I'd welcome any suggestions regarding this as it is something I have only done 3 times so far and have had difficulty each time.
My caravan has a body length of 5 metres and is single axle, 1100 KG max.
The road that my drive meets is, I assume, standard width for a small road on an estate allowing 2 cars to pass easily - but not if there is a car parked on the road.
I have a dropped pavement entry to my drive which is a bit higher than the road.
When the caravan approaches the drive at 90 degrees to the kerb and the wheels are at their lowest point in the roads rain gutter there is not a lot of space, front and back, between the corner steadies and the road/drive surface - it's very tight even when the caravan is not attached to the towball on the car.
Being that my drive is higher than the road, getting the van actually on the drive is an ( possibly - 1100KG ) uphill push, and hard work for just 2 people. It can be made to clear front and back by adjustment of the jockey wheel to a point where the towhitch is quite low and near to the road surface.
Ideally I would like to reverse the caravan onto the drive using the car but the low position needed of the towhitch to give clearance for the steadies front and back makes this virtually impossible due to the height of the towball on the car. The towball height is right for normal use.
It might be possible to pull the caravan onto the drive but the clearance situation, front and back, wouldn't be much better. The car would also then be trapped on the drive by the caravan.
There are 3 fixed points that will remain the same when considering getting the car on the drive unhitched. They allow just enough clearance of the corner steadies with fine adjustment of the jockey wheel.
Assumed here to be backing the caravan onto the drive.
They are 1) the raised height of the road surface at a distance equal to the distance between the axle when in the gutter and the front steadies due to road camber 2) the depth of the rain gutter 3) the height of the drive surface at a distance equal to the distance between the axle when in gutter and the rear steadies ( in 3 it is not just the drive surface it is also the edging stones[??] of the tarmac pavement which are not ours to move ).
It's difficult to describe but I hope that describes it adequately.
And, I really want to use the car to get the van on the drive otherwise my back will ( already is ) suffer(ing).
How do you do it?
Plank in the rain gutter - supported runners made from floorboards.
Not tried those yet.
I reckon laying planks of wood on the road will be by far the cheapest option. You could get one of those detachable towballs fitted to the front of your car and get it adapted to fit low down. Or you could have a set of bigger wheels for your caravan? If space is available of course. Wood is the cheapest there though
Another option is a electric winch Click_here to pull it on to the drive , you'll need to anchor it some how , and be aware of cable stretch when pulling on to your drive .
If you have room either side, it might be worth trying to walk it in using blocks (block in front of both wheels, move front of van sideways, reposition block, repeat for oposite side etc.) I have done this to move the van on a slope when there was no one around to help. Its cheap!
Having similar probs with my drive and my micro caravan, it's not just the big vans that have problems! I also have trouble reversing, - it's a very narrow road, always a parked car where you least want it, and opposite side of the road is a bank. I tried many times before giving up... the thought of coming home from holiday and having all that stuff waiting was too depressing.
Buying a motor mover is out of the question for me, it would add too much to the payload. I have a Mr Shifta which does the job without too much fuss. I park up on the road next to the kerb, detach car from caravan, then attach the Mr Shifta and I pull the van up the dropped kerb and onto the drive, nose first.
The drive isn't ideal for the Mr Shifta I have, the castor wheels on the back dig into the soft drive surface, so I have to use boards at the moment to run the shifta on, however it works and takes approx 5-10 mins from start to finish. I'm saving up to have the drive hardened with either concrete or tarmac at some point, then there wont be a problem at all.
Must admit, I fancy one of those winches though! That would be even easier!
Quote: Originally posted by Al+Mel on 05/6/2011
If you have room either side, it might be worth trying to walk it in using blocks (block in front of both wheels, move front of van sideways, reposition block, repeat for oposite side etc.) I have done this to move the van on a slope when there was no one around to help. Its cheap!
Thanks.
Yes Al + Mel that is how I've had to do it each time so far and the greater the distance from the axle to the front of the A frame the greater the mechanical advantage.
It's a lot of 'tooing and froing ' though to get it up to and over the high spot at the top of the drive slope.
I'm liking the idea of the winch if I could find a suitable way to anchor it on the drive.
I think I'll need planks too.
The options really seem to be get a mover or put it in storage. The storage option is more expensive in the long run and less convenient.
I have to get my van up a lane with a steep incline and around a dog-leg onto my drive with one wheel over the kerb as their is a railing obstructing my entrance. It also has to go in A frame first as there is not enough room to go the other way without the A frame hanging onto the road. A mover was the only option as the car wouldn't come back out past the caravan once it was up the hill and it is too steep to push.
I bought a Powrtouch mover using the finance option offered by thew manufacturers and a price match a few years ago. I got the mover for under £500. I saved this in storage fees in under 2 years, so I was into savings before I had even paid for it.
We had a similar problem, our caravan sits on a double drive alongside the car and garage entrance, but its a VERY busy road that is nearby the local shop, is right opposite a junction, and we only have one chance to swing it round to enter whilst the traffic waits for us. Not easy to get right first time when the total length of the caravan is 20ft 10ins on a 22ft long drive.
The answer was to get a mover fitted, without one we just wouldnt manage the manouvering in such a tight space. we also carefully choose our times when we know the road will be quieter, typically early on a Sunday morning, or after the shops closed at night, it is do-able, and we have also mastered just how high the jockey wheel has to be down so that we enter with plenty of clearance for the rear stays as they cross the pavement as the caravan climbs the slight slope of the drive.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
We had the same problem with a smallish 2 berth caravan and a steep drive from the road, our drive is also a double garage which is half ours and half next doors, hubby used to take jockey wheel off altogether, we had so much trouble in the end we put it in storage for £5 a week.
We used to dread the return journey and what we would find, re cars on the drive and at bottom, now it's so much easier and nobody knows when we're away.
The plan is that when we've moved we will have the van back on drive, if it's suitable, for the winter and in storage for the summer.
------------- "Close your eyes and pretend it's all a dream, that's how I get by"
As you state that the ideal way for the van to be positioned is reversed into the drive I have a "trick" that should help. Assuming the van has not got a gas strut assisted hand brake.
You will find that with the van uncoupled and the hand brake "half" on that if you then push the tow hitch from side to side the van "walks" backwards.
It does this because of the auto reverse mechanism within the drums allows the wheel to rotate backwards but not forward when the hand brake is not fully on.
Because of the lever arms involved and because the movement is only happening one wheel at a time the "power" going astern is very effective and quite capable of climbing reasonable inclines. I did it for years up my sloping drive.
Its a permutation of Al+Mel's blocks behind the wheels but far less running about is involved as it exploits a side effect of the braking system. Clearly it only works going astern.
Try one of these...
(http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/redirect.asp?redir=http://www.riverswayleisure.com/acatalog/info_910666.html)
I've recently fitted one and it works a treat....no more pushing for us (my reversing wasn't up to much anyway)
Quote: Originally posted by trotter on 05/6/2011
Try one of these...
(http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/redirect.asp?redir=http://www.riverswayleisure.com/acatalog/info_910666.html)
I've recently fitted one and it works a treat....no more pushing for us (my reversing wasn't up to much anyway)
Thanks for the suggestion trotter but that costs £125 more than my caravan cost to buy a couple of months ago.
I'm not looking to spend anywhere near that much.
I've been doing a 1989/90 caravan renovation you see.
Cost of caravan £400.
Spent so far about £400 on renovation - nearly completed now, just 2 new roof-lights to buy & fit - about £80 for both. The toilet compartment roof-light was replaced earlier this week.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Prob getting long c`van on drive.
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