jockey wheels

casimmons · Newbie

jockey wheels

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Take some lessons.
It is like riding a bike. Impossible until you "get it", then it is easy.
Cheers,
Peter

casimmons · Newbie

NAHHHHHH thanks but not wasting anymore time on that...... would rather take the easy for me way out :) :)

DMaxer · Guru

Welcome Casimmons. Join the club. All of us when starting out dreaded reversing especially in front of an audience. I reckon I got more laughs than most top line comedians. Go onto the internet and just google "reversing a caravan". Heaps of great stuff on there especially You Tube. There are also courses but just try that first. Just remember it is the same as backing a car but the opposite if that makes sense. Watch the instructions then go to a quiet place and practice. Take your time, go slowly, if it goes pear shaped stop, go forward and then start again. Give it a go.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Thursday 20th of August 2020 07:36:02 PM

casimmons · Newbie

darling I have done this..........my brain just cannot get around it.............. it just get to angry and swear HEAPS......... just gonna buy an electric wheel hahahahahahahaha

DMaxer · Guru

Dont give up. Just take it slowly, look into your mirrors, if you see more of one side of your van than the other side, turn the steering wheel towards the side that is appearing in your mirror. Just do everything in slow motion a few times and you will get the hang of it.

I could back a box trailer ok because I could turn around and look at what I was doing. Backing a van is off the mirrors and that is where I had the problem. Just practice and you will save yourself money.

vanTas · Veteran Member

A few helping (I hope ) pointers:

Teach yourself to back the car on, its own, by using just the external door mirrors. You'll end up doing it that way all the time.

Find a big empty carpark, or a paddock and do some experimenting driving in reverse all over the place. Then do it with the van on.

When doing this with the van on, hold the steering wheel at the bottom. Look in the mirror to see which way. IF you see that you need the van to go one way a bit, then move your hands that way.

Remember to reverse slowly, but steer quickly. i.e. as soon as you see a need make the correction. You will soon learn how much correction is needed as you are constantly looking in the two mirrors. Any correction required will probably be twice what you would make just for the car.

If all is well then leave the steering alone until a correction is required.

Get your helper to always be just to their RHS of the van, ( where you can see them) and about a metre behind it. They should be either giving you the thumbs up, a STOP, or a left or right pointer. Obviously as the van moves, they move.

If using a hand held radio to talk to you, the desired words are " go left", "come right", "stop", with only short pushes of the button needed. Long transmissions about the tap you are about to miss, or the fact that the grass is not mown, are not helpful. Any obstacles it is "stop" immediately.

So they are looking behind them at the start to see the obstacles, then once moving they look to the left of the van, under the back of the van, then to the right, and up above, doing the loop every six seconds, while constantly signalling to you thumbs up, left, right or stop. Should there be a problem, once stopped they walk to you and tell you what it is. Don't resume reversing until they are back at their position.

Try to get your overall direction sorted out early and then just come straight back. A slight twist, or two may be needed in the last metre or two.

What a lot of reversers do not realise is that, different to going forward, any lump or dip in the ground makes that wheel track further and will cause the van to go off course to that side, thus needing a correction.

oldbloke · Guru

Perhaps put a wanted add in the free classifieds in this forum.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Welcome to the gang Christine, enjoy here and out in the playground.

I friend of mine had one of these and we used it to get my aluminium teepee down his tight driveway off a very busy road then into a tight spot. Soooo easy peazy. It is the bees knee of electric cv reversers. 12v too.

Unfortunately, like everything great they are not cheap but for what you are saying will save on soap from washing out your mouth all the time.

Like you choice of camper too. I had a Sportliner and loved it.

The Travelling Dillberries · Guru

casimmons wrote:
just wondering...... I CANNOT REVERSE MY AVAN ALINER.........SOOOOOO does anyone have a motorised jockey wheel and how do you find it? can you recommend a good one that I do not have to take a mortgage on? many thanks for your help

Where are you located? I have one I never use.

If that is Ellington near Cessnock you may be in luck.

-- Edited by The Travelling Dillberries on Friday 21st of August 2020 06:42:43 AM

-- Edited by The Travelling Dillberries on Friday 21st of August 2020 06:45:50 AM

hako · Guru

This is late but....motorised jockey wheels will not work when on a slope with grass/loose dirt plus there is not enough weight on them to grip on grass.

The best way in my opinion is to instal some Purpleline caravan movers - one to each wheel. They cost about $2000 a pair fitted but increase the resale value of your caravan and make it so easy the move the caravan on any surface or slope safely.

https://www.purpleline.com.au/

Good Luck.

yobarr · Guru

hako wrote:
This is late but....motorised jockey wheels will not work when on a slope with grass/loose dirt plus there is not enough weight on them to grip on grass.
The best way in my opinion is to instal some Purpleline caravan movers - one to each wheel. They cost about $2000 a pair fitted but increase the resale value of your caravan and make it so easy the move the caravan on any surface or slope safely.
https://www.purpleline.com.au/
Good Luck.

I note that the OP has not been back since the day of the original post? You make a good point about lack of traction in many circumstances,but perhaps anything would be better than nothing? Chris (Dillberries) lives about 200km from Elrington,and has advised that he has a motorised jockey wheel that he is happy to part with,but no response,so perhaps the OP already has acquired one? Would be nice to know though.Cheers

Whenarewethere · Guru

My brother in-law in Germany has the type which clamp onto the wheels, every caravan there seems to have them. He put them on because he had both hips replaced, but has since commented that he should have put it on before.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

The van eventually goes the direction
Of the back of front wheels are facing . Your reversing remember . A little at a time . The thing is to start reversing in a straight position if you can . Dont swing on steering wheel or you cannot correct it . Just calmly drive forward a few meters then
Start again . Have a look around BEFORE reversing . Camp Elect fittings , taps etc !

JayDee · Guru

When reversing our van in a tight spot I have Dee at the rear of the van in my sight. I then ring her on her mob, and then place my mob. on the passenger seat and have the mob. on speaker and this really help me many times.

Plus no need for other communication gadgets.

But practice is the best remedy for reversing worries.

Happy Days ahead for you

Jay&Dee

dabbler · Guru

My el cheapo electric jockey wheel is one of my best purchases. It lets me get mm from an angled brick wall at home and frees up about a metre walkway because I can park the Hilux beside it without worrying about that angled wall. I also use in a rellies grassy back yard to let me drive out without reversing a narrow twisting driveway onto a busy road. Light TBM may cause issues but that's easily fixed for s temporary move. I wouldn't leave it on when travelling though and have fitted a second bracket and and extra Anderson on the drawbar for ease.