How to manoeuvre out of storage bay?
Discussion
Hiya peeps
Sounds a bit odd doesn't it, me being a PHer and all but as a relative newbie to caravanning, I'm not afraid to ask for advice!
I'm a pretty confident tower and did the caravan club course a few years ago. Not been out in the van for a couple of years after a nasty accident when my wife was knocked over by a muppet on a bike! But at last, we're heading off for Easter at the weekend. 😀
But where I still find it a bit awkward is confined spaces. Our storage is on a small CL, and a little while ago the owner asked me to move into another storage row. It just feels a little bit tighter but he wanted the longer spaces for longer caravans, which is fair enough!
I struggled a bit putting it into the space two years ago, indeed, I jackknifed and put a small hole in the bumper of the S 60. There was something parked next to it then. The next bay is empty at the moment & gives a bit of wiggle room but may not be empty for long.
I'm just wondering, how you'd advise I easiest get it out of this spot. As you can see, with the car in its hooked up position, there's not an awful lot of space to pull straight ahead. The exit of the storage is off towards the right.
I don't have a motor mover.
I'm sure I'll manage, but it would be just nice to hear how the more seasoned caravanners would approach this little manoeuvering conundrum.
Sounds a bit odd doesn't it, me being a PHer and all but as a relative newbie to caravanning, I'm not afraid to ask for advice!
I'm a pretty confident tower and did the caravan club course a few years ago. Not been out in the van for a couple of years after a nasty accident when my wife was knocked over by a muppet on a bike! But at last, we're heading off for Easter at the weekend. 😀
But where I still find it a bit awkward is confined spaces. Our storage is on a small CL, and a little while ago the owner asked me to move into another storage row. It just feels a little bit tighter but he wanted the longer spaces for longer caravans, which is fair enough!
I struggled a bit putting it into the space two years ago, indeed, I jackknifed and put a small hole in the bumper of the S 60. There was something parked next to it then. The next bay is empty at the moment & gives a bit of wiggle room but may not be empty for long.
I'm just wondering, how you'd advise I easiest get it out of this spot. As you can see, with the car in its hooked up position, there's not an awful lot of space to pull straight ahead. The exit of the storage is off towards the right.
I don't have a motor mover.
I'm sure I'll manage, but it would be just nice to hear how the more seasoned caravanners would approach this little manoeuvering conundrum.
I imagine putting the 'van in there is more difficult than pulling it out.
You've hitch up perpendicular to your exit route. If the nose of the car was say 1 - 2 feet towards the exit direction, you would have gained a lot of possible lock with the hope of swinging out in one go. Of course the danger is turning too soon and clipping the inside against the 'van with the green cover. Another idea is when reversing up the car to hitch up, do so be prescribing the opposite route that you imagine that the car will take on exit. That way you know you have enough and just enough lock on the car.
If it can't be done in one go, pull out nearly as far as possible; unhitch the car and maneuver the car so that it's pointing now to the right (direction you want to travel), rehitch and you'll probably be fine the rest of the way.
When maneuvering a 'van, always think of the position of the 'van's axle. Once the axle is parallel with the front of the green covered van's hitch, you can swing round sharply (either using your tow car, or manually rotating the van unhitched.
You've hitch up perpendicular to your exit route. If the nose of the car was say 1 - 2 feet towards the exit direction, you would have gained a lot of possible lock with the hope of swinging out in one go. Of course the danger is turning too soon and clipping the inside against the 'van with the green cover. Another idea is when reversing up the car to hitch up, do so be prescribing the opposite route that you imagine that the car will take on exit. That way you know you have enough and just enough lock on the car.
If it can't be done in one go, pull out nearly as far as possible; unhitch the car and maneuver the car so that it's pointing now to the right (direction you want to travel), rehitch and you'll probably be fine the rest of the way.
When maneuvering a 'van, always think of the position of the 'van's axle. Once the axle is parallel with the front of the green covered van's hitch, you can swing round sharply (either using your tow car, or manually rotating the van unhitched.
Do you have to take it out alone?
It doesn't look a huge van and the ground looks almost level, albeit far from smooth - I'd be tempted to put a long plank of wood, scaffold board size, under the jockey wheel to aid in shoving/pulling the van the length of itself by hand.
If you have the manpower, drag it out by the top of the jockey wheel pole and rotate it before hitching it up. On a level surface I can drag our 6 berth around 180 deg without too much effort and I'm no Geoff Capes. I also make a point of being within arms reach of the handbrake in case it starts to head in the wrong direction!
A decent foot grip and a bit of your own weight against it can move these things about a fair bit, though that ground surface will be against you.
The alternative is to have the car at an angle when you hook up, but you'd need a second set of eyes watching for tail swing on the outside of your turn out the space, while you try to place the pivot point of your van (axle) as close to the front corner of the neighboring van parked on the inside of your turn whilst also keeping an eye on your front bumper on the hitches opposite.
