hi anybody when trying to move my fleetwood Colchester 2003
caravan it is so front end heave hard to monover even with motor mover and has already destroyed 3 jockey wheels in one month it seems so heavy at the front even though empty please any advise
Weigh the hitch, either by buying noseweight scales or by using bathroom scales and a length of wood cut to the height of your hitch.
This should be around 100Kg or a bit less.
If this weight is ballpark you have a problem with the jockey wheel or clamp, or perhaps you are trying to move the caravan through very soft ground. Have you tried moving the caravan backwards - this is a lot easier on the jockey wheel?
If the weight is beyond 100Kg then something is either in the front of the caravan you haven't noticed, or else something heavy that should be in the rear is missing.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
Sorry for stating the obvious but,you say it's hard to manouver with the MM,so have you checked that the brakes are free,if the van has been stood some time with the handbrake applied,the shoes can stick to the drums,you could jack the van up and see if the wheel spins freely
There are jockey wheels and jockey wheels some built for tiny light weight vans and some made for heavy weights if you are using wrong wheel it will soon collapse.
Also adjuster must be right for van have you had since new or bought second hand, also remember mover adds 38/42 kilo,s, is mover front or rear of wheels if single axle..
As said above nose weight is critical for car rear springs unless using a large 4x4 which are usually 100kg normal saloon or estate 75kgs
I would buy steel wheel with solid rubber tyre not all plastic type some steel wheels have grease nipple in shaft or pin to lub and stop rusting up.
Quote: Originally posted by mark mejulie on 22/4/2016
thanks i will have a look at weekend all i know is you can not lift it on your own to put it on tow bar its that front end heavy
If you can't lift the van by the hitch yourself then the problem is not the jockey wheel, the problem is your front end weight. Empty your front locker and try again. Have the wheel wound up so the front is high to the back end.
If you can then move it you need to consider what goes back in the front locker.
Just reread your post, totally agree with AL53HX, check your brakes are not locked on, which if the motor mover is having difficulty moving the van is more likely your problem, even fitting a car tyre as a jockey wheel isn't going to help with that.
Get someone to help lift the van onto the car towbar, if the wheels don't move your locked up obviously, not meaning to teach you to suck eggs btw.
when you put thejocky wheel down to the ground, do you stop around an inch off the ground, then wind it down.
Jockey wheels heve a split in the shaft and if not clear of this, will not let you move the van where you want it to?
Why are you lifting the A frame tow hitch to hook up can't you lower your jockey wheel to touch the ground and then wind clockwise to lift tow hitch enough to pull van over tow ball or push to the left or right and then turn anti clock to lower hitch over ball until lock clicks.
You will end up with a hernia
I used kids windmill stuck in convenient hole on tow hitch to back up to postion tow ball and hitch in postion ready to lower hitch on to ball. When I could not see less than half of mill in rear view mirror I new that I was within 6inches of tow hitch,if I could see mill dead centre of dealers label I was spot on and van only needed pull forward about 6inches to lower hitch
Now days I use reversing camera. Or I did until siting van on yearly site as at 76 everything is becoming a pain in the A just going to fill Aqua roll is a chore can't see OH toy girl at 62 doing it as she has never done it in 23years we have been married she says her job is to fill kettle and switch on tv and kettle after I,ve hooked up put down steadies in otherwords she would not know where to start.
Quote: Originally posted by naturlist123 on 23/4/2016
Why are you lifting the A frame tow hitch to hook up can't you lower your jockey wheel to touch the ground and then wind clockwise to lift tow hitch enough to pull van over tow ball or push to the left or right and then turn anti clock to lower hitch over ball until lock clicks.
You will end up with a hernia
I used kids windmill stuck in convenient hole on tow hitch to back up to postion tow ball and hitch in postion ready to lower hitch on to ball. When I could not see less than half of mill in rear view mirror I new that I was within 6inches of tow hitch,if I could see mill dead centre of dealers label I was spot on and van only needed pull forward about 6inches to lower hitch
Now days I use reversing camera. Or I did until siting van on yearly site as at 76 everything is becoming a pain in the A just going to fill Aqua roll is a chore can't see OH toy girl at 62 doing it as she has never done it in 23years we have been married she says her job is to fill kettle and switch on tv and kettle after I,ve hooked up put down steadies in otherwords she would not know where to start.
hooked up
Reason I thought he was heavy at front was because he had said he couldn't even lift it by the A Frame. Mind he also says he has done in 3 jockey wheels so how did he refit them?
Your Mrs is the same as mine lol
lol thanks peter looks like are Mrs are the same lol i might just borrow a jockey wheel of someone try that first see where it gets me as there is nothing at all stored in the front of caravan to make it so heavy so will try jockey wheel first thanks peter
I think, as was said earlier, that you need to quantify what 'heavy' means to you. Cheapest is the bathroom scales method.
Ray is right about the position of the yoke that carries the jw. If not raised, this is sure way to destroy the jw tyre or even the whole wheel if plastic. It must be free to castor as the van moves
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Topic: moving caravan jockey wheel
