Forum Discussion

melloftus's avatar
melloftus
Explorer
Jun 20, 2019

Travel Trailer dolly?

Hi All,
So I have read the couple of Post here RE:this subject and really couldn't find an answer to what I need. So last year I booked a camping site that we have only tent camped at years prior. When you are tent camping you have a different perspective then when you own a TT. Unsure if we could get our new to us TT down there we went up last month before the site opened to the public to check out the road going in and spacing to see if we could get the TT down there, where we wanted to park it etc. However there was still some snow on the ground so it made it a bit tough, Needless to say getting the trailer in/parked and out of the site might pose a challenge, my husband ever the optimistic thinks its going to be "fine" me the realist has some major concerns. We have a couple of options- Option A: back it down the road- there is a tight turn coming down and it is questionable if we can swing it into the spot hitched or B: drive it in and try to turn it around to get it to the spot we picked. The catch is I am not sure if we have enough room to get all the way turned around at the bottom, so one thought was to buy some sort of wheels to attach to the trailer hitch, disconnect the truck attach tow straps swing the trailer around then hitch back up to bring it to the spot.
I was looking at the Trailer Valet however we will not be on a concrete surface but rather dirt so I am not sure if that will work also with our hitch weight I think we will have to go with the more $$ XL version and we would never use this item at home to park the unit so I might be wasting money on a pricey gadget ... the wheel idea becomes a tough also as I unsure what I could buy that could handle our TT weight... suggestions much appreciated as I refuse to return to a tent!
Here are our TT specs: 2008 Fleetwood - Mallard 21CKS
Length:24.67 ft
Dry Weight 4,198 lbs.
Hitch Weight 636 lbs.
Fresh Water Tank Capacity 50.0 gal.(we will have a full tank) 416lbs
May another 300-400Lbs of stuff inside
Total weight appx 5000 +/- lb
  • navegator's avatar
    navegator
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2019
    I will sugest that you ask permission maybe a church or another buisness to use the parking lot and mark out the approximate layout of the area that you would be turning the trailer and see if it can be swung arround, this also serves as practice for husband, driving a trailer in reverse is not that easy unless you have a lot of experience doing it, you guys might end up in more trouble than what you think, the other option is finding a different place or spot that is more accessible.

    navegator
  • craig7h's avatar
    craig7h
    Nomad II
    Jun 20, 2019
    x2
    When I bought my first 5th wheel we spent 5+ hours in a parking lot. Get some cones mark off areas try stupid things. Its a learning process and best to learn in a parking lot. The two of you have to work out hand signals because what you may tell husband by hand may mean something different to him. Or walkie talkies. Good luck and enjoy.
  • pitch's avatar
    pitch
    Explorer II
    Jun 20, 2019
    May I suggest a ball for the front of your truck? Either that or find someone with a tractor that could spot it for you.
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2019
    IMHO, buying and hauling the Trailer Valet, would be an unneeded expense for this purpose.
    Much better to get experience backing the trailer.
    In all my years of Camping, with many time in tight state park campgrounds, I've never seen anyone use something lime this, to get in a campsite.
    But if you have use for it, for home usage or storage ot usage, then it might be worth it.
  • Jebby14's avatar
    Jebby14
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2019
    put a hitch on the front of the truck. then if you need to you can drop it hook up and push it in with a MUCH tighter turning radius especially with an extension. added bonus is a front hitch is great for a winch, or a rack or a tie point.
  • mobeewan's avatar
    mobeewan
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2019
    I bought a Park-it 360 powered trailer dolly. It does not work on soft dirt because to trailer wheels settle in the dirt and make it harder to roll and the tires on the dolly spin because they can't get traction. There is no way the wheels will never get traction rolling over pine needles.

    Most of these powered trailer dollies no matter what brand are only good when rolling over concrete or hard packed gravel driveways.

    For what you are doing you're better off as suggested to have a front hitch mounted to use as a spotting hitch.

    I bought a Park-it 360 to use to move the trailer around in the back yard after pulling in from a private road that runs behind the house. After pulling in using the truck I have to unhitch to move the trailer the rest of the way to the parking spot. I was not able to get traction and had to get help from 2 neighbors and the guy that cut my grass to push the trailer while I guided it with the dolly rolling on 2 x 10s. It didn't work very well on grass or thr bare dirt where a shed used to sit. I'm going to get a steel fabricating shop to make some add on steel wheels with cleats that will dig in and not spin.

    I found some steel wheels on the internet that are for walk-behind cultivators and mowers used on hillsides, but they were $800 each and the seller gets them shipped from Italy. I think I can do lots better with a local welding shop.
  • Big_Katuna's avatar
    Big_Katuna
    Explorer II
    Jun 21, 2019
    Does the property have a tractor?

    I’ve been in CGs when the campground will set a trailer with a tractor with a ball on the front loader.
  • pitch's avatar
    pitch
    Explorer II
    Jun 21, 2019
    Jebby14 wrote:
    put a hitch on the front of the truck. then if you need to you can drop it hook up and push it in with a MUCH tighter turning radius especially with an extension. added bonus is a front hitch is great for a winch, or a rack or a tie point.


    Yeah! That's what I said!
  • myredracer's avatar
    myredracer
    Explorer II
    Jun 21, 2019
    Can't quite visualize what the location looks like. A photo might have been nice.

    Once, and only once so far, I needed to back our 29' TT into a site with a very tight almost 90 degree turn off the road. I backed part way in, then unhooked the TT, then re-aligned the truck & trailer and then was able to back nicely into place. Didn't re-engage the WDH spring bars for the sake of only a few feet backing up so didn't take all that long. The end result was a very nice waterfront view of the ocean. :)

    I wouldn't bother with a dolly - too costly, too heavy and too bulky.
  • melloftus's avatar
    melloftus
    Explorer
    Jun 23, 2019
    Thanks All,
    Thanks for the advice... eventually we will go with the hitch on the front of the truck but glad I didn’t waste any money on the dolly as it sounds like it wouldn’t work for us

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