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Tintenters - 7M plus advice please
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RichieP
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Location: Reading
Posts: 256
 
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| Tintenters - 7M plus advice please |
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We are looking at our first van of the cara type and it looks like given our family we will have to buy the biggest twin axel we can find....
So my question is to those that I have already seen have large twin axels is ....
Do you have any problems with sites in the uk and your length 
Do you have any problems with sites in Europe and your length 
Have you ever used artificial 'Motor Movers' to move your 'van' where the D3 failed!!!
To those that hate the 'ents TUFF!! Richard......
2006 HSE Lugano Teal - with screens a DVD....PS2.... Freeview, Aux Battery and MANTEC plate!
2007 XS Commercial Java Black - with leather! (mine but I don't get to drive it)
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 Sun Sep 28 2008 8:47pm |
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shiny moose
Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Location: In the middle somewhere
Posts: 1579
 
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some site in both uk and Europe will struggle with large van, best policy I found was to tell them the size when you book, and book early, you will get the biggest pitches that way.
I am in the Caravan Club and strongly recommend it for information, CC sites - especially near the ports, Cl's, European sites and travel insurance. the CC national is an acquired taste though  Silver TDV6 S with sat nav, PTI and Moosed up a bit
"I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant"
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:09pm |
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mick
Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: All over
Posts: 1028
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As SM said some french and spanish sites dont take twin wheelers and there roads around the sites can be tight.
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:21pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bob the Builders 'ere
Posts: 10356
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Always best to mention size of van when booking. We had a problem getting onto our pitch at Grantown on Spey last year, even though we told them the size of the van first. I have since fitted a mover to the van, and it makes it easy. I notice a lot of sites want vans under 7 meters only. This is the length from the back of the van, to the tip of the hitch. Ours is 8.1 metres.
Ours is a twin axle Elddis Crusader Scirocco, and the D3 handles it very well. Silver TDV6 HSE
Pepper White Cooper S Convertible
Old English White MGB GT
Ex Military 109 Series 2a Soft Top
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:32pm |
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RichieP
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Location: Reading
Posts: 256
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Thanks so far,
I am thinking that if I'm spending that much may be I should just get the mover added too. Richard......
2006 HSE Lugano Teal - with screens a DVD....PS2.... Freeview, Aux Battery and MANTEC plate!
2007 XS Commercial Java Black - with leather! (mine but I don't get to drive it)
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:36pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bob the Builders 'ere
Posts: 10356
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I have the Powr Touch 6, it drives all 4 wheels, and its not too difficult to DIY fit. It took me a day, the hardest bit was fitting all the wires into the seat box neatly. Silver TDV6 HSE
Pepper White Cooper S Convertible
Old English White MGB GT
Ex Military 109 Series 2a Soft Top
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:38pm |
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shiny moose
Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Location: In the middle somewhere
Posts: 1579
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Yes a mover is a wise move on a large van, as mentioned southern European site tend to have variable size pitches, in with their large pitches are about medium to UK sites. They do not seem to have such large vans over there Silver TDV6 S with sat nav, PTI and Moosed up a bit
"I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant"
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:40pm |
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TazDaz
Joined: 07 May 2007
Location: South West Essex
Posts: 1853
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It can be quite hard to get on a site in France with a 7m+ van even if the site has room.
Reason is often that site owners just won't accept them - there are a lot of 'itinerents' (or what we call pikeys) that favour this size of van and site owners don't want them ... 
life is a bowl of jellyfish
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 9:50pm |
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n1cktdv6
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Location: Warrington
Posts: 718
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| Re: Tintenters - 7M plus advice please |
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The rules on large twin axles are simple, there has been much debate so I will try to be clear;
Towing with a private vehicle upto 3,500kg limit's you to 2.30m width - the large german 'vans...Hobby's etc...are therefore not legal - and yes you do see loads of them about, coz they are cheap in that size.
I know a guy on site a few back who was in an accident with a 3.0D Isuzu Trooper towing a 2.50m Hobby - his insurance refused to pay him stating he was using an unsuitable tow car. I know they look a bargain but stay away, the Pikey's tend to like them also so insurance is mega.
There are loads of UK 'vans that offer 6 berths and more if you juggle the seating to form more beds. Ours is a Bessacarr 635 with 6 berths - the D3 more than copes, it weighs around 2000kg fully laden.
