01422 396 769 
quote
POLL NOW CLOSED – THANKS FOR ALL YOUR VOTES AND COMMENTS.
Our recent gear guide focused on caravan motor movers, as many caravanners see them as an essential piece of kit to help with those tight manoeuvres.
Motor movers are designed to make life that little bit easier and there’s plenty of choice with models for all types of tourers.
Investing in a motor mover means you can manoeuvre your caravan remotely, via a handset, over short distances – ideal for pitching or parking up in storage where gaps are tight and you want to move to the nearest millimetre!
So in this month’s poll we’d like to know if you have a motor mover for your caravan?
Vote now in this month’s online survey and tell us what you think are the positives and negatives of using a motor mover? The possible answers are:
- Yes – a motor mover is an essential piece of equipment
- No – I can live without one
- Thinking about it – but not quite made the final purchase
Use the voting panel on the left to vote.
Have more to say?
Explain your answer or what you think are the benefits of having a motor mover are in the comments box below.
Yes got a mover and as I’m a spinal injuries sufferer can’t do it without a motor mover
We have had our Powrtouch since we bought this caravan in 2004 and we did have some problems but they are so professional and fast a sorting out anything would recommend them to anyone
We store our caravan in a field that gets quite waterlogged so much so that it would be impossible, at times, to get our van out without the mover as we do not have a 4 x 4. Also, earlier this year we stayed at a French site in Caen that had such narrow roads and high hedges that it would have been almost impossible to get onto the pitch without a mover or muscle power (as one caravanner in front of us found out!). Finally, we’ve just ordered a new caravan and a mover was at the top of our list of must haves.
The motor mover is an essential for me. Firstly, I need to move the caravan off a busy but narrow main road which is not possible to do with the tow vehicle. Mine is a very light Lunar Ariva yet still a struggle to move on my own at my age. The motor mover makes siting the van very easy and much less chance of damage in tight spaces.
I was an H G V Class 1 driver for 40 years,so manouvering our caravan is no problem,but I find the mover is a godsend when hitching up on my own and for fitting the ALCO wheel lock.
Just been reading above comments, I also have a hymer Nova Caravan Very Heavy, Fixed bed at wrong end at A frame end so as above needs to go in wrong way round on a site though I have no problems maneuvering with a Hyundai Santa-fe. Age 79 and a half, also need a hip Replacement, Suffer from Angina among other things so Caravan would be out of the question without a Mover on it, I also have to get it out of a yard onto the road with mover as its too long any other way as road is too narrow to drive out with caravan attached
Having a twin axle caravan and living in a cul-de-sac I fine the 4 wheel drive Powrtouch an essential piece of kit to have. The only drawback is that it makes fitting the Al-Ko wheel locks difficult
when u r 78 it’s a necessity , not an option
We couldn’t store the van at home without one. The driveways at the previous house and this one are too steep and awkward to be able to use the car to reverse in and position the van. And using it for moving onto levelling ramps is easier than a car quite often.
The only time we used ours was in muddy fields and it was fantastic, getting us back onto a clear path. Since then we purchased a newer caravan with a motor mover, it is awful and only works on a very flat tarmaced drive, not worth carrying the weight. The salesman says there is nothing wrong with it. Anyone else had the same issue?
We would consider a motor mover an essential piece of equipment on our coachman Amara 480/4 without it storing the van in an uphill position would be impossible .The saving on wear and tear on my vehicles clutch more than out ways any mover outlay cost.
I park in a tight compound and I would not be able to get my caravan into the space without a struggle its the best thing I ever bought besides the caravan
A motor mover is such an essential piece of kit for many reasons, on site and at home. Accessibility, age, infirmity, skill level, to name burt a few. It really is about time that manufacturers started installing movers as a ‘normal’ part of the caravan, rather than as a dealer installed extra. After all, there is no compuction to use one, if an owner is so inclined.
To the caravan purist, I imagine a motor mover to be de-skilling, however, to me the one thing I don’t miss is the smell of an overheated clutch as I reversed my caravan onto its pitch at home or onto some of the pitches allocated to me in this country and across Europe. To me a motor mover is an established necessity and I would not consider having a caravan without one. Having one means I can hook up and or manoeuvre all on my own; Simples!
I have a Truma motor mover on our Ace Statesman caravan. I think it is absolutely necessary for us as the road by our house is very narrow so it would be very difficult to get the van on our gravel drive without it. We’re down to fractions of an inch when manoeuvring which the Truma SE, now a few years old does with ease so long as you keep your battery charged. You must have a good heavy duty battery. So, yes, would not be without it.
