Motor movers are an essential piece of equipment for many caravan users. The reason for this is because they help you to carefully and accurately position your caravan when trying to park it in a small or tight space that your tow vehicle can’t get into. Although many people agree on the importance of a motor mover, there are many things to consider when buying a motor mover; this includes the battery choice for the motor mover, the cabling, and possibly the most important factor, which is the weight. It’s important to know how much your motor mover weights, as this will allow you to determine the payload you have available for their things to take along with you.
Motor movers can be pretty heavy items to take with you on your trip. In terms of weight, a typical single-axle kit can weigh around 30kg. This means that when you are loading things into your caravan, you need to take off 30kg from your weight load. It’s important to remember that if you also carry an awning or furniture in addition to heavy items such as a motor mover, then you will have to take this off the payload of your caravan to ensure you have a safe journey. This blog post will cover more information about the weight of motor movers and their importance.
This blog post will cover the following
- Motor movers and how they work
- Using a motor mover
- Why the weight matters
- The difference between different weighted motor movers.
Motor movers and how they work
A motor mover is a device that fits onto your caravan and allows you to move it around in small and tight spaces using a handheld remote control, instead of a tow car which takes up more space. Depending on how many axles your caravan has, a motor mover has two or four motor units, it has an electronic control unit, in addition to the handheld remote control. Motor movers are essential for many caravan users as they allow you to park your caravan in tight or awkward places where your towing vehicle may not be able to fit. They can be used to park your caravan at a campsite or in your drive for storage purposes. By using a motor mover to do this, the entire process of trying to pitch your caravan is made a lot easier and faster. When a motor mover is fitted onto a caravan, it can turn the caravan on its axis, making it the perfect device for moving your caravan into any tight area due to its precise and slow movements.
The majority of newer motor movers come with a remote control linked to the motor mover’s computer system, which allows the caravan to be manoeuvred using the handset. The remote will have buttons with clearly marked arrows indicating which direction you want to move the caravan in. The remote will also activate the wheels independently. For a tight turn, the wheels on one side will roll forward, while the wheel opposite will stay still.
Please note that the majority of motor movers require 12V electricity from a caravan’s leisure battery to power the rollers. It is best to avoid connecting the caravan’s electrics to the mains or campsite hook-up, as this can result in causing damage to their system.
Using a motor mover
Using a motor mover means you can reduce the stress of trying to park your caravan in a small or tight space. You may find that during your camping trip, or even when you’re parking your caravan away for storage, it can be quite challenging to get your caravan into a tight place. This is why many caravan users tend to think of motor movers as an essential device for all caravans. There are two main reasons why people buy motor movers.
The first one is because having a motor mover means you can easily manoeuvre a caravan into position. As mentioned above, whether that be into a driveway, storage or touring pitch, or even hitching up. If there isn’t enough space to tow the caravan using a car, then motor movers are the perfect solution.
The second reason is that they can make any getaway a lot easier. They can save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to precision-manoeuvring with your car. This is an area where many caravan users struggle to handle their caravan and often need the guidance of another person. For tight spaces and heavier caravans, motor movers are a must-have.
Why the weight matters
As I mentioned at the start of this blog, the weight of the motor mover is something that many users fail to acknowledge, even though it is one of the first things you should be looking at when thinking about purchasing one since motor movers are heavy items. A typical single-axle motor mover can weigh around 30kg, whereas a twin-axle is almost double this. In addition to this, you should also consider any other heavy items you will be loading into your caravan, such as awnings and furniture, as this can all add up to being over your payload.
I asked some experienced caravan users on the Caravan Talk forum why weight matters when it comes to motor movers. ‘Streamdrivenandy’ explained that:
“If you have the average payload allowance for a UK built van (155kg) and a mover that weighs 30kg plus a battery that weighs 25kg then you’ve lost 35% of your potential payload without loading any personal items at all. Add in two, say 13kg gas cylinders as well when the MIRO allowance is 10kg and you’ve lost 48% of your payload straightaway.”
The difference between different weighted motor movers
Now that we know why it is important to know the weight of your motor mover, it’s also a good idea to know why this difference exists in order to select the right motor mover for your caravan. Another reply from my Caravan Talk was by ‘figbat‘, who explained that:
“Their weight will be a function of their construction and ability to move a certain weight van. Typically a more powerful motor will be heavier, although there will be some construction differences between brands. Ideally, you want one that is the right power to move your van in the conditions you will use it. There’s no real benefit to going over-powered (and therefore heavier) and the drawback is that the extra weight of a heavier motor mover reduces your available payload.”
This means that usually, heavier motor movers have been designed for heavier caravans, whereas the lighter ones will work better with lighter caravans. Instead of opting for the heavier one and assuming the quality will be better, it’s best to check the weight of your caravan and then select the one that would be effective, yet takes up less of your payload.
