Parking in Sloped Driveway

[Laurob]

Hi! This is my first post, and I'm seeking advice for parking a small trailer in a driveway with a 14% downward slope. The trailer has a GVWR of less than 4,000 lbs, and for logistical reasons, it has to be parked without the aid of a vehicle - it can't be towed in, nor backed in (long story). And obviously, the downward slope when parking becomes an UPhill slope when leaving the driveway!

We've contacted Trailer Valet, and their technicians say that even their most high-end remote-controlled trailer movers can't handle more than a 10% (5-degree) slope.

Does anyone have any creative advice for making this work?

[mkirsch]

I'm not aware of such hitches being offered commercially. You'd be stuck with some local yokel welder who won't take any responsibility if his hitch falls off your trailer the first time you hit a bump.

[Laurob]

Oh, thank you, 4x4van - I apologize that I'm just now seeing this. Another intriguing option! We'll still have to figure out how to secure the trailer on our rather extreme slope. Problems, problems!

[4x4van]

Another option would be to install a folding tongue on the trailer and then back it in as normal, folding the tongue away from the sidewalk once parked. They can be purchased/fabricated for both a single tongue bar (like this) or a V-tongue (like this). Google it for many options, particularly in google images. There are also removeable and/or retractable tongue designs. Any of these options would be less expensive than storage, and would allow you to have your trailer at home.

[BarneyS]

Here is another of your pictures that I used the forum photo posting app to put in this post. I think it shows your problem a bit more clearly.

I agree with most of the others here, it is time to find an off site storage lot or maybe a farmer with empty barn space or room in in a field behind it.
Barney

[MFL]

Short of a friend, relative, or neighbor allowing storage, I don't see any option, other than rental property. Having to park tongue in first, due to over hang is the issue.

Jerry

[Laurob]

time2roll wrote:
That looks more difficult than I thought. Does the drive slope up and then slope down? Or is that the picture angle?

There is a curb that slopes up (about 45 degrees) between the street & sidewalk, then the driveway slopes downward. The sidewalk itself is fairly level.

We're coming around to the realization that we'll need to store it off-site. I wish we had considered RV parking when we were house shopping several decades ago, 'cause storage is just so darned expensive here (if we want to keep it in the same time zone)! :R

[Grit_dog]

time2roll wrote:
That looks more difficult than I thought. Does the drive slope up and then slope down? Or is that the picture angle?

The sidewalk is sloped towards the gutter, 2% max, so a little crown there at the back of the sidewalk, but not much.
Looks like the OP "could" get it in nose forward with a very short vehicle with front hitch backed into garage, if there's room to back up and get around the camper. I've done it with my CJ5 and front hitch in tight areas at a past residence.
But bottom line, I'd buy something that could be backed into the driveway conventionally, or find storage, unfortunately.

[ford_truck_guy]

Looks to me like you need to find RV storage of property..

[time2roll]

That looks more difficult than I thought. Does the drive slope up and then slope down? Or is that the picture angle?

[Laurob]

MFL wrote:

Thank you, MFL! This is our driveway & (hoped for) parking space...

[MFL]

[Laurob]

I have a dropbox account, so let's see if this works...





EDIT: 'Looks like the image tags didn't display the photos, but here are the links:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/dlo03mro664o2ip/20210126_125702_HDR.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a7u0i1b5ib6tuvi/20210126_125555_HDR.jpg?dl=0

[BurbMan]

Chrome says "not secure" but doesn't block it. It's only a path to Imgur hosting.

If you don't want to use the "app", you can upload photos to any hosting site, the forum here doesn't host photos.

I use photobucket, and each photo is assigned a URL. Here is one:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Burbman/2008%20Terry/RVatCabelas.jpg

To post as an image, there are 2 steps:

1. Size the image by adding " width=640" after the URL. Note that there is a space before the word "width", not an underscore.

2. Frame the URL with "img" in the beginning and "/img" at the end, using brackets as shown.

When you are done the URL string will look like this as you type the post:



When you post your message the picture will appear:

[BarneyS]

Try clicking on the link I gave in my post above. Goes to same place but different URL. We have never had any problems with the photo posting app at all.
Barney