Using the front Bumper to park a TT vs the Rear Bumper?
Will it make that much of a different in making a tight 90 degree turn with walls & stuff in the way.
Of where I need to park my Trailer?
Of where I need to park my Trailer?
Forum Discussion
- Delete
- There is a big difference in what you can see with a boat on the front. IF the 90 degree turn is to the left with the TT on the front then you should be able to see what's going on...to the right you will not be able to see anything.
Mandalay Parr wrote:
Seems to me it would be easier to navigate with a front hitch. My H2 Hummer had one front and rear.
yep, lots of boats launched that way.
bumpy- We used to maneuver our boat with a front hitch which made it easy. BUT the tongue weight of our TT is close to 800 lbs, way more than our boat.
A hitch on the front (not the bumper) will not have the benefit of a weight distributing so the front of the truck will sag big time. We tried it once but never again.
There is a toy out there that will park your rig without a truck. That may ultimately be the answer for you. Check out www.powercaster.com. And no I don't benefit from that advice. Their ad is in the back of Trailer Life magazine. Blanco1 wrote:
Will it make that much of a different in making a tight 90 degree turn with walls & stuff in the way.
Of where I need to park my Trailer?
The answer to your question is yes, you will definitely be able to maneuver into a tight spot that would be impossible hitched up in the normal way. It has to do with the fact that the truck’s steer axle is now near the hitch (pivot point). Picture how the vehicle moves when backing in a conventional manner - cut the wheel hard over and the rear axle only slowly begins to move laterally at first. Now imagine the trailer connected to the front of the vehicle - cut the wheel and you can very rapidly (in a short forward distance) create a sharp angle between the tow vehicle and the trailer. You can also “take out” that angle in a short distance.
If you watch how aircraft are pushed back from the gate, you will see that the pushback tractor is always facing the aircraft. Granted there is a towbar connecting the tractor to the nose wheel of the aircraft, but the principle is still the same.
As has been stated though, your visibility will be greatly reduced. Highly recommend a spotter!Blanco1 wrote:
Yes. As said, the front end turns a lot faster than the rear, but I wouldn't recommend any 90° turns.
Will it make that much of a difference in making a tight 90 degree turn with walls & stuff in the way.Ivylog wrote:
There is a big difference in what you can see with a boat on the front. IF the 90 degree turn is to the left with the TT on the front then you should be able to see what's going on...to the right you will not be able to see anything.
I would never do it alone, My wife would always be there to be my eyes for me as she has done with my car trailer I back in there.
& yes I understand what your saying I've been a Truck driver most of my life.Bumpyroad wrote:
Mandalay Parr wrote:
Seems to me it would be easier to navigate with a front hitch. My H2 Hummer had one front and rear.
yep, lots of boats launched that way.
bumpy
As does my Dodge Dually.
But I worry about the limited room to move around with such a big truck?
- I have done this many times... It works great. As for the visability... In my case I knew where my obstacles were, and knew that so long as I kept the side I could see in certain places, then the other side would clear.
The first time just go slow, stop get out and look a lot. Once you get it down, it is a snap.
as for the weight rating of the hitch... It needs to be strong,
but being over is not a big deal at the slow speed and short distance you will be going. - I have no problem launching our boat using the rear hitch of our motorhome: Before launching I just bungee-cord the boat rod across the rear of the boat with a red flag tied onto each end of the rod ... then I just back down by watching the two red flags in the rear view mirrors. A piece of cake.
