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Welllllllllll the wife and I bought a Trigano folding camper late last year and the first time we tried to push it up a slight incline into a garage which was only just wide enough to get the unit in with an inch to spare each side. That was one problem, and like yours, the other was pushing the unit up the slight concrete incline to the garage opening.

Well I struggled and pushed till a neighbour helped me push it in. However, not wanting to rely on a neighbour every time we wanted to use it, we purchased a thing called a Hitchdrive that was actually a jocky wheel replacement with a ratchet type arrangement and handle gizmo. It worked a treat and I actually put the unit in the garage unaided.  Took some practice and patience but it worked and it only cost £199 from Norwich Camping and Leisure.  If you want to see the website go to: www.hitchdrive.com and see the films and info on the unit.  It works and better still, did not cost nearly a grand.  

I sincerely hope this works for you.  Regards from Dave

Dave, that sounds like the winning solution. I'm going to give them a call today.

For the pennine plodder a couple of messages above, here is a diagram of the problem.

The built in mover looks like the best solution as you are still able to alter the jockey wheel to drop the front end down.  We have a small ramp to our garage and drive too.  Let us know what you decide to do and if it works! 

BTW Happy camping!!!!!

Oh great. I'm dead chuffed you think the 'Hitchdrive' is the winning solution. Makes a refreshing change to be able to help someone along the way.  The Hitchdrive from the Suffolk manufacturers is priced at £250 all bar a few pence but if you ever get near a village called blowfield in Norfolk, Norwich Camping and Caravans sell them for £199.00 which is even better.  Having said that, if you look round you may find it for £199.00 locally.

Please let me know how you get on.  Personaly, I found it easy to use after the usual faffing about and its so easy to fix, even I COULD DO IT. Much to the wife's utter amazement. 

If you need any further help/info give me a shout on 01493 781227

advert in ad trader on the net for the hitch drive used only twice for sale at £125. in Gosport only down the road from Winchester hope this helps

Pete

Am back from our weekend camping.

We hired a hitch drive to test it out. I was dreading arriving home, but had optimisim with the new hitch drive.

Unfortunately this didnt work. We lowered the hitch drive to its lowest setting so that we could get the angle right to go up the drive. As I turned the hitchdrives arm it got harder and harder. Suddenly I heared a POP. One of the tyres burst on the hitchdrive b/c it caught on the screw at the bottom of the jockey wheel fixing.

After cutting my hand I was left in a situation where I had a camper half way acrross the road, a bleeding hand, a hitch drive with a puncture and perspiration like a pig in a sauna.

I ended up putting the old jockey wheel back on, getting a neighbour, pushing the camper on to the drive, then relaxing with a beer.

So, I'm looking again for more ideas. As far as I can see my last options are:

• Electric winch in garage
• A ramp to ease the gradient up the drive (where to buy one of these)
• Off site storage
• An attachment to the camper to make it a four wheeler so that it could be reversed up the drive?

What a sickener., you must be well p***ed off.

Just an idea - but could the triangular shaped blocks used for leveling the camper on site be of any use?  The angle may not be as steep as your slope or they might give you an idea of what is needed.  Or how abouta reasonable amount of concrete discretely dropped??? 

As for a ramp - what about something from a timber merchants?  It may be annoying but possible to cobble something together which you can lay down when needed.

My wife had the bright idea of driving off the drive with the trailer attached.

This never occured to me as I could nt reverse it up without it hitting.

And low and behold, the trailer could be pulled of the drive. What was different I can hear in your gasps. Well, I drove off the drive at an angle, which somehow made it work.

So when I came back from camping on monday, I positioned the camper and car in exactly the same position as that when I drove off the drive, and once I worked out the reverse steering lock business it worked fine. So problem solved. Thank you for all your replies everybody.