Avoiding trailer and bumper collision when reversing

[steady eddie]

In answer to the original question the length of the drawbar plus the width of the trailer or caravan and towing vehicle will determine the angle. Always remember the more you wind on the more you have to wind off, if you go too far without correcting the turn it won't be recoverable. A lot of time where you start the manoeuvre from makes a big difference to the end result.

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by Georgies Dad

Here enter the motor mover

cant fit one to my trailer and not appropriate to unhitch the caravan when doing a 3 point turn along a country lane. Thank goodness the gates to farmers fields are set back

macafee2

[roverbarmy]

All you need is an angled bit of tube to mount it on!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal...UAAOSwt8JZ3kIM


If I remember correctly, Dad started with one on the caravan drawbar but later changed to a mirror arm that dropped into a tube mounted on his tow bracket on the car. The tube had a slot in the end and the mirror arm had a pin through it to locate in the slot. The mirror above the towing hitch could be seen through the interior mirror on the car, allowing the driver to aim accordingly. When not in use, he stored it (the truck mirror) in a couple of expanding clips in the top of the boot. It took only seconds to fit and remove.

[RPWC]

I think the tow car makes a difference too. When I had the 75s, and reversed the caravan I found that more turning of the wheel was needed to make the caravan turn, the saloon and the tourer were like that. However reversing it with the Insignia is a lot more precise and the ‘van moves much easier. Whether it’s because it’s a newer car and we bought a brand new towbar, I don’t know, but when I park it up after use it takes very little turning of the wheel to get the caravan to turn. It parks up between a horse box and another caravan so the space is quite tight but it’s much easier than either of the 75s were.

[roverbarmy]

Originally Posted by RPWC

I think the tow car makes a difference too. When I had the 75s, and reversed the caravan I found that more turning of the wheel was needed to make the caravan turn, the saloon and the tourer were like that. However reversing it with the Insignia is a lot more precise and the ‘van moves much easier. Whether it’s because it’s a newer car and we bought a brand new towbar, I don’t know, but when I park it up after use it takes very little turning of the wheel to get the caravan to turn. It parks up between a horse box and another caravan so the space is quite tight but it’s much easier than either of the 75s were.

A lot depends on the distance from the rear axle to the towball. If the car has a long boot, it swings more when reversing but will take longer to actually start to turn. Think of the axle and the towball as a triangle. Tall triangle with boot, short triangle with hatchback.

[RPWC]

Originally Posted by roverbarmy

A lot depends on the distance from the rear axle to the towball. If the car has a long boot, it swings more when reversing but will take longer to actually start to turn. Think of the axle and the towball as a triangle. Tall triangle with boot, short triangle with hatchback.

Yes I have heard that.

[roverbarmy]

I remember driving a hired short wheelbase Land Rover and trailer, thinking that a Land Rover would be the perfect tow vehicle. Talk about the tail wagging the dog! I did the same journey with the same load, a couple of weeks later and used a long wheelbase LR and it was like chalk and cheese. The LWB LR was far more stable. The SWB was much easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces! Horses for courses! I personally prefer something which is more stable on the road. (please excuse all the horse puns!)