The one thing that sux about buying a new van....

[Dobbie]

The two week wait for our van was a killer
Like @davemc we bought floor stock (on the day it was delivered!!) and had to wait until they fitted the few extras we wanted!

Damned if I know how you all get through the few months of hell!

You get through it by asking lots of questions and annoying the hell out of everyone else...just in case you might need to know something you'd not considered.

and you clean out years of accumulated crap from the shed

:barbershop_quartet_member::barbershop_quartet_member:

@Ssil2000 ...since you asked the question, we've moved from January to February .....a bit closer to April.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
we waited a little over three months to get our van.
And yes, after all the time taken to make up our minds on whether we would buy a van or buy new more comfortable gear and continue car camping (six months), once it was ordered we wanted it straight away, of course.

But, I found this forum, and the Jayco forum and spent a lot of time reading up on what we had let ourselves in for!
The forums generated lots and lots of ideas on what to do with the spare time. Getting and reading pdfs of all the manuals, wiring up the car, especially with electric brakes and 12V for the fridge, sorting out 12V and solar. Back to the forums and Google to get more information. From that, we combed all the accessory shops and also discovered all the bits we could buy on ebay. Bought over 30 items from China.

Then, when the pain got too much, we would wander off down to Bayswater Jayco and sit in a Penguin and dream!!!!
Well, as excuses, we also measured up shelves etc, asked more questions, and started to become familiar with all the bits and pieces.

On the day, we started handover at 10am, finished by 12:30, home around 1pm, loaded up and left by 3pm, on site by 4pm!!! Dream come true!!!!

Still haven't fitted all the mods I planned. But that is because since pickup on November 18th (hereafter remembered as "Jayco Day"), we have been out in it on seven trips, a total of 26 nights.

cheers
Mike

 

[Dobbie]

Don't do too much all at once....leave some for later.....or more for later.

Enthusiasm breeds ideas....then more things to do. Great fun!


:encouragement:




This is my ultimate goal....to be a couch potato who moves on every now and then.

 

[Ssil2000]

been doing lots of reading, but the work to do at home to make room for the beast is substantial, did a scale mock up of the parking space and didn't realize how big the bugger is!
also trying to figure out how hard its going to be backing it into the parking spot... starting to look into motorized jockey wheels but not sure it will do the job unless you spend a few grand... starting to realize buying it was the easy part..

 

[davemc]

took us nearly a hour the first time to get the van parked. First time ever backing a van.
Now down to 5-10 mins depending if I give a wrong direction or not then longer

 

[Ssil2000]

The bigger issue is the angle I underestimated the length of the trailer (then i added another 300mm with the drawbar just to be sure ) going to be very tight so i am thinking with the motorised jockey wheel if I back the van into the driveway unhook the car and do the rest with the motor allowing me to turn tighter with Pugh hitting any fences... once I get over the gutter it's pretty flat

Was looking at this one
https://www.edisons.com.au/12v-jockey-wheel-electric-jack-tr-mjk-01/

 

[shiraz]

We were in the uk 2yrs ago with a hired campervan, and watched this Guy sitting on a post with a beer,backing his van with a remote I guess when a van only weighs 900kgs its easy. it looked like rollers retracted on the wheels .
still cant get over 26 pound a night.
I find reversing on the right is easer than the left ,just a thought.,

shiraz

 

[Ssil2000]

We were in the uk 2yrs ago with a hired campervan, and watched this Guy sitting on a post with a beer,backing his van with a remote I guess when a van only weighs 900kgs its easy. it looked like rollers retracted on the wheels .
still cant get over 26 pound a night.
I find reversing on the right is easer than the left ,just a thought.,

shiraz

I've seen those they are around 2 grand bit out of the budget...swmbo would have my jatz in a vice :faint:

26 pound for a powered site? Sounds pretty good?

 

[Dobbie]

If it's any help.....

We have a similar, though not as severe, problem in that we need to get the van around a reasonably tight turn, up a slope and over a large drainage bump to get it into the shed area. We don't have a space problem here, just a manoeuvring issue.

Burnt out a Navara clutch getting the dammed thing in a few years ago and looked carefully at options. That was expensive!

so...came up with the optitech van mover. It's not fitted permanently to the van, it stays at home and is used only to get the van into the shed area. As long as we can back the van over the bump, the optitech can do the rest.

(We, too, can sit with a beer and work the remote control....though that's not likely as one person controls the unit and the other runs around like a blue arsed fly with the chocks....just to be sure)

Having said that, we asked it to do more yesterday and it struggled with the bump so out came the car and in we went.

The point? A caravan mover will give you the fine tuning but it won't do much more....it has limitations. I'd hate to have to add a large lump permanently to the van, increase the weight, etc, just to park it. Ours works well but there are limits. I'd never consider carrying it just to park the van.

but it cost less than yet another Nissan clutch.

( and the Nissan, in low range, is now much better at manoeuvring..)

