Funky driveway = towing concern. Looking for some advice.

[TheHound]

Hey folks,

I am hoping to get some suggestions from you experts on bringing a travel trailer onto our property.

We are in the market for a small couples camper (25' or less) and while we intend to travel with it, we also plan to use it regularly on our acreage north of Toronto. All we have there now is a bunkie with no power or water which limits us to a 1 or 2 night stay.

Our driveway however is not straight in from the county road but requires you to come off the road and negotiate a bend to access it. I think with some tree cutting and extra gravel I can make this work but the real concern is the dip in the driveway. It drops down fairly steep on gravel and then you came back up on what is more like a trail. According to my display at the highest point it was 10 degrees.

So, I am wondering how to approach this to determine if I will have sufficient clearance and not leave a trail of parts behind. I did bring my 11' utility trailer up no problem but the A frame jack scrapped along the gravel at one point. This was using my Toyota SUV but I now have a 2017 F150 with max tow package.

I am enjoying my research on new trailers but this little dilemma is hanging over me like a storm cloud lol.

Apologies for the long winded post but just trying to paint the picture.

A few pics added but not sure they really capture the issue. Thanks in advance.

[Mickeyfan0805]

TheHound wrote:

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

TheHound wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion Mickeyfan! As a total newbie I am not sure I would be able properly recreate the scene of the crime lol as I have zero point of reference in terms of how these tow and clearance of the vital organs. And you are spot on...the tail is also a concern. Funny thing is, there may not be a problem here at all but I have no way of knowing until we potentially get stuck between our two ponds. Yikes!

Generally, your vital organs will be ok (jacks would be your main concern) - as most are typically above the lower edge of the frame. I would suggest that your tail clearance at the peak of the hill is likely your biggest issue (and the most difficult one to solve it if is one. Especially if you buried the tongue on a utility trailer, I think you are right to think ahead about the tail clearance of a longer tt.

Do you have any sense of the depth of the dip and the distance from entry point to exit? Also, is it a pretty consistent frop and rise - or is it steeper on one side than the other. That info might give us a sense of how likely (and easily manageable the problem might be).

Right at the entrance heading down (or exiting) would likely represent the sharpest rise/drop. Moving up towards the cabin it is less steep but I lose some traction as there is not much gravel. Not so worried about that now with the truck. There is a level stretch between the two inclines as you pass the ponds. I should have shot a video, probably more helpful. Thanks for the insight.

This is helpful. The flat spot between will make a big difference (you won't be moving back uphill with the truck while the trailer is still on the down-slope).

It wouldn't be perfect, but I'd check the general distance between the rear tire and the back bumper of a trailer you are considering, and the minimum clearance of that trailer in the back, then mount a 2x4 to your utility trailer extending that same distance from its wheels, at that height. With that hanging off the back of your trailer you could drive it and see if the 2x4 hits the ground.

It does not cover every issue, but it would give you a decent sense of how close you might be to having a problem.

As other said, there are ways to rectify any issue you come across with some work - but if that is not in the budget, this might be a first glance way at checking things out.

[Swell1]

you could bring in gravel to raise the ditch up or rent a skid loader and cut the hill down. Both would level out the arch.

[westend]

Having seen this same scenario with driveways in different Arboreal forest areas, I'd suggest to do some work to your driveway. For most folks, it can be done at a reasonable cost. If you have connections to someone in that area with machines and/or trucks, it won't be that exorbitant, may be deductible from taxes, and will be a long time improvement. Anything else you do with that driveway will only be a band aid. If you have water issues at the end of the drive, you may have to use a culvert under the improved driveway. In my area +$200.

Compliments on the pictures posted, it sure helps to visualize the issues.

[2012Coleman]

Build retaining walls on either side of the dip, then fill in with gravel.

[Ivylog]

Looks like you may need a culvert at the road so you do not dip down before going over the hump. I would scrape up and stockpile the gravel from the road to past the hump and then use the dirt from the hump to fill over the culvert decreasing your problem/concerns. Less than an hour with a BobCat to do this.

[TurnThePage]

My trailer is 24 feet long and the hitch is 23" off the ground when level. It easily manages the kind of terrain in you photos. Coming in at angles while paying attention to low points like the black/gray drain is all there is to it. I personally don't see a problem with flipping axles if it's needed, but there are plenty of trailers out there that are already high enough. Looks like a fun location. Good luck!

[TheHound]

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
rent a similar TT for a day....hitch it up and see how it goes....if all is well buy one, if it goes badly hope you get ur damage deposit back. Lol

Trust me, I thought of that lol. As well as paying off someone to come and assess the situation first hand.

[TheHound]

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

TheHound wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion Mickeyfan! As a total newbie I am not sure I would be able properly recreate the scene of the crime lol as I have zero point of reference in terms of how these tow and clearance of the vital organs. And you are spot on...the tail is also a concern. Funny thing is, there may not be a problem here at all but I have no way of knowing until we potentially get stuck between our two ponds. Yikes!