I like everyone else find the mover invaluable, especially parking in my drive.
I just wonder sometimes why the manufactures fit handles on caravans. There is no way I could move my caravan by these.
A motor mover is essential bit of kit to us.. I have back problems and my wife replacement hips. SO physically moving a caravan is out of the question
I do not have a mover fitted although I have considered having one. My main reason for not having one is the extra weight – 30 to 40kgs, it would add to the caravan thereby seriously reducing the amount of load I could carry. I am certain that if the majority of caravans with movers fitted were taken to a weighbridge, they would be overweight, and therefor illegal to be on the road, and their insurance probably invalidated. I URGE ALL CARAVANERS WITH A MOVER TO TAKE THEIR LADEN UNIT TO A WEIGHBRIDGE AND CHECK ITS WEIGHT. I GUARANTEE THAT THE MAJORITY WILL BE OVERWEIGHT.
I realise that they are a boon to those with difficult access to their parking location, but I suspect that for many caravaners they just cannot be bothered to learn and practice maneuvering their unit using their towing vehicle.
It’s the owner responsibility to make sure their towing outfit remains legal. If it the caravan was overweight and then this was found to be the cause of an accident then it could invalidate an insurance claim. We would always advise caravanners to check their caravan weight, particularly after fitting a motor mover, to make sure it’s a suitable match for their tow car.
We have a motor mover and it is a godsend when parking up at home as the access is narrow and so is the road. Not totally impossible to use the tow car as long as no other cars are parked nearby. On-site I use the tow car where possible but my wife has a mobility problem which makes it impossible for her to help so its down to the MM and me on those awkward pitches – especially found in Spain.
I have a very lightweight Trigano Rubis pop-top; not hard to move it manually. Weight is critical owing to towing capacity of my car (and a mover adds weight). Despite the above, I would not be without my mover, just for the convenience of manouvering into the tight space on my drive. I only use it at home, as I need to conserve my battery on arrival at the site (music festival sites never have EHU), Also, the mover is great fun. Be honest – it’s a big boy’s remote control toy car!
Well, I seem to be in the minority here as, as yet, I haven’t needed a mover. We have a Bailey Senator which we keep in storage and though tight it’s not insurmountable to reverse in using my tow vehicle, nor have I had problems hitching up.
I have read and I understand, all the comments above, but I won’t as yet be investing. It may be the fact that I take a bus-mans holiday as I drive HGV 1s for a living.
Thanks Al. A motor mover does seem to be proving to be an essential piece of equipment for many of our readers, but like other bits of equipment it’s not a necessity for everyone, as people have varied needs. You’re obviously a pro at towing and manoeuvring your caravan with your experience of driving an HGV!
I am 71 years old and my wife is 70 so a bit old to move by hand and were we stow our van is a very tight squeese, so very essenial for us.
It is an essential part of caravanning due to some sites not having enough room to manoeuvre, also my driveway is short & although clearly marked, indescriminate parking requires the use of the movers to get in & out
I find the challenge of siting and reversing our caravan (Amara 570)
part of caravaning fun and important skill. We have on many occasions parked up legs down and the kettle on before many others who are still making adjustments with the motor movers.
No bragging intended here but I must mention that on French sites a mover is a essential piece of kit. The French pitches on most sites now much smaller, or have a narrow entrance this is to deter the travelers who can be a total pain. I own a twin and before leaving I email the forwarding site asking if they have room fot a twin explaining that we are British holiday makers and not travelers. You would be amazed how many say no. We have on several occasions when close enough have driven solo to explain the siuation, yes you can drive in but high hedges prevent any turn onto a pitch. This is where the mover is absolutely necessary. One one site I could not Evan turn between the corner of a toilet block and a facing tree. M.
I find a mover an essential part of my caravaning hobby because I caravan on my own so it’s a boon when hitching up . I would also have difficulty getting the van up my drive
Our caravan is a Hymer with the door on the ‘wrong’ side so I normally pitch with the hitch in first to keep in sequence with everyone else. We need to park hitch first on the drive too and as the ‘other half’ is not as fit as she used to be the mover is now necessary.
Takes the strain out of parking on our steep drive and under the low carport alongside the house. First time out after fitting it got us out what would have been arduous and stressful dead end, wrong turn advice from satnav! Couldn’t have achieved turn on the car and there wasn’t enough manpower to have manhandled it with my wife. It still intriguesays onlookers to see it in action. Also seriously reduces wear and tear on car clutch putting it away at home and generally. Marvellous piece of kit!
