Trailers & 'BWSOW's

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Saturday 17th
SWMBO has booked to go here, for (I think), 5 nights in mid-September
It's not far off the A1, at jct 50; the A61 towards Thirsk

https://www.pitchup.com/en-us/campsites/England/North_East/North_Yorkshire/Ripon/venus_campsite/
We went over to the compound this morning, l met them there

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Wednesday 21st

I’ve just had a phone-call, stating “the jockey wheel’s broken!
Now what that implies, l’m not sure?

Whether it’s due to a previously unseen crack, etc..?
I suspect that it’s due to using the damned motor-mover to position it, & too much drag on it(?)
Maybe it’s the wheel that’s broken away?


Photos to follow when l either have to go up, or meet them at the compound
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
Wednesday 21st

I’ve just had a phone-call, stating “the jockey wheel’s broken!
Now what that implies, l’m not sure?

Whether it’s due to a previously unseen crack, etc..?
I suspect that it’s due to using the damned motor-mover to position it, & too much drag on it(?)
Maybe it’s the wheel that’s broken away?


Photos to follow when l either have to go up, or meet them at the compound

Whatever it is it's generally a quick and easy fix. You can replace just the wheel or replace the whole jacking unit (which is what I did when the solid tyre of the old one essentially fell apart). I can't imagine the motor mover will be a big issue - whether the van is being positioned by hand or by mover makes no difference to the jockey wheel, other than perhaps that you may tend to move it further by mover than by hand. The tyres do wear after a while through pivoting, especially on firm ground. The jury's out as to whether a pneumatic tyre is better than a solid one or not - I went for a replacement solid-tyred wheel as I know it won't puncture or deflate and ride comfort just isn't a problem!
 
Drove up to Thirsk, with BIG trolley-jack (20” lift/3 ton capacity)
Daughter came up for ride

On arrival, l saw this
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It seems that whilst preparing to hitch, that for whatever reason, the clamp had slipped/been undone

Thankfully there was enough clearance to get the jack onto the A-Frame, & lift

The jockey-wheel had jammed in the ‘reversing’ location
Attempts to free it seemed to have unwound the handle from the main-shaft
A clobber with a hammer freed it

It then screwed together nicely

I said l’d take it back, in case of any issues at the compound (then it’d be my fault)

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The caravan site has an awkwardly positioned entrance, with only (seemingly) a partial drop-kerb, no drive to it

A nice steady drag back down the A1 to HookMoor, then a section of the M1 saw up back
No issues on unhitching, it didn’t collapse, barring the BWSOW opposite standing proud of the others by about 18inch making it a multi-manoeuvre shuffle to get in

I’m glad that the compound is a gravel/road-planings surface, as the tyre-scrub going from lock to lock, whilst manoeuvring (with Van opposite) would have had me squirming, as much as the tyres, if it had been concrete/tarmac

Oh!, & the BIG jack
Damned heavy too!!!
This was my Land Rover jack!!


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DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
A Cheltenham Gazelle if I’m not mistaken, they were quite posh BITD, full plastic body that shouldn’t leak in,there was a company refurbing them with modern equipment, water heaters, blown air heating etc, but the pinnacle was a Carlight, they would actually refurb their old models at the factory for you. They were very expensive new.
http://www.carlightownersclub.co.uk/
 
SWMBO & her dad, are going (back) here, in a couple of weeks, for (I think) Sat - Wed?
https://maustinpark.com/

I presume they'll be taking it themselves?
This area is inundated with Red Kites, as apparantly they breed (to the south) just over the River Wharfe, in the Harewood estate
 
With reference to the post directly above this, & the site referred to

Joanne’s sent me this photograph, to try & identify a ‘SWSOW’ on the site


View attachment 665610


It appears, looking at the wheelarches to be one of these
Quite cheap too, but they are half-sized!!!
Very light too!! (750kg, for the posher model)
https://www.go-pods.co.uk/general-information
This was one of the vans, in the recent edition of Top Gear, where they were in Northumberland
It was choice of the loudmouth Lancastrian
(not Flintoff, I like most of his tv output)
 

Jameshow

Veteran
Did anyone see George Clarkes Amazing Spaces last night, & the VW T4 'crew-cab pick-up' that had another T4 (van) adapted to make a 5th wheel caravan?
It looked damned good!!
(the crew-cab, even had stainless steel 'twin stacks'!!)

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/george-clarkes-amazing-spaces/on-demand/72498-006


View attachment 665946

https://www.facebook.com/luziferstravels/

That looks weird. Hardly gives more space than a typical t4 and limits you to 60mph not that a t4 can go much faster!! (T5.1 owner here!)🤣🤣🤣
 

GilesM

Legendary Member
Location
East Lothian
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