Generally, your vital organs will be ok (jacks would be your main concern) - as most are typically above the lower edge of the frame. I would suggest that your tail clearance at the peak of the hill is likely your biggest issue (and the most difficult one to solve it if is one. Especially if you buried the tongue on a utility trailer, I think you are right to think ahead about the tail clearance of a longer tt.

Do you have any sense of the depth of the dip and the distance from entry point to exit? Also, is it a pretty consistent frop and rise - or is it steeper on one side than the other. That info might give us a sense of how likely (and easily manageable the problem might be).

Right at the entrance heading down (or exiting) would likely represent the sharpest rise/drop. Moving up towards the cabin it is less steep but I lose some traction as there is not much gravel. Not so worried about that now with the truck. There is a level stretch between the two inclines as you pass the ponds. I should have shot a video, probably more helpful. Thanks for the insight.

[TheHound]

Bob/Olallawa wrote:
Flipping the axles would be my last choice. When you drug the tongue jack on your utility trailer, was the trailer loaded and dropping the rear of the SUV down? Your new 150 most likely has better ground clearance than the SUV while hooked up to the utility trailer. The travel trailer would also have spring bars attached (if you use a weight distribution hitch),and would keep the hitch of the truck from sagging and dragging. Photos don't show all for sure but I would think the question area is the dip leaving the main road and rising up before heading down toward the water area. I drag a 35 ft pull trailer into the hills for hunting and carry a few boards to use under the tires of the truck or trailer to help keep from dragging in bad areas.

Thanks Bob! The pic with the pickup shown at the top would represent the steepest section as we make our way out of the driveway. And the one with the coyote lol. My truck says 10 degrees for what that's worth. I could see where keeping some boards there might be helpful. My Venza was more of a crossover so yes, definitely lower than my F150. It was empty when it dragged. No damage, just some gravel scooped up in the foot of the jack.

[FLY_4_FUN]

rent a similar TT for a day....hitch it up and see how it goes....if all is well buy one, if it goes badly hope you get ur damage deposit back. Lol

[Mickeyfan0805]

TheHound wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion Mickeyfan! As a total newbie I am not sure I would be able properly recreate the scene of the crime lol as I have zero point of reference in terms of how these tow and clearance of the vital organs. And you are spot on...the tail is also a concern. Funny thing is, there may not be a problem here at all but I have no way of knowing until we potentially get stuck between our two ponds. Yikes!

Generally, your vital organs will be ok (jacks would be your main concern) - as most are typically above the lower edge of the frame. I would suggest that your tail clearance at the peak of the hill is likely your biggest issue (and the most difficult one to solve it if is one. Especially if you buried the tongue on a utility trailer, I think you are right to think ahead about the tail clearance of a longer tt.

Do you have any sense of the depth of the dip and the distance from entry point to exit? Also, is it a pretty consistent frop and rise - or is it steeper on one side than the other. That info might give us a sense of how likely (and easily manageable the problem might be).

[Bob_Olallawa]

Flipping the axles would be my last choice. When you drug the tongue jack on your utility trailer, was the trailer loaded and dropping the rear of the SUV down? Your new 150 most likely has better ground clearance than the SUV while hooked up to the utility trailer. The travel trailer would also have spring bars attached (if you use a weight distribution hitch),and would keep the hitch of the truck from sagging and dragging. Photos don't show all for sure but I would think the question area is the dip leaving the main road and rising up before heading down toward the water area. I drag a 35 ft pull trailer into the hills for hunting and carry a few boards to use under the tires of the truck or trailer to help keep from dragging in bad areas.

[TheHound]

Thanks for the suggestion Mickeyfan! As a total newbie I am not sure I would be able properly recreate the scene of the crime lol as I have zero point of reference in terms of how these tow and clearance of the vital organs. And you are spot on...the tail is also a concern. Funny thing is, there may not be a problem here at all but I have no way of knowing until we potentially get stuck between our two ponds. Yikes!

[Mickeyfan0805]

I'm not sure I have a quick answer to your question - others might.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be measuring out the distances on the potential setup and mimicking the geometry with 2x4's on the driveway (ie - run a 2x4 long enough to mimic the distance from the rear wheel to the hitch, at the height of the bottom of your loaded hitch and see what it does at the point of concern, then repeat from the trailer side).

My only other comment would be to remind you that the pivot point between your truck and trailer isn't your only concern - you need to worry about the tail hitting the backside of the hill as well.

[TheHound]

SoundGuy wrote:
Judging from your pics I'd be more concerned about backing up that narrow drive and would instead want to pull it in and pull it out. That of course means having the space to spin the trailer around once in place but that surely would be easier than backing up that narrow drive. The dip I don't see as an issue as you'd sometimes run into this in campgrounds but of course the pics don't show that particularly well.

Thanks for the reply. Fortunately things get better once you get up the driveway. Lots of room to back up and potential for a full loop around.

My big fear is wheeling in a spanking new trailer only to find the stabilizers, drain pipes etc aren't going to clear. I read some people had the dealer "flip the axles" for more clearance so wondering if I should consider something like that.