Well it's been a job I've had on my list to do for a while and finally got around to doing it. I tour quite extensively and 99% of the time take either my Smart ForTwo or Toyota IQ on the Woodford smart trailer. Although I've got the process down to a fine art now when arriving on a site it still takes around 10 mins from start to finish which involves pulling up to pitch, unstrapping car, pull out ramps, reverse car off, unhitch trailer from MH, push trailer onto pitch (in Croatia this was slightly up hill), drive car in front of trailer and finally put MH on pitch!! Some sites I've been lucky to keep it all hitched up but most you need to unhitch. It's more the feeling your holding people up if you block the way while your unloading etc.
I bought a second hand Truma Motor Mover model TE from eBay. I chose this one because the motors etc are self contained and also have auto engage and more powerful motors which are suppose to be able to move up to 2.5 ton up a 25% incline which should be more than adequate! As with most movers with them been low down and next to the wheels, they get filthy so I stripped mine down and cleaned and re-sprayed them etc.
With a trailer chassis the main frame is higher than with a caravan so I had to fabricate 2 brackets 195mm down from the trailer bed with a 30mm lip. I used 3mm galvanised steel, Truma recommend between 2.8mm and 3.5mm to ensure the fixing brackets clamp ok. Truma also recommend that the base of the motor mover is AT LEAST 110mm from the road surface, mine are 210mm. I used 2 existing bolts and 2 new 8mm bolts to fasten the brackets onto the trailer. Because where the motor mover wheel needs to be positioned on the tire when engaged I've also had to move the position of the wheel arch bracket which involved fabricating different brackets but I utilised the existing brackets metal.
I've just got to mount the battery box and electronics which I'll post some pictures when I've done that. Here are a few pictures so far:
I bought a second hand Truma Motor Mover model TE from eBay. I chose this one because the motors etc are self contained and also have auto engage and more powerful motors which are suppose to be able to move up to 2.5 ton up a 25% incline which should be more than adequate! As with most movers with them been low down and next to the wheels, they get filthy so I stripped mine down and cleaned and re-sprayed them etc.
With a trailer chassis the main frame is higher than with a caravan so I had to fabricate 2 brackets 195mm down from the trailer bed with a 30mm lip. I used 3mm galvanised steel, Truma recommend between 2.8mm and 3.5mm to ensure the fixing brackets clamp ok. Truma also recommend that the base of the motor mover is AT LEAST 110mm from the road surface, mine are 210mm. I used 2 existing bolts and 2 new 8mm bolts to fasten the brackets onto the trailer. Because where the motor mover wheel needs to be positioned on the tire when engaged I've also had to move the position of the wheel arch bracket which involved fabricating different brackets but I utilised the existing brackets metal.
I've just got to mount the battery box and electronics which I'll post some pictures when I've done that. Here are a few pictures so far:
