Truma Twin Mover Test

As with the single axle Truma movers this was also made by Carver and sold under a marketing agreement to the European marketplace. However in December 2003 Truma bought the manufacturing rights to both movers and switched production from the UK to Germany. The Twin Mover is similar in principle to its single axle cousins in that it bolts to the caravan’s chassis and acts directly on the wheels via gritted rollers, but the detail is necessarily somewhat different.

The problem with twin axle caravans has always been how to turn them because the extra wheel on each side resists sideways movement and tries to force the caravan to run straight. Carver has overcome the problem with some very clever electronics. When turning, the outside wheel is driven continuously whilst the inside one is pulsed just enough to relieve the pressure on the sidewall of the tyre. This allows the caravan to turn. Getting it exactly right is difficult as other manufacturers have already found to their cost.

The bulk of the mover fits to the side of the chassis to maintain ground clearance

So has Carver simply taken its Euro Mover single axle model and give it a new control box? No absolutely not. Whilst the Twin Mover shares some components with its single axle cousin it has been designed from the ground up to take the extra weight inherent in most twin axle caravans. For example the gritted rollers are larger in diameter for better traction and the motors have been fitted with brakes to prevent creep when manoeuvring on slopes. This is important because some continental caravans can weigh over two tonnes. Also because the design is based on the Euro Mover it will not get in the way of any shock absorbers fitted to the caravan.

Fitting the mover proved to be straight forward taking around 4 hours. Any reasonably agile person with good DIY skills and a few simple tools could manage it. I fitted mine ahead of the front wheels so as not to interfere with the underslung rear wheel carrier but it could otherwise have been mounted at the rear. In practice I suspect it makes little difference to performance although the smaller amount of wheel articulation at the front gives this position a theoretical advantage.

Fitting is straightforward taking 3-4 hours

In use the Euro Twin Mover is simply stunning. I’ve been testing it on my 1600 kg twin axle caravan in all sorts of conditions. The first test was at home on the gravel drive. Normally attempts to turn the caravan on the drive result in gravel being piled up at the side of the inside wheel. However, using the Twin Mover, the gravel was undisturbed. With the help of a 4 point turn I was able to rotate the caravan through 180º in an area only about 3 metres (10 feet) wider than its own length.

Next came a bumpy grass field with the grass long but dry. I decided to hitch up by taking the caravan to the car. To make it interesting I parked the car about 9 metres (30 feet) in front but offset to one side. This meant that the caravan had to turn first one way and then the other to line up. It was a piece of cake except for one thing. Although the caravan hitch seemed lined up with the towball I couldn’t quite get the Alko stabiliser hitch to engage. I decided to apply the caravan’s handbrake, disengage the Mover and then carefully release the handbrake whilst trying to get the hitch to engage. However I only got as far as disengaging the Mover when the hitch engaged. This was remarkable as it meant that in that instance the Twin Mover was actually braking the caravan more effectively than the caravan’s own handbrake.

Then came the acid test – a small site in the Peak District where the only pitch available was in the highest corner of the site. The surface was wet grass, about 5cm (2”) long with a slope of about 1 in 12. To access the pitch the caravan had to turn through a shallow figure ‘S’ whilst climbing the slope. A small crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. At first all went well but then, whilst turning, the caravan stopped moving but I could hear the outside motor running. I thought the gritted roller might be slipping against the caravan’s tyre but instead discovered that the tyre had lost traction on a soft section of the wet grass. To see the caravan wheel turning with the caravan stationary was amazing—I just wish I’d had my camcorder handy.

Applying the reverse button on the remote control caused both motors to rotate continuously and with this extra help the caravan was once again on its way. A little higher up the slope conditions were better and the turn was easily completed.

It was obviously going to be easy to come down the slope again but was the caravan going to remain under complete control and was I going to be able to hitch up without any difficulty? Despite heavy rain during our stay I needn’t have worried. The caravan manoeuvred easily and with the coupling head resting on the towball a quick stab of the reverse button caused it to engage firmly.

Gone are the days of taking the car to the caravan to hitch up. It’s just so much easier with the Mover.

The following weekend saw us on a commercial site in the Midlands. Conditions were wet and vehicles were banned from going on the grass. When we saw our pitch we realised there was no way the caravan could be sited using the car. Even if we had been able to drive on the grass we would have been little better off because of a caravan pitched opposite. Thank goodness we had the Truma Twin mover. We simply unhitched, engaged the mover and with a simple two point turn the caravan was on the pitch. No fuss, no shouting, just perfectly controlled movement—heaven!

Accessing this pitch was easy with the twin mover and we didn’t even touch the grass!	Using the mover we were able to pitch here with the other vans already in place

The one question most people ask me is how long does the caravan battery last when using the mover? Well, in 3 years of using Carver/Truma movers I can honestly say I’ve never had a problem. Yes I always make sure my battery is in good condition and fully charged but the average consumption of the Twin Mover is just 15 amps. Couple this with the fact that the mover is used for probably no more than 5 minutes maximum per trip and it’s easy to see why battery power need not be a problem

So are there any downsides to having a Truma Euro Twin Mover? Well apart from the long name I suppose the obvious one is weight. At 42kg it’s no featherweight but when you consider what it can do this is a small price to pay. Also as with other chassis mounted movers ground clearance is reduced but it’s no worse than with Truma’s single axle types and I have not found a problem with those.

Should you buy one if you have a twin axle caravan? Well if you’re one of the few people who never have a problem manoeuvring or hitching, and can always pitch the caravan where you want, then no. But if you’re like the rest of us I think a Truma Twin Mover will transform your caravanning experience.