What is a Motor Mover?

Motor movers are very handy pieces of kit that can make life easier in many situations with your caravan. Essentially, they are devices that allow you to manoeuvre your caravan into position without having to use your car or moving your caravan by hand. They work using two or more electric motors (depending on how many axles your caravan has) that drive rollers that can move the wheels of your caravan. When you’re towing your caravan, the rollers are stored a couple of inches away from the tyres.

Motor movers are either manual or motorised, with the latter generally being more expensive. Manual motor movers rely on a hand operated lever, whereas motorised motor movers have a motorised mechanism which moves the rollers to the tyres which then move the caravan in your chosen direction.

Motor movers use 12V electricity from your caravan’s leisure battery to power the rollers that move the tyres. Don’t be tempted to try using the electricity from the mains or a campsite hook-up, as you’ll damage the system. Make sure your leisure battery is unhooked from the mains before you try to use the motor mover.

What are the benefits of motor movers?

Motor movers are great for moving your caravan into position in tricky spots like tight driveways or into storage. You’re much less likely to damage your caravan when manoeuvring it with a motor mover as your caravan will be able to move almost on its own axis. The caravan’s wheels can be moved independently, meaning you’ll be able to move your caravan into tight spots with much greater precision.

Some people like to use motor movers to position their caravans on touring pitches to avoid the tricky manoeuvring process with a car. You avoid the slightly nerve wracking process of moving your caravan into position with your car with everyone on the campsite watching. If your pitch is sloping, it can also avoid any damage to your tow car’s clutch.

It can also be hard work pushing or pulling a caravan by hand. A motor mover will eliminate this. Just bear in mind that the further you move your caravan with a motor mover, the more power you will use from your leisure battery

You can also use a motor mover to move your caravan towards your car, making the hitching up process painless.

Which motor mover should I buy?

There is a wide range of motor movers available and the right one for you will depend on the size and weight of your caravan and your budget.

There are several things to think about when choosing a motor mover and as some of them have a large price tag, it’s important to get it right. Here are some of the things you should consider:

How much do you want to spend? For a good value manual motor mover, you’re looking in excess of £1,000 for the equipment and for it to be fitted by a professional. For an automatic motor mover, it can be considerably more. Budget will usually determine whether you get a manual or automatic motor mover.
How much weight will it add? You’ll need to think about how much the motor mover will weigh and how much this will impact the weight of your caravan overall. You will need to make sure that the additional weight won’t make your caravan dangerous to tow with your car.
Think about ground clearance. Different motor movers sit at different distances from the tarmac when fitted to your caravan. The further away from the ground, the lower risk that your motor mover will be damaged while on the road.
How powerful is your leisure battery? You may need to invest in a more powerful leisure battery to power the motor mover of your choice so factor this cost into your budget. Check that your battery compartment will be able to accommodate a larger battery first.

We stock a range of motor movers at Adventure Leisure Vehicles. To give you an idea of what you might be looking at, some of our most popular options are:

Reich Move Economy Light - Manual, Single Axle: £1195
Powrtouch Evolution - Manual, Single Axle: £1195
Powrtouch Evolution - Automatic, Single Axle: £1395
Powrtouch Evolution - Automatic, Twin Axle: £2150

(Prices correct at time of writing and are subject to change. These include VAT and fitting by a qualified engineer.)

For more details on any of the motor movers mentioned above, please head to our motor movers page. If you require a model not listed here, we can usually source these for you.

How to look after your motor mover

Once installed, motor movers require relatively little maintenance. Here are some tips for extending the lifespan of your motor mover:

Avoid tyre damage: If you leave your motor mover’s rollers pressed against the tyres of your caravan for long periods of time, this can cause damage to your tyres. You’ll also need to make sure that the rollers have been disengaged from the tyres before you start towing your caravan. Some motor movers will have systems built in to prevent this.
Look after the remote control: It’s best to keep this in a warm dry place when you’re not using the caravan and removing the batteries, rather than storing it in the caravan itself, especially over the winter. You might find signs of corrosion in the battery housing if you do. Take some spare batteries with you on trips and don’t forget to take the remote control with you!
Keep it clean: Make sure that the motor mover is clean before you set off on a trip as bits of dirt and debris might cause some damage to the mechanism.
Keep it running smoothly: Lubricate the moving parts of the motor mover (following the manufacturer’s instructions) like the roller bearings to keep everything running as smoothly as possible.
Check the wiring: Every now and then, you might want to do a visual check of the wiring. Even if you didn’t fit the motor mover yourself, you should be able to see if the wiring needs attention where it may have rubbed against the chassis.

Motor movers are a bit of an investment but they do make life a lot easier, especially if you store your caravan in a tight spot. They can help you manoeuvre your caravan into places you couldn’t with a tow car, make the hitching up process easier and help you avoid damage to your caravan. If you look after them, they should also last a long time too, so in many circumstances, they are well worth the cost.