Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby dmb90260 » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:06 am

Nobes wrote:I like Cosmo's solution for his situation. I think with my hill, the trailer valet would have difficulty getting up to the garage. For my situation, I like my solution.


I believe the Trailer Valet website lists what is the max incline the TV can handle. I do not have to deal with an incline but the space is very tight.
The tires on mine are not solid.
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby working on it » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:46 am

Nobes wrote:I have a very short but much, much steeper driveway. There is no way I could ever back my 1500 lb TD up. It's hard to back the truck up there just by itself! Plus, the garage opening is narrow and I only have inches of clearance on each side after the TD enters the garage.
  • Like in your situation, my garage bay opening is very narrow, too, and there is sharply-angled concrete apron there, that makes rolling the trailer wheels over it, almost a Herculean task. Once my trailer grew to 2000 lbs, pushing it in with the truck became the only way to do it. I formerly used that bay to work on my project cars, over the years, and when they were engine-less or un-powered for some reason, I always had to get help to move them back inside.
  • I might've tried using a winch as you did, if my trailer was going in forwards (tongue-first), but I insert it in back-first, and it would certainly try to twist, when crossing that steeply angled concrete apron. I chose to make my simple front receiver mod where it was on the right side of my bumper, for good reason: when I was using the home-made strap-on pushbar thing, I found that I couldn't see either of the edges of the garage bay, at the critical entry point, so I had to enlist my wife as an observer/director, to help, once again. By hooking-up the trailer offset to the right, I could have one side of it perfectly in my line of sight, and I could push it in straight, within inches of one side's edge (leaving plenty of clearance on the other side, requiring no observer to direct my actions).
  • The offset receiver hitch set-up will be a real boon to me, if ever I need to park my TTT in a very tight spot, when camping. As is, I tend to never unhook my trailer from my single-spring-bar weight distributing hitch (as seen in my signature photos, below), and it makes backing it up very hard to do (though when moving forward, the WD hitch makes the trailer track perfectly). I look like a blind novice when positioning it on a park pad, but to unhook the spring-bar would require using two jacks, and I'm growing too old and lazy to do so!
2013 HHRv "squareback/squaredrop", rugged, 4x8 TTT, 2225 lbs
  • *3500 lb Dexter EZ-Lube braked axle, 3000 lb.springs, active-progressive bumpstop suspension
  • *27 x 8.5-14LT AT tires (x 3) *Weight Distribution system for single-beam tongue
  • *100% LED's & GFCI outlets, 3x fans, AM/FM/CD/Aux. *A/C & heat, Optima AGM, inverter & charger(s)
  • *extended-run, on-board, 2500w generator *Coleman dual-fuel stove & lantern, Ikea grill, vintage skillet
  • *zinc/stainless front & side racks *98"L x 6" diameter rod & reel carrier tube on roof
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby aggie79 » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:04 am

For the adventurous and metalworking-talented crowd, here's an interesting DIY powered trailer dolly:
http://www.absurdflow.com/dolly.html.

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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby working on it » Wed Apr 25, 2018 4:38 pm

aggie79 wrote:For the adventurous and metalworking-talented crowd, here's an interesting DIY powered trailer dolly:
http://www.absurdflow.com/dolly.html.

Image
  • Looks like a possibility for those with a straight shot into their garage or selected parking spot, over concrete or hard-packed surfaces, but not for those (like myself) that must maneuver at an angle, over loose mixed materials. I see no differential on the axle (and I assume the motor drives both wheels), so it would tend to drive straight, without turning, at all times, unless manhandled (no, I am not now, or ever will be, politically correct, especially in my use of language!).
  • On my mixed material driveway, I could see it digging a trench, whilst I struggled to turn the trailer into position for the best fit. It would work for me during my turn-around procedure, at the crest of the driveway "hill", but I would still have to finagle my way another 50-60 feet downslope, at an angle, over mostly sand. Not ideal for my use, but perhaps for others?
2013 HHRv "squareback/squaredrop", rugged, 4x8 TTT, 2225 lbs
  • *3500 lb Dexter EZ-Lube braked axle, 3000 lb.springs, active-progressive bumpstop suspension
  • *27 x 8.5-14LT AT tires (x 3) *Weight Distribution system for single-beam tongue
  • *100% LED's & GFCI outlets, 3x fans, AM/FM/CD/Aux. *A/C & heat, Optima AGM, inverter & charger(s)
  • *extended-run, on-board, 2500w generator *Coleman dual-fuel stove & lantern, Ikea grill, vintage skillet
  • *zinc/stainless front & side racks *98"L x 6" diameter rod & reel carrier tube on roof
173193172890148599
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby dmb90260 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:35 am