 

[bigcol]

Was looking at this one
https://www.edisons.com.au/12v-jockey-wheel-electric-jack-tr-mjk-01/

be alright, as long as you do like @Dobbie and leave it a home when travelling

that thing will be heavy- ish

and people will laugh at you at Van parks, cause your using it, and taking away their fun of watching you trying to reverse

 

[shiraz]

AL-KO AMS Mammut - AL-KO "M"
Includes National Fitting
£1449.00 (inc. vat)

Options

AL-KO AMS Mammut Retrofit Model
Includes National Fitting
£1499.00 (inc. vat)

Options

Joystick Controlled Manoeuvring System for Caravans.
AL-KO AMS Mammut has the power to move your caravan effortlessly. Inclines, kerbs and rough terrain can be overcome to position the vehicle into exactly the right spot without assistance.
Technical Data
Model AMS Mammut
Versions Integrated | Underchassis
Operational Voltage 12 Volt DC
Average Current Consumption 30 A
Max Current Consumption 120 A
Speed 14 cm per sec.
Weight: Integrated chassis version For AL-KO 2010 Chassis 29kg
Weight: Under-chassis version 36kg
Permissible Overall Weight 3500 kg
Permissible Overall weight on 15% Gradient 1800 kg
Permissible Overall weight on 28% Gradient 1200 kg
Power Source(caravan leisure battery) 12V 80Ah

this was what he was using , bit expensive to send van over to get it fitted.

Shiraz.

 

[Dobbie]

I guess, if its Alco, it'll be marketed here sometime.

The movers that are mounted permanently work ok but are far better and impressive on flat surfaces. They're significantly affected by slopes and uneven surfaces. Caravan shows are ideal!

They won't operate on grass ...you have to put ply over the grass.

and they're hellushly expensive.

There are cheaper, lighter ones advertised on ebay but they're even more limited in effectiveness....

I don't want to put anyone off spending their $$$ but we checked them out carefully before going for the optitech...not perfect but does the job we want it to do.

Do your own research if it's an option...this wasn't the topic but just an option.

 

[Ssil2000]

It's all concrete where's it's going to be parked my theory is get the wheels over the gutter unhitch put the powered wheel on and wheel into position incline is minimal well under 5 degrees

 

[Ssil2000]

be alright, as long as you do like @Dobbie and leave it a home when travelling

that thing will be heavy- ish

and people will laugh at you at Van parks, cause your using it, and taking away their fun of watching you trying to reverse

Definitely leaving it home lol I Sam pretty comfortable backing trailers generally

 

[Dobbie]

It's all concrete where's it's going to be parked my theory is get the wheels over the gutter unhitch put the powered wheel on and wheel into position incline is minimal well under 5 degrees

That'll work, I reckon. It's very reassuring to be able to check clearance, door opening access etc if you don't have to jump out of the vehicle every 30 seconds..

Have fun with the planning and the expenses you didn't realise were part of the van purchase.

 

[Ssil2000]

caravan and camping show next week... bound to be some unplanned expenses there! lol

 

[Drover]

My previous vehicles have all had a tow ball on the front for those times when fancy driving is required. Never had these fancy mover thingy's back in the analogue days................but after a lot of practice you will be surprised at what was once daunting you will hardly notice, though there are some who are just hopeless no matter what, I have tried to teach some and they just aren't wired up to do it.
A good trick so you know where all four corners of your vehicle are is to nominate a wheel then run over the cane toad with that wheel, in time you will know without looking where the edges of your vehicle are......toads can be swapped for cans, cats eye's, roadkill (not advised) etc.....

Bolt and chain everything but a high pitched screaming alarm is one of the best things and good insurance.... I once drew up a lockable post which attached to the concrete, hidden locks and would need a gas axe to move it. Started to get a bit techo and heavy,not to mention dangerous when I thought of sealing some black powder inside or magnesium rods to blow out the gas axe.

 

[Ssil2000]

lol send me a few cane toads for practice!!

i had another look today i reckon its doable until i remove the lime tree (relocate as i need it for my coronas lol) then i can try and fit my bosses trailer in which is about 17 feet

 

[Dobbie]

Another possible option......to help with the manoeuvring rather than replacing ....

Try a winch, bolted to the rear of the area you want to get to but be careful and make sure everyone around knows how to use it.

We had a heaviesh off road camper years ago and absolutely no chance of backing it into yet another driveway so grabbed a hand winch for a boat, attached it and one person steered and pushed while the other wound the winch handle. (we didn't know then they could be powered...we thought all winches had handles)

We thought of that for our current setup but realised the weight of the van was much greater and we couldn't find a suitable fixing point. Maybe we should have persevered, as it would have been cheaper.

Is that a possibility for you? @Ssil2000

 

[Drover]

Winches are for boat trailers or people who get bogged, if I had to winch my van in I would move......................................I don't own a winch but would if I had a flamin boat.