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VTSafari · 08-24-2013, 10:09 AM

For those that have problems with backing up and tight spots....check out this video.

Caravan Mover Reich Move Controller - YouTube

I went to the German Airstream dealer today and they had most of the units outfitted with these....but their Airstreams are considerably lighter than ours. Fresh water tank...a little under 12 gallons. Very few have AC.

panheaddale · 08-24-2013, 10:24 AM

Pathetic. More money than sense. Just learn the art of backing and you can put it wherever you want, I might understand if you had to move the camper in and out of somewhere everyday.

**moosetags** · 08-24-2013, 11:26 AM

I disagree. There are a lot of places that you can not put a trailer with a tow vehicle. That's about the neatest accessory that I have seen in a long time. If it works as advertised, I would sure like to have one of these units. This would allow me to nose the Airstream into the driveway and put her where I would really like to have her as opposed to where I can back her into with a tow vehicle attached.

Thanks VTSafari for the info.

Brian

Masondood · 08-24-2013, 12:01 PM

With that cool system and Ford's park-assist, if they ever come up with an AS that can hook itself up...we'd be completely superfluous!

Protagonist · 08-24-2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

If it works as advertised, I would sure like to have one of these units. This would allow me to nose the Airstream into the driveway and put her where I would really like to have her as opposed to where I can back her into with a tow vehicle attached.

That might just make it the best anti-theft device EVER! If you can orient your trailer so that no one can hitch up to it without using the remote control to turn the trailer around, then no one can tow it away, either.

SteveSueMac · 08-24-2013, 02:44 PM

I could have used that this week!! :-)

I'd be open to exploring that as an add-on...

panheaddale · 08-24-2013, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

I disagree. There are a lot of places that you can not put a trailer with a tow vehicle. That's about the neatest accessory that I have seen in a long time. If it works as advertised, I would sure like to have one of these units. This would allow me to nose the Airstream into the driveway and put her where I would really like to have her as opposed to where I can back her into with a tow vehicle attached.

Thanks VTSafari for the info.

Brian

Never found a place yet that the trailer would fit that I couldn't get it in.

Silverflames · 08-24-2013, 10:54 PM

I wonder how it works? Drives built into the hubs, or gears the stretch down and turn the wheels?

TG Twinkie · 08-24-2013, 11:15 PM

It runs against the tires.
I'd like to see someone put the trailer in the spot behind the house with a TV where the back of the trailer is running on the shrubs as it goes around the corner.
Look at the video again.

doorgunner · 08-24-2013, 11:40 PM

I have a Powercaster PC-3. Does everything this device does. I looked at these things a few years ago but went with the California Made product instead. The amount of time that the Brits unit would operate and run down the battery system was an issue. If using around the house that of course would not be a problem.I have operated my
PC-3 with my honda 1000 genny.
One thing I really like about either system is tha ability to park in an inside loop site and not have your door facing the loop. In tight turns with 2 axles you do need to do the back and forth thing or chance rolling the tires off the rims, yup.
i have 4" clearance on both sides of my 32 when backing between the house and the fence, curved sloping driveway. Not possible with the Suburban, and I do know how to back up. now if I just had a pi$$ ant 26 footer, it still would not fit without a very small vehicle, like a small forklift.
These things work if you need one get one.My trailer is home all the time ,not at some storage yard.

andreasduess · 08-25-2013, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panheaddale

Never found a place yet that the trailer would fit that I couldn't get it in.

In Europe houses are, typically, far closer together than in the US, with narrower roads. These things can come in very handy.

Campgrounds, don't get me started. Sardine cans, more likely.

AldeanFan · 08-25-2013, 06:53 AM

Wow this thing is cool, I could use one.

I have an enclosed car trailer I park on gravel next to the garage, there is a fence along the back of my yard that I back the trailer up to, so if I back the trailer in I cannot open the rear door. The trailer is not used frequently so I prefer to pull the trailer in frontwards with the rear drop down door facing the street and use it as a 3rd garage. To get the trailer where I want it I built "The Contraption" which consists of a rear axel from a '37 ford car, with a hitch ball mounted on a bracket I welded on the differential, a 3rd rotating wheel on the end of the torque tube, and a boat winch. I pull the trailer in off the road with the front facing the fence, unhook the truck and hitch the trailer to the contraption. The winch line is attached to a fence post and pulls the trailer up to where I want it.

