted until after the end of the warranty period.
I do NOT believe that 6 failed motors in 8 years is is in ANY WAY reasonable. These motors only have move the rollers onto the wheels and back off again. Virtually no load and only running for seconds each time. If the motors that have move the weight of the 'van are still working why not the actuators>>
My wife and I spent a VERY demanding afternoon getting our 'van off the loose slate stones area where we keep it in our garden. The van is stored at 90 degrees to the drive. We struggled to get the mover wound on by hand and had to resort to brute strength. With the help of gravity and a LOT of sweat and struggle we finally managed to push and pull it around sufficiently to be able to hitch it to the car and pull it off.
When we get back I have decided to get the mover changed to manual actuation - on each wheel (not cross actuation). At least then there won't be any more actuation motors to fail.
why not a cross actuator? I have just bought a Powrtouch classic with a cross actuator so it can be used from one side or the other. The Ryno mover that is on the caravan at the moment doesn't have it and I find it a pain in the butt.
"We have not been away in the 'van for a couple of years"
If its not been used for a couple of years I think this will be the problem. Being sat outside in all weathers wont do it much good unless you've been servicing it during this time.
The reason that I was thinking of NOT having cross actuation was because I had heard it takes more effort to engage. Unfortunately we're not getting any younger. Thinking of future increasing disability was why we went for the power actuators in the first place!!! However, at £165 a time to replace and poor reliability has torpedoed that idea!!
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Topic: Problems with Powrtouch Motor Mover