Before the trailer Valet arrived a buddy of mine tried to make the drill-driven dolly. At first it just did not work, it tended to just grind the tires dwon. Fortunately he has the skills and equipment and made gears to mount on the axle and drove the device much better. Much better means it worked but not easily. The troque from the drill (HARBOR Freight) was very sensitive. Kept at a very low speed the dolly did work but any more power and would have dug a hole if I did not have a concrete driveway.
That all changes when the Trailer Valet arrived. Sold the other device to a friend who was dealing with only a 10 ft very tight pull. He still uses it but has insisted he gets first shot at the TV when I sell my trailer. :lol: I promised that would happen.
Dennis
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby aggie79 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:53 am

working on it wrote:
aggie79 wrote:For the adventurous and metalworking-talented crowd, here's an interesting DIY powered trailer dolly:
http://www.absurdflow.com/dolly.html.

Image
  • Looks like a possibility for those with a straight shot into their garage or selected parking spot, over concrete or hard-packed surfaces, but not for those (like myself) that must maneuver at an angle, over loose mixed materials. I see no differential on the axle (and I assume the motor drives both wheels), so it would tend to drive straight, without turning, at all times, unless manhandled (no, I am not now, or ever will be, politically correct, especially in my use of language!).
  • On my mixed material driveway, I could see it digging a trench, whilst I struggled to turn the trailer into position for the best fit. It would work for me during my turn-around procedure, at the crest of the driveway "hill", but I would still have to finagle my way another 50-60 feet downslope, at an angle, over mostly sand. Not ideal for my use, but perhaps for others?


I have the non-powered version of the dolly. The wheels are independent and not connected by a straight axle. On this example, the drive only powers the one wheel. The other is free-wheeling.
Tom (& Linda)
For build info on our former Silver Beatle teardrop:
Build Thread

93503
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby Tom Horn » Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:21 am

aggie79 wrote:For the adventurous and metalworking-talented crowd, here's an interesting DIY powered trailer dolly:
http://www.absurdflow.com/dolly.html.

Image



I am use to pulling 2000lb pallets with a pallet jacket and I could use this to maneuver most anything. As long as it has a speed control and brake control in the handle it would be about perfect to me.
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby working on it » Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:46 pm

Tom Horn wrote:I am use to pulling 2000lb pallets with a pallet jacket and I could use this to maneuver most anything....
A few years ago, I was still very able to do the same (I used the same type of manual pallet jacks for 50 years, starting at 15 for my grandfather, and while working in/managing receiving departments for 22 of my 46 years at my job, and off and on while working in other departments at the same company). As I grew older, I relied more on forklifts, because the back and knees just couldn't take it, anymore! Glad to see that others are still capable of manually maneuvering their trailers (and pallets), without resorting to using fully power-assisted devices.
2013 HHRv "squareback/squaredrop", rugged, 4x8 TTT, 2225 lbs
  • *3500 lb Dexter EZ-Lube braked axle, 3000 lb.springs, active-progressive bumpstop suspension
  • *27 x 8.5-14LT AT tires (x 3) *Weight Distribution system for single-beam tongue
  • *100% LED's & GFCI outlets, 3x fans, AM/FM/CD/Aux. *A/C & heat, Optima AGM, inverter & charger(s)
  • *extended-run, on-board, 2500w generator *Coleman dual-fuel stove & lantern, Ikea grill, vintage skillet
  • *zinc/stainless front & side racks *98"L x 6" diameter rod & reel carrier tube on roof
173193172890148599
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby Tom Horn » Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:41 am

working on it wrote:
Tom Horn wrote:I am use to pulling 2000lb pallets with a pallet jacket and I could use this to maneuver most anything....
A few years ago, I was still very able to do the same (I used the same type of manual pallet jacks for 50 years, starting at 15 for my grandfather, and while working in/managing receiving departments for 22 of my 46 years at my job, and off and on while working in other departments at the same company). As I grew older, I relied more on forklifts, because the back and knees just couldn't take it, anymore! Glad to see that others are still capable of manually maneuvering their trailers (and pallets), without resorting to using fully power-assisted devices.


