Could I use a jack caster wheel to solve this problem?

komodo wrote:
I park my camper, 3700 pounds in my driveway which has a slight incline, about 10 degrees. I can pull it out with my truck but not if my truck is loaded. The trailer drags on the ground when I reach the highest point where the street levels off. So I have to pull the trailer out, park it on the street then fill my truck and then go back to pulling the trailer.

Could I use a jack caster wheel to solve this problem, or will the wheel break?

Thank you

IMO that is an excellent way to ruin your trailer's frame by potentially bending it. Trailers are not designed to be supported by only the ball and the opposite very end of the trailer which is exactly what a solid wheel can have the potential to do. The typical "skids" will bend/crush and I believe are there to give you a "warning" thru noise/drag that things aren't right.

As recommended already use boards/blocks something to use the wheels to raise the offending end side to clear whatever you are having problems getting over.

Larry

When towing, the trailer very much needs to be level. The ball height is set by that criterion. Tow the trailer to a level parking lot and measure the distance from the asphalt to the bottom of the trailer frame at the rear of the trailer and the tongue. The measurements should be the same.

If it needs to be higher to get out of your driveway, airbags are the best solution to that. It will get very old very quickly having to fully hitch up with one draw bar to tow out of the driveway, then fully unhitch to swap out to a different, lower, draw bar for towing.

Good luck, and let us know what works.

valhalla360 wrote:
If loading the truck causes you to drag, I'm assuming the hitch is bottoming out.

First question: are you overloaded? I don't see where you listed what you are towing with.

If you are overloaded, time for a new truck as this is only one symptom.
If you aren't overloaded, airbags would be a simple fix or depending on what is hitting, get a ball that sits a few inches higher...odds are you are too low and out of level driving down the road.

I’m driving a Ford F-150 and I did bring the ball down to match my old vehicle. Maybe that’s the problem but when I drive away my trailer and truck lineup very straight, horizontal that is.

The air bags have been suggested to me before. I will need to see the cost of having them installed.

If loading the truck causes you to drag, I'm assuming the hitch is bottoming out.

First question: are you overloaded? I don't see where you listed what you are towing with.

If you are overloaded, time for a new truck as this is only one symptom.
If you aren't overloaded, airbags would be a simple fix or depending on what is hitting, get a ball that sits a few inches higher...odds are you are too low and out of level driving down the road.

Bobbo wrote:
What is dragging? Is it the tail of the trailer? Is it the hitch?

It’s the hitch so I think I will try the draw bar as suggested by wnjj and let all know how it went.

Air bags. Air them up and drive out, then dump the most of the air out to bring the truck back to level.

wnjj wrote:
While maybe not any more convenient than loading your truck in the street, you could use a ball with a riser just to get it out to the street, then swap stingers for the trip.

That is a great idea, Thanks

While maybe not any more convenient than loading your truck in the street, you could use a ball with a riser just to get it out to the street, then swap stingers for the trip.

Have you tried laying boards in gutter area to 'level out' the dip/transition between street and driveway

What is dragging? Is it the tail of the trailer? Is it the hitch?

Either way, I think adding a wheel is going to make the problem worse. The problem is that the wheel, itself, lowers the contact point at least another 2 inches, increasing the pressure on the system.

If the problem is that the contact point is in a depression, you can lay a pair of long boards across the depression to make it more level while pulling out. If the problem is that the contact point is a high point, you are pretty much stuck with what you are doing now.

Another route may be to add air bags to the truck that you can inflate/deflate from the driver's seat. Inflate them when pulling out to raise the rear of the truck, then deflate them when out of the driveway for normal towing.