I'm minded to think if must be even harder to put away than it is to get out. Truth be told, I'm minded to suggest if its causing a problem and you are going to be using the van a lot, it might be worth shopping around for a different storage facility. With that in mind, I'll just leave this here... www.cassoa.co.uk
It doesn't look a huge van and the ground looks almost level, albeit far from smooth - I'd be tempted to put a long plank of wood, scaffold board size, under the jockey wheel to aid in shoving/pulling the van the length of itself by hand.
If you have the manpower, drag it out by the top of the jockey wheel pole and rotate it before hitching it up. On a level surface I can drag our 6 berth around 180 deg without too much effort and I'm no Geoff Capes. I also make a point of being within arms reach of the handbrake in case it starts to head in the wrong direction!
A decent foot grip and a bit of your own weight against it can move these things about a fair bit, though that ground surface will be against you.
The alternative is to have the car at an angle when you hook up, but you'd need a second set of eyes watching for tail swing on the outside of your turn out the space, while you try to place the pivot point of your van (axle) as close to the front corner of the neighboring van parked on the inside of your turn whilst also keeping an eye on your front bumper on the hitches opposite.
I'm minded to think if must be even harder to put away than it is to get out. Truth be told, I'm minded to suggest if its causing a problem and you are going to be using the van a lot, it might be worth shopping around for a different storage facility. With that in mind, I'll just leave this here... www.cassoa.co.uk
Thanks guys, I'm actually quite reassured that you think it's not a straightforward extrication - you start to doubt yourself!
From that hook-up position, the car couldn't make the turn itself in a single sweep (when I said exit to the right incidentally, I meant driver's right, not the rhs of the pic - not that it makes much difference) and my concern is indeed the swing if I come out on any sort of angle.
I'll be collecting it myself - and even if I took my missus along, it'd turn stressful! (and she can't push anyway) - but I like the idea of a plank to help the jockey wheel, even if I hitch it up to pull it a foot forward to get the main wheels out of a bit of a dip and then unhitch, push & re-hitch.
We'll be moving later on in the year so may well be looking for somewhere new to store anyhow.
But thanks for the feedback, good to know I'm not going daft!
From that hook-up position, the car couldn't make the turn itself in a single sweep (when I said exit to the right incidentally, I meant driver's right, not the rhs of the pic - not that it makes much difference) and my concern is indeed the swing if I come out on any sort of angle.
I'll be collecting it myself - and even if I took my missus along, it'd turn stressful! (and she can't push anyway) - but I like the idea of a plank to help the jockey wheel, even if I hitch it up to pull it a foot forward to get the main wheels out of a bit of a dip and then unhitch, push & re-hitch.
We'll be moving later on in the year so may well be looking for somewhere new to store anyhow.
But thanks for the feedback, good to know I'm not going daft!
If you are concerned about a single move, then a quick solution, it to pull the van forward with the car, 10-12 feet, you may need to point the car slightly to drivers left but try to keep it as straight as possible, unhitched, spin the va on the spot as much as you can, pull left and turn the car round so you can drive by and re attach, then off you go.
You'll have to forgive me here, but as an artic driver I'm honestly not seeing what the issue is. You'll piss that by pulling forward a bit and hooking your car over to the right. There's enough room to clear that caravan in green and you won't be jacking it around enough for the caravan hitch to contact your bumper either. Seriously, you're making a meal out of it. You'll be close the green van, probably within 6" of it but it'll clear, I'll guarantee it.
Alternatively, what's stopping you hooking it round to the left and then reversing it into the gap at the other side of the camper in your second pic?
Alternatively, what's stopping you hooking it round to the left and then reversing it into the gap at the other side of the camper in your second pic?
Old Tyke said:
You'll have to forgive me here, but as an artic driver I'm honestly not seeing what the issue is. You'll piss that by pulling forward a bit and hooking your car over to the right. There's enough room to clear that caravan in green and you won't be jacking it around enough for the caravan hitch to contact your bumper either. Seriously, you're making a meal out of it. You'll be close the green van, probably within 6" of it but it'll clear, I'll guarantee it.
The photos are a bit misleading, there's not *that* much room straight ahead. Put it like this, from where the car is there, I put it on full right lock and still couldn't make the sweep round and that's without anything on the back. I know it looks like more but you'll just have to blame the iPhone lens, I tried it! Old Tyke said:
Alternatively, what's stopping you hooking it round to the left and then reversing it into the gap at the other side of the camper in your second pic?
Nothing at all - but they're usually occupied Hoping they're still empty when I go on Saturday as yes, that'll make it a lot easier.
Thanks all and good advice. I'll be trying a few of your suggestions
You've got masses of room there man! Our storage site is similar - but they pack the vans in tight! I have about 4ft of width in total to play with - about 18" one side and 2.5ft the other. It's a nightmare but it gets you good at reversing! I'm quite adept at pivoting the van on the inside wheel now.
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff