pgjonker.co.za

Having the wheels come off

By PG JONKER

On a previous occasion we went camping with a friend’s caravan at Gouritsmond.  We then decided to get one of those canvass tents with an extension.  It works well, but we found it to become a bit crowded with our own three children and friends who make themselves at home in the extension which is supposed to serve as the kitchen and dining area. 

To top it, on the day of our departure from Gourits we found that the tent and its fixtures have grown so remarkably that we had to leave a few things behind.  There was simply not enough room for everything.  So we decided to reconsider our camping outfit in favour of a caravan.  Enter Frikkie and his caravan.

With my friend Frikkie’s blessings, we then opted for a year of Gourits camping with his caravan.  One of those bulky Gypsey’s with the fixed roof of about 1974 vintage.  So we set off for Worcester to go fetch the caravan.  That would have the benefit that, by the time I depart for holiday, I would have towed the caravan for some 90km’s, so I should have the feel of it. 

Frikkie is a handy guy.  On occasion he lost a wheel on his bakkie while touring the Richtersveld.  Unfazed, he simply did a field repair job on it and proceeded (see https://pgjonker.co.za/?p=118).   He is a guy with a plan for any eventuality.

Frikkie’s caravan is stored behind his house.  To get it out requires a bit of an exercise.  On the face of it, it is simple.  You just drag the caravan out from behind his garage.  Go around the garage, up with a little slope which brings you under his carport, around another corner and you are on your way to his front gate.   Easy as that.  So I thought, until the morning we arrive at Frikkie’s place.

The process summarised above is pretty much correct.  The problem, though, is that the carport referred to is a bit on the low side.  The caravan cannot pass underneath it.  But that is not a problem for Frikkie.  He made himself two small steel wheels that fit on the caravan.  The wheels are small enough to lower the caravan just enough for it to pass underneath the carport. 

So the first exercise is to, as stated before, drag the caravan out from behind the garage and up to the point where it is about to move up the incline to the area underneath the carport.  Up to this point the caravan is still shod in his standard wheels. 

Now we (OK, actually Frikkie does this) remove the standard wheels and replace them with the small steel wheels.

Once this is done, the caravan is pushed up the incline.  Once you are on even surface you are met with one of the legs of the carport that is smack in the middle of where you need to pass with the caravan.  That is no problem.  Frikkie had a plan.  This leg has a swivel point at the top, and the bottom can be undone from the floor where it is fixed with a bolt.  Now someone just keeps this leg out of harm’s way, and off goes the caravan.  Once you have passed under the carport, the leg gets installed again. 

Now the process of refitting the proper wheels follows. 

And wala!  One hour later you have managed to move the caravan a full 20 meters, and ready for action.

Frikkie has since sold his caravan.  I guess his wheels came off about this whole process.

PGJ