Sites in France; never had an issue on private sites BUT municipal's tend not to allow TA's...Been on sites across europe and yes the access / roads are tight but never a big issue and never been refused - whether pre booked or turn up and ask.
Before you spend a grand on a mover have a look at a front pushbar (Watling Engineers £140) or practice your reversing. Whilst good they are a further 100kg on your max load and as a TA is heavy the axles work against each other and add pressure on movers...also can limit you on certain ground as they sit low to the floor.
The 'National Rally'....can be an acquired taste, but like all 'rallies' or 'events' or 'clubs' whether it be trains or caravans or Land Rovers there are nice folk and just wierdo anoraks.......sound familiar .....now where's my jetboil...oh yeah I left it in the workshop with my P38A, Series II and Winch A few extra's.....
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| Sun Sep 28 2008 10:48pm |
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Pelyma
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Clymping, Sussex
Posts: 4807
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I have a Reich mover on my TA I can reverse my van fine, but I need it at our storage site, the Reich can almost spin on the spot. Movers are great for shifting about on awkward pitches if you want to face a different way, I wouldn't be without one. I use a lot of CLs and never have any problems although I do carry 2 waffle boards for levelling and on one site the road often washes out, the waffle boards stop you ripping the mover off DS3 TDV6 HSE
Silver with Alpacca (old one)
DS3 TDV6 HSE
Silver with Alpacca (new one)
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 8:05am |
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al cope
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 1839
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another thing to consider, most recovery outfits (RAC, AA, etc) wont cover a 'van over 6mts, in fact, for european revovery, there was only Europassist (caravanning & camping club use these) that would recover up to 7mtrs.
Al TDV6 S - Tonga with Ebony
(and 19" RRS alloys, and 20" RRS alloys, and 19" RRS alloys, and........back on 20's - finally, honest, satnav & DVD)
Remember - You can only walk so far into the wilderness before you are walking out again
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 8:39am |
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n1cktdv6
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Location: Warrington
Posts: 718
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Pelyma wrote:I have a Reich mover on my TA I can reverse my van fine, but I need it at our storage site, the Reich can almost spin on the spot. Movers are great for shifting about on awkward pitches if you want to face a different way, I wouldn't be without one. I use a lot of CLs and never have any problems although I do carry 2 waffle boards for levelling and on one site the road often washes out, the waffle boards stop you ripping the mover off
What about battery useage on the movers, I use 12v and solar power a lot...on CL's too. Does your mover take a lot of juice off the 12v ? A few extra's.....
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 10:58am |
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Pelyma
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Clymping, Sussex
Posts: 4807
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I have never used the mover on a CL as you usually have space to use the car. I did do 10 days on a CL at Easter and then put the van back in storage with the mover no problem. I use an elecsol 110ah, there was no facility to charge the battery, but we were pretty frugal. DS3 TDV6 HSE
Silver with Alpacca (old one)
DS3 TDV6 HSE
Silver with Alpacca (new one)
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 12:23pm |
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Albourneboy
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Location: An old Victorian town in the NE
Posts: 303
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We had a Truma mover fitted to our Elddis Crusader Superstorm after a traumatic experience on a campsite near Holmfirth and it's the best thing we ever did. I am pretty good at manoeuvering the caravan with the Disco and prefer to do it with the car rather than the mover, mainly because it's a lot quicker. There are times though where the sheer size of the outfit means there is not enough room and this is where the mover comes into its own. Single axle caravans will spin on the spot but a twin won't (unless you want to rip your tyres off) and it takes a lot of bodies to move one manually so my advice FWIW is to get a mover fitted at point of purchase.
The D3 will never "fail" to move your van, it's just that you might not have the room to manoeuver and that's where a mover will come into its own.
As for size and campsites, like everybody else has said, always tell the campsite you would like to visit that you have a big van as there are some that won't accept any over 7 metres. Others, like for example, the Camping And Caravanning Club site at Sennen Cove in Cornwall, will accept them but will warn you that the narrow entrance will make things tricky getting on. It's up to you then if you decide to go or not. 2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE auto, Bonatti Grey/Tan Leather all the goodies - let down by pathetic alarm!
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 12:24pm |
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mick
Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: All over
Posts: 1028
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Dont get a purple line mover there 
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| Mon Sep 29 2008 12:26pm |
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