Ever since the Caravan Mover became available as an option, I have been intrigued not only by its capability, but also by the dual jack wheels that comes with it. We have contemplated retrofitting the mover, but decided we did not really want to make this somewhat sizeable investment. I have though, continued to wonder about that dual set of jack wheels.
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| even mounted on alloys |
Several times we are at a site and we cannot get the optimal position for the Alto. There is only so much wrangling that you can do with the tow vehicle, before ending up in a jack knifed position. This is where the caravan mover truly excels with its ability to move the Alto on its own, to the absolute best position. At times this only requires an additional few feet of movement, to increase an angle by a little bit. Trying to do this using the existing plastic jack wheel is virtually impossible, as it quickly becomes mired in the ground. The dual wheel was adopted to help the caravan mover rotate the Alto easier, but could it be used to move the Alto manually? We gave it some thought, then went ahead and ordered a set.
To help pull the tongue, I made a T handle that attaches to the wheels. I took apart the unit, found a suitable cast plumbing T to fit the lower cross piece, and then cut off a bit on both ends to make it fit. It also needed a bit of a tubing shim to tighten up the tolerances and snug up the fit. I then made a 6 foot handle that simply screws into the modified T. We can use the handle to pull the tongue to the angle we want it.
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| works like a charm...but only for minor adjustments |
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| the shoulder on the sides of the T were removed to fit the space |
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| a reducer was used to fit the 1/2 inch threaded galvanized |
We certainly realize we are not going to be pulling the Alto all over the place, but it should make it much easier to tweak the angle a little bit, to get those wonderful windows facing exactly where we want them.
Lots of interesting tidbits on your blog site, I will bookmark it. We are Northern Illinois Alto 1723 #415 owners, a 2015 model purchased at Can-Am in 2014.
ReplyDeleteSo, have you ever travelled out to Cypress Hills on the Alberta/Saskatchewan line? If you head east from Hwy. 41, there is some real peace and quiet out there along with White Pelicans and talkative deer. Maybe more rural than rustic, but a special place.
Thanks for all the useful info. Keep up the good work and safe travels.
Chris C. and Ginni G.
Hi,
DeleteNever been in that area, but listening to the sounds of nature is always very relaxing.
No doubt you have been enjoying your Alto, it is such a great little camper.
Jim , I really enjoy your sharing of your mods that have made to your Alto.Many of them will/could be rewarding in our future. This latest , and the screen are well thought improvements . Nice work. Rob
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob. Soon you will be modding your own Alto.
DeleteDid you purchase the dual wheels from Safari Condo? Or elsewhere? I'm probably (most likely) about to order a 1713 and I noticed they do have a dual wheel option but it's quite expensive at $160. Thought maybe Princess Auto might have something cheaper. I'm in Kingston so may see you in our travels.
ReplyDeleteI contemplated a home grown solution, but soon determined that after finding the parts and the labour involved, the Safari Condo option was not really that expensive. There are lot of movement stresses applied to the dual wheels while moving, and the SC wheels are very robust to handle this.
DeleteHi Jim, I love the DIY trailer mover. How difficult was it to build and install the T bar moving handle on the SC double wheels? I also am too cheap to invest in the CM. And I am thinking this option may help me get the trailer to set on the hitch ball easier. It has been a challenge lately to get it seated. Thanks! Kathleen Walker
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty easy mod Kathleen. The hardest part, when you look at the 3/4 inch galvanized T that is attached to the wheel set, you will notice that the shoulders of the fitting have been cut off. This allows it to fit between the plates. One would need a metal cutoff wheel on a grinder, or patience with a good hack saw.
DeleteNot sure how much help it would be in getting the hitch onto the ball, as the tow vehicle would be in the way. Having the wheel set on already should allow the Alto to be jostled into place a little easier. I always try to position the ball slightly forward while below the hitch opening. When the hitch is lowered, having the ball forward allows it to follow the front side of the hitch opening, away from the latch, which sits to the rear of the hitch opening. As you probably well know, if the ball is too far back, it will certainly hang up on the lip of the latch mechanism...which makes it next to impossible to close the locking lever.
Hello! I am very intrigued by your modification. I live in New York and was wondering how I might order this set of wheels. Do you have any ordering info such as source and part number?
ReplyDeleteWith much appreciation,
Paula Diegelman
Hello Paula,
DeleteThis wheel set are available for sale on the Safari Condo website, in their online store section. The modifications to adapt a handle to them are described in the post. It makes moving the Alto by hand very easy.
Jim
Thank you so much, Jim! No matter how much I searched online I couldn't find this myself. It will come in very handy.
DeleteHappy Trails!
Paula
Hi Jim! I recently received my Safari Condo double wheel set and am considering making the modification that you have designed. I have some questions though. What size was the tubing shim that you used to "snug up" the fit? Are you saying that this shim was inserted inside the T fitting and that the bolt goes through it? Also, what allows the long handle to freely move up and down after you tighten up the bolt?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for consideration of my questions! I look forward to your reply.
Paula
Hi Paula,
DeleteThe plates of the wheel assembly are kept apart by spacer tubes. The bolts tighten against these, and hold the assembly together. The lower spacer tube is inserted into the T fitting, this is then placed back between the plates, and re-bolted together. The tube that fits inside the T was a bit loose, so I took the T fitting and the spacer tube to a local metal supply shop, and found a shim tube that would go inside the T fitting, then the spacer tube fits inside the shim tube. Not sure the exact size, but you will have the pieces with you to try out. Home Depot would also be a good source, but may not have the selection of material that a metal shop does. This helps remove some of the wobble.
The T fitting rotates around the spacer tube, and the bolt holds it all together. The T fitting is cut a little smaller than the width of the spacer tube, and because it does not reach the side plates, it rotates freely.
You will need to remove one wheel to remove the bolt that holds the spacer in place. Remove the wheel on the bolt head side, and then you can withdraw the bolt.
You will find this mod handy, and well worth the effort to put it all together.
Feel free to touch base with any questions, always happy to help out.
Jim
That explains it perfectly, Jim! I will give it a try. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIf you run into a problem, just drop me a question.
DeleteHello Jim! Well, I did it! I succeeded in modifying the double wheel trailer mover according to your excellent pictures and instructions. And thank you for taking the time to answer all of my questions. You were most helpful. Now I just have to hook it up to my trailer for a test run but I'm confident it will work just fine. I would love to share pictures but I'm not sure how to do it here. If you would like, I can always email them to you.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks and happy trails,
Paula Diegelman
That's great Paula!
DeleteI know you will find it handy for those times where you want to shift the Alto a bit for a better view.
Glad your mod went well.
Jim
Great notes again. Sherry and I easily push and pull our R1713 in and out of our garage with the double wheel set . We ordered these with the purchase of our Alto, as sometimes less is more (Caravan mover) in learning and reliability.Very pleased with these robust units. I think you advised me back then , when I was ordering vrs patching parts together form an alternative product.This year my assistant was not available when I wanted to rotate in our drive and while I was able to manouver by myself this will certainly make it much easier. Another great idea. Keep them coming. Rob
ReplyDelete