Hi, so I think I've decided to get a motor mover fitted (after reading on here the benefits!) and the chaps who are doing my caravan (Hobby 560UF) service are powrtouch dealers - so reading all the reviews on here powrtouch seems a sensible option to go with however the choice now is manual or electic engagement? Thanks
I'v e had the Evolution with electric engagement since it was launched in at the end of 2011.
It has been very well used, we make around 20 trips a year and use it for negotiating our tight driveway. Has worked really well and given no problems. I went for electric engagement as we live on a main road with a high kerb, this meant on my old mover I had to wind it off on the side of the van in the middle of the road - net result nearly being squashed by passing tractors, buses etc on several occassions! With electric engagement I can stay safely on the pavement!
Downsides - slower than my old Reich mover, which annoys my impatient neighbour in her Nissan Micra. Now in its third season it is looking a bit tatty. The white painted section has rusty spots appearing on it.
Highly recommended.
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I have POWRTOUCH and being a retired mechanical electrical engineer, repairing things all of my working life i chose manual, as the old saying goes, keep it simple, less to go wrong.
I had a demo of both at the weekend and was impressed with both models. I could see the automatic being really useful for older people or somebody with back issues but for me the manual handle was easy to move and I couldn't justify the additional £300 cost.
As Iain said the mover is fairly slow but there is no additional roll and you have loads of control. I'm currently saving up for the manual.
This is my first caravan and we have yet to have our maiden voyage with it (to France!). It's only me and my 10 year old son and I had thought to not having one at all but after moving the caravan a month ago from one storage place to another and taking a wrong turn down a dead end road and having to do a 20 million point turn with a 10 year old shouting directions……….we weren’t strong enough between us to manually move it unhitched!
Suffice to say it was enough to convince me that I need one even if we only use the van 3 times a year for our French holidays.
I think I am erring toward the manual….they’ve quoted me £995 and although it’s an expensive bit of kit I think the peace of mind is worth it? Is that a reasonable price?
you used to have to do each side separately.. now there is a bar that connects the two together.. the snag is it takes more twice the effort to do them both at once than it did one at a time.. they do a long wrench to use but you can get them anywhere for about a tenner..
i have the manual but can see the advantage of the motor wind one.. sadly it makes an already expensive item more expensive.. money no object and if i was having one fitted it would not be the manual.. :)
ljhomer - based on my recent experience you should be able to get the automatic fitted for not much more. At that price I would try and get an auto ;-)
The other advantage with the auto is you don't need access to near the wheels to dis-engage the mover. This is handy if you want to park with the wheels on a narrow part of a driveway. You will still need access to the locker containing the isolator though.
It is important to note that if something goes wrong (flat battery, blown fuse etc) then you will need access to the motor units to manually wind off the rollers using the tool they provide. In the very unlikely event this is needed you may be able to wind down the jockey wheel and access from underneath (of course after making sure the caravan can't move or drop on you).
ljhomer, that price was the full cost quoted by Powertouch themselves and other fixed workshops, we managed to get the manual fitted for £890 by a mobile Approved Workshop fitter.
I went for manual and it really is not a problem. Not a Powertouch but I guess they are pretty much all the same.
However........Top Tip.....put a label/sticker on the remote that has the words ' Handbrake, steadies, chocks' on it. Saves a lot of head scratching and potential damage. I will own up to leaving the brake on and the ensuing noise is horrible.
Quote: Originally posted by crashbarrier on 16/7/2014
put a label/sticker on the remote that has the words ' Handbrake, steadies, chocks' on it. Saves a lot of head scratching and potential damage. I will own up to leaving the brake on and the ensuing noise is horrible.
Mine is manual engagement (agree that it's less to go wrong!) but mine engages from either side, so you can always engage it from the kerbside. It's not really difficult to engage the rollers on mine and I have back probs, so that just goes to show that it can be done easily.
Quote: Originally posted by crashbarrier on 16/7/2014
I went for manual and it really is not a problem. Not a Powertouch but I guess they are pretty much all the same.
However........Top Tip.....put a label/sticker on the remote that has the words ' Handbrake, steadies, chocks' on it. Saves a lot of head scratching and potential damage. I will own up to leaving the brake on and the ensuing noise is horrible.
Good tip - you're not the only one who has left the handbrake on!
Quote: Originally posted by IainM on 15/7/2014
I'v e had the Evolution with electric engagement since it was launched in at the end of 2011.
It has been very well used, we make around 20 trips a year and use it for negotiating our tight driveway. Has worked really well and given no problems. I went for electric engagement as we live on a main road with a high kerb, this meant on my old mover I had to wind it off on the side of the van in the middle of the road - net result nearly being squashed by passing tractors, buses etc on several occassions! With electric engagement I can stay safely on the pavement!
Downsides - slower than my old Reich mover, which annoys my impatient neighbour in her Nissan Micra. Now in its third season it is looking a bit tatty. The white painted section has rusty spots appearing on it.
Highly recommended.
We are in exactly the same position on a main road and used to have a manual mover. Nearly got wiped out one day by a bus! The Evolution with electric engagement is a lot easier but it is slower. You just need to think ahead.
Okay.............I'm convinced, going to pay the extra £150 and have the electric one. Just thinking ahead that although it's normally in storage I'm not sure how much room there is either side and when i do on the odd occasion take it home one side is literally going to be next to the house wall on the drive with no room to a engage a manual one. Thanks for all the advice and tips.
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Topic: Powrtouch Evolution - manual or electric?