This device would make my life much simpler the 3-4 times a year I move the trailer!

The Contraption was built entirely of found/scrounged/left over parts, I wonder if I could build one of these devices in the same manner

Joe Palmieri · 08-25-2013, 08:23 AM

I built this crawly critter to allow me to maneuver the "rolling jellybean" into the back corner of my garage. I can pull it out with the TV but I can not see the top left corner from the drivers seat. It is an arched building and it would be very easy to crash into with the top of the trailer. The crawler steers from the side instead of the front allowing me a clear view of the entire side of the trailer. It was designed to be used inside on a smooth concrete floor and not suitable for rough ground.

doorgunner · 08-25-2013, 08:42 AM

Joe;

That's pretty nice.
You could build me anything ,anytime.
nice welds,deburred alu channel. clean.
Is it your design or some plans built thing?
The feature of being off to the side is way cool.Does the steering arm swing down, kinda hard to see in the image. That would be "double cool" if the steering arm could articulate side to side.
Thanks for posting.

Joe Palmieri · 08-26-2013, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doorgunner

Joe;

That's pretty nice.
You could build me anything ,anytime.
nice welds,deburred alu channel. clean.
Is it your design or some plans built thing?
The feature of being off to the side is way cool.Does the steering arm swing down, kinda hard to see in the image. That would be "double cool" if the steering arm could articulate side to side.
Thanks for posting.

Thanks for them kind words

The steering arm swings down. You steer with one hand and work the control buttons with the other. There's a locking mechanism to hold the handle vertical when not in use with a release rod near the end of the handle. You can swivel the whole unit 180 degrees if you need to maneuver from the other side. The problem that I found with all the other trailer moving devices that I looked at was that they all steered from the front and you still needed another person to watch the sides of the trailer and give you direction. The plans for the crawler came from my head. It has served me well so far but I have a few improvements I want to make but that's a wintertime job.

Skater · 08-26-2013, 06:24 AM

That's pretty neat! I can think of one campground where it or one of the dollies would've been handy - I was totally blind backing up, and I wasn't getting a lot of advice from the rear (until it was too late), and the road was so narrow that I couldn't straighten it out enough to see the situation from the driver's seat.

We were parking our camper yesterday, and I thought I had it in position fairly well on the pad next to the garage, but my wife said: "It needs to come over 2 inches." Seriously? 2 inches? I got it within TWO INCHES of where she wanted it, and it's not good enough?

A system like this or a dolly would let me hand it off to her: "Here, honey, you fix it!"

switz · 08-26-2013, 07:52 AM

The four units for a tandem trailer are limited to 6,140 pounds max weight and less if the incline is too steep.They make no conversation about what happens with water on the tires (wet grass) or getting mud on the tires.

Mounting could be a challenge as they show "U" bolts holding the motors to the frame.

Protagonist · 08-26-2013, 08:45 AM

The tongue jack would need to be fitted with a caster wheel, too.

doorgunner · 08-26-2013, 08:49 AM

Joe;
Is that a "scooter" motor? looks like it has the ability to disengage the drive sprocket.And appears to be a self contained unit-12V batt on back side of pic. At what speed does the dolly operate when towing? a very slow walk? I have a lot of questions, sorry about hijacking this thread,
Anyway , great design for its intended flat solid surface use. send my the plans!!lol

Joe Palmieri · 08-27-2013, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doorgunner

Joe;
Is that a "scooter" motor? looks like it has the ability to disengage the drive sprocket.And appears to be a self contained unit-12V batt on back side of pic. At what speed does the dolly operate when towing? a very slow walk? I have a lot of questions, sorry about hijacking this thread,
Anyway , great design for its intended flat solid surface use. send my the plans!!lol

No not a scooter motor. The drive unit is actually a 2000# 12V electric winch with the drum modified and a chain sprocket mounted to it. It has the "free spool" feature which allows you to move it around the garage easily and engage when you are in position and ready to move your trailer. It is powered by a small 12V sealed rechargeable battery. You can see the connector plug for the charger right behind the top part of the drive chain. The unit crawls along slowly as it is geared down by the planetary on the winch. I am in no hurry when shuffling things around in the garage. There are no plans to send you. I usually build things by the seat of my pants. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.