Manoeuvring on site: are walkie-talkies a good idea?

[Conal]

While we were at Camping Kikopark in Spain in January the motorhome in the picture below was being turned round prior to leaving the next morning. The driver and his wife were both using walkie-talkies to assist manoeuvring, rather than hand-signals, shouting, banging the back of the van or mobile phones.

At the moment my wife stands at the back of the van in view of my mirror and uses hand-signals to help me park.

At Camping Los Pinos in Denia it was an especially difficult experience, although we managed it without damaging the van or the surrounding trees. Great campsite by the way.

I have been thinking about buying walkie-talkies. Has anyone had experience of using them?

 

[ceejayt]

We have them, I really like them, my wife is always too embarrassed to use them - I don't know why - they are great at supermarkets and going off to the campsite shop. Not much use though if only one person will talk

 

[Nirvanauk]

How embarrassing, what if a mate caught you using them, imagine the ribbing you would get.

 

[Theonlysue]

Used to use them when wardening in the new forest.
A great asset i thought.

 

[Nirvanauk]

p.s. what's wrong with a phone if you feel the need?

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[Conal]

p.s. what's wrong with a phone if you feel the need?

We were thinking of that, but quite a few of the places we went to in Spain had really bad phone reception.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Used to use them when wardening in the new forest.
A great asset i thought.

I'm sure they would have been but we are talking of parking an Autotrail....

 

[raysalaugh]

Do you mean when manoeuvring on site, it's probably another distraction you could do without.

 

[Littlewheels]

We are 9m+, when it’s a tight manouver mirrors and reversing cameras don’t talk, what with tight spaces and then Trees,lighting posts,pitch markers,electric/water stations etc etc, we don’t use walkie talkies but we both have mobile phones, I’m linked hands free so easier than holding a handset and wifey gives assurances to the questions I ask, we agree on the manouver I am going to make and then I ask the questions as to clearances etc as I know what’s going on but it just guarantees I’m okay and we don’t have any complications.

 

[Conal]

I'm sure they would have been but we are talking of parking an Autotrail....

Yes, but at 8 metres long a few sites have required a lot of manoeuvring, and I am not the best at reversing!

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[Oldwindsurfer]

My wife uses hand signals, not saying what she calls me!!!!!!

 

[buttons]

We used to use them when in convoy, handy to converse with the front man. Now we tend to use our mobiles for same.....

 

[Oldwindsurfer]

Used to use them when wardening in the new forest.
A great asset i thought.

Is that the same as gardening?

 

[Conal]

Do you mean when manoeuvring on site, it's probably another distraction you could do without.

Yes but I am not sure it wouldn’t be an improvement on the present situation with me shouting through the cab window and Hilary not hearing me.

 

[raysalaugh]

If it's a Delaware like mine then handsfree mobile is the way to go.

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[funflair]

Our van goes into a shed and t can be tight with parked cars also reversing from the light to dark is not easy so we just use our phones mine on speaker, we are free three to three, works well.

Martin

 

[Nirvanauk]

Yes, but at 8 metres long a few sites have required a lot of manoeuvring, and I am not the best at reversing!

Go for it, have fun and its another gadget that we guys need.

 

[Conal]

Go for it, have fun and its another gadget that we guys need.

I have to admit, there is an element of boys toys.

 

[Gerby]

if its a particularly tight bit we have facetimed each other I can then see what's happening without the need for the normal resultant arguments if it goes wrong (yet again) just remember to check the image isn't reversed.

 

[Lenny HB]

p.s. what's wrong with a phone if you feel the need?

I was going to say the same.
Can't see the point of walkie talkies as they are not bydirectional whereas a phone is so the driver can use it hands free.

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[bigalw35]

p.s. what's wrong with a phone if you feel the need?

We use walky talkies quite a bit, various uses, van to van, when you’re wandering on sites, but IMH, walky talky, just push the transmit button and talk, no looking for numbers and waiting to get through, using valuable minutes, also got the cb in the van, that’s also useful

 

[Parrot Face]

Only helpful in the right hands! Reversing our old big caravan was a nightmare so bought some about 10yrs ago. First time we used them the wife went out, got to the back of the van and then started waving her arms. They were dumped in the shed and have remained there since.

 

[Happy1]

Go for it, have fun and its another gadget that we guys need.

In which case a 360 degree camera installation would trump that!

 

[Lenny HB]

IMH, walky talky, just push the transmit button and talk, no looking for numbers and waiting to get through, using valuable minutes

That's the problem got to push the button often not easy if driving.
Valuable minutes? Even my £6/ month deal has unlimited minutes.

 

[Larrynwin]

Surprising that drivers of 3.5 tonne plus vehicles appear to lack the skills and need someone to help them manoeuvre. With mirrors , sensors and reversing cameras there shouldn’t be a need.
How many hgv drivers have someone directing them with 40ft plus artics, very few I think.

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[tuscancouple]

We have used walkie-talkies ever since we first had our RV and trailer. With my wife's directions I could place the set up excatly where we wanted, going forwards or reverse. No arm waving or dramatics. One of the few occasions when she said "stop" that I would stop dead!

Mick

 

[PeteH]

I disappointed a whole bunch of French/Dutch, who where lounging watching me reverse park a 32ft R-V, towing a 15ft bed twin axle trailer into a space on an Aire. Went in, dead on, first time. I got a round of applause. So I Bowed and "Royal Waved". We all finished up having a decent barbecue evening!.

 

[Minxy]

How many hgv drivers have someone directing them with 40ft plus artics, very few I think.

... tend not to have to squeeze into campsites with overhanging trees though!

 

[denisejoe]

I don’t

Surprising that drivers of 3.5 tonne plus vehicles appear to lack the skills and need someone to help them manoeuvre. With mirrors , sensors and reversing cameras there shouldn’t be a need.
How many hgv drivers have someone directing them with 40ft plus artics, very few I think.

know about foreign artic drivers though when at work artics had to reverse into bays a Polish driver took 30 minutes to try reversing in then a BIG German guy in the queue behind went and dragged him out got in the cab and stuck it in in one

 

[SpeedyDux]

We use cheapo walkie-talkies. £29.95 from Lidl. Claimed range - up to 8 km . They can be set to voice-activated removing the need for push-to-talk button use.

Mainly used to help position the grey water dump valve (which is under the centre of the van) over the drain. She is practically on her hands and knees looking underneath, so I couldn't see her hand signals or hear her very well.

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