I know what you mean I am in my 23rd year of working retail after working many years as a kid on a farm. I am use to doing things the harder way. As I get older I am starting to feel the wear and tear of all the hard work through the years. I have to be more cautious with my left shoulder due to tendinitis in it which hit me pretty hard at work about a month ago checking out a customer for the first time. By the end of the night I couldn't pick up a 40lb bag of bird seed it hurt so bad. After a few weeks of rehab it is starting to feel normal now but I am overly cautious now as I don't want to feel that ever again. I still don't plan on doing most things maually as I prefer that way, but I am thinking more and more on how I lift everything or carrying things now. The last thing I want to do is screw up my shoulder so that I can never shoot a bow again.
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Re: Moving the trailer up an incline by hand

Postby working on it » Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:50 am

Tom Horn wrote:
working on it wrote:
Tom Horn wrote:I am use to pulling 2000lb pallets with a pallet jacket and I could use this to maneuver most anything....
A few years ago, I was still very able to do the same (I used the same type of manual pallet jacks for 50 years, starting at 15 for my grandfather, and while working in/managing receiving departments for 22 of my 46 years at my job, and off and on while working in other departments at the same company). As I grew older, I relied more on forklifts, because the back and knees just couldn't take it, anymore! Glad to see that others are still capable of manually maneuvering their trailers (and pallets), without resorting to using fully power-assisted devices.


I know what you mean I am in my 23rd year of working retail after working many years as a kid on a farm. I am use to doing things the harder way. As I get older I am starting to feel the wear and tear of all the hard work through the years. I have to be more cautious with my left shoulder due to tendinitis in it which hit me pretty hard at work about a month ago checking out a customer for the first time. By the end of the night I couldn't pick up a 40lb bag of bird seed it hurt so bad. After a few weeks of rehab it is starting to feel normal now but I am overly cautious now as I don't want to feel that ever again. I still don't plan on doing most things maually as I prefer that way, but I am thinking more and more on how I lift everything or carrying things now. The last thing I want to do is screw up my shoulder so that I can never shoot a bow again.
  • I also used to have to stack most of the boxes filled with up to 100 lbs of pre-printed ads (I worked at a newspaper printing plant; actually 4 plants, for two companies), received loose on the shipping/receiving dock from various shipping services. They would arrive mixed with other boxes of ads, so I would have to bend/lift/bend/sort/carry/stack/repeat etc. hundreds of times a day, because the younger guys would disappear whenever the boxes were thrown onto the dock. Not just Millennials, but Boomers and Gen X (the youngest-a Gen Z Centennial-never did anything, but just walked around) as well. I was the oldest, the de-facto dept. manager, but did all the heavy-lifting.
  • After many years of that sort of physical strain, coupled with other on-the-job chronic injuries from doing other work as a troubleshooter there, and from my automotive & racing days, my body could take no more. I retired at 65.5 years old, though they wanted me to stay, with sciatica, bad knees & back, and high blood pressure. I did nothing but rest for a year and a half after retirement, and finally felt good enough to start camping again. The high blood pressure went away immediately after I quit (now I have 110/40 BP), and I wear good knee braces, and Gabapentin (a med I used when I had Shingles recently) has reduced the pain of the sciatica and bad back, as well. But my body is capable of very little compared to my prime years, when I could do anything!
  • Watch what you lift, pull, turn, twist, carry, anything!, because once the damage is done...it's done.
2013 HHRv "squareback/squaredrop", rugged, 4x8 TTT, 2225 lbs
  • *3500 lb Dexter EZ-Lube braked axle, 3000 lb.springs, active-progressive bumpstop suspension
  • *27 x 8.5-14LT AT tires (x 3) *Weight Distribution system for single-beam tongue
  • *100% LED's & GFCI outlets, 3x fans, AM/FM/CD/Aux. *A/C & heat, Optima AGM, inverter & charger(s)
  • *extended-run, on-board, 2500w generator *Coleman dual-fuel stove & lantern, Ikea grill, vintage skillet
  • *zinc/stainless front & side racks *98"L x 6" diameter rod & reel carrier tube on roof
173193172890148599
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