Something had to be done so we sat down and designed the concept over several beers sitting in the sun at Henham Park and then refined the paper designs over the following months.
A couple of prototype trailer movers and caravan movers were made, tested and tweaked. The concept of a neat design that clipped together quickly was a result of many successful years in the motor sport industry.
The handle bar has a kink in it so that the actual handle does not sit in the mud when it is at rest; details like this came about from using the protoypes in various situations. We soon realised that the strength of the wheels was a key factor as we had produced such a strong metalwork design.
Keeping production of the TUG caravan mover local was the result of an increasing awareness of green issues and a long - held belief in British manufacturing. The major components are laser cut and manufactured by a friendly and efficient company just a few miles away from us here in Suffolk. For the first couple of years we were served well by one company; we ironed out production niggles and enjoyed a good relationship with the production team.
Initially we used wheels from various sources which all, ultimately and disappointingly seemed to be made in China. We were really pleased to find a British manufacturer for the wheels. This same manufacturer helped us out when we introduced the puncture proof option.
From the name "TUG" it is fairly obvious that the concept was conceived to make pulling trailers and caravans easier and it was always accepted that pushing would be less easy. However, a nagging thought and a similar customer eventually prompted us to develop an optional third wheel which does indeed enable a TUG to push!
Recently we have been talking to members of the sailing community who have to pull their launching trollies over sandy beaches. We have been working on a fitting that is either universal or at least suitable for the majority of popular trailers.
We have made a conscious decision to keep costs down by advertising very little. We have found that the modest amounts we have spent in the past have produced no direct sales. Instead we are now concentrating on our web presence and the word of mouth effect. This is all part of the plan of building up our capacity in a strong and sustainable manner.
A recent SEO (search engine optimization) campaign that we have instigated in-house in conjunction with our web-guru Jacob has led to a significant improvement in our standing on the Google search results. These are even further improved if you add "UK" into your search for trailer dolly, moving a caravan etc. We think that searching for images is also an easier way of finding what you want.
So, are you interested in our innovative caravan mover / caravan dolly / trailer puller? Do you want to show your friends or family via the good, old-fashioned medium of a piece of printed paper?
We don't blame you. For a printable leaflet suitable for leaving around the house in time for birthday/Christmas/father's day/mother's day, simply then print it off.