Parking a caravan or mobile home backwards

Parking a caravan or mobile home backwards

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Discussion

steve-V8s

Original Poster:

2,922 posts

261 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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Considering a big caravan or small mobile home to park in the driveway whilst working on the house. It seems that the doors on all Homes and most Caravans are on the left which is inconvenient for where I want to site it. There is not room to rotate it on site and no exit route for a towing vehicle if it is towed rather than reversed in. Approach to the driveway is fairly steep so not convinced a “mover” would manage the job.

So my questions are:- Can mobile homes be moved from both ends or do they only have one tow hitch end like a caravan. European vans seem to be handed differently and would better suit the location, is this simply a case of what market they were made for or are some brands built with right hand doors.

Bill

55,501 posts

268 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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AIUI they tend to have their doors on the near side, so continental vans on the right, UK vans on the left.

smokey mow

1,255 posts

213 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
quotequote all
Can you pull it up with a winch and suitable ground anchor?

steve-V8s

Original Poster:

2,922 posts

261 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
quotequote all
smokey mow said:
Can you pull it up with a winch and suitable ground anchor?
Yes but I need to get it out again at some point.

Shuff4

198 posts

100 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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Removing it would be a case of hooking up underneath and pulling it backwards, using the winch to control the speed from the front.

Pistaaah

136 posts

184 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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Not a caravan owner myself , but have seen a remote controlled mechanism, that has a motorised wheel that rubs on the caravan tyres adn lets you back it into a slot and drive it out again - search for something like "Caravan Mover"

TwinKam

3,306 posts

108 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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Pistaaah said:
Not a caravan owner myself , but have seen a remote controlled mechanism, that has a motorised wheel that rubs on the caravan tyres adn lets you back it into a slot and drive it out again - search for something like "Caravan Mover"
...have you fully read OP's OP? scratchchin

Beetnik

539 posts

197 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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UK manufactured vans will have the door on the left, as you face the front, Euro vans on the right. Safety consideration so you don't have to access/exit the caravan into the traffic stream if towing and parked at the roadside.

As you've not yet purchased a van I'd suggest the best option may be to buy a Euro manufactured model.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/caravans/used-caravan...

Chrisgr31

14,008 posts

268 months

Tuesday 30th May 2023
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Of course parking a caravan with the tow hitch facing the road makes it easier to be nicked - having said that mine is facing the road.

A neighbour has a fairly steep drive and used a motor mover to drive it up the drive forwards so it can be done. Dont forget that if the location it is being placed is steep you are going to need a bit of ground level enough to allow the caravan home to be level! Whilst the front can be low. or the back high and sorted on the steadies there are limits. You'll also need to ensure there is fairly easy access to the door if you are living in it.

nagsheadwarrior

2,789 posts

192 months

Wednesday 31st May 2023
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If buying a European caravan especially a Fendt, LMC or Hobby, which are great vans just he aware that if its visible its highly likely to be stolen.

At the last 2 dealerships I've worked at we won't have one on site let alone retail one, if we take one in px which is pretty rare they get traded straight out, shame as they're awesome vans

Starfighter

5,222 posts

191 months

Wednesday 31st May 2023
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A mate of mine was looking at a Hobby and could jut get anyone to insure it due to the theft risk.

skeeterm5

4,213 posts

201 months

Wednesday 31st May 2023
quotequote all
steve-V8s said:
Considering a big caravan or small mobile home to park in the driveway whilst working on the house. It seems that the doors on all Homes and most Caravans are on the left which is inconvenient for where I want to site it. There is not room to rotate it on site and no exit route for a towing vehicle if it is towed rather than reversed in. Approach to the driveway is fairly steep so not convinced a “mover” would manage the job.

So my questions are:- Can mobile homes be moved from both ends or do they only have one tow hitch end like a caravan. European vans seem to be handed differently and would better suit the location, is this simply a case of what market they were made for or are some brands built with right hand doors.
Crane it in.

chopper602

2,280 posts

236 months

Thursday 22nd June 2023
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nagsheadwarrior said:
If buying a European caravan especially a Fendt, LMC or Hobby, which are great vans just he aware that if its visible its highly likely to be stolen.

At the last 2 dealerships I've worked at we won't have one on site let alone retail one, if we take one in px which is pretty rare they get traded straight out, shame as they're awesome vans
Very popular with the nomadic tarmac layers . . .

KTMsm

28,595 posts

276 months

Tuesday 4th July 2023
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If you're doing building work then wait until you have a few lads on site, it's amazing what three or four working blokes can do