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Why on earth do people take general comments as personal attacks?  I do find it disappointing.  I haven't pointed to any of you and said you can't reverse.  What I have said is that this piece of kit is being seen as essential by many new caravanners, when it really isn't.

It's very sad that people now feel they should correct me, when what I said is perfectly right.  But it's not personally directed at anyone.  I would appreciate the same courtesy.

Let's just cover the towrope thing.  Parking across the nose of a caravan is obstruction, no matter which way you look at it.  Of course I would talk to the owner, and would probably get a resolution, but at the end of the day I'm not going to put up with it if he just replies in an ignorant manner.  I'm surprised you would.  As you can see, I only become antisocial when I've tried everything else. There's always the Police if you really can't sort anything.

I did say that I would probably use a mover if I had one, I just won't buy one.  Let's look at the maths. 

My CASSOA storage site costs £320 per year.  They don't allow you to move your own caravan, so you ring them, and they have it at the gate for the time you have stated. When your return, you drop the caravan off inside the gate and they pop it back in storage for you.  It doesn't get easier than that.

I don't know the exact price of a mover for my twin axle, but it must be in the region of £1500, or 5 years worth of storage.  By that time, I want a new mover or even a new caravan. 

If you do park your caravan by the house, maybe I can see the point of a mover, but I remember I stopped parking my caravan at home when a Police Officer pointed out to me that burglars always knew when I was away.  I'd never thought of that, but a moment's thought shows that it must be true.

I've never kept any of my caravans at home since.  It's better and safer in storage, although slightly inconvenient.  It would be nice just to nip into it on the drive, to do little jobs and so on, but peace of mind is worth it.

And cheaper than a mover.

Jim

One other point in favour of movers (even if you are a perfectly proficient reverser) is the fact that manouvering a caravan is a sure way to add major stress to modern DMF clutches.  Granted if your caravan is about a 50% match the effect will be reduced, but not irradicated, as my mover cost less than a clutch for my car so a mover it is for me.

Fully understand about the cost of clutches.  I wonder why they used to be able to handle the load of reversing, but now they can't.  Have to admit I don't fully understand the DMF technology - (must make an effort!).  Another point is that reverse gear used to be really low.  That doesn't seem to be the case now, I wonder why?  Can't see any advantage in having a high reverse gear.

There's still no substitute for a large car and an auto gearbox.

Jim

Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 27/7/2009

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Fully understand about the cost of clutches.  I wonder why they used to be able to handle the load of reversing, but now they can't.  Have to admit I don't fully understand the DMF technology - (must make an effort!).  Another point is that reverse gear used to be really low.  That doesn't seem to be the case now, I wonder why?  Can't see any advantage in having a high reverse gear.

There's still no substitute for a large car and an auto gearbox.

Jim

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Ah Jim, but my mover is cheaper than a full size auto 4x4 (and the associated running costs over 20000 miles a year!!!  DMFs heat up massively when the clutch is slipped causing the cooking of the unit.

If I win the lottery then I will have a Auto Range Rover, but until then the cheapest compromise is a mover.

Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 27/7/2009

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Fully understand about the cost of clutches.  I wonder why they used to be able to handle the load of reversing, but now they can't. 

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I suspect it is because the friction material used to contain asbestos, but is not allowed to anymore.   The modern 'friendly' alternatives are just not as good.

MW

Quote: Originally posted by Zafiral on 27/7/2009

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One other point in favour of movers (even if you are a perfectly proficient reverser) is the fact that manouvering a caravan is a sure way to add major stress to modern DMF clutches.  Granted if your caravan is about a 50% match the effect will be reduced, but not irradicated, as my mover cost less than a clutch for my car so a mover it is for me.

Hi.

I have a mover on a twin axle exactly for the above reason, My car has a semi-auto box, and it DOES NOT like reversing with the van on.

Again reversing is not a problem for me but, it is for the damn car????? and as you say a mover is cheaper than a dmf/clutch.

Cheers.

T. 

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Ofcourse the other answer to the DMF/Mover is to have a towball on the front of the car as well.

It would be used only for manouvering so it would not require the electrics.

A detachable one would be ideal.

We would not be without ours, it makes life much easier, both for reversing/manouvering the van into place (we have a car park for the 6 houses where we live and keep the caravan there), and for the exact placement of the van onto the car towball. We had it fitted at a good rate by the dealer where we purchased the van.

Anne

I have nothing against anybody's decision to buy a motor mover.  All I have said is that I wouldn't spend that money (on top of paying over the odds for a large car and low fuel consumption).  If I had a mover, I would use it.  It just bothers me slightly that people coming into caravanning are seeing it as a necessity.  If you have special circumstances, fine.  None of my business anyway, just don't like to see the new people misled.

When I had Land Rovers, they all had a front ball, and it's very very useful.  My wife tells me it wouldn't look good on the front of the Jeep.

I've now looked into the DMF technology, and it seems to me they have been forced to bring this in because diesels are much smaller and more powerful than ever before.  Progress?  I'm not sure.  You never got any of this with the big old diesels thumping away.

Bring on hydrogen power!

Jim