Trailer Parking Problems

[floater]

build a new garage at the bottom of the drive



I reckon the front tow hitch is the best solution and probably the quickest and cheapest

Andy

[Hightower]

Talk the missus into selling the Zafira and buying one of These

[Downhilldai]

You have a few options open to you:

Improve your reversing skills
Get a front towball - this is a realistic option, as pointed out in an earlier post.
Winch it up the drive - a few options for winching have been explored
Get some mates/neighbours to push it up the driveway
Move to a house with an easier driveway
Store the RIB somewhere else
Sell the RIB

Originally Posted by Paul_H

...as in my first year with a rib. ...

Originally Posted by Paul_H

...we only moved last October...

Did you buy this house, with its associated problems, before buying your first RIB?

[mark-f]

Originally Posted by Paul_H

Hightower,


Totally agree... This problem is doing my head in!!! If only I could find one simple solution! It seems that everything (winching, pulling, pushing etc) has its pro's & con's & I'm struggling to see a clear direction to go in.

Ok a simple but not necessarly cheap solution, how about one of these I saw on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPECIAL-PROFES...d=p3286.c0.m14


Mark

[Downhilldai]

While it may seem expensive, it's less than the legal fees of moving house

[ChasTheBoat]

get a quad bike wit a towball easy solution

[martini]

I totally agree with anyone who says front tow ball.

I had a 7m rib for several years at my old house. I had to back the trailer in straight off a busy main road and make it do an immediate 90 deg turn. If I didnt get it exactly right first time then I would be in and out forever trying to sort it.

The queues that used to form were quite embarrassing until I fitted a front tow ball. Not only are you now looking ahead instead of behind saving a stiff neck, you have so much more flexibility with the angle of your trailer in a short length of travel. The same sort of benefits as you get with a rear wheel steering forklift for example.

Its definately the way to go, all that messing around with winches and pulleys etc., you'd never be bothered to take the boat out!

[Hugh Jardon]

as your boat and trailer are quite light how about one of those caravan movers that fits to the hitch

might just do the trick?

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jardon

as your boat and trailer are quite light how about one of those caravan movers that fits to the hitch

might just do the trick?

Like wot Mark said:

Originally Posted by mark-f

Ok a simple but not necessarly cheap solution, how about one of these I saw on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPECIAL-PROFES...d=p3286.c0.m14


Mark

[chris123]

One of our neighbours had a twin axle caravan - he moved it around all the time with a (radio controlled) powered jockey wheel / hitch.

He was able to maneuver it around (including up and down a sloping narrow access road - I would guess at least as steep as your drive) and spin it on the spot with ease.

I'm sure a front tow hitch would help, but I would guess it still may be tight, and I would think a powered jockey would be the easiest.

This one's a bit more expensive than the one on e-bay, (my brain was hurting trying to read the e-bay advert), reckons it is good for 1 in 4 slopes:

http://www.towsure.com/product/15203..._-_Motor_Mover

If you are near a Towsure shop (or equivalent caravan type shop) you can always go along and see if they will let you try before you buy

And it has the benefit of being a cool toy

Cheers

Chris

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by chris123

One of our neighbours had a twin axle caravan - he moved it around all the time with a (radio controlled) powered jockey wheel / hitch.

He was able to maneuver it around (including up and down a sloping narrow access road - I would guess at least as steep as your drive) and spin it on the spot with ease.

I'm sure a front tow hitch would help, but I would guess it still may be tight, and I would think a powered jockey would be the easiest.

This one's a bit more expensive than the one on e-bay, (my brain was hurting trying to read the e-bay advert), reckons it is good for 1 in 4 slopes:

http://www.towsure.com/product/15203..._-_Motor_Mover

If you are near a Towsure shop (or equivalent caravan type shop) you can always go along and see if they will let you try before you buy

And it has the benefit of being a cool toy

Cheers

Chris

My Old Chap has something like this on his caravan. It's a great bit of kit, but it's a bolted on permanent feature that WILL NOT be submersible.

[chris123]

Originally Posted by Mollers

My Old Chap has something like this on his caravan. It's a great bit of kit, but it's a bolted on permanent feature that WILL NOT be submersible.

Looking at the Towsure unit description you may well be right

I'm not sure about my ex-neighbours setup - I never got too close in case caravaning was contagious , but I think it was removable, like the e-bay item is.

Cheers

Chris

[Hugh Jardon]

Originally Posted by chris123

Looking at the Towsure unit description you may well be right

I'm not sure about my ex-neighbours setup - I never got too close in case caravaning was contagious , but I think it was removable, like the e-bay item is.

Cheers

Chris

i am fortunate enough to have an engine on the front of my caravan as well! make moving it around so much easier....its a 2.8td

[Poly]

Originally Posted by chris123

I'm sure a front tow hitch would help, but I would guess it still may be tight,

if you can't get it in with a front tow hitch you probably can't get it out (towing with rear hitch) either.

[Apherel]

Just noticed this post on another thread - sounds like this one can get wet.

**************

the ultimate single handed recovery kit?

A friend has one of these fitted to his caravan and they now have a marine version available.

http://www.powrlaunch.co.uk/

hmmmmm

Mark

[Markyboyo]

I use one of these!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westwood-T1200...QQcmdZViewItem

Dad got it new in 86 and it has never broken down, it will pull about anything and has a steering lock close to 90 degrees! my drive is rather steep and once i'm in the road there was no way you could turn before hitting the hedge opposite. It now lives on a mates farm now where he uses it to shunt stored caravans around in the barns.

[Paul_H]

Thanks everyone - the information provided has helped me mull over the problem & I think that I have a way forward. To sum up my view on the suggestions:

Front tow ball - I don't think this will help. Although it will improve the turning circle it is still too tight if cars are parked opposite my drive.
Block & Tackle - too much rope, too many knots!
Electric Winch - one you get into the nitty gritty of the right winch (pull 30m at 4m per min line speed) it gets too expensive.
Block & eye bolts - this would result in me pulling a rope with the car across a public pavement.
Move to a new house - just have!
Store Rib somewhere - when I get a bigger one.:d
Sell Rib - definately not.
quad bike/tractor/motor mower - I wish...

That then leave me with two options to persue & I am now watching e-bay looking for a bargain.......

1 - Electric Caravan Mover http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005

I have set a budget of £250 for this project & I have seen these go for £200 but as they are heavy I need to wait for a local one to come up as the postage costs would be high. If not then it will be....

2 - Winch Type Caravan Mover http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=016

I'm pretty sure that, as the boat is quite light, that it will handle the gradient & the gearing should get me there pretty quick.

Once again - thankyou all for you suggestions.

Cheers - Paul H.

[J.C.]

My feeling is that your option 2 won't cope with any significant gradient. I'll be delighted if proven wrong though.

[Trickdog]

Those caravan movers in item 2 are available in Halfords if anyone wants to have a close look at one. I cannot remember how much they sell for though.

[jyasaki]

How about mounting an electric winch at the back of the garage with enough control and tow cable to allow you to string it to the bottom of the driveway?

Wouldn't be all that fast, but it would be pretty low energy on your part.

jky