Thanks Ian and for everyone else who has commented. A motor mover seems to help so many people in so many different ways.
I think that a motor mover is essential bit of kit , especially with bigger heavier caravans, not only do they make moving van easier in tight spaces, but also saves on clutch wear and tear
For years I have managed to manoeuvre all the caravans we have had by using my tow car to position them where we needed them. However, when we got our latest new ‘van we used it for a year without movers. Last year we had movers fitted to the ‘van and would not be without them now. They really do make life a lot easier when manoeuvring the ‘van around at home and on site when I need to turn it around. When using them at home I often have people videoing or taking photos of this caravan 7.25mts long turning and moving on its own axles and either being moved up to the tow car or being put away in its place on our driveway as if by magic…………
A motor mover allows VERY precise control of your valuable asset. I have a 90* uphill turn to make in order to park my caravan alongside my house. There is not possible to leave it hitched whilst carrying out that manoeuvre. So in my case it’s an essential item. Is also allows similar control on campsites AND makes aligning things up for my Alko wheel lock a doddle.
Andy
They are essential for caravanners who are unable to manoeuvre the’van by hand,and not all sites allow enough room to use the car to push the caravan into the allocated pitch. A mover allows precision siting, without the need of the Hulk’s muscles!!
a motor mover is essential for me to put my caravan back in the garage. I can tow it out but have to admit I cannot reverse a 7ft 4in c’van down a 8ft 2in drive with brick walls on each sides. hakuna matata with a mover
Having towed a variety of single and twin axle caravans for thirty years, twenty of which were as a single mother of three, I feel confident to comment. When my husband and I were together to manoevre a twin axle it was easy without a mover. Trying to move a twin axle on my own was very much more difficult so a motor mover is essential. As for a single axle I could manoevre the van quite easily particularly while still hitched to the car but understand how a mover can be very useful if you are nervous reversing your van. I now have a twin axle and a mover which is a god send when towing on my own. Long live the mover!!
The Four main reasons why i think motor movers are now almost essential:-
1. The art of reversing with a caravan is a fundamental and necessary skill but there are times when only a push or pull by hand is required, but with the weight of modern fully loaded caravans it is nearly impossible to manoeuvre by hand without other peoples help, especially for the more elderly. This is nearly always impossible on sloping pitches where also the use of the handbrake to stop the caravan rolling can lead to tipping. A mover acts as a brake making up or down hill movement safer and easier. Also the handles fitted today are far from strong enough to put your full weight behind a good push or pull.
2. Lining up the bolt with the threaded retainer on the AL- Ko wheel lock is so much easier with a mover when only a slight movement is required.
3. Less time is taken blocking the roads on site by using a mover for the more precise positioning required on some pitches. Get it roughly where you want it, un hitch and move your vehicle off the road. Other site users will thank you for your consideration as we don’t always get the reverse manoeuvre right the first time especially after a long day on the road.
4. Leads to a lot less arguments on which way to turn the wheel between partners.!!!!!!!
Our ‘van has to travel across across approx. 20m gravel to park at home and it is impossible to manually manouver or use the car.
We ( my wife and I ) already have a small caravan ( Bailey Pageant Majestic 2 berth ) but now find, due to age, struggle to push the van of and on our drive way. Plus on site it is so much easier to position on the pitch site. A must for the more MATURE caravaners.
Yes l have a motor mover and use it a lot
Need a mover because if steep drive in front of house !
have just had the Ego Platinum fitted to my latest caravan
i always buy a caravan with a motor mover, when possible, as i am disabled & like to put caravan in back to front in my front garden, makes it harder to steal, it is also on gravel & have never had any problem with movers on it
When parking the van I have about 4″ each side, when moving it to its storage place not poss with the car and no pushable with arthritis
With a sloping driveway I have two options in getting our folding camper into its storage spot – motor mover or tricky dogleg uphill reversing manouver. I can manage the latter but as the smoke from the front of my car showed (manual transmission) the clutch would not last long. I checked and the Mover was cheaper than a new clutch and has taken the stress out of arriving back from trips. Rarely use it on site though.
I have one and wouldn’t be without it. I travel with my caravan by myself and my dogs. I would never be able to move the caravan either off or back on to my drive without it, as I have to park across the front of the house. Its an absolute life saver.