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Subject Topic: Please tell me it gets easier!!!???
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Personslj76
20/5/2018 at 7:22pm
 Location: Cheshire
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304 View slj76's Profile View Profile   Reply to slj76 Reply   Quote slj76 Quote  
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So having just bought our first caravan the only thing we have struggled with so far is fitting the AL-KO wheel lock. We have no need for a motor mover and therefore have tried (on our nice level tarmaced drive) to manually move and fit it. What a faff! We gave in and jacked it up in the end but I can’t imagine we really want to do that every time we arrive on pitch, or maybe you’ll all tell me we do, but then how do you go about levelling it at the same time??? Thinking of getting a lock n level and just hoping with practice we’ll be able to do it.....


Personnavver
20/5/2018 at 8:12pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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If you put the hand brake on one click only, you can move it by grasping the tyre and turning the wheel. You will be amazed how easy it is to move it enough to line up.


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Persontango55
20/5/2018 at 9:04pm
 Location: Lichfield
 Outfit: Coachman Amara 450 View tango55's Profile View Profile   Reply to tango55 Reply   Quote tango55 Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 20/5/2018
If you put the hand brake on one click only, you can move it by grasping the tyre and turning the wheel. You will be amazed how easy it is to move it enough to line up.


That all depends on what handbrake is installed. The type you mention with the release button at the end of the handle was fitted on my previous Coachman but my current one there is no release button, just a handle that springs up and down so it's either on or off and that's it.


Personslj76
20/5/2018 at 9:16pm
 Location: Cheshire
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304 View slj76's Profile View Profile   Reply to slj76 Reply   Quote slj76 Quote  
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Yes, our handbrake has no ‘notches’ as such, it’s either up or down so I don’t think this option would work unfortunately.


Personissym
20/5/2018 at 11:04pm
 Location: Cambridgeshire
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We find the motor mover invaluable for getting the van level and still having the AL-KO lined up.
You say you have no need for a mover but they do have other uses other than just connecting van to car and van from car into space. You can move both wheels in the same direction; just one wheel, useful when you need to use a ramp while keeping the ALKO lock in position; or each wheel in opposite directions, useful when turning the van on soft ground and not wanting to churn up the grass.

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Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.


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Persontango55
20/5/2018 at 11:44pm
 Location: Lichfield
 Outfit: Coachman Amara 450 View tango55's Profile View Profile   Reply to tango55 Reply   Quote tango55 Quote  
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I don't use an Al-ko wheel lock myself and used to say that I had no need for a motor mover but I decided to have one fitted on my current caravan when I bought it. I'm glad I did because it's got me out of trouble twice when towing off a wet field during the weeks we had numerous downfalls of rain. Having difficulty trying to attach an Al-ko wheel lock I would have thought would be benificial having a motor mover but it's a lot cheaper to change the type of wheel clamp than investing in a mover. That's about the only choice you have under the circumstances really to make it easier.


PersonGrampian91
21/5/2018 at 6:27am
 Location: Midlands
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I fitted a mover to my van and its one of the best choices i have ever made.

No matter how tight the pitch or the storage, moving it is a doddle.

Same when pitching up and levelling, if your doing it by hand then moving it forward an inch you may think forget it. But with the mover its so easy to get perfect.

I used to reverse onto the pitch then check the side to side level, place planks under the side that needed raising. Then drive forward onto the planks. Often thats as close as the side to side got, one guess at how many planks and thats it. Now if i need an extra 3/4" higher i stick another plank on top and use the mover again.


PersonMike3003
21/5/2018 at 7:38am
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I would never have a Caravan without a motor mover, essential in my humble opinion.

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Not ALL Newts get p**sed.

“Semper Fidelis”


Personalan29
21/5/2018 at 9:32am
 Location: Wirral
 Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch View alan29's Profile View Profile   Reply to alan29 Reply   Quote alan29 Quote  
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What makes you think you have no need for a mover?


PersonRay Clayton
21/5/2018 at 9:39am
 Location: Ilkeston. Derbyshire
 Outfit: Disco 4 Unicorn Barcelona 4 View Ray Clayton's Profile View Profile   Reply to Ray Clayton Reply   Quote Ray Clayton Quote  
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I jack mine up everytime if i put both locks on.
It is the only way on a twin axle, unless you get really lucky lol.





-------------
Cheers
Ray

Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4







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PersonPickled Onion
21/5/2018 at 11:47am
 Location: Near Alton Towers
 Outfit: Bailey Burgundy S7 H View Pickled Onion's Profile View Profile   Reply to Pickled Onion Reply   Quote Pickled Onion Quote  
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I used to find it more of a faff than I do now, perhaps you just get used to it's little foibles. My insurance insists I fit it every time we are on site, I sometimes wonder if it's worth the hassle for the reduction in premium.

The mover is a godsend in fitting the hitchlock, especially on a bit of a slope but I'm glad it's not a twin axle.

Dave.

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.


Personslj76
21/5/2018 at 12:05pm
 Location: Cheshire
 Outfit: Elddis Xplore 304 View slj76's Profile View Profile   Reply to slj76 Reply   Quote slj76 Quote  
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Thanks for the replies, we would rather have avoided the need for a mover as the van is so tiny it’s a doddle to move around by hand and the payload, which is already not huge, would be heavily affected by movers. We’ll see how we get on but I think we’ll be see what the affect on the insurance is with changing to a standard wheel lock first. Thanks again...


Personshaggy2000
21/5/2018 at 1:04pm
 Location: County Durham
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I use this type of wheel lock, it literally takes second to fit and remove.

You do lose the discount to your insurance, but is 10% discount worth that much?


http://www.purpleline.co.uk/all-products/nemesis-ultra


PersonBaileyjake
21/5/2018 at 1:15pm
 Location: West Midlands
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Quote: Originally posted by shaggy2000 on 21/5/2018
I use this type of wheel lock, it literally takes second to fit and remove.

You do lose the discount to your insurance, but is 10% discount worth that much?


http://www.purpleline.co.uk/all-products/nemesis-ultra




i will second that, i have one also, theres never a need to position the wheels in any particular rotation. i have no experience of the ALKO lock but i helped a guy at my storage place remove one that had siezed....well he thought it had seized....he forgot theres a bolt to remove with th ratchet under the lock.


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First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara


Personchrisn7
21/5/2018 at 1:39pm
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Assuming you are physically mobile, just kneel down on a mat and eyeball the lock receiver through the wheel to centralise it. You must get a level sight line though. Since you say your drive is level, this should be easy to do.

On site a mover and LnL make things easier.


PersonHairywol
21/5/2018 at 4:20pm
 Location: Teesside
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Might I suggest that you fit the Al-ko before unhitching. Then you can use your car to move forward in tiny increments.
Once it's on you could line up the 'van using the free wheel to move and the secured wheel as a pivot.
This will work just as well if you need to use a ramp to level the 'van.

-------------
Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.



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